ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 8, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay, with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, there will be a voters’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs! There are flyers about the event on the table in the Fellowship Room.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 528, “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 35:4-7a
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON James 2:1-10, 14-18
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:31-37
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 797, “Praise the Almighty”
SERMON “Hearing Jesus” Mark 7:31-37
Hearing Jesus – Mark 7:31-37
Every so often, the chemistry and physics classes I took when in college cause me to marvel at the wonders of Almighty God. This starts right off in Genesis 1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3) There is just all kinds of amazing stuff happening in these few short verses.
When I consider that simple phrase, God said, “Let there be light,” I have to wonder how that happened. Talking normally travels as sound from mouth to ear. Sound can travel in solids, liquids, and gasses, but it cannot travel in a vacuum. Nevertheless, when God said, “Let there be light,” God had not yet created any solids, liquids, or gasses to carry His voice. Furthermore, there were no ears to hear His voice. Even the light that He called forth did not yet exist.
Think about it. God spoke when there was nothing to carry His voice. He spoke to something that did not exist. Nevertheless, when He spoke, the thing He commanded happened. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. This shows that God’s Word has power and authority that far exceeds our understanding.
Most of the time we take the power of the Word of God for granted. How often do we think that light, air, water, the earth beneath our feet, gravity, and everything else that we have in our existence is there because God said it should be there. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to the Hebrews to say, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1–3) and “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) The Bible makes it very clear that the universe exists because of the power of the Word of God.
The Gospel according to John begins by telling us that this very Word of God entered our world and took on human flesh in order to make us Sons of God. The Holy Spirit inspired John to write, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) and “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12–13) These words teach us that Jesus is the very Word of God in human flesh who has come to make us His adopted brothers and sisters and children of God.
The event we recently heard about in this morning’s Gospel tells us even more about the power of this Word of God in human flesh. Today’s reading tells us that He gave hearing and speech to a deaf man. The Holy Spirit inspired Mark to inform us that this sign happened in Gentile territory … the region of Tyre and Sidon, and the region of the Decapolis. This account shows us that Jesus did not just come to save the Jews, but He also came to save Gentiles.
Jesus, who is the Word of God, once again demonstrated that His word is still able to command something that does not exist. The man’s hearing did not exist. Nevertheless, Jesus spoke to him. He said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Mark 7:34–35) In the beginning, God spoke to the light that did not exist and the light came into being. In the Gospel we recently heard, God spoke to hearing that did not exist and it also came into being.
Note that Jesus did not simply give the sense of hearing to the man. If that was all He did, then the man would have had to listen to people for a long time before he could interpret the sounds as words. It would take even more time for this man to learn to reproduce those words with clear speech. When Jesus gave hearing to the man, He did not just give the sense of hearing, but He also gave him the understanding to hear and speak intelligent words. Jesus made it as though this man had had a sense of hearing for his entire life.
It is by the Word of His power that Jesus creates, and His creation is very good. It is by the Word of His power that Jesus heals, and His healing is complete. It is by the word of His power that Jesus saves, and His salvation is eternal.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to explain the connection between salvation and the word of God as he wrote to the church in Rome. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:13–15, 17) The Word of Christ speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. It is this faith that receives the eternal salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross.
There is yet another way that we see the power of God’s Word in today’s Gospel. This time, it is the power of God’s Word in the mouth of people. How did the friends know that Jesus was able to give hearing to the deaf man? Jesus did not spend a lot of time in these Gentile areas. Someone, somewhere, somehow had shared the Word of God with these people. Somehow the story of Jesus had reached clear up to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Somehow the story of Jesus had traveled clear over to the area of the Decapolis. Even if it was only neighborhood gossip, the Holy Spirit had used the Holy Spirit used the Word of God to cause these friends to bring the deaf man to Jesus.
You are also here in this building by the power of the Word of God. Faithful brothers and sisters shared the Word of God with their friends and their sons and their daughters. From mouth to ear, across the lands, down through the generations, the Word of God spread and the Holy Spirit used that Word to work faith in those who heard it. Eventually the power of that word came to your ear. That is the reason you are here … in this place … to receive the gifts that Jesus purchased for you with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
The Holy Spirit eliminates barriers with the Word and tells us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. As the Holy Spirit works through the Word we learn that our sin separates us from God, but that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross takes away our sins. We learn that His resurrection from the dead opens up the way to everlasting life. Through the Word, Christ reveals Himself to us. In that revelation, He also reveals the Father and the Holy Spirit and shows us God’s salvation. The Holy Spirit uses this knowledge to make that salvation personal through His gift of faith.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to the water of Holy Baptism, He joins us to Christ in that crucifixion so that the price He paid for sin is credited to us. By joining us to the death of Christ, the Holy Spirit also joins us to His resurrection. We become brothers of Christ and sons of God. We have the right and privilege to come before God, confess our sins, and receive the enduring comfort of the forgiveness of our sins. We become heirs to eternal life in heaven.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to bread and wine, Jesus Himself comes to us in the body He gave for us and in the blood He shed for us. As we take Him into our mouths, He feeds our souls. He strengthens our faith in Him. He has promised us that this sacrament is ours for the forgiveness of sins and with the forgiveness of sins comes life and salvation.
God’s process for sustaining Christ’s church in this world is amazing. Just as friends brought the deaf man to Jesus, so also God works through His people to bring His Word into our lives. He brings this word to our ears. He uses the wet Word of Holy Baptism to join us to Christ. Then the Word made flesh comes to us in the Bread and Wine of the Lord’s Table. The Holy Spirit works through this Word to work faith in us and bring us into the Church.
Now that we have the Word of God, we also have the authority to ask people to do the impossible. We can tell people about Jesus and the work He did to earn salvation for them. Then we can invite people and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Even though no one can believe in Jesus Christ by their own reason or strength, we trust the promise of Christ that the Holy Spirit will work wherever the Word of God is present. The Augsburg Confession expresses this very well: “Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.” (AC: I, art. v)
As the Holy Spirit sustains us in the one, true faith, He sends us into the world to confess the faith he has given to us and so in this way to spread His Word throughout the World. As we confess our faith to family, friends, associates, and all the other people in our lives, He has promised to use our confession to bring others before Christ for healing – the healing that produces faith and delivers forgiveness. In this amazingly crazy way, the Word of Christ still speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church—Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 8 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, by Your Spirit open our deaf ears to hear Your Word, that our tongues would be released to proclaim with zeal how Your Son has done all things well. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, You have commanded Your Church to take the Word of life to the ends of the earth. Strengthen and support all who travel to foreign lands on behalf of the Church’s mission. Give them wisdom and courage as they tell others about Christ. Bless their hearers with hearts that are receptive to Your gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, help parents to raise up their children to know You as their help and hope, that they may not put their trust in princes in whom there is no salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we place our hope in You and ask Your blessing on _____________ and all rulers, that their plans would be ordered for the welfare of those they govern and that You would execute Your justice for the oppressed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, graciously behold the sick and those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give us a humble and urgent faith that would beg even for crumbs from Your Son’s table, that as Your children we may receive the fullness of the feast He gives in His body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, create and sustain in us a lively faith in Christ Jesus, and lead us by Your Spirit to be active in all good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Source of all life and the life that never ends, receive our prayers this day in the name of Your beloved Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymn-- no. 545, “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
no. 852, “O God of Mercy, God of Might”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 924, “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 8, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay, with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, there will be a voters’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs! There are flyers about the event on the table in the Fellowship Room.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 528, “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 35:4-7a
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON James 2:1-10, 14-18
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:31-37
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 797, “Praise the Almighty”
SERMON “Hearing Jesus” Mark 7:31-37
Hearing Jesus – Mark 7:31-37
Every so often, the chemistry and physics classes I took when in college cause me to marvel at the wonders of Almighty God. This starts right off in Genesis 1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3) There is just all kinds of amazing stuff happening in these few short verses.
When I consider that simple phrase, God said, “Let there be light,” I have to wonder how that happened. Talking normally travels as sound from mouth to ear. Sound can travel in solids, liquids, and gasses, but it cannot travel in a vacuum. Nevertheless, when God said, “Let there be light,” God had not yet created any solids, liquids, or gasses to carry His voice. Furthermore, there were no ears to hear His voice. Even the light that He called forth did not yet exist.
Think about it. God spoke when there was nothing to carry His voice. He spoke to something that did not exist. Nevertheless, when He spoke, the thing He commanded happened. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. This shows that God’s Word has power and authority that far exceeds our understanding.
Most of the time we take the power of the Word of God for granted. How often do we think that light, air, water, the earth beneath our feet, gravity, and everything else that we have in our existence is there because God said it should be there. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to the Hebrews to say, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1–3) and “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) The Bible makes it very clear that the universe exists because of the power of the Word of God.
The Gospel according to John begins by telling us that this very Word of God entered our world and took on human flesh in order to make us Sons of God. The Holy Spirit inspired John to write, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) and “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12–13) These words teach us that Jesus is the very Word of God in human flesh who has come to make us His adopted brothers and sisters and children of God.
The event we recently heard about in this morning’s Gospel tells us even more about the power of this Word of God in human flesh. Today’s reading tells us that He gave hearing and speech to a deaf man. The Holy Spirit inspired Mark to inform us that this sign happened in Gentile territory … the region of Tyre and Sidon, and the region of the Decapolis. This account shows us that Jesus did not just come to save the Jews, but He also came to save Gentiles.
Jesus, who is the Word of God, once again demonstrated that His word is still able to command something that does not exist. The man’s hearing did not exist. Nevertheless, Jesus spoke to him. He said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Mark 7:34–35) In the beginning, God spoke to the light that did not exist and the light came into being. In the Gospel we recently heard, God spoke to hearing that did not exist and it also came into being.
Note that Jesus did not simply give the sense of hearing to the man. If that was all He did, then the man would have had to listen to people for a long time before he could interpret the sounds as words. It would take even more time for this man to learn to reproduce those words with clear speech. When Jesus gave hearing to the man, He did not just give the sense of hearing, but He also gave him the understanding to hear and speak intelligent words. Jesus made it as though this man had had a sense of hearing for his entire life.
It is by the Word of His power that Jesus creates, and His creation is very good. It is by the Word of His power that Jesus heals, and His healing is complete. It is by the word of His power that Jesus saves, and His salvation is eternal.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to explain the connection between salvation and the word of God as he wrote to the church in Rome. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:13–15, 17) The Word of Christ speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. It is this faith that receives the eternal salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross.
There is yet another way that we see the power of God’s Word in today’s Gospel. This time, it is the power of God’s Word in the mouth of people. How did the friends know that Jesus was able to give hearing to the deaf man? Jesus did not spend a lot of time in these Gentile areas. Someone, somewhere, somehow had shared the Word of God with these people. Somehow the story of Jesus had reached clear up to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Somehow the story of Jesus had traveled clear over to the area of the Decapolis. Even if it was only neighborhood gossip, the Holy Spirit had used the Holy Spirit used the Word of God to cause these friends to bring the deaf man to Jesus.
You are also here in this building by the power of the Word of God. Faithful brothers and sisters shared the Word of God with their friends and their sons and their daughters. From mouth to ear, across the lands, down through the generations, the Word of God spread and the Holy Spirit used that Word to work faith in those who heard it. Eventually the power of that word came to your ear. That is the reason you are here … in this place … to receive the gifts that Jesus purchased for you with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
The Holy Spirit eliminates barriers with the Word and tells us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. As the Holy Spirit works through the Word we learn that our sin separates us from God, but that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross takes away our sins. We learn that His resurrection from the dead opens up the way to everlasting life. Through the Word, Christ reveals Himself to us. In that revelation, He also reveals the Father and the Holy Spirit and shows us God’s salvation. The Holy Spirit uses this knowledge to make that salvation personal through His gift of faith.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to the water of Holy Baptism, He joins us to Christ in that crucifixion so that the price He paid for sin is credited to us. By joining us to the death of Christ, the Holy Spirit also joins us to His resurrection. We become brothers of Christ and sons of God. We have the right and privilege to come before God, confess our sins, and receive the enduring comfort of the forgiveness of our sins. We become heirs to eternal life in heaven.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to bread and wine, Jesus Himself comes to us in the body He gave for us and in the blood He shed for us. As we take Him into our mouths, He feeds our souls. He strengthens our faith in Him. He has promised us that this sacrament is ours for the forgiveness of sins and with the forgiveness of sins comes life and salvation.
God’s process for sustaining Christ’s church in this world is amazing. Just as friends brought the deaf man to Jesus, so also God works through His people to bring His Word into our lives. He brings this word to our ears. He uses the wet Word of Holy Baptism to join us to Christ. Then the Word made flesh comes to us in the Bread and Wine of the Lord’s Table. The Holy Spirit works through this Word to work faith in us and bring us into the Church.
Now that we have the Word of God, we also have the authority to ask people to do the impossible. We can tell people about Jesus and the work He did to earn salvation for them. Then we can invite people and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Even though no one can believe in Jesus Christ by their own reason or strength, we trust the promise of Christ that the Holy Spirit will work wherever the Word of God is present. The Augsburg Confession expresses this very well: “Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.” (AC: I, art. v)
As the Holy Spirit sustains us in the one, true faith, He sends us into the world to confess the faith he has given to us and so in this way to spread His Word throughout the World. As we confess our faith to family, friends, associates, and all the other people in our lives, He has promised to use our confession to bring others before Christ for healing – the healing that produces faith and delivers forgiveness. In this amazingly crazy way, the Word of Christ still speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church—Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 8 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, by Your Spirit open our deaf ears to hear Your Word, that our tongues would be released to proclaim with zeal how Your Son has done all things well. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, You have commanded Your Church to take the Word of life to the ends of the earth. Strengthen and support all who travel to foreign lands on behalf of the Church’s mission. Give them wisdom and courage as they tell others about Christ. Bless their hearers with hearts that are receptive to Your gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, help parents to raise up their children to know You as their help and hope, that they may not put their trust in princes in whom there is no salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we place our hope in You and ask Your blessing on _____________ and all rulers, that their plans would be ordered for the welfare of those they govern and that You would execute Your justice for the oppressed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, graciously behold the sick and those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give us a humble and urgent faith that would beg even for crumbs from Your Son’s table, that as Your children we may receive the fullness of the feast He gives in His body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, create and sustain in us a lively faith in Christ Jesus, and lead us by Your Spirit to be active in all good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Source of all life and the life that never ends, receive our prayers this day in the name of Your beloved Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymn-- no. 545, “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
no. 852, “O God of Mercy, God of Might”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 924, “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn. The ladies’ study meets on the first and third Thursdays and has an activity on the fourth Thursday.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 1, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 869 “With the Lord Begin Your Task”
1 With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And when day is ended,
In His name then close your eyes;
Be to Him commended.
2 Let each day begin with prayer,
Praise, and adoration.
On the Lord cast ev’ry care;
He is your salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night
Jesus will be near you,
Save you from the tempter’s might,
With His presence cheer you.
3 With your Savior at your side,
Foes need not alarm you;
In His promises confide,
And no ill can harm you.
All your trust and hope repose
In the mighty Master,
Who in wisdom truly knows
How to stem disaster.
4 If your task be thus begun
With the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then your course will run,
Toward the promise pressing.
Good will follow ev’rywhere
While you here must wander;
You at last the joy will share
In the mansions yonder.
5 Thus, Lord Jesus, ev’ry task
Be to You commended;
May Your will be done, I ask,
Until life is ended.
Jesus, in Your name begun
Be the day’s endeavor;
Grant that it may well be done
To Your praise forever.
Text: Morgen- und Abend-segen, 1734, Waldenburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 51:2, 7, 10–12
P Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Kyrie [sung] LSB 204
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria in Excelsis [sung] LSB 204
C 1 To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven
Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father;
Your holy name, we sing--
Our thanks for Your great glory,
Lord God, our heav’nly King.
2 To You, O sole-begotten,
The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior,
You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus;
Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated
At God’s right hand on high--
3 For You alone are holy;
You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever,
Be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit
Alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory.
“Amen!” our glad reply.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the source of all that is just and good, nourish in us every virtue and bring to completion every good intent that we may grow in grace and bring forth the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9
1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the just decrees that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. . . .
6Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great nation is there, that has statutes and just decrees so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
9“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:129–136
Pe
129Your testimonies are | wonderful;*
therefore my soul | keeps them.
130The unfolding of your | words gives light;*
it imparts understanding to the | simple.
131I open my | mouth and pant,*
because I long for your com- | mandments.
132Turn to me and be gra- | cious to me,*
as is your way with those who | love your name.
133Keep steady my steps according to your | promise,*
and let no iniquity get dominion | over me.
134Redeem me from man’s op- | pression,*
that I may keep your | precepts.
135Make your face shine upon your | servant,*
and teach me your | statutes.
136My eyes shed | streams of tears,*
because people do not | keep your law.
Epistle Ephesians 6:10–20
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse [sung] LSB 205
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
C These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel Mark 7:14–23
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the seventh chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
14[Jesus] called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 566 “By Grace I’m Saved”
1 By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain:
By grace you too will life obtain.
2 By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.
3 By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav’nly throne.
4 By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
As long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in His Word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace—grace through His Son.
5 By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?
6 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.
Text: Christian Ludwig Scheidt, 1709–61; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us?” Mk 7:14-23
What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us? – Mark 7:14-23
We first heard the phrase, “The Force” many years ago. But you can still hear people using it, as in “May the Force be with you.” The phrase actually goes back to 1977 when George Lucas released the first of the Star Wars series of movies. At the time, he simply called it Star Wars, but most fans may now know it now by the title of the latest installment, Star Wars: The Acolyte. The movies have been an incredible success and made a lot of money for a lot of people.
One of the early plot devices was something called “The Force.” People who were strong in “The Force” were basically wizards. They could anticipate other people’s actions, move objects with their minds, control other people’s thoughts, and so forth. Using “The Force” required a great deal of training and skill.
Proper control of “The Force” depended a lot on feelings. The trainers were constantly telling the learners to search their feelings … trust their feelings … feel, don’t think … trust your instincts … and so forth. Eventually, the main character learned to trust his feelings … control “The Force” … win the day … and become a hero.
All of this trusting in instincts and feelings makes for a fun movie. It is great fiction, and the movies are very popular. Unfortunately, there are people who believe that trusting your feelings and instincts works in real life. This is especially sad when it comes to making choices between right and wrong. People think that if they follow their heart, it will always lead them in the right way.
Jesus taught the exact opposite. He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23) According to Jesus, following your heart is a very dangerous thing to do.
The book of Judges in the Old Testament gives an account of some of the deepest, darkest, most immoral days of Israel. Cruelty, obscenity, and hardness of heart all reach their deepest depths in this book. The book of Judges ends with these words of judgment, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25) Some of the most horrible things described in the Bible were considered right at that time because people judged by what was right in their own eyes. This is just another way of saying that they were following their heart.
If we take a few moments to think about it, it makes sense that it is dangerous to trust our feelings as a guide to the ultimate truth. Think about it. Do you feel the same every day? If your feelings change from day to day, does that mean that the truth changes from day to day? What about other peoples’ feelings? If you interview a hundred people on any given topic, the odds are pretty good that you will get three or four different feelings on that topic. If you interview those exact same hundred people a year later, their feelings will change. Many of them won’t agree with the answer they gave the previous year. Think about it … honestly … do you really want to stake your eternity on a feeling that you have … a feeling that might change tomorrow … a feeling that varies from person to person?
This is probably one of the biggest problems in the world today. People base their ideas of right and wrong on philosophies that come from within. They don’t ask, “Is this the right thing to do?” Instead, they ask, “Does this seem right … to me?” “Does this make me happy?” “Does this give me pleasure?” It is all about what makes me feel good … today. Our society thinks this is good, healthy, wholesome, and so forth.
On the other hand, Jesus says, “… evil things come from within …” The Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Jeremiah to say, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) After the flood, the Lord Himself said, “… For the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth …” (Genesis 8:21) Our culture wants you to believe that what comes from inside of you is basically good. The Bible tells us that man is actually evil to the core.
I don’t know about you, but this teaching frightens me. It means that while I live in this sin-filled world, I carry a traitor around inside of me. Jesus says that deep down in my heart is a source of evil, not good. Jesus says that I can’t trust my heart for good. I can’t trust my heart for truth. Jesus basically says that I can’t trust my heart – that my heart is a traitor within me. I carry within me a deep core of rotten filth that is my sin. It is terrifying for Jesus to tell me that my own heart betrays me.
The most frightening aspect of this rotten sin within me is that I can do nothing about it. Every righteous deed I try to do … every pure thought I try to have is polluted by the evil that is within me. I cannot help myself because my own heart betrays me and works tirelessly to drag me down to hell. What hope do I have against such a severe traitor? I would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation by a salvation that is beyond me – outside of me – greater than me.
The introit for this morning was part of the cry of David as he called out for rescue from this sinful condition. King David had followed his traitorous heart. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his finest and most loyal army officers. Then he murdered that army officer in an empty attempt to cover up his adultery.
What was his prayer when his pastor, Nathan the prophet, uncovered his horrible sin? We have his words in Psalm 51. In this psalm, David finally did the only honest thing a sinner can do before Almighty God. He pled guilty to all the charges leveled against him and threw himself on the mercy of the court. He begged Almighty God to kill his old sinful heart and create a new clean heart within him. This psalm is a psalm we all need to pray.
God has already answered this prayer that we pray with David. He sent His Son Christ Jesus into the world to take up our human flesh. Since Jesus is the Son of God and was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, He was born with a clean heart. He experienced all the temptations we experience, but He never sinned. Instead He took the sin of our hearts onto Himself and carried it to the cross. As He hung on that cross, He paid the price that God’s justice demands of our sin. He suffered the punishment of hell in our place for us. We know that the price He paid was more than enough because the grave could not hold Him. His resurrection from the dead shows us that God is now ready to create a clean heart in each of us.
In order to create a clean heart in us, God first puts the old, filthy, toxic, sinful heart to death. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3) and “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6) and “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) God works … not from the inside … but from the external Word to drown our old sinful nature.
He then works in us to create that new, clean heart for which we prayed. Again, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) and “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8) When the Holy Spirit plants faith in us, He does a heart transplant. He removes our filthy hearts of sin and replaces them with new, clean hearts.
Now, although we have new, clean hearts, we still live in a sinful world. Temptations still attack us from all directions, and we often suffer defeat. That is when our new hearts convict us of sin and drive us back to the cross. There we once again confess our sins and receive forgiveness for all our sins. In this way, God keeps our new heart clean until He takes us away from this world of sin. On that day, the angels will carry us to His side in Heaven. There we shall wait for the Last Day when He will raise the dead and take all who believe in Him into eternal life. In that new earth, we shall never be sinful again.
Each and every one of us was born with a toxic heart. It was a heart that loved sin and hated God. Over time our continuous sinning only made our hearts blacker and more toxic. There was no way that we can trust such hearts to guide us in the truth. Instead, God took our filthy, sinful hearts and destroyed them at the cross. Now through Holy Baptism, He gives us newly created hearts – hearts that fear, love and trust in Him above all things – hearts that turn to Him in time of trouble – and when temptations overwhelm us, hearts that confess our sin in the sure and certain knowledge that God loves us for Christ’s sake and will forgive us. These are new hearts that will live with Him in heaven and rejoice before His throne forever. These are the new hearts that God has created in us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church—Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- 1 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, be near us with Your Word and Spirit. Guide and lead us, that we may not stray from the way of Your commandments nor forget the wonderful blessings that You have given to us. Direct us always with Your Word of truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember, kind Father, the preachers of Your Word. Keep them from adding to it or taking from it. Give them grace to proclaim Your whole counsel in Christ Jesus. Raise up new laborers for Your harvest fields, and prosper Your Law and promises throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all knowledge and wisdom, grant us to know You and Your love. Bless pastors and teachers, parents and grandparents, and all teachers of the faith, that we may grow up into You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, look with compassion on our nation and all who bear public office. Give them wisdom, courage and integrity. Destroy and hinder in our common life whatever is not pleasing to You, and bless and prosper whatever accords with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, bring health and healing to Your people. We pray for everyone in need of Your mercy today [including _____________]. Strengthen them with Your Word of grace, that they would look to You for comfort in the midst of suffering and pain. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, we thank You that Christ has given His body and blood into death for our forgiveness. Bless us as we receive this same body and blood in His Holy Sacrament, remembering and proclaiming with joy the salvation He accomplished for us in His death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we offer You our thanks and praise for Your servants who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Bring us with them to the unspeakable joys of Your new heavens and new earth at the day of our Savior’s glorious appearing. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus [sung] LSB 208
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei [sung] LSB 210
C 1 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.
2 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ,
And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
569 “In Adam We Have All Been One”
1 In Adam we have all been one,
One huge rebellious man;
We all have fled that evening voice
That sought us as we ran.
2 We fled Thee, and in losing Thee
We lost our brother too;
Each singly sought and claimed his own;
Each man his brother slew.
3 But Thy strong love, it sought us still
And sent Thine only Son
That we might hear His Shepherd’s voice
And, hearing Him, be one.
4 O Thou who, when we loved Thee not,
Didst love and save us all,
Thou great Good Shepherd of mankind,
O hear us when we call.
5 Send us Thy Spirit, teach us truth;
Thou Son, O set us free
From fancied wisdom, self-sought ways,
To make us one in Thee.
D 6 Then shall our song united rise
To Thine eternal throne,
Where with the Father evermore
And Spirit Thou art one.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
567 “Not What These Hands Have Done”
1 Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
2 Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
3 Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
4 Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
5 Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
6 I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis [sung] LSB 211
C 1 O Lord, now let Your servant
Depart in heav’nly peace,
For I have seen the glory
Of Your redeeming grace:
A light to lead the Gentiles
Unto Your holy hill,
The glory of Your people,
Your chosen Israel.
2 All glory to the Father,
All glory to the Son,
All glory to the Spirit,
Forever Three in One;
For as in the beginning,
Is now, shall ever be,
God’s triune name resounding
Through all eternity.
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 662 “Onward, Christian Soldiers”
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle
See His banners go! Refrain
ref Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
2 Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod.
We are not divided,
All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity. Refrain
3 Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
’Gainst that Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise,
And that cannot fail. Refrain
4 Onward, then, ye faithful,
Join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the king;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing. Refrain
Text: Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, followed by Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn. The ladies’ study meets on the first and third Thursdays and has an activity on the fourth Thursday.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 1, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 869 “With the Lord Begin Your Task”
1 With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And when day is ended,
In His name then close your eyes;
Be to Him commended.
2 Let each day begin with prayer,
Praise, and adoration.
On the Lord cast ev’ry care;
He is your salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night
Jesus will be near you,
Save you from the tempter’s might,
With His presence cheer you.
3 With your Savior at your side,
Foes need not alarm you;
In His promises confide,
And no ill can harm you.
All your trust and hope repose
In the mighty Master,
Who in wisdom truly knows
How to stem disaster.
4 If your task be thus begun
With the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then your course will run,
Toward the promise pressing.
Good will follow ev’rywhere
While you here must wander;
You at last the joy will share
In the mansions yonder.
5 Thus, Lord Jesus, ev’ry task
Be to You commended;
May Your will be done, I ask,
Until life is ended.
Jesus, in Your name begun
Be the day’s endeavor;
Grant that it may well be done
To Your praise forever.
Text: Morgen- und Abend-segen, 1734, Waldenburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 51:2, 7, 10–12
P Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Kyrie [sung] LSB 204
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria in Excelsis [sung] LSB 204
C 1 To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven
Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father;
Your holy name, we sing--
Our thanks for Your great glory,
Lord God, our heav’nly King.
2 To You, O sole-begotten,
The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior,
You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus;
Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated
At God’s right hand on high--
3 For You alone are holy;
You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever,
Be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit
Alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory.
“Amen!” our glad reply.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the source of all that is just and good, nourish in us every virtue and bring to completion every good intent that we may grow in grace and bring forth the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9
1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the just decrees that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. . . .
6Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great nation is there, that has statutes and just decrees so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
9“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:129–136
Pe
129Your testimonies are | wonderful;*
therefore my soul | keeps them.
130The unfolding of your | words gives light;*
it imparts understanding to the | simple.
131I open my | mouth and pant,*
because I long for your com- | mandments.
132Turn to me and be gra- | cious to me,*
as is your way with those who | love your name.
133Keep steady my steps according to your | promise,*
and let no iniquity get dominion | over me.
134Redeem me from man’s op- | pression,*
that I may keep your | precepts.
135Make your face shine upon your | servant,*
and teach me your | statutes.
136My eyes shed | streams of tears,*
because people do not | keep your law.
Epistle Ephesians 6:10–20
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse [sung] LSB 205
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
C These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel Mark 7:14–23
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the seventh chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
14[Jesus] called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 566 “By Grace I’m Saved”
1 By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain:
By grace you too will life obtain.
2 By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.
3 By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav’nly throne.
4 By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
As long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in His Word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace—grace through His Son.
5 By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?
6 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.
Text: Christian Ludwig Scheidt, 1709–61; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us?” Mk 7:14-23
What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us? – Mark 7:14-23
We first heard the phrase, “The Force” many years ago. But you can still hear people using it, as in “May the Force be with you.” The phrase actually goes back to 1977 when George Lucas released the first of the Star Wars series of movies. At the time, he simply called it Star Wars, but most fans may now know it now by the title of the latest installment, Star Wars: The Acolyte. The movies have been an incredible success and made a lot of money for a lot of people.
One of the early plot devices was something called “The Force.” People who were strong in “The Force” were basically wizards. They could anticipate other people’s actions, move objects with their minds, control other people’s thoughts, and so forth. Using “The Force” required a great deal of training and skill.
Proper control of “The Force” depended a lot on feelings. The trainers were constantly telling the learners to search their feelings … trust their feelings … feel, don’t think … trust your instincts … and so forth. Eventually, the main character learned to trust his feelings … control “The Force” … win the day … and become a hero.
All of this trusting in instincts and feelings makes for a fun movie. It is great fiction, and the movies are very popular. Unfortunately, there are people who believe that trusting your feelings and instincts works in real life. This is especially sad when it comes to making choices between right and wrong. People think that if they follow their heart, it will always lead them in the right way.
Jesus taught the exact opposite. He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23) According to Jesus, following your heart is a very dangerous thing to do.
The book of Judges in the Old Testament gives an account of some of the deepest, darkest, most immoral days of Israel. Cruelty, obscenity, and hardness of heart all reach their deepest depths in this book. The book of Judges ends with these words of judgment, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25) Some of the most horrible things described in the Bible were considered right at that time because people judged by what was right in their own eyes. This is just another way of saying that they were following their heart.
If we take a few moments to think about it, it makes sense that it is dangerous to trust our feelings as a guide to the ultimate truth. Think about it. Do you feel the same every day? If your feelings change from day to day, does that mean that the truth changes from day to day? What about other peoples’ feelings? If you interview a hundred people on any given topic, the odds are pretty good that you will get three or four different feelings on that topic. If you interview those exact same hundred people a year later, their feelings will change. Many of them won’t agree with the answer they gave the previous year. Think about it … honestly … do you really want to stake your eternity on a feeling that you have … a feeling that might change tomorrow … a feeling that varies from person to person?
This is probably one of the biggest problems in the world today. People base their ideas of right and wrong on philosophies that come from within. They don’t ask, “Is this the right thing to do?” Instead, they ask, “Does this seem right … to me?” “Does this make me happy?” “Does this give me pleasure?” It is all about what makes me feel good … today. Our society thinks this is good, healthy, wholesome, and so forth.
On the other hand, Jesus says, “… evil things come from within …” The Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Jeremiah to say, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) After the flood, the Lord Himself said, “… For the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth …” (Genesis 8:21) Our culture wants you to believe that what comes from inside of you is basically good. The Bible tells us that man is actually evil to the core.
I don’t know about you, but this teaching frightens me. It means that while I live in this sin-filled world, I carry a traitor around inside of me. Jesus says that deep down in my heart is a source of evil, not good. Jesus says that I can’t trust my heart for good. I can’t trust my heart for truth. Jesus basically says that I can’t trust my heart – that my heart is a traitor within me. I carry within me a deep core of rotten filth that is my sin. It is terrifying for Jesus to tell me that my own heart betrays me.
The most frightening aspect of this rotten sin within me is that I can do nothing about it. Every righteous deed I try to do … every pure thought I try to have is polluted by the evil that is within me. I cannot help myself because my own heart betrays me and works tirelessly to drag me down to hell. What hope do I have against such a severe traitor? I would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation by a salvation that is beyond me – outside of me – greater than me.
The introit for this morning was part of the cry of David as he called out for rescue from this sinful condition. King David had followed his traitorous heart. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his finest and most loyal army officers. Then he murdered that army officer in an empty attempt to cover up his adultery.
What was his prayer when his pastor, Nathan the prophet, uncovered his horrible sin? We have his words in Psalm 51. In this psalm, David finally did the only honest thing a sinner can do before Almighty God. He pled guilty to all the charges leveled against him and threw himself on the mercy of the court. He begged Almighty God to kill his old sinful heart and create a new clean heart within him. This psalm is a psalm we all need to pray.
God has already answered this prayer that we pray with David. He sent His Son Christ Jesus into the world to take up our human flesh. Since Jesus is the Son of God and was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, He was born with a clean heart. He experienced all the temptations we experience, but He never sinned. Instead He took the sin of our hearts onto Himself and carried it to the cross. As He hung on that cross, He paid the price that God’s justice demands of our sin. He suffered the punishment of hell in our place for us. We know that the price He paid was more than enough because the grave could not hold Him. His resurrection from the dead shows us that God is now ready to create a clean heart in each of us.
In order to create a clean heart in us, God first puts the old, filthy, toxic, sinful heart to death. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3) and “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6) and “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) God works … not from the inside … but from the external Word to drown our old sinful nature.
He then works in us to create that new, clean heart for which we prayed. Again, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) and “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8) When the Holy Spirit plants faith in us, He does a heart transplant. He removes our filthy hearts of sin and replaces them with new, clean hearts.
Now, although we have new, clean hearts, we still live in a sinful world. Temptations still attack us from all directions, and we often suffer defeat. That is when our new hearts convict us of sin and drive us back to the cross. There we once again confess our sins and receive forgiveness for all our sins. In this way, God keeps our new heart clean until He takes us away from this world of sin. On that day, the angels will carry us to His side in Heaven. There we shall wait for the Last Day when He will raise the dead and take all who believe in Him into eternal life. In that new earth, we shall never be sinful again.
Each and every one of us was born with a toxic heart. It was a heart that loved sin and hated God. Over time our continuous sinning only made our hearts blacker and more toxic. There was no way that we can trust such hearts to guide us in the truth. Instead, God took our filthy, sinful hearts and destroyed them at the cross. Now through Holy Baptism, He gives us newly created hearts – hearts that fear, love and trust in Him above all things – hearts that turn to Him in time of trouble – and when temptations overwhelm us, hearts that confess our sin in the sure and certain knowledge that God loves us for Christ’s sake and will forgive us. These are new hearts that will live with Him in heaven and rejoice before His throne forever. These are the new hearts that God has created in us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church—Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- 1 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, be near us with Your Word and Spirit. Guide and lead us, that we may not stray from the way of Your commandments nor forget the wonderful blessings that You have given to us. Direct us always with Your Word of truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember, kind Father, the preachers of Your Word. Keep them from adding to it or taking from it. Give them grace to proclaim Your whole counsel in Christ Jesus. Raise up new laborers for Your harvest fields, and prosper Your Law and promises throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all knowledge and wisdom, grant us to know You and Your love. Bless pastors and teachers, parents and grandparents, and all teachers of the faith, that we may grow up into You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, look with compassion on our nation and all who bear public office. Give them wisdom, courage and integrity. Destroy and hinder in our common life whatever is not pleasing to You, and bless and prosper whatever accords with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, bring health and healing to Your people. We pray for everyone in need of Your mercy today [including _____________]. Strengthen them with Your Word of grace, that they would look to You for comfort in the midst of suffering and pain. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, we thank You that Christ has given His body and blood into death for our forgiveness. Bless us as we receive this same body and blood in His Holy Sacrament, remembering and proclaiming with joy the salvation He accomplished for us in His death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we offer You our thanks and praise for Your servants who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Bring us with them to the unspeakable joys of Your new heavens and new earth at the day of our Savior’s glorious appearing. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus [sung] LSB 208
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei [sung] LSB 210
C 1 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.
2 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ,
And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
569 “In Adam We Have All Been One”
1 In Adam we have all been one,
One huge rebellious man;
We all have fled that evening voice
That sought us as we ran.
2 We fled Thee, and in losing Thee
We lost our brother too;
Each singly sought and claimed his own;
Each man his brother slew.
3 But Thy strong love, it sought us still
And sent Thine only Son
That we might hear His Shepherd’s voice
And, hearing Him, be one.
4 O Thou who, when we loved Thee not,
Didst love and save us all,
Thou great Good Shepherd of mankind,
O hear us when we call.
5 Send us Thy Spirit, teach us truth;
Thou Son, O set us free
From fancied wisdom, self-sought ways,
To make us one in Thee.
D 6 Then shall our song united rise
To Thine eternal throne,
Where with the Father evermore
And Spirit Thou art one.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
567 “Not What These Hands Have Done”
1 Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
2 Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
3 Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
4 Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
5 Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
6 I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis [sung] LSB 211
C 1 O Lord, now let Your servant
Depart in heav’nly peace,
For I have seen the glory
Of Your redeeming grace:
A light to lead the Gentiles
Unto Your holy hill,
The glory of Your people,
Your chosen Israel.
2 All glory to the Father,
All glory to the Son,
All glory to the Spirit,
Forever Three in One;
For as in the beginning,
Is now, shall ever be,
God’s triune name resounding
Through all eternity.
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 662 “Onward, Christian Soldiers”
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle
See His banners go! Refrain
ref Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
2 Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod.
We are not divided,
All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity. Refrain
3 Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
’Gainst that Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise,
And that cannot fail. Refrain
4 Onward, then, ye faithful,
Join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the king;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing. Refrain
Text: Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, followed by Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 25, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 25, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 616, “Baptismal Waters Cover Me”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 29:11-19
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 5:22-33
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:1-13
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 865, “Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain”
SERMON “Obeying the Word of God” Mark 7:1-13
Obeying the Word of God – Mark 7:1-13
Something very strange has happened to our culture over the past few years. People can gain power by portraying themselves as victims. True enough, sometimes a person really is a victim. And yet, some “portray” themselves as victims by taking offense at something. For example, if someone offends you, then you can claim that you are a victim and acquire the power of the victim. As a result, people are finding new and more creative ways to take offense to the point that we wonder if we can say anything about anything.
Jesus encountered a similar problem in the reading we just heard. “Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’” (Mark 7:1–5)
Notice that the problem isn’t that the disciples didn’t wash their hands. The problem is that they didn’t wash their hands according to the tradition of the elders, a special kind of ceremonial washing. The scribes and Pharisees take offense because the disciples don’t wash their hands the right way.
Now the phrase “tradition of the Elders” has a certain ring to it. It sounds very official and very noble. It sounds like a good thing. The problem is that the hypocrites among the scribes and Pharisees studied Holy Scripture and the “tradition of the Elders” in order to determine what they could get away with and still consider themselves righteous according to the law. They were interpreting the law in the way they wanted to interpret it and condemning everyone who did not agree with them. Does that sound familiar? It should because our culture still does that today.
Jesus had very little patience with hypocrites. He very quickly showed that these scribes and Pharisees valued their tradition above the Word of God. He even showed how their traditions allowed them to violate the Word of God as given to Moses. The scribes and Pharisees were teaching and practicing a man-made religion instead of the faith given by God. He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6–8)
Notice that it is Jesus who quotes the Old Testament. It is Jesus who calls for faithfulness to God and not just an outward hypocrisy. We often ignore the fact that Jesus is the “old-fashioned” ultra-conservative doctrinal purist who was always taking His hearers back to the Word of God.
Jesus pointed out that while the scribes and Pharisees were offended that the disciples didn’t wash their hands the right way, they also broke the actual commandments of God. For example, they used their tradition to avoid caring for their parents. [Jesus] said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:9–13)
These words from Jesus invite us to ask some very uncomfortable questions. “Do I worship God with my lips, but reject Him in my heart?” Do I express my own ideas as true doctrine?” “Do I have any traditions that reject the commandment of God?” How often do I behave exactly like the scribes and Pharisees … offended by every little thing while I myself ignore the Word of God?
Ultimately, acquiring power by taking offense does no good and makes life miserable. It is just another way to be a bully. It is as King Solomon said, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12) He also said, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11) By the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Peter also wrote, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) Instead of taking offense, we ought to seek ways to build one another up.
Although the scribes and Pharisees were indeed foolish with their washing rituals, there is a kind of washing that God did give for all people. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) This Baptism is not a “tradition of the Elders.” Instead, it is the Word of the Christ who is both God and Lord.
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:3–6) These words teach us that the washing of Holy Baptism joins us to the cross of Christ. Therefore, the washing of Holy Baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins that He earned with His suffering and death on the cross. This Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.
The Greek word for wash in the reading we just heard is βαπτίζω (baptidzo). This is the root of the word for baptize. If we used this word in the reading we just heard, we would hear, “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they baptize their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they baptize. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the baptizing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.”
The scribes and Pharisees were right in thinking that washing was important. They were wrong in thinking that it was the washing of the “tradition of the Elders.” The important washing is the washing away of sin for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit delivers that forgiveness of sins through the washing of Holy Baptism. This washing even delivers forgiveness for the sin of taking offense on our own terms rather than obeying the Word of God. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 25 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are known, grant us a true faith, that we would honor You not only with our lips, but serve You faithfully with all our heart, mind and strength. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You call men into the Office of the Ministry to be shepherds to Your sheep. Grant Your wisdom to those who guide Your Church: our Synod president, our district president, our circuit visitor, our pastor; and all servants of the Church. Keep them steadfast in the faith, so that they do not set forth as divine truth those things that are only human tradition, but rather teach Your Word with honesty and clarity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve us from rejecting Your commandments for the doctrines of men. By Your Spirit’s aid, lead all Christians to keep Your commandments in thought, word and deed, honoring You in all that we do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve Your estate of marriage. Grant that wives would submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and that husbands would love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, hear our prayers for our nation and its leaders, for all civil servants, and for those whose work imperils them for the sake of their neighbor. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in His earthly ministry Your Son healed the sick and comforted the hurting. Grant healing and peace to those taking treatments, to the ill or injured, to the lonely and the imprisoned, and to all in need of our prayers, [including _____________,] that in meekness each hurting heart would obtain fresh joy in Your Son and exult in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, strengthen the faith and sustain to life everlasting all who partake in the fellowship of this altar and receive Christ’s body and blood this day in the Holy Communion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymn-- no. 556, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 582, “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to a different melody
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 25, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 25, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 616, “Baptismal Waters Cover Me”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 29:11-19
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 5:22-33
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:1-13
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 865, “Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain”
SERMON “Obeying the Word of God” Mark 7:1-13
Obeying the Word of God – Mark 7:1-13
Something very strange has happened to our culture over the past few years. People can gain power by portraying themselves as victims. True enough, sometimes a person really is a victim. And yet, some “portray” themselves as victims by taking offense at something. For example, if someone offends you, then you can claim that you are a victim and acquire the power of the victim. As a result, people are finding new and more creative ways to take offense to the point that we wonder if we can say anything about anything.
Jesus encountered a similar problem in the reading we just heard. “Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’” (Mark 7:1–5)
Notice that the problem isn’t that the disciples didn’t wash their hands. The problem is that they didn’t wash their hands according to the tradition of the elders, a special kind of ceremonial washing. The scribes and Pharisees take offense because the disciples don’t wash their hands the right way.
Now the phrase “tradition of the Elders” has a certain ring to it. It sounds very official and very noble. It sounds like a good thing. The problem is that the hypocrites among the scribes and Pharisees studied Holy Scripture and the “tradition of the Elders” in order to determine what they could get away with and still consider themselves righteous according to the law. They were interpreting the law in the way they wanted to interpret it and condemning everyone who did not agree with them. Does that sound familiar? It should because our culture still does that today.
Jesus had very little patience with hypocrites. He very quickly showed that these scribes and Pharisees valued their tradition above the Word of God. He even showed how their traditions allowed them to violate the Word of God as given to Moses. The scribes and Pharisees were teaching and practicing a man-made religion instead of the faith given by God. He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6–8)
Notice that it is Jesus who quotes the Old Testament. It is Jesus who calls for faithfulness to God and not just an outward hypocrisy. We often ignore the fact that Jesus is the “old-fashioned” ultra-conservative doctrinal purist who was always taking His hearers back to the Word of God.
Jesus pointed out that while the scribes and Pharisees were offended that the disciples didn’t wash their hands the right way, they also broke the actual commandments of God. For example, they used their tradition to avoid caring for their parents. [Jesus] said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:9–13)
These words from Jesus invite us to ask some very uncomfortable questions. “Do I worship God with my lips, but reject Him in my heart?” Do I express my own ideas as true doctrine?” “Do I have any traditions that reject the commandment of God?” How often do I behave exactly like the scribes and Pharisees … offended by every little thing while I myself ignore the Word of God?
Ultimately, acquiring power by taking offense does no good and makes life miserable. It is just another way to be a bully. It is as King Solomon said, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12) He also said, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11) By the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Peter also wrote, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) Instead of taking offense, we ought to seek ways to build one another up.
Although the scribes and Pharisees were indeed foolish with their washing rituals, there is a kind of washing that God did give for all people. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) This Baptism is not a “tradition of the Elders.” Instead, it is the Word of the Christ who is both God and Lord.
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:3–6) These words teach us that the washing of Holy Baptism joins us to the cross of Christ. Therefore, the washing of Holy Baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins that He earned with His suffering and death on the cross. This Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.
The Greek word for wash in the reading we just heard is βαπτίζω (baptidzo). This is the root of the word for baptize. If we used this word in the reading we just heard, we would hear, “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they baptize their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they baptize. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the baptizing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.”
The scribes and Pharisees were right in thinking that washing was important. They were wrong in thinking that it was the washing of the “tradition of the Elders.” The important washing is the washing away of sin for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit delivers that forgiveness of sins through the washing of Holy Baptism. This washing even delivers forgiveness for the sin of taking offense on our own terms rather than obeying the Word of God. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 25 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are known, grant us a true faith, that we would honor You not only with our lips, but serve You faithfully with all our heart, mind and strength. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You call men into the Office of the Ministry to be shepherds to Your sheep. Grant Your wisdom to those who guide Your Church: our Synod president, our district president, our circuit visitor, our pastor; and all servants of the Church. Keep them steadfast in the faith, so that they do not set forth as divine truth those things that are only human tradition, but rather teach Your Word with honesty and clarity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve us from rejecting Your commandments for the doctrines of men. By Your Spirit’s aid, lead all Christians to keep Your commandments in thought, word and deed, honoring You in all that we do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve Your estate of marriage. Grant that wives would submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and that husbands would love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, hear our prayers for our nation and its leaders, for all civil servants, and for those whose work imperils them for the sake of their neighbor. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in His earthly ministry Your Son healed the sick and comforted the hurting. Grant healing and peace to those taking treatments, to the ill or injured, to the lonely and the imprisoned, and to all in need of our prayers, [including _____________,] that in meekness each hurting heart would obtain fresh joy in Your Son and exult in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, strengthen the faith and sustain to life everlasting all who partake in the fellowship of this altar and receive Christ’s body and blood this day in the Holy Communion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymn-- no. 556, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 582, “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to a different melody
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 18, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and a Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
Danger Inside!
Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here. (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.”
You may also find the most loyal of friends who wear you out with their concern and love, who seem to want to have a steadfast relationship with you to the point where you may say ‘Enough already!’
Finally, in this place you may receive so much joy you simply won’t know what to do with it except to share it with others wherever you go. What a dangerous bore you may become! This is indeed a hazardous place and we have warned you.”
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The 13th Sunday after Pentecost
August 18, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 802 “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
1 Immortal, invisible,
God only wise,
In light inaccessible
hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious,
the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
2 Unresting, unhasting,
and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains
high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains
of goodness and love.
3 To all life Thou givest--
to both great and small--
In all life Thou livest,
the true Life of all;
We blossom and flourish
as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish--
but naught changes Thee.
4 Great Father of glory,
pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee,
all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render:
O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor
of light that hides Thee.
Text: W. Chalmers Smith, 1824–1908, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Proverbs 9:1–10
L A reading from Proverbs, chapter 9.
1Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 5:6–21
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 5.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading John 6:51–69
L A reading from St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6.
51[Jesus said:] “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Sermon “You Have the Words of Eternal Life” John 6:51-69
You Have the Words of Eternal Life – John 6:51-69
We just heard the ending words of John 6. John 6 is also known as the “Bread of Life” chapter. In order to properly understand the words at the end of the chapter, we need to take a few moments to review the rest of the chapter.
The events at the beginning of the chapter show us that Jesus is, in fact, the Lord of Creation. The chapter begins with the account of Jesus using a boy’s lunch to feed 5,000 men and their families. This happened in an empty area on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus fed the 5,000, He put the disciples in a boat and sent them back to Capernaum while He went up on the mountain to pray. The disciples encountered a headwind and were not able to cross the sea. When Jesus finished praying, He walked to the boat on the water. Immediately the headwind stopped and Jesus and the disciples landed on the other side. These two events demonstrate that Jesus is well able to supply us with all our needs and protect us from every danger.
Jesus and His disciples arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee around dawn of the day after He fed the 5,000. The word immediately went out, and people from the surrounding area began bringing friends and family to Jesus for healing. Jesus healed and taught as He made His way to the synagogue in Capernaum.
Some of the 5,000 that Jesus fed the previous day also found Jesus as He was on His way to the synagogue. Although they never came right out and asked Jesus for more food, Jesus could see into their hearts and knew that they were only interested in Him in order to get more free food. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach that although He supplies all our earthly needs, that is not the main reason He came down from heaven and took on human flesh. His main reason for coming was to provide us with all our eternal needs.
The crowd wanted to compare Jesus and Moses. They claimed that Moses was better because he fed the entire nation of Israel for decades. Jesus only fed a few thousand for one meal. Jesus first of all pointed out that it was God who gave the manna in the wilderness. Moses was the servant of God at the time. Jesus also pointed out that all the people who ate the manna in the wilderness are dead. The people who participate in the eternal food that Jesus gives will rise from the dead on the last day and never die again.
Jesus taught that just as a person needs food to live here on this earth, so also a person needs eternal food for eternal life. He taught that He is that eternal food. As He taught that He is the eternal food, He explained that eating the eternal food meant believing in Him. He said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29) He also said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) With these words and others, Jesus taught that eating eternal food meant believing in Him.
It is important that we understand all this context from the preceding verses of John 6. It is especially important that we understand that when Jesus is talking about eternal eating, He is speaking of faith that believes. Otherwise, these last few verses of John 6 will sound a lot like cannibalism.
Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) Now that we know the context of these words, we know that Jesus is talking about believing in Him for eternal life.
The people in the synagogue struggled to understand what Jesus meant. They had not made the connection between eating and believing. The Jews … disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52) They know that Jesus is not talking about the kind of eating that they did the day before when they ate the bread and fish that Jesus gave them. Nevertheless, they know no other kind of eating and they are confused.
Jesus kept right on teaching. If you understand that eternal eating means believing, then Jesus’ words make perfect sense. On the other hand, if you are like most of the hearers in the synagogue and do not understand … if you are still thinking about eating bread and fish, then Jesus’ words are disgusting.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53–58)
The signs that Jesus performed in this chapter and others demonstrate that He is from God. It is as the blind man told the Jewish authorities, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:32–33) As a man from God, His word is true. He has told the crowd that He is the bread of life from heaven. He claimed God the Father as His Father and that He is the Son of God. He taught that He came to give eternal life to those who believe in Him. He explained that those who put their trust in His body and blood will have eternal life.
The rest of the chapter shows that there are two ways to react to Jesus’ message: belief and unbelief. Some who heard Jesus’ words said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60) The text then tells us that many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:66) This is the response of the unbeliever.
As Jesus watched His congregation shrink in size, He turned to His disciples and said, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67) This gave Peter one of those rare opportunities to say exactly the right thing. In fact, Peter’s reply is so excellent that part of it is in the Alleluia verse for Divine Service Setting One. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68–69) This is the response of the believer.
The reaction of these people shows the truth of the words written by the writer to the Hebrews: The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Whenever anyone proclaims the Gospel, some will believe and some will reject.
The full meaning of Jesus’ words on this day became clear to the disciples when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Feeding on Christ’s flesh and drinking Christ’s blood means believing in His body broken and His blood shed on the cross. Christ’s shed blood and broken body earned the forgiveness of sins. That forgiveness is the source of eternal life for us. This is the central teaching of Christianity.
The “Bread of Life” chapter, John 6 is an excellent summary of the signs and teachings of Jesus as He began to prepare His disciples for His suffering, death, and resurrection. He taught them and He teaches us that He is the source of eternal life. It is by faith in His body broken and His blood shed that we receive the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. For those of us who live after His death and resurrection, these words point us to the cross that saves us.
Another thing we learn from this chapter is that some people will reject eternal life. In spite of the fact that Jesus is the only perfect teacher who ever walked this earth, some who heard Him rejected Him. We often forget that the Gospel divides people. The Holy Spirit uses the Gospel to draw people into the family of God. At the same time, the very same Gospel will drive away those who refuse to believe.
Jesus made it very clear that we are to proclaim the Gospel as we live our lives in this world. At the same time, we are not called to convert an unbeliever. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. When we proclaim the Gospel and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” (Acts 16:31) we are asking our hearers to do something that they cannot do. We are relying on the Holy Spirit to bring them into the family of God. We are asking the Holy Spirit to work in them so that they also believe in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins that leads to eternal life. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer
Prayer of the Church - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15B) - 18 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father, we thank You that You have sent the great Good Shepherd who has compassion on His flock. In His name, we lift up our prayers for the family of God; for every nation, tribe, people and language; and for all those who hunger for the true bread of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant us always, O God, to work for the food that endures to eternal life. Bless the ministry of this congregation in our community, that many may embrace Jesus as the Christ and believe that He is the true bread of God who has come from heaven. Grant that we would never hunger or thirst for anything but Christ and His righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for Your blessing upon all homes and schools, especially the schools, universities and seminaries of our church. Bless all places where Your people gather to teach and learn Your Word, and help us to remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You place men in positions of authority for the sake of order. Grant wisdom to our president, our governor, our judge, those in law enforcement; and all who hold offices of public trust in our land, that they might not act for selfish gain but serve according to Your will for the benefit of all people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bestow Your power of healing upon the sick, [especially _____________,] that in accordance with Your will, they may give thanks to Your name. Give Your Spirit of hope to the depressed, the lonely and those who mourn the death of loved ones [especially _____________]. Strengthen their faith and assure them of Your presence in all circumstances. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, Your Son assures us that His flesh is true food and His blood true drink, and that those who feed on Him will live forever because of Him. By Your Spirit, prepare our hearts to welcome Him as He comes to us in this Holy Supper, that we may rejoice in His promises and depart in His peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymn:
696 “O God, My Faithful God”
1 O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing:
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.
2 Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.
4 Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.
5 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.
6 And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow His steps in the way that leads to life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 526 “You Are the Way”
1 You are the way; through You alone
Can we the Father find;
In You, O Christ, has God revealed
His heart and will and mind.
2 You are the truth; Your Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
You only can inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 You are the life; the empty tomb
Proclaims Your conqu’ring arm,
And those who put their trust in You
Not death nor hell shall harm.
4 You are the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whose joys eternal flow.
Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 18, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and a Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
Danger Inside!
Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here. (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.”
You may also find the most loyal of friends who wear you out with their concern and love, who seem to want to have a steadfast relationship with you to the point where you may say ‘Enough already!’
Finally, in this place you may receive so much joy you simply won’t know what to do with it except to share it with others wherever you go. What a dangerous bore you may become! This is indeed a hazardous place and we have warned you.”
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The 13th Sunday after Pentecost
August 18, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 802 “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
1 Immortal, invisible,
God only wise,
In light inaccessible
hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious,
the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
2 Unresting, unhasting,
and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains
high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains
of goodness and love.
3 To all life Thou givest--
to both great and small--
In all life Thou livest,
the true Life of all;
We blossom and flourish
as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish--
but naught changes Thee.
4 Great Father of glory,
pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee,
all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render:
O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor
of light that hides Thee.
Text: W. Chalmers Smith, 1824–1908, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Proverbs 9:1–10
L A reading from Proverbs, chapter 9.
1Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 5:6–21
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 5.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading John 6:51–69
L A reading from St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6.
51[Jesus said:] “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Sermon “You Have the Words of Eternal Life” John 6:51-69
You Have the Words of Eternal Life – John 6:51-69
We just heard the ending words of John 6. John 6 is also known as the “Bread of Life” chapter. In order to properly understand the words at the end of the chapter, we need to take a few moments to review the rest of the chapter.
The events at the beginning of the chapter show us that Jesus is, in fact, the Lord of Creation. The chapter begins with the account of Jesus using a boy’s lunch to feed 5,000 men and their families. This happened in an empty area on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus fed the 5,000, He put the disciples in a boat and sent them back to Capernaum while He went up on the mountain to pray. The disciples encountered a headwind and were not able to cross the sea. When Jesus finished praying, He walked to the boat on the water. Immediately the headwind stopped and Jesus and the disciples landed on the other side. These two events demonstrate that Jesus is well able to supply us with all our needs and protect us from every danger.
Jesus and His disciples arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee around dawn of the day after He fed the 5,000. The word immediately went out, and people from the surrounding area began bringing friends and family to Jesus for healing. Jesus healed and taught as He made His way to the synagogue in Capernaum.
Some of the 5,000 that Jesus fed the previous day also found Jesus as He was on His way to the synagogue. Although they never came right out and asked Jesus for more food, Jesus could see into their hearts and knew that they were only interested in Him in order to get more free food. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach that although He supplies all our earthly needs, that is not the main reason He came down from heaven and took on human flesh. His main reason for coming was to provide us with all our eternal needs.
The crowd wanted to compare Jesus and Moses. They claimed that Moses was better because he fed the entire nation of Israel for decades. Jesus only fed a few thousand for one meal. Jesus first of all pointed out that it was God who gave the manna in the wilderness. Moses was the servant of God at the time. Jesus also pointed out that all the people who ate the manna in the wilderness are dead. The people who participate in the eternal food that Jesus gives will rise from the dead on the last day and never die again.
Jesus taught that just as a person needs food to live here on this earth, so also a person needs eternal food for eternal life. He taught that He is that eternal food. As He taught that He is the eternal food, He explained that eating the eternal food meant believing in Him. He said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29) He also said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) With these words and others, Jesus taught that eating eternal food meant believing in Him.
It is important that we understand all this context from the preceding verses of John 6. It is especially important that we understand that when Jesus is talking about eternal eating, He is speaking of faith that believes. Otherwise, these last few verses of John 6 will sound a lot like cannibalism.
Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) Now that we know the context of these words, we know that Jesus is talking about believing in Him for eternal life.
The people in the synagogue struggled to understand what Jesus meant. They had not made the connection between eating and believing. The Jews … disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52) They know that Jesus is not talking about the kind of eating that they did the day before when they ate the bread and fish that Jesus gave them. Nevertheless, they know no other kind of eating and they are confused.
Jesus kept right on teaching. If you understand that eternal eating means believing, then Jesus’ words make perfect sense. On the other hand, if you are like most of the hearers in the synagogue and do not understand … if you are still thinking about eating bread and fish, then Jesus’ words are disgusting.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53–58)
The signs that Jesus performed in this chapter and others demonstrate that He is from God. It is as the blind man told the Jewish authorities, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:32–33) As a man from God, His word is true. He has told the crowd that He is the bread of life from heaven. He claimed God the Father as His Father and that He is the Son of God. He taught that He came to give eternal life to those who believe in Him. He explained that those who put their trust in His body and blood will have eternal life.
The rest of the chapter shows that there are two ways to react to Jesus’ message: belief and unbelief. Some who heard Jesus’ words said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60) The text then tells us that many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:66) This is the response of the unbeliever.
As Jesus watched His congregation shrink in size, He turned to His disciples and said, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67) This gave Peter one of those rare opportunities to say exactly the right thing. In fact, Peter’s reply is so excellent that part of it is in the Alleluia verse for Divine Service Setting One. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68–69) This is the response of the believer.
The reaction of these people shows the truth of the words written by the writer to the Hebrews: The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Whenever anyone proclaims the Gospel, some will believe and some will reject.
The full meaning of Jesus’ words on this day became clear to the disciples when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Feeding on Christ’s flesh and drinking Christ’s blood means believing in His body broken and His blood shed on the cross. Christ’s shed blood and broken body earned the forgiveness of sins. That forgiveness is the source of eternal life for us. This is the central teaching of Christianity.
The “Bread of Life” chapter, John 6 is an excellent summary of the signs and teachings of Jesus as He began to prepare His disciples for His suffering, death, and resurrection. He taught them and He teaches us that He is the source of eternal life. It is by faith in His body broken and His blood shed that we receive the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. For those of us who live after His death and resurrection, these words point us to the cross that saves us.
Another thing we learn from this chapter is that some people will reject eternal life. In spite of the fact that Jesus is the only perfect teacher who ever walked this earth, some who heard Him rejected Him. We often forget that the Gospel divides people. The Holy Spirit uses the Gospel to draw people into the family of God. At the same time, the very same Gospel will drive away those who refuse to believe.
Jesus made it very clear that we are to proclaim the Gospel as we live our lives in this world. At the same time, we are not called to convert an unbeliever. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. When we proclaim the Gospel and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” (Acts 16:31) we are asking our hearers to do something that they cannot do. We are relying on the Holy Spirit to bring them into the family of God. We are asking the Holy Spirit to work in them so that they also believe in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins that leads to eternal life. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer
Prayer of the Church - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15B) - 18 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father, we thank You that You have sent the great Good Shepherd who has compassion on His flock. In His name, we lift up our prayers for the family of God; for every nation, tribe, people and language; and for all those who hunger for the true bread of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant us always, O God, to work for the food that endures to eternal life. Bless the ministry of this congregation in our community, that many may embrace Jesus as the Christ and believe that He is the true bread of God who has come from heaven. Grant that we would never hunger or thirst for anything but Christ and His righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for Your blessing upon all homes and schools, especially the schools, universities and seminaries of our church. Bless all places where Your people gather to teach and learn Your Word, and help us to remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You place men in positions of authority for the sake of order. Grant wisdom to our president, our governor, our judge, those in law enforcement; and all who hold offices of public trust in our land, that they might not act for selfish gain but serve according to Your will for the benefit of all people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bestow Your power of healing upon the sick, [especially _____________,] that in accordance with Your will, they may give thanks to Your name. Give Your Spirit of hope to the depressed, the lonely and those who mourn the death of loved ones [especially _____________]. Strengthen their faith and assure them of Your presence in all circumstances. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, Your Son assures us that His flesh is true food and His blood true drink, and that those who feed on Him will live forever because of Him. By Your Spirit, prepare our hearts to welcome Him as He comes to us in this Holy Supper, that we may rejoice in His promises and depart in His peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymn:
696 “O God, My Faithful God”
1 O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing:
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.
2 Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.
4 Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.
5 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.
6 And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow His steps in the way that leads to life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 526 “You Are the Way”
1 You are the way; through You alone
Can we the Father find;
In You, O Christ, has God revealed
His heart and will and mind.
2 You are the truth; Your Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
You only can inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 You are the life; the empty tomb
Proclaims Your conqu’ring arm,
And those who put their trust in You
Not death nor hell shall harm.
4 You are the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whose joys eternal flow.
Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 11, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE WILL BE a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 11, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 803, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Kings 19:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 4:17-5:2
GOSPEL LESSON John 6:35-51
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 774, “Feed Thy Children”
SERMON “The Bread of Life” John 6:35-51
The Bread of Life – John 6:35-51
Today is the second of three straight Sundays in which the Holy Gospel is a portion of Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse from John chapter 6. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus declares, several times in John 6, and that is the motif running through this chapter. Last week we heard Jesus say, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And then he said, in the verse that concluded last week’s reading and also begins today’s, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And so our theme this morning, as we continue on in this discourse, is an obvious one, namely, “The Bread of Life.”
Now why does Jesus use this phrase, “the bread of life”? Well, keep in mind, Jesus had just miraculously fed a multitude of thousands of hungry people from just five loaves of bread and two fish. So bread was on everybody’s mind. And Jesus wants to direct those minds from not just the bread that fills the belly for a day, but more than that, to the bread that gives life to both body and soul for eternity. Because that is the gift Jesus comes to give. He comes here, to us, to give this bread of life to you today. We need it, and Jesus gives it, so let’s listen now.
“I am the bread of life,” says Jesus. Why bread? Because bread, across all cultures–bread is universally seen as the staple of life. It is that which gives life and sustains life. Without bread, which is kind of a shorthand for food in general–without bread, without food, without sustenance, we die. It’s true in the physical realm. And when Jesus applies this term to himself, it’s true in the spiritual realm as well. Without the bread of life, that is, without Jesus, we die. And it would be death forever, apart from Christ.
So we need the life that Jesus gives. We need this more than anything else in the world. Jesus is the only one who can give us this life. Jesus is the only one who can sustain this life. That is why he says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is why Jesus comes. He says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Note that, and mark it well. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to do the will of his heavenly Father. This tells us that Jesus is the very Son of God, the eternal Son of God from before the foundation of the world, who at a certain point in human history came down from heaven and became incarnate, became one of us, in the flesh, for us men and for our salvation. This is why he came.
The crowd back then didn’t get it. They could only think of this man Jesus as the person growing up in the home of Joseph and Mary. How can he say, “I have come down from heaven”? But that is the mystery of the incarnation. And only God can reveal Jesus to us as the divine Savior sent from heaven. Jesus says as much: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” This happens as God’s Word works repentance and faith in your heart, so that you know you need a Savior and you discover that Jesus is the very one who meets that need. God’s Word is at work in your heart, so that you know and feel your sins, you recognize your need for forgiveness, and you hear that Jesus gives you just that.
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus tells the crowd. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” You know, you can eat the best and healthiest diet in the world. You can try the Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet or whatever the latest fad is, and go all-natural. You can eat high-fiber, whole-grain, and heart-healthy. You may need to go gluten-free, it doesn’t matter. Regardless, you’re still going to die one day. What then? Who will rescue you from this body of death?
Who will do this? Jesus. He’s the one. “I am the bread of life,” he says. That’s why he came. And how does he give us this life? How does he meet our greatest need? Jesus tells us: “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. Let me repeat that: Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus gives his life, so that you and I and the rest of the world might have life.
Jesus did this on the cross, of course. There he offered the perfect sacrifice that covers the sins of the whole world. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is God’s supreme solution to our deepest and most pressing problem: our sin, which results in death and eternal damnation, under God’s judgment. Jesus takes all that from us. He gives his flesh into death, taking our place under that judgment. He lifts that load off our shoulders and takes it on his own. In his flesh, in his body on the cross, he bore our sins. And by his blood, the holy precious blood he shed on our behalf, our sins are forgiven. Cleansed. No longer held against us. Jesus atones for them all. For you. You are free, at peace with God, for Christ’s sake. Believe it. It’s true. It’s the truest and most freeing thing you’ll ever hear.
And what is the result? Now you have life. New life. Eternal life. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And again: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.” And again: “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
Everlasting life. How good does that sound? Well, if it were just an endless continuation of the heartaches and sorrows we suffer now in this vale of tears, that would not be so great. But the life that Jesus gives is much better than that. It will be life with no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sin or death. This is the eternal life that Jesus gives, and we have the sure hope of it even now.
We even get a tantalizing taste of it now, in the blessings Jesus showers upon us: That we know God now. That we have the joy of the Lord now. That now we have the peace that passes all understanding, standing guard over our hearts and minds. We have a new ability to love and forgive others now, to put off the old self and to put on the new self, and to walk in love, as we heard about in the Epistle reading from Ephesians. Sealed with the Holy Spirit. Beloved children of our heavenly Father. New persons in Christ. All this belongs to the new life we have now, the life Christ freely gives us.
And this is life that will overcome the grave. The body we lay in the grave will rise one day, on the day when Christ returns, that is, on the last day. Notice how Jesus repeats this promise in today’s reading. He says: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” And again Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Did you catch that? It was repeated several times: “And I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus here is talking about the bodily resurrection on the day when he returns. Our physical bodies will be raised up glorious, perfect, no longer subject to disease or death. When? On the last day. This is our great hope, the return of Christ and the resurrection of the body. We confess it in the Creed, don’t we? I believe in “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
The Bible teaches, throughout, the physical, bodily resurrection of the dead on the last day. And these repeated promises of Jesus in our text today are the prime examples. Jesus will raise and give life to our dead bodies on the last day, which in turn will be the first day of our new life everlasting in a restored creation, a renewed heaven and earth where righteousness will be at home. And we will dwell with God, and see God, along with all the saints from ages past, all the believers of all time, in perfect fellowship and harmony and superabundant joy! What a hope! What a thing to look forward to! This is the life that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ won for us and gives to us, purely out of his grace and mercy. Trust in Jesus. The gift is yours.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Here is Jesus’ promise for you today. So come trusting his promise now and receive life-giving bread, yes, Christ’s own body and blood in his Sacrament. Here Jesus gives you the living bread from heaven. Here he gives you “The Bread of Life.”
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14B) - 11 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life, giving eternal life to all who come to Him. By Your Holy Spirit, lead the whole Church on earth to imitate You and walk in Your love as beloved children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give strength and courage to all pastors and those who assist them, especially those suffering from conflict, burnout or depression. Hearten them by the example of Elijah and the prophets and apostles before them. Comfort them through the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, through Holy Baptism You have joined the faithful together as Your children, making us brothers in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us grace to believe that, through Christ, we belong to one another. Lead us to put away all falsehood and malice and instead to speak Christ’s truth to one another in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all families and homes, that one generation may tell to the next the wonderful works of God in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers for our nation. Cause us to live in harmony with one another, and free our citizens from want, suffering, danger and fear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show kindness to the sick [including _____________]. Never let them be in doubt that You hear their prayers. Relieve all pain and provide for those who suffer from any kind of hardship. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless those who commune this day, that reconciled to each other in Christ’s body and blood, they may rejoice to receive Your forgiveness through this precious gift, be strengthened in times of doubt, and be nourished in body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life. Together with all the faithful who have gone before us, we give You thanks and praise. Keep us steadfast in the faith, so that when our last hour comes, we may rejoice with them at the marriage feast in His kingdom, which has no end. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymns-- no. 680, “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 850, “God of Grace and God of Glory”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 11, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE WILL BE a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 11, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 803, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Kings 19:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 4:17-5:2
GOSPEL LESSON John 6:35-51
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 774, “Feed Thy Children”
SERMON “The Bread of Life” John 6:35-51
The Bread of Life – John 6:35-51
Today is the second of three straight Sundays in which the Holy Gospel is a portion of Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse from John chapter 6. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus declares, several times in John 6, and that is the motif running through this chapter. Last week we heard Jesus say, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And then he said, in the verse that concluded last week’s reading and also begins today’s, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And so our theme this morning, as we continue on in this discourse, is an obvious one, namely, “The Bread of Life.”
Now why does Jesus use this phrase, “the bread of life”? Well, keep in mind, Jesus had just miraculously fed a multitude of thousands of hungry people from just five loaves of bread and two fish. So bread was on everybody’s mind. And Jesus wants to direct those minds from not just the bread that fills the belly for a day, but more than that, to the bread that gives life to both body and soul for eternity. Because that is the gift Jesus comes to give. He comes here, to us, to give this bread of life to you today. We need it, and Jesus gives it, so let’s listen now.
“I am the bread of life,” says Jesus. Why bread? Because bread, across all cultures–bread is universally seen as the staple of life. It is that which gives life and sustains life. Without bread, which is kind of a shorthand for food in general–without bread, without food, without sustenance, we die. It’s true in the physical realm. And when Jesus applies this term to himself, it’s true in the spiritual realm as well. Without the bread of life, that is, without Jesus, we die. And it would be death forever, apart from Christ.
So we need the life that Jesus gives. We need this more than anything else in the world. Jesus is the only one who can give us this life. Jesus is the only one who can sustain this life. That is why he says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is why Jesus comes. He says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Note that, and mark it well. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to do the will of his heavenly Father. This tells us that Jesus is the very Son of God, the eternal Son of God from before the foundation of the world, who at a certain point in human history came down from heaven and became incarnate, became one of us, in the flesh, for us men and for our salvation. This is why he came.
The crowd back then didn’t get it. They could only think of this man Jesus as the person growing up in the home of Joseph and Mary. How can he say, “I have come down from heaven”? But that is the mystery of the incarnation. And only God can reveal Jesus to us as the divine Savior sent from heaven. Jesus says as much: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” This happens as God’s Word works repentance and faith in your heart, so that you know you need a Savior and you discover that Jesus is the very one who meets that need. God’s Word is at work in your heart, so that you know and feel your sins, you recognize your need for forgiveness, and you hear that Jesus gives you just that.
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus tells the crowd. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” You know, you can eat the best and healthiest diet in the world. You can try the Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet or whatever the latest fad is, and go all-natural. You can eat high-fiber, whole-grain, and heart-healthy. You may need to go gluten-free, it doesn’t matter. Regardless, you’re still going to die one day. What then? Who will rescue you from this body of death?
Who will do this? Jesus. He’s the one. “I am the bread of life,” he says. That’s why he came. And how does he give us this life? How does he meet our greatest need? Jesus tells us: “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. Let me repeat that: Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus gives his life, so that you and I and the rest of the world might have life.
Jesus did this on the cross, of course. There he offered the perfect sacrifice that covers the sins of the whole world. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is God’s supreme solution to our deepest and most pressing problem: our sin, which results in death and eternal damnation, under God’s judgment. Jesus takes all that from us. He gives his flesh into death, taking our place under that judgment. He lifts that load off our shoulders and takes it on his own. In his flesh, in his body on the cross, he bore our sins. And by his blood, the holy precious blood he shed on our behalf, our sins are forgiven. Cleansed. No longer held against us. Jesus atones for them all. For you. You are free, at peace with God, for Christ’s sake. Believe it. It’s true. It’s the truest and most freeing thing you’ll ever hear.
And what is the result? Now you have life. New life. Eternal life. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And again: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.” And again: “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
Everlasting life. How good does that sound? Well, if it were just an endless continuation of the heartaches and sorrows we suffer now in this vale of tears, that would not be so great. But the life that Jesus gives is much better than that. It will be life with no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sin or death. This is the eternal life that Jesus gives, and we have the sure hope of it even now.
We even get a tantalizing taste of it now, in the blessings Jesus showers upon us: That we know God now. That we have the joy of the Lord now. That now we have the peace that passes all understanding, standing guard over our hearts and minds. We have a new ability to love and forgive others now, to put off the old self and to put on the new self, and to walk in love, as we heard about in the Epistle reading from Ephesians. Sealed with the Holy Spirit. Beloved children of our heavenly Father. New persons in Christ. All this belongs to the new life we have now, the life Christ freely gives us.
And this is life that will overcome the grave. The body we lay in the grave will rise one day, on the day when Christ returns, that is, on the last day. Notice how Jesus repeats this promise in today’s reading. He says: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” And again Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Did you catch that? It was repeated several times: “And I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus here is talking about the bodily resurrection on the day when he returns. Our physical bodies will be raised up glorious, perfect, no longer subject to disease or death. When? On the last day. This is our great hope, the return of Christ and the resurrection of the body. We confess it in the Creed, don’t we? I believe in “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
The Bible teaches, throughout, the physical, bodily resurrection of the dead on the last day. And these repeated promises of Jesus in our text today are the prime examples. Jesus will raise and give life to our dead bodies on the last day, which in turn will be the first day of our new life everlasting in a restored creation, a renewed heaven and earth where righteousness will be at home. And we will dwell with God, and see God, along with all the saints from ages past, all the believers of all time, in perfect fellowship and harmony and superabundant joy! What a hope! What a thing to look forward to! This is the life that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ won for us and gives to us, purely out of his grace and mercy. Trust in Jesus. The gift is yours.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Here is Jesus’ promise for you today. So come trusting his promise now and receive life-giving bread, yes, Christ’s own body and blood in his Sacrament. Here Jesus gives you the living bread from heaven. Here he gives you “The Bread of Life.”
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14B) - 11 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life, giving eternal life to all who come to Him. By Your Holy Spirit, lead the whole Church on earth to imitate You and walk in Your love as beloved children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give strength and courage to all pastors and those who assist them, especially those suffering from conflict, burnout or depression. Hearten them by the example of Elijah and the prophets and apostles before them. Comfort them through the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, through Holy Baptism You have joined the faithful together as Your children, making us brothers in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us grace to believe that, through Christ, we belong to one another. Lead us to put away all falsehood and malice and instead to speak Christ’s truth to one another in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all families and homes, that one generation may tell to the next the wonderful works of God in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers for our nation. Cause us to live in harmony with one another, and free our citizens from want, suffering, danger and fear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show kindness to the sick [including _____________]. Never let them be in doubt that You hear their prayers. Relieve all pain and provide for those who suffer from any kind of hardship. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless those who commune this day, that reconciled to each other in Christ’s body and blood, they may rejoice to receive Your forgiveness through this precious gift, be strengthened in times of doubt, and be nourished in body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life. Together with all the faithful who have gone before us, we give You thanks and praise. Keep us steadfast in the faith, so that when our last hour comes, we may rejoice with them at the marriage feast in His kingdom, which has no end. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymns-- no. 680, “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 850, “God of Grace and God of Glory”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 4, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 554 “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
1 O Jesus, King most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found:
2 When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
3 O Jesus, light of all below,
The fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
All that we can desire:
4 May ev’ry heart confess Your name,
Forever You adore,
And, seeking You, itself inflame
To seek You more and more!
5 Oh, may our tongues forever bless,
May we love You alone
And ever in our lives express
The image of Your own!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 78:72, 23–25
P With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 16:2–15
2The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11And the Lord said to Moses, 12“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 145:10–16
10All your works shall give thanks to you, | O Lord,*
and all your saints shall | bless you!
11They shall speak of the glory of your | kingdom*
and tell | of your power,
12to make known to the children of man your | mighty deeds,*
and the glorious splendor of your | kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting | kingdom,*
and your dominion endures throughout all gener- | ations.
The Lord is faithful in | all his words*
and kind in | all his works.
14The Lord upholds all who are | falling*
and raises up all who are | bowed down.
15The eyes of all | look to you,*
and you give them their food in due | season.
16You open | your hand;*
you satisfy the desire of every | living thing.
Epistle Ephesians 4:1–16
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 6:22–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Food That Endures” John 6:22-35
The Food That Endures – John 6:22-35
It has been a long time without any rest for Jesus and His disciples. Jesus spent the previous day ministering to people in the wilderness. He even multiplied a boy’s lunch of bread and fish and used it to feed 5,000 men and their families. Then the disciples spent all night trying to get across the sea against a strong wind and weren’t able to cross until Jesus walked to them on the sea. As the day dawned they arrived at the other side of the sea and the people ran all over the countryside to bring the sick and injured to Jesus for healing. There was no stop … no letup.
The crowd that Jesus left on the far side of the sea showed up for breakfast, but quickly figured out that Jesus was no longer there. When some more boats came along, they also came across the water and found Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (John 6:25) They were trying to figure out how Jesus got across the water and back to Capernaum. This seems like a fairly innocent question.
Nevertheless, Jesus can look at the heart. He understood that the motive of the crowd was not as innocent as it might seem. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26–27) Jesus understood that they were just interested in another free meal. They did not understand that Jesus came to give eternal life, not just a free breakfast or lunch.
The question and answer session they have with Jesus demonstrates that they don’t understand. Eventually the crowd asked a question that clearly demonstrated their unbelief. “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” (John 6:30–31) Jesus has been healing the sick, curing the lame, causing the deaf to hear and the blind to see. He has been casting out demons and raising people from the dead. This very crowd had eaten bread and fish multiplied from His hand and they asked for a sign. The stubborn, unbelieving heart is never satisfied. It will always ask for more signs.
Not much has changed down through the centuries. We might not believe in Jesus for free food, but how many T.V. preachers do you hear that will promise you monetary wealth if you will simply send a seed offering their way? How many preachers will tell you that a life with Jesus means prosperity, success, victory, and so forth? Some preachers will tell you that if you get your life right, you will get a better job with more pay and fewer responsibilities … your children will start to get better grades in school … your spouse will find you more attractive … and on and on and on.
Here are just a few of the quotes I found on the Internet: “God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you're able to pay off your house. That's God shifting things in your favor.” (Joel Osteen) “Obedience to God is the pathway to the life you really want to live.” (Joyce Meyer) “Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous.” (Benny Hinn) “Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the word of God.” (John Hagee) These are just a few of the popular T.V. preachers who teach that worldly wealth and success is the reward for those who obey God.
These very popular people teach about a god who is like a great big vending machine in the sky. You do your part and then God will give you what you want. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that we can do nothing, but God, in His grace, freely gives us, not what we want, but what we need. These teachers make promises for life here and now, and, when their promises fail, they teach that you just haven’t done it right. God, on the other hand, makes eternal promises, and His promises never fail.
If these teachers are such liars, and their promises fail so often, why are they all so wealthy? Why do they fly in their own private planes and ride in limousines? Why do they live in mansions?
These scam artists are wealthy because the sinful nature is never satisfied with the simplicity of God’s perfect gifts. Adam and Eve were not satisfied in Eden. The Israelites in today’s Old Testament reading were not satisfied even though God fed them every day. The crowds in today’s Gospel wanted just one more sign. The Bible is full of people who were not satisfied by God’s promise to them. Our sinful human nature has not changed and many scam artists make their fortune from those who are not satisfied with the gifts God gives in His promises.
What about you? God has promised to care for you and provide all you need. He has promised eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. He has opened up rivers of forgiveness in word, water, bread and wine. Is God’s forgiveness not enough for you?
Think about it. Each and every one of us deserves to suffer in eternal hell. Nevertheless, God sent His Son to take up your humanity and take that eternal hell into Himself as He hung on a cross. He has poured out His righteousness upon you. You have eternal life for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, and death of the Son of God! Furthermore, you have the assurance of all of this by virtue of the immortal, bodily resurrection of that very same Son!
Yet what do faithful pastors hear? “Could you do something to make your message a little more exciting?” “Could you make things a little peppier?” “Could you make things a little more self-affirming?” … The eternal Father sent the eternal Son to suffer eternal punishment on the cross so that you could have eternal life, and you aren’t satisfied! You want what you want instead of what God wants to give you! It is like God is a chef who wants to serve you a seven-course feast, but you sit down and tell Him that you don’t want it because you are used to rancid bologna on moldy bread and prefer that.
The devil is more than happy to provide a wide variety of con-artists to give you exactly what you want. He is happy to do this because when he gives you what you want, it will draw you away from what you need. It will draw you away from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and poison your soul instead. So it is that those who preach lies rake in billions, while those who preach the truth find themselves gathering shopping carts, re-stocking shelves, and doing “cleanup in aisle 9” in order to feed their families. We are willing to pay big bucks to people who tell us the lies even though those lies lead to eternal destruction because those lies make us feel good about ourselves. At the same time, we drive out those who tell us the truth we need for our salvation. It is exactly as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to Timothy. The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
In spite of the fact that the crowds resisted His message Jesus continued teaching them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (John 6:32) Here Jesus corrected them. The manna from heaven came from God. Moses was merely God’s servant at the time. In fact, all of the signs that Moses did began with God. Moses was a great prophet of God, not because he was anything great, but because God chose him and called him.
Jesus continued, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) Here Jesus taught that He Himself is the bread who comes down from heaven. Just as God sent manna to give temporary life to the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, so also He sent His Son to give eternal life to all people by His perfect life and sacrificial death on a cross. This is how Jesus is the bread of God who gives life to the world.
The poor crowds are still thinking of their stomachs when they respond, “Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6:34) Martin Luther preached about these people and said, “This announcement that the Gospel would fill their bellies, that it would provide plentifully for this life and afford a good living, pleases them. They say, as it were: “This would be the man for us. Who would not like him?” We, too, would like such a preacher. They pay no attention to Christ’s words to learn where He wants to lead them, but they are happy over the prospect that He will fill their bellies and give them only earthly goods and money. But that is not the point. The Gospel does not fill the belly; it has something different to do. Times have not changed. When the Gospel is preached, everyone is eager to reap a sufficient store of earthly goods from it.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John)
But then Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) With these words Jesus made it clear that He is speaking of a different kind of bread for a different kind of life. When it comes to the things of this world Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) Never the less, when it comes to the things of eternity, He said, “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
These are words that we can never truly understand, but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them. Through the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them and in the Christ who said them. By that gift of faith, we can believe that Jesus is eternal food and drink who will keep us alive with Him in eternity. For just as Jesus rose from the dead, so also will the Holy Spirit raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
God, in His infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom, will give us, not what we want, but exactly what He knows we need … both here in time and forever in eternity. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32) Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13B) - 4 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Gracious heavenly Father, as You provided for the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness to the land You had promised, give us confidence to trust in You and to look to Your hand to provide all we need for this life and for the life to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy One, Your Son gives us the Office of the Ministry, that Your people might be equipped to serve and be built up into His one Body. Remember in Your compassion all who speak Your Word. Give them faithfulness and honesty in their teaching, that Your children would be freed from all deceit to speak Your truth to one another in love, growing up in every way into Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant us true unity in the faith. Preserve us in pure doctrine; grant harmony in our congregation, district and Synod; and bestow on us charitable hearts that put the best construction on what we see and hear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God and Father of all, enable us to walk in humility, gentleness and patience, that we would bear with one another in love and be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty One, You establish civil government to be a blessing. To Your mercy, then, we commend our president, our Congress, our justices and magistrates, and all who serve the public in any way. Keep them honest, fill them with wisdom and uphold them in every good deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show Your mercy to the sick and hospitalized [including _____________]. Provide doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to care for those who need health and healing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving Father, You provided manna for Your ancient people to sustain them in the wilderness. By Your grace, You provide the living bread from heaven: the very body of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that endures to eternal life. Help us to approach Your table with thankful and contrite hearts, that we might receive Your Son’s precious body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, we come as a people tossed to and fro by the manifold changes of this mortal life. Help us to know, in You, that which is eternal. Give us confidence in the suffering and death of Christ, that we may rejoice that You are with us always and await His joyous appearing with all the saints; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymn:
821 “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus”
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise:
“I am with you evermore”?
3 Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
Here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.
As within the veil You entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 4, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 554 “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
1 O Jesus, King most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found:
2 When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
3 O Jesus, light of all below,
The fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
All that we can desire:
4 May ev’ry heart confess Your name,
Forever You adore,
And, seeking You, itself inflame
To seek You more and more!
5 Oh, may our tongues forever bless,
May we love You alone
And ever in our lives express
The image of Your own!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 78:72, 23–25
P With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 16:2–15
2The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11And the Lord said to Moses, 12“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 145:10–16
10All your works shall give thanks to you, | O Lord,*
and all your saints shall | bless you!
11They shall speak of the glory of your | kingdom*
and tell | of your power,
12to make known to the children of man your | mighty deeds,*
and the glorious splendor of your | kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting | kingdom,*
and your dominion endures throughout all gener- | ations.
The Lord is faithful in | all his words*
and kind in | all his works.
14The Lord upholds all who are | falling*
and raises up all who are | bowed down.
15The eyes of all | look to you,*
and you give them their food in due | season.
16You open | your hand;*
you satisfy the desire of every | living thing.
Epistle Ephesians 4:1–16
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 6:22–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Food That Endures” John 6:22-35
The Food That Endures – John 6:22-35
It has been a long time without any rest for Jesus and His disciples. Jesus spent the previous day ministering to people in the wilderness. He even multiplied a boy’s lunch of bread and fish and used it to feed 5,000 men and their families. Then the disciples spent all night trying to get across the sea against a strong wind and weren’t able to cross until Jesus walked to them on the sea. As the day dawned they arrived at the other side of the sea and the people ran all over the countryside to bring the sick and injured to Jesus for healing. There was no stop … no letup.
The crowd that Jesus left on the far side of the sea showed up for breakfast, but quickly figured out that Jesus was no longer there. When some more boats came along, they also came across the water and found Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (John 6:25) They were trying to figure out how Jesus got across the water and back to Capernaum. This seems like a fairly innocent question.
Nevertheless, Jesus can look at the heart. He understood that the motive of the crowd was not as innocent as it might seem. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26–27) Jesus understood that they were just interested in another free meal. They did not understand that Jesus came to give eternal life, not just a free breakfast or lunch.
The question and answer session they have with Jesus demonstrates that they don’t understand. Eventually the crowd asked a question that clearly demonstrated their unbelief. “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” (John 6:30–31) Jesus has been healing the sick, curing the lame, causing the deaf to hear and the blind to see. He has been casting out demons and raising people from the dead. This very crowd had eaten bread and fish multiplied from His hand and they asked for a sign. The stubborn, unbelieving heart is never satisfied. It will always ask for more signs.
Not much has changed down through the centuries. We might not believe in Jesus for free food, but how many T.V. preachers do you hear that will promise you monetary wealth if you will simply send a seed offering their way? How many preachers will tell you that a life with Jesus means prosperity, success, victory, and so forth? Some preachers will tell you that if you get your life right, you will get a better job with more pay and fewer responsibilities … your children will start to get better grades in school … your spouse will find you more attractive … and on and on and on.
Here are just a few of the quotes I found on the Internet: “God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you're able to pay off your house. That's God shifting things in your favor.” (Joel Osteen) “Obedience to God is the pathway to the life you really want to live.” (Joyce Meyer) “Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous.” (Benny Hinn) “Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the word of God.” (John Hagee) These are just a few of the popular T.V. preachers who teach that worldly wealth and success is the reward for those who obey God.
These very popular people teach about a god who is like a great big vending machine in the sky. You do your part and then God will give you what you want. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that we can do nothing, but God, in His grace, freely gives us, not what we want, but what we need. These teachers make promises for life here and now, and, when their promises fail, they teach that you just haven’t done it right. God, on the other hand, makes eternal promises, and His promises never fail.
If these teachers are such liars, and their promises fail so often, why are they all so wealthy? Why do they fly in their own private planes and ride in limousines? Why do they live in mansions?
These scam artists are wealthy because the sinful nature is never satisfied with the simplicity of God’s perfect gifts. Adam and Eve were not satisfied in Eden. The Israelites in today’s Old Testament reading were not satisfied even though God fed them every day. The crowds in today’s Gospel wanted just one more sign. The Bible is full of people who were not satisfied by God’s promise to them. Our sinful human nature has not changed and many scam artists make their fortune from those who are not satisfied with the gifts God gives in His promises.
What about you? God has promised to care for you and provide all you need. He has promised eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. He has opened up rivers of forgiveness in word, water, bread and wine. Is God’s forgiveness not enough for you?
Think about it. Each and every one of us deserves to suffer in eternal hell. Nevertheless, God sent His Son to take up your humanity and take that eternal hell into Himself as He hung on a cross. He has poured out His righteousness upon you. You have eternal life for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, and death of the Son of God! Furthermore, you have the assurance of all of this by virtue of the immortal, bodily resurrection of that very same Son!
Yet what do faithful pastors hear? “Could you do something to make your message a little more exciting?” “Could you make things a little peppier?” “Could you make things a little more self-affirming?” … The eternal Father sent the eternal Son to suffer eternal punishment on the cross so that you could have eternal life, and you aren’t satisfied! You want what you want instead of what God wants to give you! It is like God is a chef who wants to serve you a seven-course feast, but you sit down and tell Him that you don’t want it because you are used to rancid bologna on moldy bread and prefer that.
The devil is more than happy to provide a wide variety of con-artists to give you exactly what you want. He is happy to do this because when he gives you what you want, it will draw you away from what you need. It will draw you away from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and poison your soul instead. So it is that those who preach lies rake in billions, while those who preach the truth find themselves gathering shopping carts, re-stocking shelves, and doing “cleanup in aisle 9” in order to feed their families. We are willing to pay big bucks to people who tell us the lies even though those lies lead to eternal destruction because those lies make us feel good about ourselves. At the same time, we drive out those who tell us the truth we need for our salvation. It is exactly as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to Timothy. The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
In spite of the fact that the crowds resisted His message Jesus continued teaching them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (John 6:32) Here Jesus corrected them. The manna from heaven came from God. Moses was merely God’s servant at the time. In fact, all of the signs that Moses did began with God. Moses was a great prophet of God, not because he was anything great, but because God chose him and called him.
Jesus continued, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) Here Jesus taught that He Himself is the bread who comes down from heaven. Just as God sent manna to give temporary life to the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, so also He sent His Son to give eternal life to all people by His perfect life and sacrificial death on a cross. This is how Jesus is the bread of God who gives life to the world.
The poor crowds are still thinking of their stomachs when they respond, “Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6:34) Martin Luther preached about these people and said, “This announcement that the Gospel would fill their bellies, that it would provide plentifully for this life and afford a good living, pleases them. They say, as it were: “This would be the man for us. Who would not like him?” We, too, would like such a preacher. They pay no attention to Christ’s words to learn where He wants to lead them, but they are happy over the prospect that He will fill their bellies and give them only earthly goods and money. But that is not the point. The Gospel does not fill the belly; it has something different to do. Times have not changed. When the Gospel is preached, everyone is eager to reap a sufficient store of earthly goods from it.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John)
But then Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) With these words Jesus made it clear that He is speaking of a different kind of bread for a different kind of life. When it comes to the things of this world Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) Never the less, when it comes to the things of eternity, He said, “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
These are words that we can never truly understand, but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them. Through the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them and in the Christ who said them. By that gift of faith, we can believe that Jesus is eternal food and drink who will keep us alive with Him in eternity. For just as Jesus rose from the dead, so also will the Holy Spirit raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
God, in His infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom, will give us, not what we want, but exactly what He knows we need … both here in time and forever in eternity. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32) Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13B) - 4 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Gracious heavenly Father, as You provided for the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness to the land You had promised, give us confidence to trust in You and to look to Your hand to provide all we need for this life and for the life to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy One, Your Son gives us the Office of the Ministry, that Your people might be equipped to serve and be built up into His one Body. Remember in Your compassion all who speak Your Word. Give them faithfulness and honesty in their teaching, that Your children would be freed from all deceit to speak Your truth to one another in love, growing up in every way into Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant us true unity in the faith. Preserve us in pure doctrine; grant harmony in our congregation, district and Synod; and bestow on us charitable hearts that put the best construction on what we see and hear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God and Father of all, enable us to walk in humility, gentleness and patience, that we would bear with one another in love and be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty One, You establish civil government to be a blessing. To Your mercy, then, we commend our president, our Congress, our justices and magistrates, and all who serve the public in any way. Keep them honest, fill them with wisdom and uphold them in every good deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show Your mercy to the sick and hospitalized [including _____________]. Provide doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to care for those who need health and healing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving Father, You provided manna for Your ancient people to sustain them in the wilderness. By Your grace, You provide the living bread from heaven: the very body of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that endures to eternal life. Help us to approach Your table with thankful and contrite hearts, that we might receive Your Son’s precious body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, we come as a people tossed to and fro by the manifold changes of this mortal life. Help us to know, in You, that which is eternal. Give us confidence in the suffering and death of Christ, that we may rejoice that You are with us always and await His joyous appearing with all the saints; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymn:
821 “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus”
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise:
“I am with you evermore”?
3 Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
Here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.
As within the veil You entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – July 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Doak Whitley
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
July 28, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 595, “O Blessed Spring”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Genesis 9:8-17
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 3:14-21
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:45-56
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 715, “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
SERMON “Safe and Sound with Jesus” Mark 6:45-56
Safe and Sound with Jesus – Mark 6:45-56
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31) I am so glad He said that; because no matter how much I study God’s Word, there is always more to learn. I look forward to studying His Word in eternity and continuing to learn more and more.
During the last couple of years, I learned something about the Gospel according to Mark that I didn’t know before. I was listening to an interview with Dr. James Voelz, former professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Dr. Voelz has written a commentary on the Gospel according to Mark. He indicated that one of the major themes of this account is that, with one major exception, all of creation knows exactly who Jesus is. The major exception: the human race.
God the Father announced the identity of Jesus at His baptism and again at the transfiguration. The demons in Mark are terrified because they know exactly who Jesus is as He casts them out. All sorts of diseases and harmful conditions know who Jesus is as He heals them. Death knows who Jesus is as He raises the daughter of Jairus. The wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee know who Jesus is as He calms them with a word. Nevertheless, even His own disciples … the ones who witnessed these things … even they don’t have a clue. It is not until the centurion witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross that a human being finally said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
Once you know this about the Gospel of Mark, it’s difficult to not think about it. Today’s account of Jesus walking on the water is no different. Once again we see that nature knows who Jesus is, but the disciples remain confused.
Today’s reading began as Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side. (Mark 6:45) That word made could also be translated as compelled or forced. It is as though there is something dangerous at work and Jesus is eager to get His disciples to safety.
To understand why Jesus was on “RED ALERT”, we need to review the reading from last week. Jesus had just finished providing bread and fish for 5,000 men plus women and children. This was pretty spectacular stuff in a subsistence culture where only the privileged few were regularly satisfied after every meal. You can’t really blame the people for wanting to make Jesus their king. Who wouldn’t want a king who could provide free food for life?
The only thing is that Jesus didn’t come to be an earthly king. As He Himself said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) the people’s desire to make Jesus their king was a tremendous temptation. It was a temptation to give up His mission to the cross and become a “bread king” instead. He could have avoided the cross. He could have been very popular. Of course, the rest of us would all be condemned in our trespasses and sins. Obviously, the people who had eaten their fill did not know that Jesus was the Christ who had come to take on the punishment of their sins with His suffering and death on the cross.
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12B) - 28 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You have made us Your own dear children through Holy Baptism. Strengthen us with power by Your Holy Spirit in our inner being, that Your Son may dwell in our hearts through faith and that we would be rooted and grounded in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. Be glorified in Your Church and in Christ Jesus! Ground us in love. Give us a faith rooted in the promises of Christ and strength to comprehend with all the saints His love that surpasses all knowledge. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, as You preserved Noah and his family and brought forth new life from the ark under the promise of Your covenant, bless now our families also. Make marriages strong and fruitful according to Your will. Let Your Word rule in every home, uniting its members in forgiveness and causing Your Son to dwell in every heart through faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of might, spare us and future generations from wickedness. Give blessing to our nation and its leaders to rule according to Your good pleasure. Protect the members of our armed forces, police and other public servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we Your people cry out for Your healing upon [_____________ and] all those in need. Even as You sent Your Son to heal and make whole, teach them ever to trust in Your love, for You never leave nor forsake them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, do not allow our hearts to become hardened by indifference or frustration in this world. Give us understanding and courage to sustain us through this valley of sorrows. Lead us to Your blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, that eating Your true body and drinking Your blood, we may receive forgiveness of sins and confidence according to Christ’s New Testament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You name every family in heaven and on earth. We give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the faith so that Christ might dwell in our hearts richly until that day when we join them around Your throne; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymns-- no. 557, “Seek Where You May, to Find a Way”
no. 806, “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 849, “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – July 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Doak Whitley
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
July 28, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 595, “O Blessed Spring”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Genesis 9:8-17
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 3:14-21
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:45-56
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 715, “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
SERMON “Safe and Sound with Jesus” Mark 6:45-56
Safe and Sound with Jesus – Mark 6:45-56
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31) I am so glad He said that; because no matter how much I study God’s Word, there is always more to learn. I look forward to studying His Word in eternity and continuing to learn more and more.
During the last couple of years, I learned something about the Gospel according to Mark that I didn’t know before. I was listening to an interview with Dr. James Voelz, former professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Dr. Voelz has written a commentary on the Gospel according to Mark. He indicated that one of the major themes of this account is that, with one major exception, all of creation knows exactly who Jesus is. The major exception: the human race.
God the Father announced the identity of Jesus at His baptism and again at the transfiguration. The demons in Mark are terrified because they know exactly who Jesus is as He casts them out. All sorts of diseases and harmful conditions know who Jesus is as He heals them. Death knows who Jesus is as He raises the daughter of Jairus. The wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee know who Jesus is as He calms them with a word. Nevertheless, even His own disciples … the ones who witnessed these things … even they don’t have a clue. It is not until the centurion witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross that a human being finally said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
Once you know this about the Gospel of Mark, it’s difficult to not think about it. Today’s account of Jesus walking on the water is no different. Once again we see that nature knows who Jesus is, but the disciples remain confused.
Today’s reading began as Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side. (Mark 6:45) That word made could also be translated as compelled or forced. It is as though there is something dangerous at work and Jesus is eager to get His disciples to safety.
To understand why Jesus was on “RED ALERT”, we need to review the reading from last week. Jesus had just finished providing bread and fish for 5,000 men plus women and children. This was pretty spectacular stuff in a subsistence culture where only the privileged few were regularly satisfied after every meal. You can’t really blame the people for wanting to make Jesus their king. Who wouldn’t want a king who could provide free food for life?
The only thing is that Jesus didn’t come to be an earthly king. As He Himself said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) the people’s desire to make Jesus their king was a tremendous temptation. It was a temptation to give up His mission to the cross and become a “bread king” instead. He could have avoided the cross. He could have been very popular. Of course, the rest of us would all be condemned in our trespasses and sins. Obviously, the people who had eaten their fill did not know that Jesus was the Christ who had come to take on the punishment of their sins with His suffering and death on the cross.
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12B) - 28 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You have made us Your own dear children through Holy Baptism. Strengthen us with power by Your Holy Spirit in our inner being, that Your Son may dwell in our hearts through faith and that we would be rooted and grounded in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. Be glorified in Your Church and in Christ Jesus! Ground us in love. Give us a faith rooted in the promises of Christ and strength to comprehend with all the saints His love that surpasses all knowledge. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, as You preserved Noah and his family and brought forth new life from the ark under the promise of Your covenant, bless now our families also. Make marriages strong and fruitful according to Your will. Let Your Word rule in every home, uniting its members in forgiveness and causing Your Son to dwell in every heart through faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of might, spare us and future generations from wickedness. Give blessing to our nation and its leaders to rule according to Your good pleasure. Protect the members of our armed forces, police and other public servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we Your people cry out for Your healing upon [_____________ and] all those in need. Even as You sent Your Son to heal and make whole, teach them ever to trust in Your love, for You never leave nor forsake them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, do not allow our hearts to become hardened by indifference or frustration in this world. Give us understanding and courage to sustain us through this valley of sorrows. Lead us to Your blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, that eating Your true body and drinking Your blood, we may receive forgiveness of sins and confidence according to Christ’s New Testament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You name every family in heaven and on earth. We give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the faith so that Christ might dwell in our hearts richly until that day when we join them around Your throne; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymns-- no. 557, “Seek Where You May, to Find a Way”
no. 806, “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 849, “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for TODAY at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). As one poem puts it: “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 21, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Psalm [spoken] Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 23:1–6
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 23.
1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 2:11–22
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 2.
11Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading Mark 6:30–44
L A reading from St. Mark’s Gospel, the sixth chapter.
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Being Satisfied with His Gifts” Mark 6:30-44
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
545 “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
Living rain from heav’n descending;
Touch our hearts and bring to birth
Faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere You;
Word made flesh, we long to hear You.
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav’n to die,
Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,
Speak to us, Your love outpouring.
3 Word that caused blind eyes to see,
Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;
Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,
Heal the world, by sin now broken.
4 Word that speaks God’s tender love,
One with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above,
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
Prayer of the Church - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11B) - 21 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your compassion shown in Christ Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep and the righteous Son of David. Keep us trusting at all times in Your right hand, in whom true satisfaction is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of Israel, You promise to set caring shepherds over the sheep of Your pasture. Drive away deceitful shepherds who scatter Your flock, and gather Your sheep into Your heavenly kingdom by the hands of pious and faithful men whom You send in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, He provided bread and fish until all had eaten their fill and were satisfied. Give us our daily bread, according to Your will. Help us to use the gifts that You have given us to care for those who are hungry and in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us good government and faithful rulers, while reminding us always that all provision comes from You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your constant care and all we need to support this body and life. Attend to those in need among us [especially _____________]. Free them from dismay and fear by the certainty that Christ is their righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son once set a feast in a desolate place, miraculously multiplying loaves and fish to feed a multitude. Through the miracle of the Holy Supper, He continues to bless and give us a heavenly feast: His very body and blood for our forgiveness. Give us faith as we meet Him at His table, that we may greet Him always as the Lord, our righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, that You have made us fellow citizens with the saints in light. Keep us in the true faith for as long as You preserve us in this world, that we would hopefully and eagerly await the day when we stand in Your presence with them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 748 “I’m But a Stranger Here”
1 I’m but a stranger here,
Heav’n is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heav’n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on ev’ry hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
2 What though the tempest rage,
Heav’n is my home;
Short is my pilgrimage,
Heav’n is my home;
And time’s wild wintry blast
Soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
Heav’n is my home.
3 Therefore I murmur not,
Heav’n is my home;
Whate’er my earthly lot,
Heav’n is my home;
And I shall surely stand
There at my Lord’s right hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
Text: Thomas R. Taylor, 1807–35
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for TODAY at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). As one poem puts it: “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 21, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Psalm [spoken] Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 23:1–6
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 23.
1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 2:11–22
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 2.
11Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading Mark 6:30–44
L A reading from St. Mark’s Gospel, the sixth chapter.
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Being Satisfied with His Gifts” Mark 6:30-44
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
545 “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
Living rain from heav’n descending;
Touch our hearts and bring to birth
Faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere You;
Word made flesh, we long to hear You.
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav’n to die,
Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,
Speak to us, Your love outpouring.
3 Word that caused blind eyes to see,
Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;
Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,
Heal the world, by sin now broken.
4 Word that speaks God’s tender love,
One with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above,
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
Prayer of the Church - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11B) - 21 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your compassion shown in Christ Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep and the righteous Son of David. Keep us trusting at all times in Your right hand, in whom true satisfaction is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of Israel, You promise to set caring shepherds over the sheep of Your pasture. Drive away deceitful shepherds who scatter Your flock, and gather Your sheep into Your heavenly kingdom by the hands of pious and faithful men whom You send in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, He provided bread and fish until all had eaten their fill and were satisfied. Give us our daily bread, according to Your will. Help us to use the gifts that You have given us to care for those who are hungry and in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us good government and faithful rulers, while reminding us always that all provision comes from You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your constant care and all we need to support this body and life. Attend to those in need among us [especially _____________]. Free them from dismay and fear by the certainty that Christ is their righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son once set a feast in a desolate place, miraculously multiplying loaves and fish to feed a multitude. Through the miracle of the Holy Supper, He continues to bless and give us a heavenly feast: His very body and blood for our forgiveness. Give us faith as we meet Him at His table, that we may greet Him always as the Lord, our righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, that You have made us fellow citizens with the saints in light. Keep us in the true faith for as long as You preserve us in this world, that we would hopefully and eagerly await the day when we stand in Your presence with them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 748 “I’m But a Stranger Here”
1 I’m but a stranger here,
Heav’n is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heav’n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on ev’ry hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
2 What though the tempest rage,
Heav’n is my home;
Short is my pilgrimage,
Heav’n is my home;
And time’s wild wintry blast
Soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
Heav’n is my home.
3 Therefore I murmur not,
Heav’n is my home;
Whate’er my earthly lot,
Heav’n is my home;
And I shall surely stand
There at my Lord’s right hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
Text: Thomas R. Taylor, 1807–35
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. A Women’s Study is at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay.
WE THANK EVERYONE who was able to come to our one-day Vacation Bible School event yesterday. Thank you one and all!
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for next Sunday, July 21st at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you! Could you imagine later one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 14, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 580, “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Amos 7:7-15
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 1:3-14
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:14-29
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 743, “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”
SERMON “Hearing but Still Rejecting the Word” Mark 6:14-29
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10B) - 14 July 2024
Preserve Your Church, O Lord, for Your name’s sake. Answer us in Your righteousness and in Your faithfulness. Since You have sent us forth in this world to testify to Your Word, let us find conviction and confidence in our confession that salvation is found in the forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, we commend to You all ministers of Your Word. Make them zealous and faithful, that through their service Your kingdom would grow. Turn the hearts of all who hear from the love of sin to the love of You. Remember in mercy our Synod’s president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Grant them wisdom in their work and joy in their calling. Send laborers into Your harvest. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve Your blessed estate of marriage, O Lord. Let chastity be prized among Your Christians and honored also in the world. Bind husband and wife together in love and forgiveness. Equip them by Your Spirit with every good gift to care for and teach the children You give. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You, O Lord, are King over all the earth. You bring ruin on wicked nations and their rulers and are no respecter of persons. Spare our nation and its leaders, O Lord. Let the conduct of our civil servants and of our people be wise, just and honorable in accord with Your revealed will. For the sake of Christ, be merciful to those who oppose You and remember that You desire all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Emboldened by our adoption through Jesus Christ, O Father, we bring before You every need of body and soul. Lavish the riches of Your grace on _____________. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have blessed us, O Father, in Your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood: the forgiveness of our trespasses. As You have sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit for an eternal inheritance in Him, bring us now in repentance and faith to receive His Sacrament and be strengthened to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Author of life, as the disciples of John laid his body in a tomb in expectation of the resurrection of the dead, so lead us to respect the bodies of the saints in life and death, at all times confessing by word and deed our confidence in the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, join these, our prayers and praises, with those of Your faithful people in every time and in every place. Unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest until He comes again on the Last Day. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION
Hymn-- no. 633, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 585, “Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. A Women’s Study is at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay.
WE THANK EVERYONE who was able to come to our one-day Vacation Bible School event yesterday. Thank you one and all!
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for next Sunday, July 21st at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you! Could you imagine later one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 14, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 580, “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Amos 7:7-15
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 1:3-14
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:14-29
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 743, “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”
SERMON “Hearing but Still Rejecting the Word” Mark 6:14-29
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10B) - 14 July 2024
Preserve Your Church, O Lord, for Your name’s sake. Answer us in Your righteousness and in Your faithfulness. Since You have sent us forth in this world to testify to Your Word, let us find conviction and confidence in our confession that salvation is found in the forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, we commend to You all ministers of Your Word. Make them zealous and faithful, that through their service Your kingdom would grow. Turn the hearts of all who hear from the love of sin to the love of You. Remember in mercy our Synod’s president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Grant them wisdom in their work and joy in their calling. Send laborers into Your harvest. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve Your blessed estate of marriage, O Lord. Let chastity be prized among Your Christians and honored also in the world. Bind husband and wife together in love and forgiveness. Equip them by Your Spirit with every good gift to care for and teach the children You give. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You, O Lord, are King over all the earth. You bring ruin on wicked nations and their rulers and are no respecter of persons. Spare our nation and its leaders, O Lord. Let the conduct of our civil servants and of our people be wise, just and honorable in accord with Your revealed will. For the sake of Christ, be merciful to those who oppose You and remember that You desire all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Emboldened by our adoption through Jesus Christ, O Father, we bring before You every need of body and soul. Lavish the riches of Your grace on _____________. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have blessed us, O Father, in Your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood: the forgiveness of our trespasses. As You have sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit for an eternal inheritance in Him, bring us now in repentance and faith to receive His Sacrament and be strengthened to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Author of life, as the disciples of John laid his body in a tomb in expectation of the resurrection of the dead, so lead us to respect the bodies of the saints in life and death, at all times confessing by word and deed our confidence in the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, join these, our prayers and praises, with those of Your faithful people in every time and in every place. Unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest until He comes again on the Last Day. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION
Hymn-- no. 633, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 585, “Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 7, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organists Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 7, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 966 “Before You, Lord, We Bow”
1 Before You, Lord, we bow,
Our God who reigns above
And rules the world below,
Boundless in pow’r and love.
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To You, our King!
2 The nation You have blest
May well Your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest,
Protected by Your care.
For this bright day,
For this fair land--
Gifts of Your hand--
Our thanks we pay.
3 May ev’ry mountain height,
Each vale and forest green,
Shine in Your Word’s pure light,
And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev’ry tongue
Be tuned to praise
And join to raise
A grateful song.
4 Earth, hear your Maker’s voice;
Your great Redeemer own;
Believe, obey, rejoice,
And worship Him alone.
Cast down your pride,
Your sin deplore,
And bow before
The Crucified.
5 And when in pow’r He comes,
Oh, may our native land
From all its rending tombs
Send forth a glorious band,
A countless throng,
With joy to sing
To heav’n’s high King
Salvation’s song!
Text: Francis Scott Key, 1779–1843, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalms 34:8; 132:13–16
P Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessèd is the man who takes refuge in him! For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with sal- vation, and her saints will shout for joy.”
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 2:1–5
1 He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 123
1To you I lift | up my eyes,*
O you who are enthroned in the | heavens!
2Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her | mistress,*
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy up- | on us.
3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy up- | on us,*
for we have had more than enough | of contempt.
4Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who | are at ease,*
of the contempt | of the proud.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 12:1–10
1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 6:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1[Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
7And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Taking Offense” Mark 6:1-13
Taking Offense – Mark 6:1-13
One of the things that makes any language difficult is that it is possible for a single word to have a wide variety of meanings. This is most certainly true of the English word “love.” I love pizza. I love a gentle breeze on a spring day. I love my family. I love my wife. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I used the word love properly in each sentence and yet the word meant something different in each sentence. A quick check in a typical dictionary will yield almost two dozen entries under the word love.
Many people in our culture seem to think that love means letting others do whatever they want to do. Others think that love is all about keeping people happy … building up their self-esteem … telling them what they want to hear … and so forth.
The love of a parent for a child demonstrates that most of these ideas about love are wrong. Consider the toddler who sees an open flame for the first time. It could be a burning candle … a campfire … a fireplace … or whatever. The flame is bright and shiny. It almost seems alive. Ordinarily, a toddler’s curiosity is a good thing, but not this time. The toddler reaches out to touch the flame. The loving parent intervenes and says, “No! Hot! Ow!” The toddler is not happy. The toddler, who loves to say the word no, hates it when others say it to him. The loving parent has deeply offended the toddler. The toddler is unhappy. Nevertheless, this is love.
The lover wants what is best for his belovéd. The lover wants what is best even if it means that the belovéd will hate him. How many times has a parent lovingly said “no” only to hear the angry shout, “I hate you!?” The example of the parent’s love shows that it is possible to tell someone that he is wrong and still love him. Sometimes, love offends. Sometimes, love is divisive.
The Gospel we just heard told us that Jesus encountered this kind of offense in His hometown of Nazareth. In the perfect love that only God has for us, Jesus proclaimed the truth that the people of Nazareth needed to hear. The people responded to Jesus’ perfect loving words with offense. The parallel record of this event in the other Gospel accounts tell us that the people were ready to throw Jesus over a nearby cliff because they were so offended.
This offense was nothing new. Down through the centuries, the prophets foreshadowed this rejection. The reading we just heard from the Old Testament tells us that God wanted to give His words through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel. God gave words of warning that Israel needed to hear, but He also warned Ezekiel that the people were rebellious. He described them as impudent and stubborn. Even after their stubborn rebellion handed Jerusalem over to Nebuchadnezzar, they still would not listen. Even after they found themselves in exile in Babylon, they still took offense at the words God gave to His prophet.
Jesus will always offend the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature. This offense has expressed itself in many ways down through the centuries. Torture, death, and other blatant forms of persecution have expressed this offense all the way from the Coliseum in Rome to the beheadings of ISIS in our modern day.
As bad as these are, the worst expression of offense happens when the forces of evil infiltrate the earthly institutions of the church. Then the world can point to events like the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and so forth, and say, “See! Those self-righteous jerks in the church are the greatest source of trouble in the world!” It is then that they fulfill the words of Jesus when He said, “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” (John 16:2)
For several centuries, we in the United States have not had to suffer such blatant, aggressive offense. Today we celebrate the signing of a document that incudes these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The very first amendment to the constitution of the United States begins with these words: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The institutional church in the United States has gotten used to these freedoms. The institutional church has grown complacent. Slowly, over the generations, she has forgotten that while she lives in this world, she is not of this world. Because the culture has not taken any outward offense at her, she has gotten used to the idea that the culture, more or less, agrees with her teachings. She has gotten used to the idea that her values … for the most part … are more or less the same as the values of the culture around her. She dropped her guard. The culture has taken advantage of this lapse to infiltrate the church.
As the culture infiltrated the institutional church in the United States, the institutional church has forgotten that there are times to be offensive. Jesus offended the culture in Nazareth, and His bride, the Church, will also offend the culture of this world. Sadly, here in the United States and the other parts of the western culture, we have largely forgotten this. In fact, some people even talk as though it is a sin to be offensive to the world. In fact, the institutional church in the United States often goes out of its way to offend God Almighty rather than offend the culture around us.
On Mount Sinai, God told His people, “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13) Jesus unpacked that commandment in the Sermon on the Mount when He taught, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21–22) Nevertheless, when our culture decided to kill children in the womb, many who call themselves Christian, decided to offend God rather than offend the culture. Instead of loving the culture enough to call it to repentance, they were silent. They forgot the love of the parent who must sometimes do what is best for the child even though it means the child hates him.
On Mount Sinai, God told His people, “You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14) Jesus expanded on that in the Sermon on the Mount when He taught, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28) Nevertheless, when our children co-habitate and begin to raise families without the benefit of marriage, we decide to offend God rather than offend our children. Instead of loving our children enough to call them to repentance, we allow them to continue in their sin. We have forgotten the love of the parent who must sometimes do what is best for the child even though it means the child hates him.
When Jesus was debating the nature of marriage with the Pharisees, He said, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4–6) Jesus went on to say, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:8–9) Nevertheless, many who call themselves Christian claim that Jesus had nothing to say about marriage. Instead of calling the culture to repentance, they went along to get along. We have forgotten that true love does what is best for others even if it means hatred from them.
Because we in the United States have had a peaceful coexistence with western culture for so long, we have forgotten the words of Jesus when He said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:18–20) We have forgotten that the world hates those who belong to Christ.
A preacher by the name of Adrian Rogers once said, “It is better to be divided by truth, than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than to speak a lie that will comfort and then kill. It is better to be hated for telling the truth, than to be loved for telling a lie. It is better to stand alone with the truth, than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately die with the truth, than to live with a lie.”
In our complaisance we have not followed Christ’s example to endure offense for the truth. What then shall we do?
The first step is what it always is. We all have sins that separate us from God. While different sins have different consequences here on this earth, every sin condemns us in the eyes of God. It is time to repent and look to our Lord Jesus Christ hanging on the cross for all our sins. It is on that cross that Jesus took away the offense of our sins and made us holy in God’s eyes.
The earthly reason for that cross was the offense that the culture took at His teachings. The religious leaders were so offended at Jesus that they arranged His death. They used all their influence to force the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, to condemn Jesus to crucifixion. Jesus hung on the cross because He was an offense to the religious leaders of that day.
While He hung on the cross He not only endured the offense of man, but He also endured the righteous offense that God has against every one of our sins. He endured the holy wrath of God for all the offense we have accumulated in our sin against God and each other. That includes our acts of cowardice for not being ready to endure the offense of the world for proclaiming the love of God.
Right now it seems as though Christ’s teachings on the family are the most offensive teachings to the world, but there is one teaching that the world hates even more. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) The world hates it that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They find this teaching offensive.
Nevertheless, Jesus is the only Son of God who took on human flesh in order to keep God’s law perfectly in our place. He is the only one who can or wants to give us that righteousness in exchange for our sin. He is the only one who made the exchange of His righteousness for our sin on the cross. He is the first one to rise from the dead with a human body that is as eternal as His divine essence. He is the only one who has promised to raise us in the same way on the Last Day.
Even though the message of Jesus offends the world, it is a message of the purist love. Like the parent who disciplines his child in love even if means that the child hates him, so also Jesus has a message for the world: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Amen
Stand
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9B) - 7 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We bless You, Lord, for You have heard the voice of our pleas for mercy and sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, our strength and shield. Save Your people and bless Your heritage forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Send laborers into Your harvest, Lord. Preserve Your ministers among us devoted to Your Word and to prayer. Give many servants to Your Church, that neither the preaching nor the care of Your people may fall into neglect or disregard. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You have revealed Your righteousness in the sight of the nations: Christ Jesus, Your holy arm. By His death and resurrection, You have worked salvation. Strengthen the song of Your Church. Give skill to musicians, poets and artists. Give boldness to Your congregation in this and every place to sing the eternally new song of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, soften the hearts of Your people in every home. Turn parents and children toward each other in love and patience. Banish the spirit of impudence, stubbornness and rebellion from all. Sanctify us in Your truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, protect and defend our nation from its enemies. Support our leaders, and preserve them from temptation. Through the work of all civil authorities, enable us to live a quiet and peaceable life according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, in our weakness we are strong for the sake of Christ, whose grace is sufficient for every need. Give comfort to those whose pain is chronic, whose suffering is unknown, who wrestle with difficult thorns in body or mind, or who are tempted to despair. [Intercede also on behalf of _____________.] In weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities, let us boast in Christ and His cross, by which we and our sufferings are sanctified. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bountiful God, out of Your abundant blessing You satisfy us with Christ, the bread of life. Give repentance and faith to all who commune this day, that finding refuge in Your Son’s true body and blood, we may taste and see that You are good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Sit
Offering
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
628 “Your Table I Approach”
1 Your table I approach;
Dear Savior, hear my prayer.
Let not an unrepentant heart
Prove hurtful to me there.
2 Lord, I confess my sins
And mourn their wretched bands;
A contrite heart is sure to find
Forgiveness at Your hands.
3 Your body and Your blood,
Once slain and shed for me,
Are taken at Your table, Lord,
In blest reality.
4 Search not how this takes place,
This wondrous mystery;
God can accomplish vastly more
Than what we think could be.
5 O grant, most blessèd Lord,
That earth and hell combined
May not about this sacrament
Raise doubt within my mind.
6 Oh, may I never fail
To thank You day and night
For Your true body and true blood,
O God, my peace and light.
Text: Gerhard Wolter Molanus, 1633–1722; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 718 “Jesus, Lead Thou On”
1 Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless.
Guide us by Thy hand
To our fatherland.
2 If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fears o’ertake us;
Let not faith and hope forsake us;
For through many_a woe
To our home we go.
3 When we seek relief
From a long-felt grief,
When temptations come alluring,
Make us patient and enduring.
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more.
4 Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won.
Heav’nly leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our fatherland.
Text: Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, 1700–60; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK The Rev. Jay Weideman, husband of Anna (nee Poganski) for being our guest preacher today. Rev. Weideman serves a dual parish ministry in NE Iowa (Peace-Oelwein and Our Redeemer-Independence).
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Guest Preacher The Rev. Jay Weideman
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organists Karen Broach and Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 524, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: O God, because You have prepared for those who love You
such good things as surpass our understanding, pour into our
hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all
things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Lamentations 3:22-33
22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29let him put his mouth in the dust--
there may yet be hope;
30let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve the children of men.
EPISTLE LESSON 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15
1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, 4begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. . . .
13I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 5:21-43
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 809, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
SERMON “Great Is God’s Faithfulness” Lamentations 3:22-33
[This sermon is by a guest preacher, The Rev. Jay Weideman of Oelwein and Independence, IA]
Grace Mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What is your favorite book of the Bible? I highly doubt any of you would say that your favorite book of the Bible is Lamentations. In Lamentations, Jeremiah tells us of the horrific things that he saw with his own eyes in the year 587 BC. He saw Jerusalem burning; he saw the Temple of Solomon destroyed, and he saw most of the people of the Kingdom of Judah being led to Babylon as captives.
These things happened because the people disobeyed God. They worshiped false idols instead of the Triune God. They listened to false prophets who corrupted the Word by teaching false doctrine. These false prophets preached based on public opinion; they didn't want to say anything too controversial; they just told people that God loved them no matter what they did and accepted them just as they were and would always bless them. So many preachers do the same today. And many people eat it up and listen to them.
God had clearly warned His people about what would happen if they fell away from the faith and were unfaithful to His covenant with them. We can read these warnings in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. God told the people of Israel that they would be punished, that He would get angry at them for their disobedience. He said that they would be defeated by enemies, oppressed, and crushed continually. But He also said that if they would repent of their disobedience, then He would relent of sending His judgment upon them; they would be forgiven instead. He sent them prophets, like Jeremiah, to call them to repentance and faith.
But the people of Judah didn’t listen. The people of Judah didn’t repent. They had itching ears and so listened to the words of false prophets instead of listening to the words of God’s prophets. They loved the word of man that made them feel good about themselves and hated the Word of God because the Word of God is clear, and it clearly showed them that they were in the wrong, needed to repent and needed God’s forgiveness. And let this, too, be a lesson for us. We must hold fast to the Word of God. When we come to church we should want to hear God’s Word in all its truth and purity. We shouldn’t come here to hear what we want to hear. We shouldn’t come here to feel good about ourselves, certainly not to feel good about our sinful ways. God’s Word doesn’t make us comfortable with ourselves. God’s Word confronts us with the reality of our sin. But yes, it also provides comfort by speaking of the love of God shown to us in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Well, returning to Lamentations, we know that because the people didn’t listen to God’s Word, the Lord did what He threatened to do. We read in chapter 2 of Lamentations that God was filled with anger; he cut down all the might of Israel, became like an enemy, scorned His altar, disowned His sanctuary, and delivered the people up into the hands of the enemy, the Babylonians. The knowledge and sorrow over sin and the sight of its consequences is what leads Jeremiah to cry out, to lament, to be filled with tears, and his pain is evident when reading the book. But he doesn't blame God for what is happening. Jeremiah says in chapter 1 that the LORD is in the right. God was not in the wrong, His people were. God wasn’t being unreasonable; the people of Judah were being wicked. God wasn’t unfaithful; the people were. Sin is evil, not God; He is holy and just. And so, He punishes wrongdoing; He gets angry at sin, sin has consequences. When we read Lamentations, this becomes clear to us. We should read Lamentations and know that God’s anger against sin is real. And yes, this should lead us to repent of our own sin.
But God’s wrath against sin is not the only message we take from Lamentations. In the midst of his sorrow and lamenting, Jeremiah reminds his readers and us today in the verses we read from chapter 3 of something else about our God. Like a ray of light bursting through darkness, Jeremiah tells us that the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. What a startling thing to say. All Jeremiah sees with his eyes is destruction and devastation and yet Jeremiah knows who His God is. God is just, this is true, and that is why He acts justly and punishes wickedness. But God is love, and His love never ceases and it is abundant. Because God is love, God does not desire to punish, nor does He take pleasure in punishing. He longs to have mercy. God promises that His mercy never ends and is new every morning. God is faithful to do everything that He says He’ll do. Jeremiah has seen that God is faithful to His threat to punish sin, and yet what He writes here is that He knows that God is also faithful to His promises to show undeserved kindness and ultimately have mercy. God is faithful to never cast away those whom He has chosen, He is faithful to always forgive and He forgives for Christ’s sake who endured the fullness of God’s wrath and was punished on account of our sin in our place on the cross in order that He could declare us free from these sins by rising again from the dead.
How can Jeremiah write about God's love and mercy and faithfulness in the midst of this suffering, in the midst of his personal anguish? Because God’s Word says who God is. Jeremiah knows that the LORD is my portion; therefore I hope in him. Hope is not based on what we see, or what we feel, or what we experience. Hope is based on what God’s Word says about God and what He has done for us. Hope is built on the Gospel and the promise of a Savior. Hope is built on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the basis of Jeremiah’s hope, and it is the basis of our hope. And it’s because of this, it is because of what God has done for us and promised to us in Christ Jesus that we can endure everything that we may have to in this life with true and certain hope. This is what God promises to us.
Our hope is in a present promise that looks to the future for its fulfillment. So we must wait. That’s what we’re doing right now. Waiting is a part of the Christian life. Jeremiah continues and writes The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. And so, we are here. We are waiting. We are waiting for the fullness of our salvation to be revealed to us. To be sure, salvation has fully been accomplished for us, and we are truly and completely saved already right now, that's what God has promised to us in Christ, but not everything that our salvation entails has come to pass for us. But it will, just not yet, so we wait. We wait to finally be rid of the old sinful flesh that clings to us like a disease. We wait for our souls entrance into heaven. We wait for the glorious resurrection in which our mortal and perishable bodies become imperishable and take on immortality. We wait. And the wait is worth it because we are waiting for something better. It’s good for us to wait. God makes us grow while we are waiting. There is a great deal of truth in that old saying, “good things come to those who wait.”
But we know what waiting looks like in this life. It looks like suffering. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, says Acts 14:22. Jesus says in John 16 that while the world rejoices, you will weep and lament. What so often causes us consternation is that God permits these hardships to happen to us, He causes grief and affliction as our text says. How can we make sense of this? How can we still trust in God knowing this? Though we must admit that the will of God is mysterious, and though not everything bad that happens to us is a direct punishment for something wrong we’ve done, we must know that the root of everything wrong is sin. But let us never forget that despite our still far too frequent unfaithfulness to God, that He is always faithful to us. He sees us through everything, and everything means everything. God is always faithful to us. That’s all you need to know no matter what you're going through. God does not cast us off forever, no matter what it may seem like. Jesus promises that our sorrow will turn to joy when we see Him again, a joy no one can take from us. We wait to see Jesus. We wait for the life to come, though eternal life is already ours now by faith.
As we wait, as we wait for the fullness of our salvation, as we wait through all the difficulties of life and as we suffer patiently as is commendable, we do so knowing that God is faithful to us and that He is faithful to us in His Son who has saved us and has given us forgiveness, life and salvation. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. Great is Thy faithfulness! All that I have needed Thy hand hath provided! Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Great is the faithfulness of our God, indeed.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
760, “What God Ordains Is Always Good”
637, “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 782, “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS, POST-SERVICE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK The Rev. Jay Weideman, husband of Anna (nee Poganski) for being our guest preacher today. Rev. Weideman serves a dual parish ministry in NE Iowa (Peace-Oelwein and Our Redeemer-Independence).
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Guest Preacher The Rev. Jay Weideman
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organists Karen Broach and Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 524, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: O God, because You have prepared for those who love You
such good things as surpass our understanding, pour into our
hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all
things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Lamentations 3:22-33
22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29let him put his mouth in the dust--
there may yet be hope;
30let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve the children of men.
EPISTLE LESSON 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15
1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, 4begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. . . .
13I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 5:21-43
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 809, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
SERMON “Great Is God’s Faithfulness” Lamentations 3:22-33
[This sermon is by a guest preacher, The Rev. Jay Weideman of Oelwein and Independence, IA]
Grace Mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What is your favorite book of the Bible? I highly doubt any of you would say that your favorite book of the Bible is Lamentations. In Lamentations, Jeremiah tells us of the horrific things that he saw with his own eyes in the year 587 BC. He saw Jerusalem burning; he saw the Temple of Solomon destroyed, and he saw most of the people of the Kingdom of Judah being led to Babylon as captives.
These things happened because the people disobeyed God. They worshiped false idols instead of the Triune God. They listened to false prophets who corrupted the Word by teaching false doctrine. These false prophets preached based on public opinion; they didn't want to say anything too controversial; they just told people that God loved them no matter what they did and accepted them just as they were and would always bless them. So many preachers do the same today. And many people eat it up and listen to them.
God had clearly warned His people about what would happen if they fell away from the faith and were unfaithful to His covenant with them. We can read these warnings in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. God told the people of Israel that they would be punished, that He would get angry at them for their disobedience. He said that they would be defeated by enemies, oppressed, and crushed continually. But He also said that if they would repent of their disobedience, then He would relent of sending His judgment upon them; they would be forgiven instead. He sent them prophets, like Jeremiah, to call them to repentance and faith.
But the people of Judah didn’t listen. The people of Judah didn’t repent. They had itching ears and so listened to the words of false prophets instead of listening to the words of God’s prophets. They loved the word of man that made them feel good about themselves and hated the Word of God because the Word of God is clear, and it clearly showed them that they were in the wrong, needed to repent and needed God’s forgiveness. And let this, too, be a lesson for us. We must hold fast to the Word of God. When we come to church we should want to hear God’s Word in all its truth and purity. We shouldn’t come here to hear what we want to hear. We shouldn’t come here to feel good about ourselves, certainly not to feel good about our sinful ways. God’s Word doesn’t make us comfortable with ourselves. God’s Word confronts us with the reality of our sin. But yes, it also provides comfort by speaking of the love of God shown to us in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Well, returning to Lamentations, we know that because the people didn’t listen to God’s Word, the Lord did what He threatened to do. We read in chapter 2 of Lamentations that God was filled with anger; he cut down all the might of Israel, became like an enemy, scorned His altar, disowned His sanctuary, and delivered the people up into the hands of the enemy, the Babylonians. The knowledge and sorrow over sin and the sight of its consequences is what leads Jeremiah to cry out, to lament, to be filled with tears, and his pain is evident when reading the book. But he doesn't blame God for what is happening. Jeremiah says in chapter 1 that the LORD is in the right. God was not in the wrong, His people were. God wasn’t being unreasonable; the people of Judah were being wicked. God wasn’t unfaithful; the people were. Sin is evil, not God; He is holy and just. And so, He punishes wrongdoing; He gets angry at sin, sin has consequences. When we read Lamentations, this becomes clear to us. We should read Lamentations and know that God’s anger against sin is real. And yes, this should lead us to repent of our own sin.
But God’s wrath against sin is not the only message we take from Lamentations. In the midst of his sorrow and lamenting, Jeremiah reminds his readers and us today in the verses we read from chapter 3 of something else about our God. Like a ray of light bursting through darkness, Jeremiah tells us that the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. What a startling thing to say. All Jeremiah sees with his eyes is destruction and devastation and yet Jeremiah knows who His God is. God is just, this is true, and that is why He acts justly and punishes wickedness. But God is love, and His love never ceases and it is abundant. Because God is love, God does not desire to punish, nor does He take pleasure in punishing. He longs to have mercy. God promises that His mercy never ends and is new every morning. God is faithful to do everything that He says He’ll do. Jeremiah has seen that God is faithful to His threat to punish sin, and yet what He writes here is that He knows that God is also faithful to His promises to show undeserved kindness and ultimately have mercy. God is faithful to never cast away those whom He has chosen, He is faithful to always forgive and He forgives for Christ’s sake who endured the fullness of God’s wrath and was punished on account of our sin in our place on the cross in order that He could declare us free from these sins by rising again from the dead.
How can Jeremiah write about God's love and mercy and faithfulness in the midst of this suffering, in the midst of his personal anguish? Because God’s Word says who God is. Jeremiah knows that the LORD is my portion; therefore I hope in him. Hope is not based on what we see, or what we feel, or what we experience. Hope is based on what God’s Word says about God and what He has done for us. Hope is built on the Gospel and the promise of a Savior. Hope is built on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the basis of Jeremiah’s hope, and it is the basis of our hope. And it’s because of this, it is because of what God has done for us and promised to us in Christ Jesus that we can endure everything that we may have to in this life with true and certain hope. This is what God promises to us.
Our hope is in a present promise that looks to the future for its fulfillment. So we must wait. That’s what we’re doing right now. Waiting is a part of the Christian life. Jeremiah continues and writes The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. And so, we are here. We are waiting. We are waiting for the fullness of our salvation to be revealed to us. To be sure, salvation has fully been accomplished for us, and we are truly and completely saved already right now, that's what God has promised to us in Christ, but not everything that our salvation entails has come to pass for us. But it will, just not yet, so we wait. We wait to finally be rid of the old sinful flesh that clings to us like a disease. We wait for our souls entrance into heaven. We wait for the glorious resurrection in which our mortal and perishable bodies become imperishable and take on immortality. We wait. And the wait is worth it because we are waiting for something better. It’s good for us to wait. God makes us grow while we are waiting. There is a great deal of truth in that old saying, “good things come to those who wait.”
But we know what waiting looks like in this life. It looks like suffering. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, says Acts 14:22. Jesus says in John 16 that while the world rejoices, you will weep and lament. What so often causes us consternation is that God permits these hardships to happen to us, He causes grief and affliction as our text says. How can we make sense of this? How can we still trust in God knowing this? Though we must admit that the will of God is mysterious, and though not everything bad that happens to us is a direct punishment for something wrong we’ve done, we must know that the root of everything wrong is sin. But let us never forget that despite our still far too frequent unfaithfulness to God, that He is always faithful to us. He sees us through everything, and everything means everything. God is always faithful to us. That’s all you need to know no matter what you're going through. God does not cast us off forever, no matter what it may seem like. Jesus promises that our sorrow will turn to joy when we see Him again, a joy no one can take from us. We wait to see Jesus. We wait for the life to come, though eternal life is already ours now by faith.
As we wait, as we wait for the fullness of our salvation, as we wait through all the difficulties of life and as we suffer patiently as is commendable, we do so knowing that God is faithful to us and that He is faithful to us in His Son who has saved us and has given us forgiveness, life and salvation. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. Great is Thy faithfulness! All that I have needed Thy hand hath provided! Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Great is the faithfulness of our God, indeed.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
760, “What God Ordains Is Always Good”
637, “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 782, “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS, POST-SERVICE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – June 23, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or an Escort, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
June 23, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 715 “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
1 Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treach’rous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee.
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
2 As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boist’rous waves obey Thy will
When Thou say’st to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sov’reign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
3 When at last I near the shore
And the fearful breakers roar
Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
Text: Edward Hopper, 1818–88
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 107:28–32
P Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the chil- dren of men! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, in Your mercy guide the course of this world so that Your Church may joyfully serve You in godly peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Job 38:1–11
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 124
1If it had not been the Lord who was on | our side—*
let Israel | now say--
2if it had not been the Lord who was | on our side*
when people rose up a- | gainst us,
3then they would have swallowed us | up alive,*
when their anger was kindled a- | gainst us;
4then the flood would have swept | us away,*
the torrent would have gone | over us;
5then over us | would have gone*
the raging | waters.
6Blessèd | be the Lord,*
who has not given us
as prey | to their teeth!
7We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the | fowlers;*
the snare is broken,
and we | have escaped!
8Our help is in the name | of the Lord,*
who made | heaven and earth.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 6:1–13
1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 4:35–41
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fourth chapter.
35On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 752 “Be Still, My Soul”
1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3 Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in this vale of tears;
Then you will better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Text: Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1697–1752; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Peace! Be Still!” Mark 4:35-41
Peace! Be Still! – Mark 4:35-41
The incident recorded for us in the Gospel we just heard is not just a nice story about Miracle Worker Jesus saving His followers from a watery grave. It is also full of teachings concerning the nature of Jesus as the Christ and the nature of the sinners in the boat with Him.
The context leading up to the events in today’s Gospel include a very full day of teaching for Jesus. We heard two of the parables He taught in last week’s Gospel. It’s been a long day. Jesus is tired. As is often the case after a busy time of ministry, Jesus decided to get away with His disciples for some much needed rest and relaxation. In this case, He elected to take a cruise to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles across from west to east at its widest point. Ordinarily, the crossing should only take a few hours, but on this crossing, a storm came up. Even though several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were still frightened. This indicates that the storm was fairly powerful.
Where was Jesus during this storm? He was asleep in the stern of the boat. He was exhausted from His long day and fell into a sleep so sound that even the storm did not wake Him.
The fact that Jesus was asleep is an important demonstration of the nature of the Christ. Other than His actual death on the cross, there is no better demonstration of the humanity of Jesus than the sleep of exhaustion. Every human being on the planet knows what it is to grow tired and fall asleep. Here Jesus demonstrates His unity with all people. He sleeps like any other human being.
But then the disciples wake Him and ask for His help. We should not assume that the disciples were expecting much from Jesus. After all, he was brought up as a carpenter, not as a sailor. It is more likely that they were thinking in terms of another set of hands to help bail the water out of the boat or some other similar activity. It may even be that they just wanted Him to move away from the stern so that they had better access to the rudder. In any case, they woke Him and asked for help, but they did not expect what happened next.
Jesus woke up and had a word with the elements. The word “rebuke” in the text means that Jesus scolded the wind and the water rather harshly. After that, the wind and the water became calm. “Peace! Be still!”
Now, you and I could scold the weather until we were blue in the face and nothing would change. In fact, if we continued in that sort of activity, people might wonder if they should call the authorities to take us somewhere to get a mental checkup. Jesus, on the other hand, scolded the weather and the weather paid attention. “Peace! Be still!” It paid attention because Jesus is not just your ordinary, sleepy human being. He is also the God of all creation. Jesus’ ability to control the wind and the waves with just a word clearly shows that He is God. So it is that this one event very clearly demonstrates that Jesus is both 100 % man and 100 % God in one person.
The disciples, on the other hand, were terrified. The original Greek says that they feared a “great” fear. They were in a boat with someone who could talk to the wind and the waves and the wind and the waves would pay attention to what He said. They began to question who their master and teacher really was.
This is one of the themes in Jesus’ life. People often ask who Jesus is. Today, we heard that the wind and the waves know who Jesus is. In other parts of the Gospel account, we learn that diseases, birth defects, and injuries know who Jesus is. Even the demons know who Jesus is. But, when it comes to the human beings, Jesus is a great mystery. They regularly ask, “Who is this? Where does He get this authority?” This reminds me of the words that the Holy Spirit spoke through His prophet Isaiah. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (Isaiah 1:3)
The terror of God traces its way clear back to Eden. God called and Adam replied, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid.” (Genesis 3:10) Adam had sinned and the presence of the holy and almighty God terrified him. It is the same for all people who see their sin clearly in the holy presence of Almighty God. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
That is the reason it so important that Jesus be both man and God. If Jesus were only God, He could not take our place under the law and live a holy life for us. He also could not suffer the penalty we have earned for our sin. If Jesus were a man, and nothing more, then His perfect life and sacrificial death would earn the salvation of one and only one person. The rest of the world would be lost. It is essential for our salvation that Jesus be both God and man.
We need the salvation that Jesus provides because the storm on the Sea of Galilee is just one instance of the many disasters that the sin of humanity has brought into this world. The destruction that storms bring is an expression of the curse that came when sin entered the world. Our sin not only brings sickness and death to us, but even the world is cursed. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write to the Romans: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22) Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightening, earthquakes, and all the other natural disasters are the result of the curse that our sin brought into the world.
These natural disasters are not the only storms that our sin has brought into the world. There are other storms in our lives as well. There are the medical storms of infections, heart disease, diabetes, strokes, cancer, viruses and so forth. There are the relational storms of broken families and friendships. There are the financial storms of plant closings and layoffs. Ultimately, there is the storm of death that comes to all of us sooner or later. We may try to deny the existence of sin in our lives, but these storms, both private and public, say otherwise.
It is in the incarnation of Jesus Christ – the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature – that we see God’s loving plan to deal with sin. In Jesus Christ, God assumed human nature to save humans from their nature – their sinful nature. For our own sin doomed us to perish – not just from this earth, but also from the blessings of God’s presence with us. “But the blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Christ’s human nature allowed Him to be the target of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. Christ’s Divine nature allowed Him to endure that wrath for all people in all times and places. So it is that God took on human flesh and saved us from our sins.
We have complete confidence in that salvation that Jesus earned for us because death was unable to hold Him. For Christ did not remain in the grave, but, after He conquered death, He rose from death never to die again. After He rose, He showed Himself to His disciples. He encouraged them to examine the marks of the cross in His body. He talked with them and ate with them. He interacted with them in very human ways. At the same time, locked doors and windows were no barrier to Him as He appeared and disappeared at will. In His resurrection, He demonstrated that He lives forever as both God and man in one person.
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. With that combination, we find our full salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In His humanity, He was able to suffer on the cross in our place and for our good. In His deity, He was able to defeat our foes and rise from the dead to give us eternal life. It is in the person of Jesus Christ who both slept and stilled the storm that we have our faith and the promise of eternal life. “Peace! Be still!” The Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7B) - 23 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We thank You, Lord, for Your steadfast love and Your wondrous works to the children of men. You hold power over wind and wave, sin and death. Deliver us from every trouble and distress, and bring us at last to our eternal haven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, You have ushered in the favorable time and day of salvation through the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Support all Your ministers, and remove all obstacles from hearing and believing the Word they preach. Let Your grace be proclaimed through every hardship, struggle and suffering, and encourage us by the example of many saints to consider ourselves rich and alive despite every opposition, for since we have Christ, we possess everything. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, open wide the hearts of Christians to one another, especially within the home and between neighbors. Let love be genuine, speech truthful and patience constant. Let us commend ourselves in everything as those known by God’s love and, therefore, unashamed to serve one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You rule this world by Your power. Give to our civil servants respect and recognition of Your creation and its nature. When they use the authority given them from above, let it be in accord with Your good design for our world and not the corruption of sin, which they are to rebuke for the good of their citizens. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Lord, You command wind and wave. Out of Your mercy, spare us from disaster. Give success to crops; send suitable rain for the earth; give protection to those endangered by storms on land, sea or air; and give us faith both to call to You in trouble and to trust that You will work everything for our good for the sake of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, You see that we are perishing, yet You bid us to set our fears aside and trust in You for the sake of Christ, by whose blood we have received peace for our troubled consciences. Do not reject our prayers for their faithlessness, but teach us to trust in You fully. Give Your protection and peace to those in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, we join with the sons of God and shout for joy as Christ Jesus gives to us His true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Let us not doubt but firmly believe Your Word, that You who formed our world and its matter know well how to be present for us and our forgiveness in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord, followed by
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
739 “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”
1 Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
2 When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call;
Hold my hand lest I fall.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
3 When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is almost gone,
At the river I stand;
Guide my feet, hold my hand,
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
Text: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899–1993
Text: © 1938 (renewed) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., admin. Alfred Music. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 722 “Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me”
1 Lord, take my hand and lead me
Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me
From day to day.
Without Your grace and favor
I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior,
And lead the way.
2 Lord, when the tempest rages,
I need not fear,
For You, the Rock of Ages,
Are always near.
Close by Your side abiding,
I fear no foe,
For when Your hand is guiding,
In peace I go.
3 Lord, when the shadows lengthen
And night has come,
I know that You will strengthen
My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me,
O blessèd Friend;
So take my hand and lead me
Unto the end.
Text: Julie von Hausmann, 1825–1901; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – June 23, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or an Escort, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
June 23, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 715 “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
1 Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treach’rous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee.
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
2 As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boist’rous waves obey Thy will
When Thou say’st to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sov’reign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
3 When at last I near the shore
And the fearful breakers roar
Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
Text: Edward Hopper, 1818–88
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 107:28–32
P Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the chil- dren of men! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, in Your mercy guide the course of this world so that Your Church may joyfully serve You in godly peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Job 38:1–11
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 124
1If it had not been the Lord who was on | our side—*
let Israel | now say--
2if it had not been the Lord who was | on our side*
when people rose up a- | gainst us,
3then they would have swallowed us | up alive,*
when their anger was kindled a- | gainst us;
4then the flood would have swept | us away,*
the torrent would have gone | over us;
5then over us | would have gone*
the raging | waters.
6Blessèd | be the Lord,*
who has not given us
as prey | to their teeth!
7We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the | fowlers;*
the snare is broken,
and we | have escaped!
8Our help is in the name | of the Lord,*
who made | heaven and earth.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 6:1–13
1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 4:35–41
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fourth chapter.
35On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 752 “Be Still, My Soul”
1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3 Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in this vale of tears;
Then you will better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Text: Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1697–1752; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Peace! Be Still!” Mark 4:35-41
Peace! Be Still! – Mark 4:35-41
The incident recorded for us in the Gospel we just heard is not just a nice story about Miracle Worker Jesus saving His followers from a watery grave. It is also full of teachings concerning the nature of Jesus as the Christ and the nature of the sinners in the boat with Him.
The context leading up to the events in today’s Gospel include a very full day of teaching for Jesus. We heard two of the parables He taught in last week’s Gospel. It’s been a long day. Jesus is tired. As is often the case after a busy time of ministry, Jesus decided to get away with His disciples for some much needed rest and relaxation. In this case, He elected to take a cruise to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles across from west to east at its widest point. Ordinarily, the crossing should only take a few hours, but on this crossing, a storm came up. Even though several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were still frightened. This indicates that the storm was fairly powerful.
Where was Jesus during this storm? He was asleep in the stern of the boat. He was exhausted from His long day and fell into a sleep so sound that even the storm did not wake Him.
The fact that Jesus was asleep is an important demonstration of the nature of the Christ. Other than His actual death on the cross, there is no better demonstration of the humanity of Jesus than the sleep of exhaustion. Every human being on the planet knows what it is to grow tired and fall asleep. Here Jesus demonstrates His unity with all people. He sleeps like any other human being.
But then the disciples wake Him and ask for His help. We should not assume that the disciples were expecting much from Jesus. After all, he was brought up as a carpenter, not as a sailor. It is more likely that they were thinking in terms of another set of hands to help bail the water out of the boat or some other similar activity. It may even be that they just wanted Him to move away from the stern so that they had better access to the rudder. In any case, they woke Him and asked for help, but they did not expect what happened next.
Jesus woke up and had a word with the elements. The word “rebuke” in the text means that Jesus scolded the wind and the water rather harshly. After that, the wind and the water became calm. “Peace! Be still!”
Now, you and I could scold the weather until we were blue in the face and nothing would change. In fact, if we continued in that sort of activity, people might wonder if they should call the authorities to take us somewhere to get a mental checkup. Jesus, on the other hand, scolded the weather and the weather paid attention. “Peace! Be still!” It paid attention because Jesus is not just your ordinary, sleepy human being. He is also the God of all creation. Jesus’ ability to control the wind and the waves with just a word clearly shows that He is God. So it is that this one event very clearly demonstrates that Jesus is both 100 % man and 100 % God in one person.
The disciples, on the other hand, were terrified. The original Greek says that they feared a “great” fear. They were in a boat with someone who could talk to the wind and the waves and the wind and the waves would pay attention to what He said. They began to question who their master and teacher really was.
This is one of the themes in Jesus’ life. People often ask who Jesus is. Today, we heard that the wind and the waves know who Jesus is. In other parts of the Gospel account, we learn that diseases, birth defects, and injuries know who Jesus is. Even the demons know who Jesus is. But, when it comes to the human beings, Jesus is a great mystery. They regularly ask, “Who is this? Where does He get this authority?” This reminds me of the words that the Holy Spirit spoke through His prophet Isaiah. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (Isaiah 1:3)
The terror of God traces its way clear back to Eden. God called and Adam replied, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid.” (Genesis 3:10) Adam had sinned and the presence of the holy and almighty God terrified him. It is the same for all people who see their sin clearly in the holy presence of Almighty God. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
That is the reason it so important that Jesus be both man and God. If Jesus were only God, He could not take our place under the law and live a holy life for us. He also could not suffer the penalty we have earned for our sin. If Jesus were a man, and nothing more, then His perfect life and sacrificial death would earn the salvation of one and only one person. The rest of the world would be lost. It is essential for our salvation that Jesus be both God and man.
We need the salvation that Jesus provides because the storm on the Sea of Galilee is just one instance of the many disasters that the sin of humanity has brought into this world. The destruction that storms bring is an expression of the curse that came when sin entered the world. Our sin not only brings sickness and death to us, but even the world is cursed. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write to the Romans: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22) Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightening, earthquakes, and all the other natural disasters are the result of the curse that our sin brought into the world.
These natural disasters are not the only storms that our sin has brought into the world. There are other storms in our lives as well. There are the medical storms of infections, heart disease, diabetes, strokes, cancer, viruses and so forth. There are the relational storms of broken families and friendships. There are the financial storms of plant closings and layoffs. Ultimately, there is the storm of death that comes to all of us sooner or later. We may try to deny the existence of sin in our lives, but these storms, both private and public, say otherwise.
It is in the incarnation of Jesus Christ – the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature – that we see God’s loving plan to deal with sin. In Jesus Christ, God assumed human nature to save humans from their nature – their sinful nature. For our own sin doomed us to perish – not just from this earth, but also from the blessings of God’s presence with us. “But the blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Christ’s human nature allowed Him to be the target of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. Christ’s Divine nature allowed Him to endure that wrath for all people in all times and places. So it is that God took on human flesh and saved us from our sins.
We have complete confidence in that salvation that Jesus earned for us because death was unable to hold Him. For Christ did not remain in the grave, but, after He conquered death, He rose from death never to die again. After He rose, He showed Himself to His disciples. He encouraged them to examine the marks of the cross in His body. He talked with them and ate with them. He interacted with them in very human ways. At the same time, locked doors and windows were no barrier to Him as He appeared and disappeared at will. In His resurrection, He demonstrated that He lives forever as both God and man in one person.
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. With that combination, we find our full salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In His humanity, He was able to suffer on the cross in our place and for our good. In His deity, He was able to defeat our foes and rise from the dead to give us eternal life. It is in the person of Jesus Christ who both slept and stilled the storm that we have our faith and the promise of eternal life. “Peace! Be still!” The Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7B) - 23 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We thank You, Lord, for Your steadfast love and Your wondrous works to the children of men. You hold power over wind and wave, sin and death. Deliver us from every trouble and distress, and bring us at last to our eternal haven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, You have ushered in the favorable time and day of salvation through the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Support all Your ministers, and remove all obstacles from hearing and believing the Word they preach. Let Your grace be proclaimed through every hardship, struggle and suffering, and encourage us by the example of many saints to consider ourselves rich and alive despite every opposition, for since we have Christ, we possess everything. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, open wide the hearts of Christians to one another, especially within the home and between neighbors. Let love be genuine, speech truthful and patience constant. Let us commend ourselves in everything as those known by God’s love and, therefore, unashamed to serve one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You rule this world by Your power. Give to our civil servants respect and recognition of Your creation and its nature. When they use the authority given them from above, let it be in accord with Your good design for our world and not the corruption of sin, which they are to rebuke for the good of their citizens. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Lord, You command wind and wave. Out of Your mercy, spare us from disaster. Give success to crops; send suitable rain for the earth; give protection to those endangered by storms on land, sea or air; and give us faith both to call to You in trouble and to trust that You will work everything for our good for the sake of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, You see that we are perishing, yet You bid us to set our fears aside and trust in You for the sake of Christ, by whose blood we have received peace for our troubled consciences. Do not reject our prayers for their faithlessness, but teach us to trust in You fully. Give Your protection and peace to those in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, we join with the sons of God and shout for joy as Christ Jesus gives to us His true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Let us not doubt but firmly believe Your Word, that You who formed our world and its matter know well how to be present for us and our forgiveness in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord, followed by
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
739 “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”
1 Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
2 When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call;
Hold my hand lest I fall.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
3 When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is almost gone,
At the river I stand;
Guide my feet, hold my hand,
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
Text: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899–1993
Text: © 1938 (renewed) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., admin. Alfred Music. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 722 “Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me”
1 Lord, take my hand and lead me
Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me
From day to day.
Without Your grace and favor
I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior,
And lead the way.
2 Lord, when the tempest rages,
I need not fear,
For You, the Rock of Ages,
Are always near.
Close by Your side abiding,
I fear no foe,
For when Your hand is guiding,
In peace I go.
3 Lord, when the shadows lengthen
And night has come,
I know that You will strengthen
My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me,
O blessèd Friend;
So take my hand and lead me
Unto the end.
Text: Julie von Hausmann, 1825–1901; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 16, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE IS A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. ALSO, THERE IS A Women’s Bible Study at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay Coffee Shop on High Street.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 16, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 17:22–24
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 17.
22Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 2 Corinthians 5:1–10
L A reading from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5.
1We know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Please stand if able
Reading Mark 4:26–34
L A reading from Mark, chapter 4.
26[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken] LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 892 “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
1 Come, ye thankful people, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
All be safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
2 All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
3 For the Lord, our God, shall come
And shall take His harvest home,
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.
4 Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide:
Come with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
Text: Henry Alford, 1810–71, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Seeds Sprout and Grow” Mark 4:26-34
Seeds Sprout and Grow – Mark 4:26-34
This morning, we heard Jesus tell two parables. Both parables use seed and growth to illustrate a point. The central point of the first parable is that the farmer does not know how seed grows. The central point of the second parable is that something very small grows to become very large.
There is something in the first parable that even we as an agricultural community don’t think about too often. We know that farmers work hard to bring a crop to market. But what about the work that the plants do? What about germination or the complex biochemical processes that use the energy from the sun to draw water and nutrients from the soil and other nutrients from the air to grow? Pollen moves from tassels to silks and other complex biochemical processes use the genetic information to produce grain. How much work does it take to begin with a seed buried in the ground, germinate, grow a stalk that is more than seven feet tall, and produce an ear that is full of grain? The farmer puts in a lot of work to provide the conditions that encourage his plants to grow and produce a good crop, but it is the plants themselves that do the growing.
Current biological science understands a lot about the various processes that take place as a plant makes its way from seed to maturity. We can modify the genetic code to increase yield, produce resistance to pests, and so forth. That was not the case back when Jesus told the parable that we just heard. Farmers knew enough to plant, water, fertilize, and keep the weeds down, but the biology behind plant growth was a mystery to them.
Jesus used the mystery of growing crops to illustrate one of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.” (Mark 4:26) The seed represents the proclamation of the Gospel. It could be you reading a Bible story to a child or grandchild or confessing Christ to friends and neighbors. It could be a missionary in a foreign land. It could be the pastor proclaiming God’s word from the pulpit. God has many ways to scatter seed on the ground … to put His Word into the hearts of people.
The next sentence contains the main illustration. Jesus went on to say, “[The man] sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27) Just as crop growth was a mystery to the people back then, so the work of God’s Word is a mystery as well. It is as Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel that we had a few weeks ago: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) [The Holy Spirit] works faith, when and where it pleases God. (AC: I, art. v, par. 2) These words have great comfort for us … especially when it comes to confessing our faith to our neighbor.
Have you ever felt guilty because you don’t confess your faith to your neighbor as effectively as you wish? Every so often some famous evangelist will give an interview, and, during that interview, he will tell the story of the flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. During that flight, the evangelist always manages to sit next to someone who is dealing with some sort of crisis. This other passenger is always some sort of flaming liberal pagan. Well, the evangelist does his thing and while the two of them are waiting for their luggage, the other passenger draws the evangelist aside, drops to his knees, and begs him to tell him where he can learn more about Jesus. Then the interview proceeds to make all the listeners feel guilty because that sort of thing never happens to them.
The Old Adam is devious. If he can convince us that we are responsible for making Christians, then he can load us up with guilt and fear. He accuses, “See, you confessed your faith, and nothing happened. You must be doing it wrong. You should stop confessing your faith until you can get it right.” In this way, the Old Adam produces guilt and fear within. In this way, the Old Adam prevents us from telling our neighbor about Jesus.
The first parable that we heard today illustrates the words that Jesus gave to Nicodemus. It is the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Just as the farmer was not responsible for the growth process of the crops … indeed, he did not even know how the growth process works, so also, you are not responsible for making Christians … you do not even know how that works. It is the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith in the believer.
The best example of this is the criminals who were crucified with Jesus. “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” (Luke 23:32–33) These two criminals experienced the greatest proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus hung between these two men as He paid for the sins of the world. These two men experienced the Gospel with every fiber of their being. All five senses … seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling … they were all at work bringing the Gospel to these two men. In the end, the Holy Spirit worked faith in one of the criminals. [The criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) The other criminal rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate expression of the Gospel and one of the men said no.
So, we tell people about our sin. We tell people that Jesus removed that sin with His death on the cross. We tell people that Jesus rose from the dead for us. We tell people that Jesus ascended to heaven to prepare eternal paradise for us. We tell people that Jesus promised eternal paradise to us. Then we tell them that Jesus has done all this for them too. We follow the example of the Apostles who said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will work faith immediately. Other times the Holy Spirit will take His time. The Holy Spirit has His own timetable. Sometimes the person will reject the Holy Spirit and never believe. We do not take the credit if people believe. We receive no blame if they don’t.
Jesus gives us the comforting assurance that responsibility for the kingdom’s growth does not rest on our shoulders. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to supervise the scattering of the seed that is the Word of God. Perhaps He will give you the privilege of scattering the Word of God by confessing your faith to your family … your friends … your associates. Perhaps He will work in some other way to scatter the Word of God. The point is that the Holy Spirit will see to the scattering of the Word of God, and He will attend to the growth. The growth will not come as the product of our efforts and ingenuity. The Lord of the harvest is in control. There’s no need to worry.
Instead Jesus calls us to trust the promise of the scattered seed which is the Word of God. We need the seed of the Word of God to continue to grow its roots deep into our hearts. This is the source of the faith that receives the gifts of God as the Apostle Paul writes, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) He also writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16) Jesus Himself said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) It is this seed that that the Holy Spirit uses to maintain our faith in our savior Jesus Christ who died to save us and rose to give us eternal life.
Just as we trust the Word of God for salvation in us, we also trust it for salvation in others. Just as Jesus told Nicodemus and illustrated in today’s parable, the Holy Spirit works faith, when and where it pleases God. He works faith in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.
The Old Adam wants to shift the responsibility for salvation back to us and burden us with guilt for not attaining that salvation. This applies not only to our own salvation, but also the salvation of others. Either way, the Old Adam wants to take us into the pit of despair.
Jesus teaches that salvation is never our responsibility in the whole or in any part. It is not our responsibility to save ourselves or to save others. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit as Martin Luther explains in the Small Catechism:
“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.” Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6B) - 16 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Most High, we give thanks to You that You have planted Your Holy Word among us. Give healthy growth to Your Church, that she may weather the storm-winds of this world steadfast in Christ, ever bearing the fruits of love and singing praises to Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Your Holy Spirit plants Your Word and causes it to sprout and grow as it pleases You. Bless the preaching and teaching of Your Word, that Your kingdom may be extended, and give us thankful hearts to marvel at Your work. Send faithful laborers into Your fields to scatter Your seed here and abroad, that in due time a harvest may be reaped for Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, the great I AM, what You have spoken You will surely do. We implore You for the sake of Christ and Your many precious promises to bless and defend our homes, to make the efforts of parents fruitful in the teaching of their children, and to preserve them in the saving faith of Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we are bold to ask for all things because You have given us Your Spirit as a guarantee. Hear us as we intercede in Jesus’ name for those in every need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all mercy, through the abundance of Your steadfast love You gather us into Your house and to Your Supper. Give all who commune this day a holy fear of Your wrath and faith in Your promises, that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, we groan under many burdens in this earthly tent and long to be clothed with Your eternal life, which will swallow up all mortal sorrow. Give good courage to Your servants [especially those who mourn the death of _____________] to walk by faith and not sight, to mourn our dead in the hope of the resurrection, and to make it our aim to please You while here in the body, until at last we are at home with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give You thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families faithfully. Make them examples to their children of godly life and love of Your Word. Bless their work of bringing up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord, and give them the comfort of Your absolution over all their shortcomings. Gather us together with all our fathers to Your eternal household; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
586 “Preach You the Word”
1 Preach you the Word and plant it home
To men who like or like it not,
The Word that shall endure and stand
When flow’rs and men shall be forgot.
2 We know how hard, O Lord, the task
Your servant bade us undertake:
To preach Your Word and never ask
What prideful profit it may make.
3 The sower sows; his reckless love
Scatters abroad the goodly seed,
Intent alone that all may have
The wholesome loaves that all men need.
4 Though some be snatched and some be scorched
And some be choked and matted flat,
The sower sows; his heart cries out,
“Oh, what of that, and what of that?”
5 Of all his scattered plenteousness
One-fourth waves ripe on hill and flat,
And bears a harvest hundredfold:
“Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!”
6 Preach you the Word and plant it home
And never faint; the Harvest Lord
Who gave the sower seed to sow
Will watch and tend His planted Word.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76, alt.
Text: © 1971 The Franzmann Family. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 16, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE IS A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. ALSO, THERE IS A Women’s Bible Study at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay Coffee Shop on High Street.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 16, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 17:22–24
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 17.
22Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 2 Corinthians 5:1–10
L A reading from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5.
1We know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Please stand if able
Reading Mark 4:26–34
L A reading from Mark, chapter 4.
26[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken] LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 892 “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
1 Come, ye thankful people, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
All be safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
2 All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
3 For the Lord, our God, shall come
And shall take His harvest home,
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.
4 Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide:
Come with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
Text: Henry Alford, 1810–71, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Seeds Sprout and Grow” Mark 4:26-34
Seeds Sprout and Grow – Mark 4:26-34
This morning, we heard Jesus tell two parables. Both parables use seed and growth to illustrate a point. The central point of the first parable is that the farmer does not know how seed grows. The central point of the second parable is that something very small grows to become very large.
There is something in the first parable that even we as an agricultural community don’t think about too often. We know that farmers work hard to bring a crop to market. But what about the work that the plants do? What about germination or the complex biochemical processes that use the energy from the sun to draw water and nutrients from the soil and other nutrients from the air to grow? Pollen moves from tassels to silks and other complex biochemical processes use the genetic information to produce grain. How much work does it take to begin with a seed buried in the ground, germinate, grow a stalk that is more than seven feet tall, and produce an ear that is full of grain? The farmer puts in a lot of work to provide the conditions that encourage his plants to grow and produce a good crop, but it is the plants themselves that do the growing.
Current biological science understands a lot about the various processes that take place as a plant makes its way from seed to maturity. We can modify the genetic code to increase yield, produce resistance to pests, and so forth. That was not the case back when Jesus told the parable that we just heard. Farmers knew enough to plant, water, fertilize, and keep the weeds down, but the biology behind plant growth was a mystery to them.
Jesus used the mystery of growing crops to illustrate one of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.” (Mark 4:26) The seed represents the proclamation of the Gospel. It could be you reading a Bible story to a child or grandchild or confessing Christ to friends and neighbors. It could be a missionary in a foreign land. It could be the pastor proclaiming God’s word from the pulpit. God has many ways to scatter seed on the ground … to put His Word into the hearts of people.
The next sentence contains the main illustration. Jesus went on to say, “[The man] sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27) Just as crop growth was a mystery to the people back then, so the work of God’s Word is a mystery as well. It is as Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel that we had a few weeks ago: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) [The Holy Spirit] works faith, when and where it pleases God. (AC: I, art. v, par. 2) These words have great comfort for us … especially when it comes to confessing our faith to our neighbor.
Have you ever felt guilty because you don’t confess your faith to your neighbor as effectively as you wish? Every so often some famous evangelist will give an interview, and, during that interview, he will tell the story of the flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. During that flight, the evangelist always manages to sit next to someone who is dealing with some sort of crisis. This other passenger is always some sort of flaming liberal pagan. Well, the evangelist does his thing and while the two of them are waiting for their luggage, the other passenger draws the evangelist aside, drops to his knees, and begs him to tell him where he can learn more about Jesus. Then the interview proceeds to make all the listeners feel guilty because that sort of thing never happens to them.
The Old Adam is devious. If he can convince us that we are responsible for making Christians, then he can load us up with guilt and fear. He accuses, “See, you confessed your faith, and nothing happened. You must be doing it wrong. You should stop confessing your faith until you can get it right.” In this way, the Old Adam produces guilt and fear within. In this way, the Old Adam prevents us from telling our neighbor about Jesus.
The first parable that we heard today illustrates the words that Jesus gave to Nicodemus. It is the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Just as the farmer was not responsible for the growth process of the crops … indeed, he did not even know how the growth process works, so also, you are not responsible for making Christians … you do not even know how that works. It is the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith in the believer.
The best example of this is the criminals who were crucified with Jesus. “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” (Luke 23:32–33) These two criminals experienced the greatest proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus hung between these two men as He paid for the sins of the world. These two men experienced the Gospel with every fiber of their being. All five senses … seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling … they were all at work bringing the Gospel to these two men. In the end, the Holy Spirit worked faith in one of the criminals. [The criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) The other criminal rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate expression of the Gospel and one of the men said no.
So, we tell people about our sin. We tell people that Jesus removed that sin with His death on the cross. We tell people that Jesus rose from the dead for us. We tell people that Jesus ascended to heaven to prepare eternal paradise for us. We tell people that Jesus promised eternal paradise to us. Then we tell them that Jesus has done all this for them too. We follow the example of the Apostles who said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will work faith immediately. Other times the Holy Spirit will take His time. The Holy Spirit has His own timetable. Sometimes the person will reject the Holy Spirit and never believe. We do not take the credit if people believe. We receive no blame if they don’t.
Jesus gives us the comforting assurance that responsibility for the kingdom’s growth does not rest on our shoulders. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to supervise the scattering of the seed that is the Word of God. Perhaps He will give you the privilege of scattering the Word of God by confessing your faith to your family … your friends … your associates. Perhaps He will work in some other way to scatter the Word of God. The point is that the Holy Spirit will see to the scattering of the Word of God, and He will attend to the growth. The growth will not come as the product of our efforts and ingenuity. The Lord of the harvest is in control. There’s no need to worry.
Instead Jesus calls us to trust the promise of the scattered seed which is the Word of God. We need the seed of the Word of God to continue to grow its roots deep into our hearts. This is the source of the faith that receives the gifts of God as the Apostle Paul writes, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) He also writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16) Jesus Himself said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) It is this seed that that the Holy Spirit uses to maintain our faith in our savior Jesus Christ who died to save us and rose to give us eternal life.
Just as we trust the Word of God for salvation in us, we also trust it for salvation in others. Just as Jesus told Nicodemus and illustrated in today’s parable, the Holy Spirit works faith, when and where it pleases God. He works faith in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.
The Old Adam wants to shift the responsibility for salvation back to us and burden us with guilt for not attaining that salvation. This applies not only to our own salvation, but also the salvation of others. Either way, the Old Adam wants to take us into the pit of despair.
Jesus teaches that salvation is never our responsibility in the whole or in any part. It is not our responsibility to save ourselves or to save others. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit as Martin Luther explains in the Small Catechism:
“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.” Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6B) - 16 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Most High, we give thanks to You that You have planted Your Holy Word among us. Give healthy growth to Your Church, that she may weather the storm-winds of this world steadfast in Christ, ever bearing the fruits of love and singing praises to Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Your Holy Spirit plants Your Word and causes it to sprout and grow as it pleases You. Bless the preaching and teaching of Your Word, that Your kingdom may be extended, and give us thankful hearts to marvel at Your work. Send faithful laborers into Your fields to scatter Your seed here and abroad, that in due time a harvest may be reaped for Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, the great I AM, what You have spoken You will surely do. We implore You for the sake of Christ and Your many precious promises to bless and defend our homes, to make the efforts of parents fruitful in the teaching of their children, and to preserve them in the saving faith of Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we are bold to ask for all things because You have given us Your Spirit as a guarantee. Hear us as we intercede in Jesus’ name for those in every need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all mercy, through the abundance of Your steadfast love You gather us into Your house and to Your Supper. Give all who commune this day a holy fear of Your wrath and faith in Your promises, that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, we groan under many burdens in this earthly tent and long to be clothed with Your eternal life, which will swallow up all mortal sorrow. Give good courage to Your servants [especially those who mourn the death of _____________] to walk by faith and not sight, to mourn our dead in the hope of the resurrection, and to make it our aim to please You while here in the body, until at last we are at home with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give You thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families faithfully. Make them examples to their children of godly life and love of Your Word. Bless their work of bringing up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord, and give them the comfort of Your absolution over all their shortcomings. Gather us together with all our fathers to Your eternal household; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
586 “Preach You the Word”
1 Preach you the Word and plant it home
To men who like or like it not,
The Word that shall endure and stand
When flow’rs and men shall be forgot.
2 We know how hard, O Lord, the task
Your servant bade us undertake:
To preach Your Word and never ask
What prideful profit it may make.
3 The sower sows; his reckless love
Scatters abroad the goodly seed,
Intent alone that all may have
The wholesome loaves that all men need.
4 Though some be snatched and some be scorched
And some be choked and matted flat,
The sower sows; his heart cries out,
“Oh, what of that, and what of that?”
5 Of all his scattered plenteousness
One-fourth waves ripe on hill and flat,
And bears a harvest hundredfold:
“Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!”
6 Preach you the Word and plant it home
And never faint; the Harvest Lord
Who gave the sower seed to sow
Will watch and tend His planted Word.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76, alt.
Text: © 1971 The Franzmann Family. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 2, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Ted Smith
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman, Randy
Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 2, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 904 “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word”
1 Blessèd Jesus, at Your Word
We are gathered all to hear You.
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear You,
By Your teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love You solely.
2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Your Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
You alone to God can win us;
You must work all good within us.
3 Gracious Savior, good and kind,
Light of Light, from God proceeding,
Open now our heart and mind;
Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Your Church now raises;
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
D 4 Father, Son, and Spirit, Lord,
Praise to You and adoration!
Grant that we may trust Your Word,
Confident of our salvation,
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing Your praises yonder.
Text (sts. 1–3): Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619–84; (sts. 1–3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 4): Geistreiches Gesang-Büchlein, 1707, Berlin; (st. 4): tr. unknown, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 62:1, 5–8
P For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my sal- vation. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Eternal God, Your Son Jesus Christ is our true Sabbath rest. Help us to keep each day holy by receiving His Word of comfort that we may find our rest in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 5:12–15
12“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 81:1–10
1Sing aloud to | God our strength;*
shout for joy to the God of | Jacob!
2Raise a song; sound the | tambourine,*
the sweet lyre | with the harp.
3Blow the trumpet at the | new moon,*
at the full moon, on our | feast day.
4For it is a statute for | Israel,*
a just decree of the God of | Jacob.
5He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of | Egypt.*
I hear a language I | had not known:
6“I relieved your shoulder of the | burden;*
your hands were freed from the | basket.
7In distress you called, and I de- | livered you;*
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of | Meribah.
8Hear, O my people, while I ad- | monish you!*
O Israel, if you would but lis- | ten to me!
9There shall be no strange god a- | mong you;*
you shall not bow down to a | foreign god.
10I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of | Egypt.*
Open your mouth wide, and I will | fill it.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 4:5–12
5What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 2:23-28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
23One Sabbath [Jesus] was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Sabbath Was Made for You” Mark 2:23-28
The Sabbath was Made for You - Mark 2:23-28
During 40 plus years of teaching confirmation instruction, I always stressed that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit. I repeatedly asked the confirmands how doing something in keeping with a commandment would be good for us and how doing the opposite would not be good for us.
Many people view the Ten Commandments with the attitude popular on some bumper stickers: "God said it! I believe it. That settles it!" Some of these people might have been upset with me for asking the confirmands why we should do what a given rule said, or why not do what another had forbidden. They would never think of asking God, "Why?" If they did, they would expect the same answer many of us heard from our parents: "Why? Because I told you so!"
A man was once given two pages of quotations titled, "Advice from Mother" after his mother had died. It was amazing how many were familiar from his childhood. Many, if not most, of these time-honored teachings contained both the command and its rationale. Some were in the category once called "old wives' tales." These included: "Don't play with toads ... you'll get warts" and "Don't eat standing up ... you'll get fat legs." On the other hand, many were just good sense: "Don't chew gum in bed ... it'll get in your hair" and "Don't sit too close to the TV ... it's bad for your eyes."
One of the commandments carries its own rationale in the Bible: "Honor your father and mother ... that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." A father and his son were involved in a heated debate. The son wanted to do his chores later. The father thought that "later" often got confused with "never." Mother had listened from the kitchen long enough to sense that her husband's patience had been stretched to the full. Physical punishment was about to ensue. When her son stomped into the kitchen for a drink of water to wet his debating whistle, she said, "I strongly suggest that you 'Honor your father' right now, or you may not 'live long on the earth.'"
When I first start teaching that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit, I find that many have difficulty understanding the concept. I suppose the main reason is that we are very familiar with people making laws to govern our behavior for their benefit. When people put up "No Trespassing" signs, I get the message that they do not want me to vandalize, litter or even walk on their property. My absence apparently makes them happy. My presence would annoy and upset them. Even laws that are written for our benefit are often enforced for the benefit of others. A few years ago, in 1995 to be exact, a 55-mph speed limit was imposed by the federal government to help save our own lives and our own gasoline, but the highway patrol enforced it because violators endangered others and shortened everyone's fuel supplies.
Another reason why the concept is difficult to understand is that many rules have double motives. Kids in confirmation classes are old enough to know that they need sleep at night so that they can be awake and alert at school. They also know that parents often enforce bedtime rules for the sake of their own peace and quiet. Children can understand that garbage needs to be taken out in order to prevent odors, breeding bacteria, disease, etc. They also know that Mom wants them to take it out so that she doesn't have to. Almost every aspect of life has rules. In most instances, the person making the rules has something to gain by their being followed. Even when it isn't true, people still suspect that it is. For instance, employees often feel that "safety" rules in a factory are only enforced to keep the employer's insurance costs down.
God has nothing to gain by our keeping the Ten Commandments. That is a very plain and simple fact that should be obvious to anyone who has an adequate concept of God. Every commandment is clearly, unquestionably, and totally for our benefit--not God's. Yet, just as employees often resent safety rules, so people often resent the Ten Commandments. It is as though God, for His own reasons, wants to control, limit and inhibit us. God has nothing to do with such feelings. They are the result of sin--our own unbelief and distrust of Him.
It is only when we see God in the light of the Gospel that we can understand His purposes in the Law. Standing by itself, the Law only accuses us, and reveals our inadequacy. When we get to know God in the totally self-giving love of our crucified, buried and risen Savior, the Law becomes a light for our feet--helping us to avoid danger, pain, and futile living. It is Jesus Himself who clearly reveals God's purpose in the Law.
In Sunday's Gospel lesson, Jesus' disciples are accused of breaking one of the Commandments. They were walking through a grain field on a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. As they walked, they began plucking some heads of grain. Like little children snitching on the kids in another class, the Pharisees told Jesus about His "bad" disciples. In practical fact, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus as much or more than His friends.
Early in Mark's Gospel, it is almost as though the Pharisees are testing Jesus' Holiness Quotient, and He is failing miserably. He spends time and even eats meals with sinners and outcasts. He prefers feasting to fasting. He has the nerve to go around forgiving people's sins. He heals people on the Sabbath. And now He even allows His disciples to work (or is it eat) on the Sabbath.
Jesus referred His accusers to their own Scriptures and a story about David. Their great hero of the past, and some of his friends, once ate the sacred bread of the Presence in the Temple because they were hungry. Jewish law restricted the eating of this bread to the priests. Then Jesus gave them one of His great one-liners: "The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath."
Aside from the fact that the Pharisees had taken one commandment—"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”--and had turned it into a whole book of regulations, restricting virtually every possible Saturday activity, they had also taken away the purpose of the day. The day was no longer dedicated to God, but to a code book. Rest was changed into restriction, relaxation into religion, worship into duty, praise into performance, renewal into restraint. Instead of being a holy day--dedicated to God, separated from the commonplace--it had become a hollow day, governed by restrictions and void of joy.
Let’s say that you see ads listing property for sale along say, a river or creek. You think you might be interested in that kind of property, especially if the listing said "no improvements." Do you know what that means? It means that no one has "improved" on what God has already done. I am sure that the Pharisees thought they had improved on God's Commandment. They took a beautiful landscape and turned it into a parking lot.
What have we done with it? What are we doing with it? The issue is that God invented the Holy Day for you ... and for me.
It is His intention that on that day we pay particular attention to Him, and all that He has done and is doing for us. He does not need our praise, but we have a need to praise. Otherwise, we recognize nothing in our lives to be greater than ourselves, so our lives and attitudes only get smaller and smaller. Without being renewed by the Spirit, in the joy and love of God, our lives grow shallow, and our faith shrivels like a tulip stem in July.
I used to know a person who worked some Sundays and, on those occasions had to leave worship early, sometimes missing Holy Communion. This person was sanctifying the Holy Day. Most people would consider the same situation to be a perfectly valid excuse to miss worship altogether. If we think that the Sabbath Law is a duty to God, then we say, "I have to work! God will understand." If we know that the Sabbath is for us, then we will be disappointed to have to miss any part of what God has to offer. Remember this Sabbath Day--keep it Holy.
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 4B) - 2 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of all light and power, You shine upon Your creatures and eradicate all darkness that lies within them. Destroy the darkness our sin has caused in our lives. Help us to shine the light of Your grace and truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of glory, You have gathered Your Church and sanctified us in Your truth. Guide and direct our Synod president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Preserve all vacant congregations, send laborers into Your harvest and sustain those whom You have sent. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless the fields and orchards with good weather, that all people may be well supplied and filled with an awareness of Your mercies. Grant that we may show forth grateful and generous hearts within Your Church and in the world around us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have established all authorities on the earth. Bless all public servants, our president and our governor, that they would fulfill their offices with wisdom and compassion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, be the strength and song of those who are afflicted in body or mind, [especially _____________,] as well as all who suffer in our midst. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give repentance and faith to all who receive our Lord’s body and blood today, that in the unity of a true confession, they may receive it for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 208
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
903 “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made”
1 This is the day the Lord has made;
He calls the hours His own.
Let heav’n rejoice, let earth be glad
And praise surround the throne.
2 Today He rose and left the dead,
And Satan’s empire fell;
Today the saints His triumphs spread
And all His wonders tell.
3 Hosanna to the_anointed King,
To David’s holy Son!
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from Your throne.
4 Blessèd is He who comes to us
With messages of grace;
He, in the Lord’s name, comes to us
To save our fallen race.
5 Hosanna in the highest strains
The Church on earth can raise.
The highest heav’ns, in which He reigns,
Shall give Him nobler praise.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 738 “Lord of All Hopefulness”
1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy:
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace:
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Text: Jan Struther, 1901–53
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 2, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Ted Smith
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman, Randy
Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 2, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 904 “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word”
1 Blessèd Jesus, at Your Word
We are gathered all to hear You.
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear You,
By Your teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love You solely.
2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Your Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
You alone to God can win us;
You must work all good within us.
3 Gracious Savior, good and kind,
Light of Light, from God proceeding,
Open now our heart and mind;
Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Your Church now raises;
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
D 4 Father, Son, and Spirit, Lord,
Praise to You and adoration!
Grant that we may trust Your Word,
Confident of our salvation,
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing Your praises yonder.
Text (sts. 1–3): Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619–84; (sts. 1–3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 4): Geistreiches Gesang-Büchlein, 1707, Berlin; (st. 4): tr. unknown, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 62:1, 5–8
P For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my sal- vation. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Eternal God, Your Son Jesus Christ is our true Sabbath rest. Help us to keep each day holy by receiving His Word of comfort that we may find our rest in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 5:12–15
12“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 81:1–10
1Sing aloud to | God our strength;*
shout for joy to the God of | Jacob!
2Raise a song; sound the | tambourine,*
the sweet lyre | with the harp.
3Blow the trumpet at the | new moon,*
at the full moon, on our | feast day.
4For it is a statute for | Israel,*
a just decree of the God of | Jacob.
5He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of | Egypt.*
I hear a language I | had not known:
6“I relieved your shoulder of the | burden;*
your hands were freed from the | basket.
7In distress you called, and I de- | livered you;*
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of | Meribah.
8Hear, O my people, while I ad- | monish you!*
O Israel, if you would but lis- | ten to me!
9There shall be no strange god a- | mong you;*
you shall not bow down to a | foreign god.
10I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of | Egypt.*
Open your mouth wide, and I will | fill it.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 4:5–12
5What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 2:23-28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
23One Sabbath [Jesus] was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Sabbath Was Made for You” Mark 2:23-28
The Sabbath was Made for You - Mark 2:23-28
During 40 plus years of teaching confirmation instruction, I always stressed that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit. I repeatedly asked the confirmands how doing something in keeping with a commandment would be good for us and how doing the opposite would not be good for us.
Many people view the Ten Commandments with the attitude popular on some bumper stickers: "God said it! I believe it. That settles it!" Some of these people might have been upset with me for asking the confirmands why we should do what a given rule said, or why not do what another had forbidden. They would never think of asking God, "Why?" If they did, they would expect the same answer many of us heard from our parents: "Why? Because I told you so!"
A man was once given two pages of quotations titled, "Advice from Mother" after his mother had died. It was amazing how many were familiar from his childhood. Many, if not most, of these time-honored teachings contained both the command and its rationale. Some were in the category once called "old wives' tales." These included: "Don't play with toads ... you'll get warts" and "Don't eat standing up ... you'll get fat legs." On the other hand, many were just good sense: "Don't chew gum in bed ... it'll get in your hair" and "Don't sit too close to the TV ... it's bad for your eyes."
One of the commandments carries its own rationale in the Bible: "Honor your father and mother ... that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." A father and his son were involved in a heated debate. The son wanted to do his chores later. The father thought that "later" often got confused with "never." Mother had listened from the kitchen long enough to sense that her husband's patience had been stretched to the full. Physical punishment was about to ensue. When her son stomped into the kitchen for a drink of water to wet his debating whistle, she said, "I strongly suggest that you 'Honor your father' right now, or you may not 'live long on the earth.'"
When I first start teaching that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit, I find that many have difficulty understanding the concept. I suppose the main reason is that we are very familiar with people making laws to govern our behavior for their benefit. When people put up "No Trespassing" signs, I get the message that they do not want me to vandalize, litter or even walk on their property. My absence apparently makes them happy. My presence would annoy and upset them. Even laws that are written for our benefit are often enforced for the benefit of others. A few years ago, in 1995 to be exact, a 55-mph speed limit was imposed by the federal government to help save our own lives and our own gasoline, but the highway patrol enforced it because violators endangered others and shortened everyone's fuel supplies.
Another reason why the concept is difficult to understand is that many rules have double motives. Kids in confirmation classes are old enough to know that they need sleep at night so that they can be awake and alert at school. They also know that parents often enforce bedtime rules for the sake of their own peace and quiet. Children can understand that garbage needs to be taken out in order to prevent odors, breeding bacteria, disease, etc. They also know that Mom wants them to take it out so that she doesn't have to. Almost every aspect of life has rules. In most instances, the person making the rules has something to gain by their being followed. Even when it isn't true, people still suspect that it is. For instance, employees often feel that "safety" rules in a factory are only enforced to keep the employer's insurance costs down.
God has nothing to gain by our keeping the Ten Commandments. That is a very plain and simple fact that should be obvious to anyone who has an adequate concept of God. Every commandment is clearly, unquestionably, and totally for our benefit--not God's. Yet, just as employees often resent safety rules, so people often resent the Ten Commandments. It is as though God, for His own reasons, wants to control, limit and inhibit us. God has nothing to do with such feelings. They are the result of sin--our own unbelief and distrust of Him.
It is only when we see God in the light of the Gospel that we can understand His purposes in the Law. Standing by itself, the Law only accuses us, and reveals our inadequacy. When we get to know God in the totally self-giving love of our crucified, buried and risen Savior, the Law becomes a light for our feet--helping us to avoid danger, pain, and futile living. It is Jesus Himself who clearly reveals God's purpose in the Law.
In Sunday's Gospel lesson, Jesus' disciples are accused of breaking one of the Commandments. They were walking through a grain field on a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. As they walked, they began plucking some heads of grain. Like little children snitching on the kids in another class, the Pharisees told Jesus about His "bad" disciples. In practical fact, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus as much or more than His friends.
Early in Mark's Gospel, it is almost as though the Pharisees are testing Jesus' Holiness Quotient, and He is failing miserably. He spends time and even eats meals with sinners and outcasts. He prefers feasting to fasting. He has the nerve to go around forgiving people's sins. He heals people on the Sabbath. And now He even allows His disciples to work (or is it eat) on the Sabbath.
Jesus referred His accusers to their own Scriptures and a story about David. Their great hero of the past, and some of his friends, once ate the sacred bread of the Presence in the Temple because they were hungry. Jewish law restricted the eating of this bread to the priests. Then Jesus gave them one of His great one-liners: "The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath."
Aside from the fact that the Pharisees had taken one commandment—"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”--and had turned it into a whole book of regulations, restricting virtually every possible Saturday activity, they had also taken away the purpose of the day. The day was no longer dedicated to God, but to a code book. Rest was changed into restriction, relaxation into religion, worship into duty, praise into performance, renewal into restraint. Instead of being a holy day--dedicated to God, separated from the commonplace--it had become a hollow day, governed by restrictions and void of joy.
Let’s say that you see ads listing property for sale along say, a river or creek. You think you might be interested in that kind of property, especially if the listing said "no improvements." Do you know what that means? It means that no one has "improved" on what God has already done. I am sure that the Pharisees thought they had improved on God's Commandment. They took a beautiful landscape and turned it into a parking lot.
What have we done with it? What are we doing with it? The issue is that God invented the Holy Day for you ... and for me.
It is His intention that on that day we pay particular attention to Him, and all that He has done and is doing for us. He does not need our praise, but we have a need to praise. Otherwise, we recognize nothing in our lives to be greater than ourselves, so our lives and attitudes only get smaller and smaller. Without being renewed by the Spirit, in the joy and love of God, our lives grow shallow, and our faith shrivels like a tulip stem in July.
I used to know a person who worked some Sundays and, on those occasions had to leave worship early, sometimes missing Holy Communion. This person was sanctifying the Holy Day. Most people would consider the same situation to be a perfectly valid excuse to miss worship altogether. If we think that the Sabbath Law is a duty to God, then we say, "I have to work! God will understand." If we know that the Sabbath is for us, then we will be disappointed to have to miss any part of what God has to offer. Remember this Sabbath Day--keep it Holy.
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 4B) - 2 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of all light and power, You shine upon Your creatures and eradicate all darkness that lies within them. Destroy the darkness our sin has caused in our lives. Help us to shine the light of Your grace and truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of glory, You have gathered Your Church and sanctified us in Your truth. Guide and direct our Synod president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Preserve all vacant congregations, send laborers into Your harvest and sustain those whom You have sent. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless the fields and orchards with good weather, that all people may be well supplied and filled with an awareness of Your mercies. Grant that we may show forth grateful and generous hearts within Your Church and in the world around us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have established all authorities on the earth. Bless all public servants, our president and our governor, that they would fulfill their offices with wisdom and compassion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, be the strength and song of those who are afflicted in body or mind, [especially _____________,] as well as all who suffer in our midst. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give repentance and faith to all who receive our Lord’s body and blood today, that in the unity of a true confession, they may receive it for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 208
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
903 “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made”
1 This is the day the Lord has made;
He calls the hours His own.
Let heav’n rejoice, let earth be glad
And praise surround the throne.
2 Today He rose and left the dead,
And Satan’s empire fell;
Today the saints His triumphs spread
And all His wonders tell.
3 Hosanna to the_anointed King,
To David’s holy Son!
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from Your throne.
4 Blessèd is He who comes to us
With messages of grace;
He, in the Lord’s name, comes to us
To save our fallen race.
5 Hosanna in the highest strains
The Church on earth can raise.
The highest heav’ns, in which He reigns,
Shall give Him nobler praise.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 738 “Lord of All Hopefulness”
1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy:
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace:
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Text: Jan Struther, 1901–53
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of the Holy Trinity – May 26, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK the Elders for conducting today’s service in Pastor’s absence. We will celebrate Holy Communion next Sunday.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Jackie Dickey
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
+ + + + +
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF MORNING SERVICE
The Holy Trinity - May 26, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 940, “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
Please stand if able
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 6:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON John 3:1-17
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
Sit
SERMON HYMN no. 507, “Holy, Holy, Holy”
SERMON “Believing in the Trinity” John 3:1-17
Believing in the Trinity – John 3:1-17
This will take some of you back to days of yesteryear, and some of you may know about them just because you like things that are old. I am referring to the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It is difficult to watch their routine, "Who's on First," without giving at least a little chuckle.
Another of their routines calls for Bud to ask Lou, "Hey, have you got two tens for a five?" Bud says it with such conviction that the exchange sounds perfectly fair. Lou readily gives Bud the two tens and accepts the five in return. It isn't until Lou starts walking away that he suddenly realizes that he has been ripped off for fifteen dollars.
Routines like that are all fun and games when everyone is in on the secret and we know it is all just an act. The problem is that deceptions like that happen in real life and can lead to a lot of confusion and harm. One of those deceptions is related to the theme of today's service.
Every so often, someone will ask, "Where did you Christians get the idea for the Trinity? Why you can't even find the word ‘Trinity’ in the Bible." Now people say this with such sincerity and enthusiasm that it is easy for us to get flustered and confused and begin to wonder if the doctrine of the Trinity is just a manmade idea.
Where is the fallacy in their argument? They are making the assumption that something without a name does not exist. They are saying that something is not true simply because we don't have a name for it. Is that valid? Did people go flying off into space until someone came up with the word gravity? Of course not! Gravity has been in effect ever since the second day of creation. Just because we didn't always have a name for gravity doesn't mean it wasn't there.
The same thing is true for the Trinity. While it is true that the Bible does not use the word "Trinity," that does not mean it isn't there.
Let's examine the words of Jesus in today's Gospel for example. This reading is that familiar story of Jesus' conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. One of my brother pastors has suggested that we give Nicodemus the nickname of "Nick at Night" since he came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was honestly curious about Jesus' teachings and wanted to know more and so he came to Jesus after he finished his duties for the day and he could have a little one-on-one time with Jesus.
Now I am absolutely certain that many doctoral theses have been written about the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, but, for today, let's just concentrate on how the idea of the Trinity affected Jesus' words.
First of all, Jesus spoke of being born again. When Nicodemus expressed his confusion over this concept, Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Where would Jesus' answer be without the Holy Spirit? Here He basically says, "Stop thinking of trying to enter the Kingdom of God under your own steam. When a baby is born, it has no "say so" in the matter. The mother brings the baby into the world whether the baby wants to come or not. In a similar way, when a Christian is born into the Kingdom of God it has no "say so" in the matter. The Holy Spirit brings the Christian, kicking and screaming, into the kingdom of God. You don't have to know how it works. The Holy Spirit knows how it works and that is enough." Jesus' explanation makes no sense whatsoever unless the Holy Spirit is real.
Later on in the conversation Jesus answered [Nicodemus], "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Here Jesus tells Nicodemus how the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man who is lifted up just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Then, immediately in the very next sentence Jesus continued, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Here Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God by causing the person to believe in the only Son of God. In one sentence, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man and then in the next sentence He tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes a person to believe in the Son of God. These statements make a lot more sense when the Son of Man and the Son of God are the same person.
Where would this part of Jesus' answer be without the Son to come into the world and, for that matter, a Father to send Him into the world? Thus we see that this whole conversation is totally impossible without a Father to send the Son, a Son who is both God and Man and who will be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness, and a Spirit who gives new birth into the Kingdom of God by producing faith in the Son. We not only learn about these three persons, but we also see the role each of them has in our salvation.
In this short conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus tells us everything that makes Christianity unique among the religions of the world. Only Christianity has a God who is a community of three persons. Only Christianity has a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His only Son to save us.
We learn something else in today's Gospel. We learn about Nicodemus. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Later on in the Gospel of John, we will read, [John 19:38-40] "After [Jesus died] Joseph of Arimathea … asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
Nicodemus was an example of what the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews were supposed to be. He was not corrupt. He was doing his best to lead a God-pleasing life. He was doing his best to lead the Jews according to God's command. Nevertheless, Nicodemus, because of his excellent training as a Pharisee, knew that he had not kept the law as he should. He knew the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had used that knowledge to convict him of his sin. Nicodemus was also a sinner who needed the forgiveness that comes with faith in the Son of God who was lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world.
If this noble and gentle man who actually lived up to the code of conduct of the Pharisees knew that he was still a sinner in need of God's grace, where does that place you - where does that place me? We must stand with Isaiah in today's Old Testament reading and say, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." If a man of such upright character as Nicodemus is a sinner in need of God's grace, then we too can only come before God and beg for mercy.
And we have mercy. The father has sent the Son to save the world. The Son has sacrificed Himself on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for you and for me and has risen from the dead. The Holy Spirit has shown our sin to us and then given us a new birth into God's Kingdom so that we might receive the Son's gift of forgiveness through faith in Him. Each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has done His part to save us from our sins.
As far as the fact that the Bible does not use the terms Triune or Trinity, it is not important that the actual words be in Bible. What is important is that the teaching is there and it is. Genesis begins with God creating, the Spirit hovering, and the WORD through which God created. Revelation [Revelation 14:1] speaks of the 144,000 who had the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father written on their foreheads as well as [Revelation 22:17] the Spirit who along with the bride invites us to drink of the water of life. The books in between are impossible to understand apart from the teaching that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and yet, there are not three Gods but only one God. We don't have to understand it, but we do have to believe it. Amen
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - The Holy Trinity (B) - 26 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of hosts, Your ways are inscrutable and Your judgments unsearchable. Through Your Word, give us an ever-growing understanding of the depths of Your riches, wisdom and knowledge, that we may glorify You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, our Synod president; our district president; our circuit visitor; and our pastor have heard Your voice calling them to be Your servants. Grant to them the Spirit so they can always say, “Here I am! Send me,” to whatever You ask. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You delivered up Your Son according to Your definite plan and foreknowledge to be our Savior. Make our hearts glad in this faith, that our tongues may rejoice and our flesh may dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, You sit enthroned as King forever. Bless [_____________ and] all who rule us in Your stead with wisdom and understanding, that truth and justice may prevail in our land and lawlessness may be kept at bay. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, we thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon this nation. Grant us a long memory to recall those who gave the full measure of devotion to our country’s peace and security. Bring to mind the sacrifices of those who served faithfully until death in the protection of our freedom and in the defense of our land. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in our midst by Your truth, that since You are at their right hand, they cannot be shaken. Gladden their hearts, cause their tongues to rejoice and make their flesh dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, take away our guilt and atone for our sin by touching our unclean lips with Christ’s cleansing body and blood, that we may not be lost but abide in Your holy presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
HYMN no. 947, “Glory Be to God on High”
Stand
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 506, “Glory Be to God the Father”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of the Holy Trinity – May 26, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK the Elders for conducting today’s service in Pastor’s absence. We will celebrate Holy Communion next Sunday.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Jackie Dickey
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
+ + + + +
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF MORNING SERVICE
The Holy Trinity - May 26, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 940, “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
Please stand if able
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 6:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON John 3:1-17
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
Sit
SERMON HYMN no. 507, “Holy, Holy, Holy”
SERMON “Believing in the Trinity” John 3:1-17
Believing in the Trinity – John 3:1-17
This will take some of you back to days of yesteryear, and some of you may know about them just because you like things that are old. I am referring to the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It is difficult to watch their routine, "Who's on First," without giving at least a little chuckle.
Another of their routines calls for Bud to ask Lou, "Hey, have you got two tens for a five?" Bud says it with such conviction that the exchange sounds perfectly fair. Lou readily gives Bud the two tens and accepts the five in return. It isn't until Lou starts walking away that he suddenly realizes that he has been ripped off for fifteen dollars.
Routines like that are all fun and games when everyone is in on the secret and we know it is all just an act. The problem is that deceptions like that happen in real life and can lead to a lot of confusion and harm. One of those deceptions is related to the theme of today's service.
Every so often, someone will ask, "Where did you Christians get the idea for the Trinity? Why you can't even find the word ‘Trinity’ in the Bible." Now people say this with such sincerity and enthusiasm that it is easy for us to get flustered and confused and begin to wonder if the doctrine of the Trinity is just a manmade idea.
Where is the fallacy in their argument? They are making the assumption that something without a name does not exist. They are saying that something is not true simply because we don't have a name for it. Is that valid? Did people go flying off into space until someone came up with the word gravity? Of course not! Gravity has been in effect ever since the second day of creation. Just because we didn't always have a name for gravity doesn't mean it wasn't there.
The same thing is true for the Trinity. While it is true that the Bible does not use the word "Trinity," that does not mean it isn't there.
Let's examine the words of Jesus in today's Gospel for example. This reading is that familiar story of Jesus' conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. One of my brother pastors has suggested that we give Nicodemus the nickname of "Nick at Night" since he came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was honestly curious about Jesus' teachings and wanted to know more and so he came to Jesus after he finished his duties for the day and he could have a little one-on-one time with Jesus.
Now I am absolutely certain that many doctoral theses have been written about the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, but, for today, let's just concentrate on how the idea of the Trinity affected Jesus' words.
First of all, Jesus spoke of being born again. When Nicodemus expressed his confusion over this concept, Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Where would Jesus' answer be without the Holy Spirit? Here He basically says, "Stop thinking of trying to enter the Kingdom of God under your own steam. When a baby is born, it has no "say so" in the matter. The mother brings the baby into the world whether the baby wants to come or not. In a similar way, when a Christian is born into the Kingdom of God it has no "say so" in the matter. The Holy Spirit brings the Christian, kicking and screaming, into the kingdom of God. You don't have to know how it works. The Holy Spirit knows how it works and that is enough." Jesus' explanation makes no sense whatsoever unless the Holy Spirit is real.
Later on in the conversation Jesus answered [Nicodemus], "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Here Jesus tells Nicodemus how the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man who is lifted up just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Then, immediately in the very next sentence Jesus continued, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Here Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God by causing the person to believe in the only Son of God. In one sentence, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man and then in the next sentence He tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes a person to believe in the Son of God. These statements make a lot more sense when the Son of Man and the Son of God are the same person.
Where would this part of Jesus' answer be without the Son to come into the world and, for that matter, a Father to send Him into the world? Thus we see that this whole conversation is totally impossible without a Father to send the Son, a Son who is both God and Man and who will be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness, and a Spirit who gives new birth into the Kingdom of God by producing faith in the Son. We not only learn about these three persons, but we also see the role each of them has in our salvation.
In this short conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus tells us everything that makes Christianity unique among the religions of the world. Only Christianity has a God who is a community of three persons. Only Christianity has a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His only Son to save us.
We learn something else in today's Gospel. We learn about Nicodemus. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Later on in the Gospel of John, we will read, [John 19:38-40] "After [Jesus died] Joseph of Arimathea … asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
Nicodemus was an example of what the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews were supposed to be. He was not corrupt. He was doing his best to lead a God-pleasing life. He was doing his best to lead the Jews according to God's command. Nevertheless, Nicodemus, because of his excellent training as a Pharisee, knew that he had not kept the law as he should. He knew the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had used that knowledge to convict him of his sin. Nicodemus was also a sinner who needed the forgiveness that comes with faith in the Son of God who was lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world.
If this noble and gentle man who actually lived up to the code of conduct of the Pharisees knew that he was still a sinner in need of God's grace, where does that place you - where does that place me? We must stand with Isaiah in today's Old Testament reading and say, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." If a man of such upright character as Nicodemus is a sinner in need of God's grace, then we too can only come before God and beg for mercy.
And we have mercy. The father has sent the Son to save the world. The Son has sacrificed Himself on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for you and for me and has risen from the dead. The Holy Spirit has shown our sin to us and then given us a new birth into God's Kingdom so that we might receive the Son's gift of forgiveness through faith in Him. Each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has done His part to save us from our sins.
As far as the fact that the Bible does not use the terms Triune or Trinity, it is not important that the actual words be in Bible. What is important is that the teaching is there and it is. Genesis begins with God creating, the Spirit hovering, and the WORD through which God created. Revelation [Revelation 14:1] speaks of the 144,000 who had the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father written on their foreheads as well as [Revelation 22:17] the Spirit who along with the bride invites us to drink of the water of life. The books in between are impossible to understand apart from the teaching that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and yet, there are not three Gods but only one God. We don't have to understand it, but we do have to believe it. Amen
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - The Holy Trinity (B) - 26 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of hosts, Your ways are inscrutable and Your judgments unsearchable. Through Your Word, give us an ever-growing understanding of the depths of Your riches, wisdom and knowledge, that we may glorify You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, our Synod president; our district president; our circuit visitor; and our pastor have heard Your voice calling them to be Your servants. Grant to them the Spirit so they can always say, “Here I am! Send me,” to whatever You ask. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You delivered up Your Son according to Your definite plan and foreknowledge to be our Savior. Make our hearts glad in this faith, that our tongues may rejoice and our flesh may dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, You sit enthroned as King forever. Bless [_____________ and] all who rule us in Your stead with wisdom and understanding, that truth and justice may prevail in our land and lawlessness may be kept at bay. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, we thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon this nation. Grant us a long memory to recall those who gave the full measure of devotion to our country’s peace and security. Bring to mind the sacrifices of those who served faithfully until death in the protection of our freedom and in the defense of our land. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in our midst by Your truth, that since You are at their right hand, they cannot be shaken. Gladden their hearts, cause their tongues to rejoice and make their flesh dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, take away our guilt and atone for our sin by touching our unclean lips with Christ’s cleansing body and blood, that we may not be lost but abide in Your holy presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
HYMN no. 947, “Glory Be to God on High”
Stand
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 506, “Glory Be to God the Father”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of Pentecost – May 19, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
BE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS--
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need
The LORD your God is in your midst. Zephaniah 3:1
The Day of Pentecost
May 19, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 37:1–14
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 37.
1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Acts 2:1–21
L A reading from Acts, chapter 2.
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 15:26–27; 16:4b–15
L A reading from John, chapter 15.
26[Jesus said:] “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. . . .
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 500 “Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid”
1 Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit ev’ry humble mind;
Come, pour Your joys on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free;
May we Your living temples be.
2 O Source of uncreated light,
The bearer of God’s gracious might,
Thrice-holy fount, thrice-holy fire,
Our hearts with heav’nly love inspire;
Your sacred, healing message bring
To sanctify us as we sing.
3 Giver of grace, descend from high;
Your sev’nfold gifts to us supply;
Help us eternal truths receive
And practice all that we believe;
Give us Yourself that we may see
The glory of the Trinity.
D 4 Immortal honor, endless fame
Attend the_almighty Father’s name;
The Savior-Son be glorified,
Who for all humankind has died;
To You, O Paraclete, we raise
Unending songs of thanks and praise.
Text: attr. Rabanus Maurus, 776–856; tr. John Dryden, 1631–1700, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Powerful Word” Ezekiel 37:1-14
God’s Powerful Word – Ezekiel 37:1-14
According to the traditions of the church year, today is the third great feast. Each of these great feasts is associated with a gift that a member of the Trinity gives to us. On Christmas, the Father sends the Son into the world and so it is the Feast of the Father's gift of the Son. On Easter, the Son gives us the gift of forgiveness as He surrenders His life on the cross and then rises from the dead. Now, today, on Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of faith that the Holy Spirit works in us. Although each member of the Trinity is absolutely equal in honor, majesty, and so forth, each also assumes a different role in their work of salvation on our behalf.
Of the three members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit seems to be the most mysterious. Perhaps that is because His role in the work of salvation is to point us to Jesus Christ and give us faith in Him. Every time we focus on the Holy Spirit, He tells us to look at Jesus Christ our savior crucified on the cross in order to win salvation for us. So, even as we study the Holy Spirit, we can't help but end up back at the cross. In a way, the Holy Spirit is sort of the stealth member of the Trinity.
Of course, there are times that the Holy Spirit is not so stealthy. That first Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit made sure that everyone in Jerusalem knew that something was going on. There was a rumbling noise like a mighty wind and the visible sign of something that looked like candle flames resting on everyone who came to the church service that morning.
The objective of all this hubbub was to attract the God-fearing Pentecost Pilgrims to the site of all the noise. You see the Holy Spirit had to change the nature of the faith of faithful people. Up until this time, the church had been looking forward to the Messiah. Their faith was in the one who was to come. God had promised Adam and Eve that the SEED would come and crush the serpent's head. Ever since then, the church had been waiting for the promised Messiah. Now the waiting was over. The promise had been fulfilled. The anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah had kept all the promises and had won salvation for all people. He had defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil with His suffering and death on the cross. He had risen from the dead. He had ascended into heaven. Now, the Word had to get out.
The plan for spreading the Word had been in place for millennia. When God gave the ceremonial law to Moses, He established special feast days. Two of those feast days were Passover and Pentecost. Every God-fearing Jew was to make every effort to be at the religious center of their faith on the major feast days. At first, this would be the tabernacle - later on the temple. In this way, God assured that Jerusalem would be full of pilgrims on these feast days. Thus it was that Jerusalem was full of Passover pilgrims when Jesus died for us, and she was full of Pentecost pilgrims when the Holy Spirit proclaimed that this same Jesus was the Son of God and Savior of the World. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world were there to witness and hear. Thousands of missionaries were ready to go back home and share the Good News that the long awaited Messiah had come and He is Jesus of Nazareth.
The sad thing about Pentecost is that even among all these signs, there were people who rejected the Good News. There were some in the crowd who said, "They are filled with new wine." This remark shows how ridiculous people can get when they try to rationalize their resistance to the Gospel. Who ever heard of a group of people suddenly becoming fluent in a variety of foreign languages by getting drunk early in the morning?
The greater danger for us in the twenty-first century is not that we will reject the Good News outright, but that the devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will divert us away from the Good News. It is very easy to get all excited over the means that the Holy Spirit used on that Pentecost and forget about the ultimate goal of that Day. The important point in this Pentecost narrative is that the Holy Spirit drew people together to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The rumbling noise, the flames, and the foreign languages were only means to that end. All too often, however, we get excited by the means that the Holy Spirit used instead of the ultimate goal of those means. We become infatuated by the excitement of the supernatural. We get distracted by the rumbling noise and the flames. We get excited about speaking other languages fluently. We sometimes forget that all these signs are there to proclaim "Christ crucified," the main message of the entire Bible.
The Holy Spirit could probably introduce us to Christ in an infinite number of ways, but He has chosen to introduce us through the Word of God. He works and sustains faith in us through the Word of God that we hear with our ears and read with our eyes. He works faith in us with the wet Word of Holy Baptism as we combine the Word of God with water according to Christ's command. He sustains our baptismal faith as we confess our sins to God our Father and hear Christ's Word of forgiveness on the lips of our pastor. He strengthens our faith as Christ Himself comes to us as the living Word in His body and blood. In these ways, the Holy Spirit has chosen to connect us to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Now we might well ask, "How powerful can words really be? Are words really that important?" The answer to that question comes to us from today's Old Testament Reading.
God actually commanded Ezekiel to preach a sermon to a congregation of dry bones. The Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. As Ezekiel looked around there were crania, mandibles, clavicles, carpals and metacarpals, tarsals and metatarsals, and all kinds of other human bones scattered around in the valley.
God commanded Ezekiel, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD." Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the bones, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And [Ezekiel] looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind to fill the lungs of these bodies. Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the wind, the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
The Word of God is powerful - not because we say it or use it - but because God stands behind it with His promises. God has promised: [Isaiah 55:10-11] "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
God told Ezekiel that these bones were the House of Israel. Today, we are the House of Israel, the Holy Christian Church, we are the bones. The Holy Spirit took us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins and added sinews and muscle, flesh and skin, and continuously breathes the breath of life into us. The Holy Spirit, by the power of His Word, has made us alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the power of God's Word - to take dead, dry, sinful bones and make them alive in Christ.
Ultimately, that is what Pentecost is about. The fire, the wind, the languages were all there so that the God-fearing pilgrims in Jerusalem could say, "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." That is what the Holy Spirit still does through the church - He proclaims the Good News that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, has redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He has risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (B) - 19 May 2024
Gracious Lord, Your Spirit fills the world and gladdens Your Church with the remembrance of all Christ Jesus has spoken. Glorify His name among us in every word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guide the Church into all truth by Your Holy Spirit through Your Word, that we may be guarded from all error and false doctrine and other great shame and vice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of comfort, give hope to Your people in the midst of this world of death and despair. Put Your Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to Your promises and commands. Lead our homes to confess our confidence in Your power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be near to [_____________ and] those You have set in place to govern our land. Do not let the ruler of this world govern them and their decisions to our harm, but give us the benefits of good government. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We call on Your name, O Lord, praying in Your Spirit to help and save all [especially _____________]. Renew the face of the earth, look with favor on Your creatures and fill the hearts of Your faithful, kindling in them the fire of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit upon Your faithful people, that convicted of their sin they may also be convinced that the righteousness of Christ is theirs, and in such repentance and faith receive the things of Christ declared in this Supper: His holy body and precious blood for the forgiveness of sins. Unite us by Your Spirit of truth in faith and confession, and comfort us with the knowledge that this world’s prince is judged. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, comfort those who grieve. Assure them that, since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so those who go away from us in this life will rise also to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord over the devil, death and all things. We ask that You would graciously deliver us from all affliction to make us partakers of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
605 “Father Welcomes”
ref Father welcomes all His children
To His fam’ly through His Son.
Father giving His salvation,
Life forever has been won.
1 Little children, come to Me,
For My kingdom is of these.
Life and love I have to give,
Mercy for your sin. Refrain
2 In the water, in the Word,
In His promise, be assured:
Those who are baptized and believe
Shall be born again. Refrain
3 Let us daily die to sin;
Let us daily rise with Him,
Walk in the love of Christ our Lord,
Live in the peace of God. Refrain
Text: Robin Mann, 1949
Text: © 1986 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
496 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 503 “O Day Full of Grace”
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of Pentecost – May 19, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
BE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS--
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need
The LORD your God is in your midst. Zephaniah 3:1
The Day of Pentecost
May 19, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 37:1–14
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 37.
1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Acts 2:1–21
L A reading from Acts, chapter 2.
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 15:26–27; 16:4b–15
L A reading from John, chapter 15.
26[Jesus said:] “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. . . .
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 500 “Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid”
1 Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit ev’ry humble mind;
Come, pour Your joys on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free;
May we Your living temples be.
2 O Source of uncreated light,
The bearer of God’s gracious might,
Thrice-holy fount, thrice-holy fire,
Our hearts with heav’nly love inspire;
Your sacred, healing message bring
To sanctify us as we sing.
3 Giver of grace, descend from high;
Your sev’nfold gifts to us supply;
Help us eternal truths receive
And practice all that we believe;
Give us Yourself that we may see
The glory of the Trinity.
D 4 Immortal honor, endless fame
Attend the_almighty Father’s name;
The Savior-Son be glorified,
Who for all humankind has died;
To You, O Paraclete, we raise
Unending songs of thanks and praise.
Text: attr. Rabanus Maurus, 776–856; tr. John Dryden, 1631–1700, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Powerful Word” Ezekiel 37:1-14
God’s Powerful Word – Ezekiel 37:1-14
According to the traditions of the church year, today is the third great feast. Each of these great feasts is associated with a gift that a member of the Trinity gives to us. On Christmas, the Father sends the Son into the world and so it is the Feast of the Father's gift of the Son. On Easter, the Son gives us the gift of forgiveness as He surrenders His life on the cross and then rises from the dead. Now, today, on Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of faith that the Holy Spirit works in us. Although each member of the Trinity is absolutely equal in honor, majesty, and so forth, each also assumes a different role in their work of salvation on our behalf.
Of the three members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit seems to be the most mysterious. Perhaps that is because His role in the work of salvation is to point us to Jesus Christ and give us faith in Him. Every time we focus on the Holy Spirit, He tells us to look at Jesus Christ our savior crucified on the cross in order to win salvation for us. So, even as we study the Holy Spirit, we can't help but end up back at the cross. In a way, the Holy Spirit is sort of the stealth member of the Trinity.
Of course, there are times that the Holy Spirit is not so stealthy. That first Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit made sure that everyone in Jerusalem knew that something was going on. There was a rumbling noise like a mighty wind and the visible sign of something that looked like candle flames resting on everyone who came to the church service that morning.
The objective of all this hubbub was to attract the God-fearing Pentecost Pilgrims to the site of all the noise. You see the Holy Spirit had to change the nature of the faith of faithful people. Up until this time, the church had been looking forward to the Messiah. Their faith was in the one who was to come. God had promised Adam and Eve that the SEED would come and crush the serpent's head. Ever since then, the church had been waiting for the promised Messiah. Now the waiting was over. The promise had been fulfilled. The anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah had kept all the promises and had won salvation for all people. He had defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil with His suffering and death on the cross. He had risen from the dead. He had ascended into heaven. Now, the Word had to get out.
The plan for spreading the Word had been in place for millennia. When God gave the ceremonial law to Moses, He established special feast days. Two of those feast days were Passover and Pentecost. Every God-fearing Jew was to make every effort to be at the religious center of their faith on the major feast days. At first, this would be the tabernacle - later on the temple. In this way, God assured that Jerusalem would be full of pilgrims on these feast days. Thus it was that Jerusalem was full of Passover pilgrims when Jesus died for us, and she was full of Pentecost pilgrims when the Holy Spirit proclaimed that this same Jesus was the Son of God and Savior of the World. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world were there to witness and hear. Thousands of missionaries were ready to go back home and share the Good News that the long awaited Messiah had come and He is Jesus of Nazareth.
The sad thing about Pentecost is that even among all these signs, there were people who rejected the Good News. There were some in the crowd who said, "They are filled with new wine." This remark shows how ridiculous people can get when they try to rationalize their resistance to the Gospel. Who ever heard of a group of people suddenly becoming fluent in a variety of foreign languages by getting drunk early in the morning?
The greater danger for us in the twenty-first century is not that we will reject the Good News outright, but that the devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will divert us away from the Good News. It is very easy to get all excited over the means that the Holy Spirit used on that Pentecost and forget about the ultimate goal of that Day. The important point in this Pentecost narrative is that the Holy Spirit drew people together to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The rumbling noise, the flames, and the foreign languages were only means to that end. All too often, however, we get excited by the means that the Holy Spirit used instead of the ultimate goal of those means. We become infatuated by the excitement of the supernatural. We get distracted by the rumbling noise and the flames. We get excited about speaking other languages fluently. We sometimes forget that all these signs are there to proclaim "Christ crucified," the main message of the entire Bible.
The Holy Spirit could probably introduce us to Christ in an infinite number of ways, but He has chosen to introduce us through the Word of God. He works and sustains faith in us through the Word of God that we hear with our ears and read with our eyes. He works faith in us with the wet Word of Holy Baptism as we combine the Word of God with water according to Christ's command. He sustains our baptismal faith as we confess our sins to God our Father and hear Christ's Word of forgiveness on the lips of our pastor. He strengthens our faith as Christ Himself comes to us as the living Word in His body and blood. In these ways, the Holy Spirit has chosen to connect us to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Now we might well ask, "How powerful can words really be? Are words really that important?" The answer to that question comes to us from today's Old Testament Reading.
God actually commanded Ezekiel to preach a sermon to a congregation of dry bones. The Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. As Ezekiel looked around there were crania, mandibles, clavicles, carpals and metacarpals, tarsals and metatarsals, and all kinds of other human bones scattered around in the valley.
God commanded Ezekiel, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD." Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the bones, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And [Ezekiel] looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind to fill the lungs of these bodies. Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the wind, the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
The Word of God is powerful - not because we say it or use it - but because God stands behind it with His promises. God has promised: [Isaiah 55:10-11] "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
God told Ezekiel that these bones were the House of Israel. Today, we are the House of Israel, the Holy Christian Church, we are the bones. The Holy Spirit took us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins and added sinews and muscle, flesh and skin, and continuously breathes the breath of life into us. The Holy Spirit, by the power of His Word, has made us alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the power of God's Word - to take dead, dry, sinful bones and make them alive in Christ.
Ultimately, that is what Pentecost is about. The fire, the wind, the languages were all there so that the God-fearing pilgrims in Jerusalem could say, "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." That is what the Holy Spirit still does through the church - He proclaims the Good News that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, has redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He has risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (B) - 19 May 2024
Gracious Lord, Your Spirit fills the world and gladdens Your Church with the remembrance of all Christ Jesus has spoken. Glorify His name among us in every word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guide the Church into all truth by Your Holy Spirit through Your Word, that we may be guarded from all error and false doctrine and other great shame and vice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of comfort, give hope to Your people in the midst of this world of death and despair. Put Your Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to Your promises and commands. Lead our homes to confess our confidence in Your power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be near to [_____________ and] those You have set in place to govern our land. Do not let the ruler of this world govern them and their decisions to our harm, but give us the benefits of good government. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We call on Your name, O Lord, praying in Your Spirit to help and save all [especially _____________]. Renew the face of the earth, look with favor on Your creatures and fill the hearts of Your faithful, kindling in them the fire of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit upon Your faithful people, that convicted of their sin they may also be convinced that the righteousness of Christ is theirs, and in such repentance and faith receive the things of Christ declared in this Supper: His holy body and precious blood for the forgiveness of sins. Unite us by Your Spirit of truth in faith and confession, and comfort us with the knowledge that this world’s prince is judged. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, comfort those who grieve. Assure them that, since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so those who go away from us in this life will rise also to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord over the devil, death and all things. We ask that You would graciously deliver us from all affliction to make us partakers of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
605 “Father Welcomes”
ref Father welcomes all His children
To His fam’ly through His Son.
Father giving His salvation,
Life forever has been won.
1 Little children, come to Me,
For My kingdom is of these.
Life and love I have to give,
Mercy for your sin. Refrain
2 In the water, in the Word,
In His promise, be assured:
Those who are baptized and believe
Shall be born again. Refrain
3 Let us daily die to sin;
Let us daily rise with Him,
Walk in the love of Christ our Lord,
Live in the peace of God. Refrain
Text: Robin Mann, 1949
Text: © 1986 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
496 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 503 “O Day Full of Grace”
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603 May 12, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY meets on Thursday, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
GOD LOVES HIS DAUGHTERS: Christ didn't degrade women in His talk, but He made women heroes in His stories. He invited a woman with a coin and broom to reveal the truth about the Kingdom of God. He elevated a lonely, unmarried woman who dropped her meager resources into the temple treasury as the rebuke of God for all the rich and religious. That's how God loves His daughters with His words. We should follow His example.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 651 “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord”
1 I love Your kingdom, Lord,
The place of Your abode,
The Church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.
2 Beyond my highest joy
I prize its heav’nly ways,
Its sweet communion, solemn vows,
Its hymns of love and praise.
3 I love Your Church, O God,
Your saints in ev’ry land,
Dear as the apple of Your eye
And graven on Your hand.
4 For them my tears shall fall;
For them my prayers ascend;
For them my cares and toils be giv’n
Till toils and cares shall end.
5 Sure as Your truth shall last,
To Zion shall be giv’n
The brightest glories earth can yield
And brighter bliss of heav’n.
Text: Timothy Dwight, 1752–1817, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 27:7, 1a, 4–5,10, 14
P Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 1:12–26
12Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 1
1Blessèd is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the | wicked,*
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of | scoffers;
2but his delight is in the law | of the Lord,*
and on his law he meditates | day and night.
3He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not | wither.*
In all that he does, he | prospers.
4The wicked | are not so,*
but are like chaff that the wind | drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the | judgment,*
nor sinners in the congregation of the | righteous;
6for the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,*
but the way of the wicked will | perish.
Epistle 1 John 5:9–15
9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 17:11b–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
[Jesus said:] “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 701 “Draw Us to Thee”
1 Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.
2 Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.
3 Draw us to Thee;
O grant that we
May walk the road to heaven!
Direct our way
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.
4 Draw us to Thee
That also we
Thy heav’nly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.
5 Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.
Text: Friedrich Funcke, 1642–99; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Prays for His Followers” John 17:11b-19
Jesus Prays for His Followers – John 17:11b-19
Today's Gospel once again places us in the upper room on the evening before Jesus died for us on the cross. Judas has left the gathering and is on his way to the authorities in order to get the band of soldiers that he will lead to Gethsemane in order to betray Jesus. Jesus has pretty much finished the teaching He intended to give His disciples in that place. He is almost ready to go to Gethsemane where He will be arrested.
Jesus, knowing that His disciples were about to experience three of the scariest and loneliest days of their lives, has one last thing to do before they leave for Gethsemane. He prayed to the Father on their behalf and He allowed the disciples to listen in. We call this prayer Jesus' high priestly prayer and the Gospel for this day is part of that prayer.
This prayer teaches us much about Jesus' attitude towards us. This is the evening before His death on the cross and He knew it. We could certainly understand if He were totally focused on His upcoming suffering and death. But He's not - His concern is for His followers. Later on, in Gethsemane, He will pray for Himself, but there in the upper room, just before they leave for Gethsemane, He prayed for those who will feel so alone and so frightened during the coming days - the days of His gauntlet of sorrow, suffering, and death - the days of His wait in the tomb. He prayed for those who will hide behind locked doors until they see Him face-to-face after His resurrection.
This prayer is for us as well. Although Jesus has never left us, He has taken His visible presence away from us. He has ascended into heaven and although He is with us, we cannot see Him. He has not yet come to take us into our eternal home. So we find ourselves in a time of waiting for Jesus to reveal Himself. We are in the time of "Now, but not yet!" He is with us now, but we can not yet see Him with our physical eyes. He has given heaven to us now, but we can not yet experience it as we will in eternity. All of Christ's gifts already belong to us now, but we can not yet experience them to the fullest. So we live in the time of now, but not yet. Jesus' prayer is for all those who wait in the world of now, but not yet.
While we live in the tension of the now, but not yet of the Christian life, we also live in the tension of being in the world, but not of the world. We are like resident aliens - people who reside in one country, but are citizens of another.
One of the problems we have is that, even though we are aliens or strangers in this world, we expect to get along with it. We expect to prosper in a world that is not our home. Some will even tell you that when you become part of God's family, everything will start turning up smelling like roses. You will become wealthy and more attractive. Your relationship with your spouse will blossom and your children will rise up and call you blessed. Your health will improve and you will have more energy. This deception will tell you that God wants nothing but material and social prosperity for you. This deception tells you that worldly success indicates a superior standing with God.
Jesus has a different teaching. In His prayer, He prayed, "The world has hated them because they are not of the world." That does not sound at all like the prosperity we hear so much about from this world. Because we are resident aliens in this world, the world is out to get us. The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature, constantly confront and attack us.
Sometimes the attack is direct. Martyrs die in Roman arenas and in other ways where people deem them “unwanted” or a detriment to their way of living.
Other times, the temptation is more subtle. The evil forces in this world use enticements and pleasures to draw us away from God. There is the deception that makes a sin seem so harmless, so good, so desirable at the time. While we consider the temptation, everything looks good and pleasant. This has been a weapon of evil from the very beginning in Eden: [Genesis 3:6] When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Temptation always seems like a good idea at the time. It would not be tempting if it didn't.
This world is a world of sin. Whether we are citizens of this world or citizens of heaven, we will sin while we live in this world. Even we who are bound for heaven must mourn with Paul [Romans 7:19] "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." We are saints in God's eyes for Jesus' sake, but we continue to sin. We are in the world, but not of the world.
The people of this world operate on a spectrum of beliefs when they deal with sin. At one end of this spectrum are those who have deceived themselves into believing that they do not sin. This typically involves a dilution of God's justice. They either tone down God's law to the point they can keep it or they get rid of God's law altogether.
The Pharisees are examples of this. In spite of the fact that they studied the Scriptures constantly, they interpreted the law in a way that made it doable. They saw the law as something they could actually keep. They made keeping the law into an external activity designed to impress men so that they would become objects of praise for their good works. In fact, they were in denial about their true status in the eyes of God.
At the other end of the spectrum are people like Judas. Judas is an example of despair. Judas did not deny his sin at all. He understood that he deserved punishment. In his case, the evil forces of the world convinced Judas that his sin was more powerful than God's forgiveness. Instead of repenting and asking for forgiveness, he hung himself. Evil used the great sin of despair to push Judas over the edge and into the abyss of eternal punishment.
The people of this world stand all along this spectrum. Some are quite proud of their own righteousness. Others don't really care. Still others destroy themselves in despair. Eventually, they will all stand before God and realize their mistake, but it will be too late.
When the Holy Spirit works faith in us so that we place our trust in Jesus Christ, a new way opens before us. Our citizenship is no longer in this world. Instead, it is in heaven. We live in this world as aliens. When the forces of evil overwhelm us and we sin, we have an ambassador with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
The Holy Spirit has given us the sight to see our sins and mourn our inability to keep God's law. He has made known the reality of the punishment that our sins deserve. However, instead of driving us into despair, our sin drives us to Jesus Christ. The depth of our sin shows us the height of His love - the love that sacrificed itself on a cross in order to free us from the guilt of our sin - the love that revoked our citizenship in this world and made us citizens of heaven. By the Holy Spirit's power, we do not deny our sins, but readily confess them before God. By the Holy Spirit's power, we find ourselves offering God the highest praise as we beg, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
Jesus prays for us. In His high priestly prayer He prayed that the Holy Father will keep us in His name. In this way, we will have, by grace, the unity that the Father and the Son have by nature. As we look at the words that Jesus used: Holy, Father, and Name, we see that Jesus' prayer is a variation on the beginning of the prayer He taught us: "Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name." As we listen to Jesus' prayer, we learn that the closer we are to the Father, the closer we are to each other. When the Father keeps us in His name, then we are at one in Him.
How did Jesus keep us in the Father's name? His prayer tells us that as well. He prayed to the Father, "I have given them your word." He kept them in the Father's name by teaching them the Father's Word.
He still works that way today. Martin Luther said that very thing when He explained how we keep God's name holy among ourselves: God's name is kept holy when the word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, lead Godly lives according to it. Help us to do this dear Father in Heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this Heavenly Father! It is God's Word in Divine Service, in Bible Class, and in family and private devotions that keeps us in the Holy Father's name. The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to revoke our citizenship in this world and establish and maintain our citizenship in heaven.
Jesus, our great High Priest loves us so much. When any normal person would be concerned for his own upcoming suffering and death, Jesus was praying for us. He was praying that we would remain in the Holy Father's name by the power of His Word. He was about to go to the cross in order to make it so that we would be in this world, but not of it and He prayed to His Father to keep us that way. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (B) - 12 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, heavenly King, You have gathered us again before Your presence. Grant that we may dwell in Your house all the days of our lives and gaze upon Your beauty manifested here in Your Word and Sacrament. Graciously receive us as we inquire in Your temple. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as You sent Your Son into the world and He sent His apostles, so now also send Your ministers, that the world may know Your name and the salvation that comes by it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, through Your Son You gave Your Word to Your children on earth. Guard and strengthen those who are hated by the world because they are not of the world, that not one of them would be lost. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all nations, since it is Your will that we pray for all in authority, we believe with confidence that You hear our prayers for our president, governor, Congress, legislature and judges. Teach them the testimony of the truth, that they may be wise and effective in their offices. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Father, You have testified that eternal life is given in Your Son and that whoever has Him has life. You promise also that You will hear whatever we ask according to Your will. Comfort and help the sick and the distressed [especially _____________]. Heal them and give life to all those who hold Your Son in faithful hearts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, as we eat and drink our Savior’s body and blood, give us Your light and salvation. Grant us strong and courageous hearts and never-failing hope, that we may wait steadfastly for You and Your final deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, accept the prayers we offer through Your Son, our Savior, and keep us forever in Your name and Word, that we may be one just as You are one. Sanctify us in the truth; Your Word is truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son in His incarnation took on our human flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. He submitted to His mother, honoring and obeying her, so fulfilling the commandment where we have not. On this Mother’s Day, graciously accept our thanksgiving for our mothers, whom You have given to us. Teach us to honor them aright — loving, obeying and giving thanks for them, as is fitting in Your sight. Strengthen all women with child, and give them safe delivery. Comfort all women who long to have children but cannot, that they may find their consolation in You and Your unfailing love; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who after His resurrection appeared openly to all His disciples and in their sight was taken up into heaven that He might make us partakers of His divine life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
632 “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
1 O Jesus, blessèd Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou art!
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. Arthur J. Mason, 1851–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”
1 On Christ’s ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled
All doubt and apprehension;
For where the Head is, there as well
I know His members are to dwell
When Christ will come and call them.
2 Since Christ returned to claim His throne,
Great gifts for me obtaining,
My heart will rest in Him alone,
No other rest remaining;
For where my treasure went before,
There all my thoughts will ever soar
To still their deepest yearning.
3 O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,
Recalling Your ascension,
That I may serve You faithfully
In thanks for my redemption;
And then, when all my days will cease,
Let me depart in joy and peace
In answer to my pleading.
Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604–40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873–1964, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603 May 12, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY meets on Thursday, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
GOD LOVES HIS DAUGHTERS: Christ didn't degrade women in His talk, but He made women heroes in His stories. He invited a woman with a coin and broom to reveal the truth about the Kingdom of God. He elevated a lonely, unmarried woman who dropped her meager resources into the temple treasury as the rebuke of God for all the rich and religious. That's how God loves His daughters with His words. We should follow His example.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 651 “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord”
1 I love Your kingdom, Lord,
The place of Your abode,
The Church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.
2 Beyond my highest joy
I prize its heav’nly ways,
Its sweet communion, solemn vows,
Its hymns of love and praise.
3 I love Your Church, O God,
Your saints in ev’ry land,
Dear as the apple of Your eye
And graven on Your hand.
4 For them my tears shall fall;
For them my prayers ascend;
For them my cares and toils be giv’n
Till toils and cares shall end.
5 Sure as Your truth shall last,
To Zion shall be giv’n
The brightest glories earth can yield
And brighter bliss of heav’n.
Text: Timothy Dwight, 1752–1817, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 27:7, 1a, 4–5,10, 14
P Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 1:12–26
12Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 1
1Blessèd is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the | wicked,*
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of | scoffers;
2but his delight is in the law | of the Lord,*
and on his law he meditates | day and night.
3He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not | wither.*
In all that he does, he | prospers.
4The wicked | are not so,*
but are like chaff that the wind | drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the | judgment,*
nor sinners in the congregation of the | righteous;
6for the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,*
but the way of the wicked will | perish.
Epistle 1 John 5:9–15
9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 17:11b–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
[Jesus said:] “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 701 “Draw Us to Thee”
1 Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.
2 Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.
3 Draw us to Thee;
O grant that we
May walk the road to heaven!
Direct our way
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.
4 Draw us to Thee
That also we
Thy heav’nly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.
5 Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.
Text: Friedrich Funcke, 1642–99; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Prays for His Followers” John 17:11b-19
Jesus Prays for His Followers – John 17:11b-19
Today's Gospel once again places us in the upper room on the evening before Jesus died for us on the cross. Judas has left the gathering and is on his way to the authorities in order to get the band of soldiers that he will lead to Gethsemane in order to betray Jesus. Jesus has pretty much finished the teaching He intended to give His disciples in that place. He is almost ready to go to Gethsemane where He will be arrested.
Jesus, knowing that His disciples were about to experience three of the scariest and loneliest days of their lives, has one last thing to do before they leave for Gethsemane. He prayed to the Father on their behalf and He allowed the disciples to listen in. We call this prayer Jesus' high priestly prayer and the Gospel for this day is part of that prayer.
This prayer teaches us much about Jesus' attitude towards us. This is the evening before His death on the cross and He knew it. We could certainly understand if He were totally focused on His upcoming suffering and death. But He's not - His concern is for His followers. Later on, in Gethsemane, He will pray for Himself, but there in the upper room, just before they leave for Gethsemane, He prayed for those who will feel so alone and so frightened during the coming days - the days of His gauntlet of sorrow, suffering, and death - the days of His wait in the tomb. He prayed for those who will hide behind locked doors until they see Him face-to-face after His resurrection.
This prayer is for us as well. Although Jesus has never left us, He has taken His visible presence away from us. He has ascended into heaven and although He is with us, we cannot see Him. He has not yet come to take us into our eternal home. So we find ourselves in a time of waiting for Jesus to reveal Himself. We are in the time of "Now, but not yet!" He is with us now, but we can not yet see Him with our physical eyes. He has given heaven to us now, but we can not yet experience it as we will in eternity. All of Christ's gifts already belong to us now, but we can not yet experience them to the fullest. So we live in the time of now, but not yet. Jesus' prayer is for all those who wait in the world of now, but not yet.
While we live in the tension of the now, but not yet of the Christian life, we also live in the tension of being in the world, but not of the world. We are like resident aliens - people who reside in one country, but are citizens of another.
One of the problems we have is that, even though we are aliens or strangers in this world, we expect to get along with it. We expect to prosper in a world that is not our home. Some will even tell you that when you become part of God's family, everything will start turning up smelling like roses. You will become wealthy and more attractive. Your relationship with your spouse will blossom and your children will rise up and call you blessed. Your health will improve and you will have more energy. This deception will tell you that God wants nothing but material and social prosperity for you. This deception tells you that worldly success indicates a superior standing with God.
Jesus has a different teaching. In His prayer, He prayed, "The world has hated them because they are not of the world." That does not sound at all like the prosperity we hear so much about from this world. Because we are resident aliens in this world, the world is out to get us. The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature, constantly confront and attack us.
Sometimes the attack is direct. Martyrs die in Roman arenas and in other ways where people deem them “unwanted” or a detriment to their way of living.
Other times, the temptation is more subtle. The evil forces in this world use enticements and pleasures to draw us away from God. There is the deception that makes a sin seem so harmless, so good, so desirable at the time. While we consider the temptation, everything looks good and pleasant. This has been a weapon of evil from the very beginning in Eden: [Genesis 3:6] When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Temptation always seems like a good idea at the time. It would not be tempting if it didn't.
This world is a world of sin. Whether we are citizens of this world or citizens of heaven, we will sin while we live in this world. Even we who are bound for heaven must mourn with Paul [Romans 7:19] "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." We are saints in God's eyes for Jesus' sake, but we continue to sin. We are in the world, but not of the world.
The people of this world operate on a spectrum of beliefs when they deal with sin. At one end of this spectrum are those who have deceived themselves into believing that they do not sin. This typically involves a dilution of God's justice. They either tone down God's law to the point they can keep it or they get rid of God's law altogether.
The Pharisees are examples of this. In spite of the fact that they studied the Scriptures constantly, they interpreted the law in a way that made it doable. They saw the law as something they could actually keep. They made keeping the law into an external activity designed to impress men so that they would become objects of praise for their good works. In fact, they were in denial about their true status in the eyes of God.
At the other end of the spectrum are people like Judas. Judas is an example of despair. Judas did not deny his sin at all. He understood that he deserved punishment. In his case, the evil forces of the world convinced Judas that his sin was more powerful than God's forgiveness. Instead of repenting and asking for forgiveness, he hung himself. Evil used the great sin of despair to push Judas over the edge and into the abyss of eternal punishment.
The people of this world stand all along this spectrum. Some are quite proud of their own righteousness. Others don't really care. Still others destroy themselves in despair. Eventually, they will all stand before God and realize their mistake, but it will be too late.
When the Holy Spirit works faith in us so that we place our trust in Jesus Christ, a new way opens before us. Our citizenship is no longer in this world. Instead, it is in heaven. We live in this world as aliens. When the forces of evil overwhelm us and we sin, we have an ambassador with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
The Holy Spirit has given us the sight to see our sins and mourn our inability to keep God's law. He has made known the reality of the punishment that our sins deserve. However, instead of driving us into despair, our sin drives us to Jesus Christ. The depth of our sin shows us the height of His love - the love that sacrificed itself on a cross in order to free us from the guilt of our sin - the love that revoked our citizenship in this world and made us citizens of heaven. By the Holy Spirit's power, we do not deny our sins, but readily confess them before God. By the Holy Spirit's power, we find ourselves offering God the highest praise as we beg, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
Jesus prays for us. In His high priestly prayer He prayed that the Holy Father will keep us in His name. In this way, we will have, by grace, the unity that the Father and the Son have by nature. As we look at the words that Jesus used: Holy, Father, and Name, we see that Jesus' prayer is a variation on the beginning of the prayer He taught us: "Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name." As we listen to Jesus' prayer, we learn that the closer we are to the Father, the closer we are to each other. When the Father keeps us in His name, then we are at one in Him.
How did Jesus keep us in the Father's name? His prayer tells us that as well. He prayed to the Father, "I have given them your word." He kept them in the Father's name by teaching them the Father's Word.
He still works that way today. Martin Luther said that very thing when He explained how we keep God's name holy among ourselves: God's name is kept holy when the word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, lead Godly lives according to it. Help us to do this dear Father in Heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this Heavenly Father! It is God's Word in Divine Service, in Bible Class, and in family and private devotions that keeps us in the Holy Father's name. The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to revoke our citizenship in this world and establish and maintain our citizenship in heaven.
Jesus, our great High Priest loves us so much. When any normal person would be concerned for his own upcoming suffering and death, Jesus was praying for us. He was praying that we would remain in the Holy Father's name by the power of His Word. He was about to go to the cross in order to make it so that we would be in this world, but not of it and He prayed to His Father to keep us that way. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (B) - 12 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, heavenly King, You have gathered us again before Your presence. Grant that we may dwell in Your house all the days of our lives and gaze upon Your beauty manifested here in Your Word and Sacrament. Graciously receive us as we inquire in Your temple. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as You sent Your Son into the world and He sent His apostles, so now also send Your ministers, that the world may know Your name and the salvation that comes by it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, through Your Son You gave Your Word to Your children on earth. Guard and strengthen those who are hated by the world because they are not of the world, that not one of them would be lost. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all nations, since it is Your will that we pray for all in authority, we believe with confidence that You hear our prayers for our president, governor, Congress, legislature and judges. Teach them the testimony of the truth, that they may be wise and effective in their offices. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Father, You have testified that eternal life is given in Your Son and that whoever has Him has life. You promise also that You will hear whatever we ask according to Your will. Comfort and help the sick and the distressed [especially _____________]. Heal them and give life to all those who hold Your Son in faithful hearts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, as we eat and drink our Savior’s body and blood, give us Your light and salvation. Grant us strong and courageous hearts and never-failing hope, that we may wait steadfastly for You and Your final deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, accept the prayers we offer through Your Son, our Savior, and keep us forever in Your name and Word, that we may be one just as You are one. Sanctify us in the truth; Your Word is truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son in His incarnation took on our human flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. He submitted to His mother, honoring and obeying her, so fulfilling the commandment where we have not. On this Mother’s Day, graciously accept our thanksgiving for our mothers, whom You have given to us. Teach us to honor them aright — loving, obeying and giving thanks for them, as is fitting in Your sight. Strengthen all women with child, and give them safe delivery. Comfort all women who long to have children but cannot, that they may find their consolation in You and Your unfailing love; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who after His resurrection appeared openly to all His disciples and in their sight was taken up into heaven that He might make us partakers of His divine life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
632 “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
1 O Jesus, blessèd Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou art!
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. Arthur J. Mason, 1851–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”
1 On Christ’s ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled
All doubt and apprehension;
For where the Head is, there as well
I know His members are to dwell
When Christ will come and call them.
2 Since Christ returned to claim His throne,
Great gifts for me obtaining,
My heart will rest in Him alone,
No other rest remaining;
For where my treasure went before,
There all my thoughts will ever soar
To still their deepest yearning.
3 O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,
Recalling Your ascension,
That I may serve You faithfully
In thanks for my redemption;
And then, when all my days will cease,
Let me depart in joy and peace
In answer to my pleading.
Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604–40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873–1964, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 5, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“In Christ, by faith in Him, our getting, saving, spending, and giving do honor our Lord. Christ Jesus sets us free from worry and greed, selfishness and the temptations to hoard, covetousness, and idolatry. Furthermore, He wants to give us peace as we deal with every financial challenge and blessing in our lives. We can count on Him to do it because we know He has already given us the most beautiful gown imaginable, the robe of righteousness He won for us on His cross.” [from “Faith and Finance”]
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 791 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”
1 All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with mirth, His praise forthtell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
2 Know that the Lord is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make.
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
3 O enter then His gates with praise;
Approach with joy His courts unto.
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? The Lord our God is good:
His mercy is forever sure.
His truth at all times firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure.
D 5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom heav’n and earth adore,
From us and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore.
Text: William Kethe, d. c. 1593, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 66:1–2, 8–9, 16, 20
P Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. Blessèd be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 10:34–48
34Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 98
1Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done | marvelous things!*
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salva- | tion for him.
2The LORD has made known his sal- | vation;*
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.
3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of | Israel.*
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation | of our God.
4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, | all the earth;*
break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!
5Sing praises to the LORD | with the lyre,*
with the lyre and the sound of | melody!
6With trumpets and the sound | of the horn*
make a joyful noise before the | King, the LORD!
7Let the sea roar, and all that | fills it;*
the world and those who | dwell in it!
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9be- | fore the LORD,* for he comes
to | judge the earth.
He will judge the world with | righteousness,*
and the peoples with | equity.
Epistle 1 John 5:1–8
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:9–17
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
9[Jesus said:] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Unconditional Love” John 15:9-17
Unconditional Love – John 15:9-17
Today's Gospel continues where last Sunday's Gospel left off. Last Sunday, Jesus compared our relationship to Him with the relationship between a branch and a vine. Just as a branch cannot produce anything without the vine, so we cannot do anything without Jesus.
Jesus wants us to have this mind picture of a branch lovingly grafted into the main vine. If the branch does absolutely nothing, the main vine will incorporate the branch into itself and the branch will thrive. If the branch tries to contribute anything to the process, it will mess up the process. The branch will go into rejection and die.
From last week's Gospel, we learned that abiding means to do nothing - to simply remain. We learned that the Holy Spirit places us in Jesus through faith and that we are to abide or remain in Jesus where He will feed us with forgiveness, life, and salvation.
As we hear more of Jesus' teaching today, we learn that the main nutrient that Jesus, the vine, feeds to us, the branches, is the nutrient of love. [Jesus said,] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Since we learned about the meaning of abide last week, it is time to learn about the meaning of love this week.
Believe it or not, the word love causes problems. The problem is that love is one of the most overworked words in the English language. We use this word for so many different things. We love our spouse. We love our children. We love our house. We love our cars. We love ice cream. We love football. We love sunsets. We love so many different things and we love in so many different ways. If you look up the word love in the dictionary, you will find a very long entry.
So now we come to the place where we are confessing our faith and we say that we receive salvation because of God's love. Now while this is absolutely true and good, it is not enough. It is not enough because the word love covers such a wide variety of experiences and meanings. Now don't misunderstand me. It is perfectly good, right, and worthwhile to say that God saves us through His love. On the other hand, if we don't tell what we mean when we say that God loves us, we have not told the whole story of His love - we have not told the story of the nutrition that Jesus gives us as we abide in Him.
We can begin by looking at the original Greek. The word translated as love is ἀγάπη (agape – “ah-gah-peh”). We have talked about this word before. 'Αγάπη certainly gets us away from self centered love - love that is the result of fulfilling our own pleasures. It certainly rules out the ooey-gooey, touchy-feely kind of love. 'Αγάπη is a selfless love that seeks nothing in return. 'Αγάπη has grit and courage. 'Αγάπη does what is right even when it is hard. The Greek word ἀγάπη does much to get us closer to a true understanding of the love Jesus gives to us when we abide in Him.
In today's Gospel Jesus takes 'Αγάπη all the way when He says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did more than talk about laying down His life for His friends. Even while Jesus was teaching His disciples with the words of today's Gospel, Judas was on his way to the authorities. He would soon lead soldiers to Jesus in Gethsemane. There Judas would betray Jesus. The very next day, Jesus would fulfill His very description of love with His own suffering and death on the cross. He would endure not only death, but also the anger of God at all of our sins. This is the love that saves us.
The true nature of this love becomes even clearer when we consider the object of God's love. As much as we hate to admit it, we have no redeeming qualities of our own. We are sinners.
We have all broken every one of the Ten Commandments. It is very difficult to commit just one sin, for a commandment is broken not only in deed, but in word and thought as well. The commandments then fall like dominos before us. In the New Testament book of James we read that if we fail in just one point of the Law, we have broken all of it [James 2:10].
We also discover that we are not sinners because we sin, but that we sin because we are sinners. We learned that every one of us inherits sin from our parents. Just like a mother who uses crack, passes the addiction on to her child, so also, all humans pass their sin on to their children. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, parents have passed their sin on to their kids. No one has to teach a child how to lie. No one has to teach a child to be selfish. No one has to teach a child how to hate. No one has to teach a child to consider himself or herself to be the center of this and every other universe. We know all these things from the womb. And if know if left untreated, this sinful condition leads to nothing but punishment - punishment here in time and punishment forever in eternity.
In spite of all this, God still loves us. The love of Jesus Christ on the cross is the perfect expression of God and therefore the perfect expression of God's love for us. [Romans 5:8] God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His love for us depends on His nature, not our nature. His love for us is always perfect and beyond our understanding. This is the love that we receive when we abide in Him.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." This is the love of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. This is the great love that lays down life for a friend. This is the love of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the love of the God-man who stood between God and us and took the full force of the wrath of God for us. This is the love that bled on the cross and said, [Luke 23:34] "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." This is the love that rose from the dead and promises us eternal life.
The Devil, the World, and our own sinful flesh seek to cut off this relationship of love between our savior and us. Our enemies continuously tell us that we don't need God - that we can be our own god - that we can fulfill our own need for love. They direct us to pleasure, comfort, security, popularity, and other fallible sources of love. When these things fail, our enemies accuse us of not trying hard enough. We find ourselves in a never-ending spiral of delusion and defeat.
The world is always ready to supply the next exciting thing when the current fad doesn't satisfy our need for love. If only you drove the right car or wore the right styles of clothing or lived in the right house. If only you had married someone like that exciting celebrity instead of that boring spouse that lives with you now. If only you wore the right cologne or had fuller, longer lashes. The world hurls an impossible lifestyle at us and our own sinful nature tells us that these things can bring us happiness and love. We expend massive amounts of resources to obtain these things that never satisfy us while we ignore the God who wants to give us the ultimate true love for free.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." Abide means remain; stop trying in your own power. The Holy Spirit has placed us in Christ Jesus through the gift of faith. Any work we do on our own only serves to reject that faith and expel us from Christ's love. Abiding in God's love means that He will work in us to strengthen our faith toward Him and He will work through us to show fervent love toward our brothers.
God loves us unconditionally. He is the only source of pure, unconditional, ἀγάπη love. It is in this love that God created us and still sustains us. It is this love that compelled the Son of God to assume a human nature and sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us from sin. It is in this love that we abide by faith. Just as God's love raised Christ from the dead, it promises that He will be with us here on this earth and that we shall be with Him forever in heaven. By faith this love works in us and through us to free us so that we can obey God's command and love our brother even as God has loved us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday of Easter (B) - 5 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You invite us freely to come and hear Your Word. Bless and increase our faith, that we may rightly fear You and learn what You have done for our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, You make known the good news of peace through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Bless and direct the work of our missionaries, that in every nation there would be people who fear God, do what is right and, believing in Jesus, receive forgiveness of sins through His name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of love, out of great love for You and for sinners, our Lord Jesus laid down His life for the world. Increase in us true love for one another, that like our Lord, we may also lay down our lives for our friends. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, You rule this world by Your established authorities in ways that we do not always understand; yet in the name of Jesus, we may ask You anything freely as friends and sons. Bless our nation’s leaders, and cause them to serve wisely for our good. Give earthly peace and justice that is in accord with Your commandments and the order You have revealed. Bring an end to injustice, violence and disdain for Your truth, and let us receive all good with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, the Giver of all that is good, grant Your healing and support to all who are in sorrow or need, sickness or adversity [especially _____________]. Give them also the gift of Your grace to accept and bear their crosses with faith in You, that finally they would be prepared to depart this life and receive the gift of eternal life in Your kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, at the death of Your Son, You gave the testimony of Your Spirit in the water and blood that poured from His wounded side. Grant that, having received this testimony in the water of Baptism, we may also receive it in the body and blood of Jesus in the Holy Supper and so overcome the world by our faith in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him.
Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life’s blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
1 Where charity and love prevail
There God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love
By love are we thus bound.
2 With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
Now love Him in return.
3 Forgive we now each other’s faults
As we our faults confess,
And let us love each other well
In Christian holiness.
4 Let strife among us be unknown;
Let all contention cease;
Be God’s the glory that we seek;
Be ours His holy peace.
5 Let us recall that in our midst
Dwells Christ, His only Son;
As members of His body joined
We are in Him made one.
6 For love excludes no race or clan
That names the Savior’s name;
His family embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis LSB 211
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”
1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
2 Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings, hence!
This shall be my confidence.
3 Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
4 Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
5 Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!
Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 5, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“In Christ, by faith in Him, our getting, saving, spending, and giving do honor our Lord. Christ Jesus sets us free from worry and greed, selfishness and the temptations to hoard, covetousness, and idolatry. Furthermore, He wants to give us peace as we deal with every financial challenge and blessing in our lives. We can count on Him to do it because we know He has already given us the most beautiful gown imaginable, the robe of righteousness He won for us on His cross.” [from “Faith and Finance”]
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 791 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”
1 All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with mirth, His praise forthtell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
2 Know that the Lord is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make.
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
3 O enter then His gates with praise;
Approach with joy His courts unto.
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? The Lord our God is good:
His mercy is forever sure.
His truth at all times firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure.
D 5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom heav’n and earth adore,
From us and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore.
Text: William Kethe, d. c. 1593, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 66:1–2, 8–9, 16, 20
P Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. Blessèd be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 10:34–48
34Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 98
1Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done | marvelous things!*
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salva- | tion for him.
2The LORD has made known his sal- | vation;*
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.
3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of | Israel.*
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation | of our God.
4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, | all the earth;*
break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!
5Sing praises to the LORD | with the lyre,*
with the lyre and the sound of | melody!
6With trumpets and the sound | of the horn*
make a joyful noise before the | King, the LORD!
7Let the sea roar, and all that | fills it;*
the world and those who | dwell in it!
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9be- | fore the LORD,* for he comes
to | judge the earth.
He will judge the world with | righteousness,*
and the peoples with | equity.
Epistle 1 John 5:1–8
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:9–17
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
9[Jesus said:] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Unconditional Love” John 15:9-17
Unconditional Love – John 15:9-17
Today's Gospel continues where last Sunday's Gospel left off. Last Sunday, Jesus compared our relationship to Him with the relationship between a branch and a vine. Just as a branch cannot produce anything without the vine, so we cannot do anything without Jesus.
Jesus wants us to have this mind picture of a branch lovingly grafted into the main vine. If the branch does absolutely nothing, the main vine will incorporate the branch into itself and the branch will thrive. If the branch tries to contribute anything to the process, it will mess up the process. The branch will go into rejection and die.
From last week's Gospel, we learned that abiding means to do nothing - to simply remain. We learned that the Holy Spirit places us in Jesus through faith and that we are to abide or remain in Jesus where He will feed us with forgiveness, life, and salvation.
As we hear more of Jesus' teaching today, we learn that the main nutrient that Jesus, the vine, feeds to us, the branches, is the nutrient of love. [Jesus said,] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Since we learned about the meaning of abide last week, it is time to learn about the meaning of love this week.
Believe it or not, the word love causes problems. The problem is that love is one of the most overworked words in the English language. We use this word for so many different things. We love our spouse. We love our children. We love our house. We love our cars. We love ice cream. We love football. We love sunsets. We love so many different things and we love in so many different ways. If you look up the word love in the dictionary, you will find a very long entry.
So now we come to the place where we are confessing our faith and we say that we receive salvation because of God's love. Now while this is absolutely true and good, it is not enough. It is not enough because the word love covers such a wide variety of experiences and meanings. Now don't misunderstand me. It is perfectly good, right, and worthwhile to say that God saves us through His love. On the other hand, if we don't tell what we mean when we say that God loves us, we have not told the whole story of His love - we have not told the story of the nutrition that Jesus gives us as we abide in Him.
We can begin by looking at the original Greek. The word translated as love is ἀγάπη (agape – “ah-gah-peh”). We have talked about this word before. 'Αγάπη certainly gets us away from self centered love - love that is the result of fulfilling our own pleasures. It certainly rules out the ooey-gooey, touchy-feely kind of love. 'Αγάπη is a selfless love that seeks nothing in return. 'Αγάπη has grit and courage. 'Αγάπη does what is right even when it is hard. The Greek word ἀγάπη does much to get us closer to a true understanding of the love Jesus gives to us when we abide in Him.
In today's Gospel Jesus takes 'Αγάπη all the way when He says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did more than talk about laying down His life for His friends. Even while Jesus was teaching His disciples with the words of today's Gospel, Judas was on his way to the authorities. He would soon lead soldiers to Jesus in Gethsemane. There Judas would betray Jesus. The very next day, Jesus would fulfill His very description of love with His own suffering and death on the cross. He would endure not only death, but also the anger of God at all of our sins. This is the love that saves us.
The true nature of this love becomes even clearer when we consider the object of God's love. As much as we hate to admit it, we have no redeeming qualities of our own. We are sinners.
We have all broken every one of the Ten Commandments. It is very difficult to commit just one sin, for a commandment is broken not only in deed, but in word and thought as well. The commandments then fall like dominos before us. In the New Testament book of James we read that if we fail in just one point of the Law, we have broken all of it [James 2:10].
We also discover that we are not sinners because we sin, but that we sin because we are sinners. We learned that every one of us inherits sin from our parents. Just like a mother who uses crack, passes the addiction on to her child, so also, all humans pass their sin on to their children. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, parents have passed their sin on to their kids. No one has to teach a child how to lie. No one has to teach a child to be selfish. No one has to teach a child how to hate. No one has to teach a child to consider himself or herself to be the center of this and every other universe. We know all these things from the womb. And if know if left untreated, this sinful condition leads to nothing but punishment - punishment here in time and punishment forever in eternity.
In spite of all this, God still loves us. The love of Jesus Christ on the cross is the perfect expression of God and therefore the perfect expression of God's love for us. [Romans 5:8] God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His love for us depends on His nature, not our nature. His love for us is always perfect and beyond our understanding. This is the love that we receive when we abide in Him.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." This is the love of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. This is the great love that lays down life for a friend. This is the love of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the love of the God-man who stood between God and us and took the full force of the wrath of God for us. This is the love that bled on the cross and said, [Luke 23:34] "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." This is the love that rose from the dead and promises us eternal life.
The Devil, the World, and our own sinful flesh seek to cut off this relationship of love between our savior and us. Our enemies continuously tell us that we don't need God - that we can be our own god - that we can fulfill our own need for love. They direct us to pleasure, comfort, security, popularity, and other fallible sources of love. When these things fail, our enemies accuse us of not trying hard enough. We find ourselves in a never-ending spiral of delusion and defeat.
The world is always ready to supply the next exciting thing when the current fad doesn't satisfy our need for love. If only you drove the right car or wore the right styles of clothing or lived in the right house. If only you had married someone like that exciting celebrity instead of that boring spouse that lives with you now. If only you wore the right cologne or had fuller, longer lashes. The world hurls an impossible lifestyle at us and our own sinful nature tells us that these things can bring us happiness and love. We expend massive amounts of resources to obtain these things that never satisfy us while we ignore the God who wants to give us the ultimate true love for free.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." Abide means remain; stop trying in your own power. The Holy Spirit has placed us in Christ Jesus through the gift of faith. Any work we do on our own only serves to reject that faith and expel us from Christ's love. Abiding in God's love means that He will work in us to strengthen our faith toward Him and He will work through us to show fervent love toward our brothers.
God loves us unconditionally. He is the only source of pure, unconditional, ἀγάπη love. It is in this love that God created us and still sustains us. It is this love that compelled the Son of God to assume a human nature and sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us from sin. It is in this love that we abide by faith. Just as God's love raised Christ from the dead, it promises that He will be with us here on this earth and that we shall be with Him forever in heaven. By faith this love works in us and through us to free us so that we can obey God's command and love our brother even as God has loved us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday of Easter (B) - 5 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You invite us freely to come and hear Your Word. Bless and increase our faith, that we may rightly fear You and learn what You have done for our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, You make known the good news of peace through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Bless and direct the work of our missionaries, that in every nation there would be people who fear God, do what is right and, believing in Jesus, receive forgiveness of sins through His name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of love, out of great love for You and for sinners, our Lord Jesus laid down His life for the world. Increase in us true love for one another, that like our Lord, we may also lay down our lives for our friends. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, You rule this world by Your established authorities in ways that we do not always understand; yet in the name of Jesus, we may ask You anything freely as friends and sons. Bless our nation’s leaders, and cause them to serve wisely for our good. Give earthly peace and justice that is in accord with Your commandments and the order You have revealed. Bring an end to injustice, violence and disdain for Your truth, and let us receive all good with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, the Giver of all that is good, grant Your healing and support to all who are in sorrow or need, sickness or adversity [especially _____________]. Give them also the gift of Your grace to accept and bear their crosses with faith in You, that finally they would be prepared to depart this life and receive the gift of eternal life in Your kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, at the death of Your Son, You gave the testimony of Your Spirit in the water and blood that poured from His wounded side. Grant that, having received this testimony in the water of Baptism, we may also receive it in the body and blood of Jesus in the Holy Supper and so overcome the world by our faith in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him.
Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life’s blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
1 Where charity and love prevail
There God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love
By love are we thus bound.
2 With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
Now love Him in return.
3 Forgive we now each other’s faults
As we our faults confess,
And let us love each other well
In Christian holiness.
4 Let strife among us be unknown;
Let all contention cease;
Be God’s the glory that we seek;
Be ours His holy peace.
5 Let us recall that in our midst
Dwells Christ, His only Son;
As members of His body joined
We are in Him made one.
6 For love excludes no race or clan
That names the Savior’s name;
His family embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis LSB 211
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”
1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
2 Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings, hence!
This shall be my confidence.
3 Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
4 Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
5 Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!
Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday of Easter –April 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
TODAY, at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
ALSO, THIS SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to talk about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 484 “Make Songs of Joy”
1 Make songs of joy to Christ, our head;
Alleluia!
He lives again who once was dead!
Alleluia!
2 Our life was purchased by His loss;
Alleluia!
He died our death upon the cross.
Alleluia!
3 O death, where is your deadly sting?
Alleluia!
Assumed by our triumphant King!
Alleluia!
4 And where your victory, O grave,
Alleluia!
When one like Christ has come to save?
Alleluia!
5 Behold, the tyrants, one and all,
Alleluia!
Before our mighty Savior fall!
Alleluia!
D 6 For this be praised the Son who rose,
Alleluia!
The Father, and the Holy Ghost!
Alleluia!
Text: Juraj Tranovský, 1591–1637; tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit John 16:16, Psalm 145:1–2, 8, 10, 21
P A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Kyrie
Canticle: “This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 8:26–40
26An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 150
1Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctu- | ary;*
praise him in his mighty | heavens!
2Praise him for his | mighty deeds;*
praise him according to his excellent | greatness!
3Praise him with | trumpet sound;*
praise him with | lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambou- | rine and dance;*
praise him with | strings and pipe!
5Praise him with sounding | cymbals;*
praise him with loud clashing | cymbals!
6Let everything that has breath | praise the Lord!*
Praise | the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 4:1–11
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:1–8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Our Christ Connection” John 15:1-8
Our Christ Connection – John 15:1-8
Today is a day to talk about connections. In a few days, in some cultures, there is the custom to hold on to a ribbon connected to a pole, and to do this with other children or people and dance around what is called a “May” pole. Our Gospel also talks about a connection - our connection with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." Just as a branch must receive its life from the vine so we must receive our life from Jesus.
Now you would think this would be simple enough to do. Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you." This should be simple, but it often isn't.
Perhaps the problem we have with this command lies in that word “abide”. “Abide” is one of those words that we don't use every day. It sort of sounds impressive - like it is some sort of special spiritual activity. It sounds like it might be tough to do. After all, it is something that has to happen if we are to remain connected to Jesus.
In actuality, once we understand what it means to abide, it doesn't seem that it should be that difficult to do. Abide simply means, "Don't do something. Just lie there!" That's right. To abide is to do nothing. It is as if Jesus said, "The Holy Spirit has given faith to you and put you right where you need to be. Now, just stay put." That sounds easy enough. Doesn't it?
In actual practice, it is something very difficult to do. Our sinful pride always wants recognition and is always trying to take credit for contributing at least a little bit to its own salvation. Therefore, our sinful nature is not satisfied to just let Jesus do all the work. Our sinful nature just doesn't want us to believe that Jesus' perfect life and His suffering and death on a cross are enough. Even though Jesus shouted, "It is finished," just before He died, our sinful nature refuses to believe it. Our sinful nature wants us to believe that Jesus has done His part and now we must add our little effort into the mix.
This is really the foundation of all the false religions in the world: Salvation is found in some effort on our part. One religion might suggest meditation. Another might suggest works of charity. A third might suggest learning some sort of ancient knowledge. Figure out what you think you need to do in order to be saved and Satan will have a custom religion built just for you. In the end, however, there are only two religions in the world: (1) The false religion that asks you to make some sort of an effort to save yourself and (2) the true religion that simply receives the work that Jesus Christ did for us with His life, suffering, death, and resurrection.
When we try to do our part to save ourselves, we are like autumn leaves. In the fall, each leaf grows a membrane that cuts off the supply of nutrients from the plant. In a little while, it dies, the chlorophyll dissipates so that they lose their green color, and then they fall from the tree.
When we put forth an effort to save ourselves from our own sin, we only cut ourselves off from the life giving nutrition that comes from Jesus Christ. We put up a membrane of idolatry that cuts us off from the source of our salvation. We cut ourselves off from Christ. Jesus Himself tells us what happens to branches that cut themselves off from Him. He said, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit [the Father] takes away. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This is a very terrifying prospect - to be dried, gathered, and thrown into the fire of hell because we do not abide in Christ.
From today's Gospel, we learn that it is very good, as far as our salvation is concerned, to be in Christ and do nothing. If that is the case, then how is it that we get into Christ in the first place? If every effort we put forward only serves to drive us away from Christ, how do we end up in Christ? This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture.
When Martin Luther talked about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Small Catechism, he said, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified me in the one, true faith." The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, [Romans 8:7] "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." He also wrote, [1 Corinthians 2:14] "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." And again he said, [1 Corinthians 12:3] "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." From these verses we learn that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to place us into Christ Jesus so that we may abide in Him.
All of us are born like dead branches lying on the ground. The Father who is the caretaker of the vineyard sends the Holy Spirit to graft us into the Jesus Christ, the true vine. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us to life in Jesus Christ.
How is this done? For many of us, this happened at our baptism. Again the Apostle Paul said, [Romans 6:3-4] "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Through baptism, God makes us His own with the wet word of God. The Holy Spirit works in that word to join us to Christ.
Through baptism Christ's suffering and crucifixion become our suffering and crucifixion. When God looks at us, He sees the work of Jesus Christ's suffering and crucifixion and applies it to our account. Just as the vinedresser cuts the vine in order to graft in a branch so also Jesus was cut so that we might become part of Him. We begin life as a branch of the vine of sin and death, but God cut us away from that vine and grafted us into the vine of life - Jesus Christ. God the Father is the vinedresser. He is the one who sent His only begotten son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16] He is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit to be with [us] forever. [John 14:16] It is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who work together to save us and to give us faith in that salvation. God is the one who grafts us into the vine through faith. He is the one who nourishes us with His forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the one who produces the fruit in and through us.
From time to time someone will tell me that they are not good enough to go to church. They will tell me that they will try to improve their lives and then they will come to church. That would be like a branch trying to produce a grape in order to earn a place on the vine.
Instead, the fruits of the Spirit begin at the vine - Jesus Christ. Just as the vine is cut so that the branch can be grafted in place, so also Jesus Christ was cut so that we could be adopted into His family. Just as the vine must build up the branch with nourishment, so also Jesus Christ builds us up with His Word and the Body and Blood of the Sacrament. Just as the nourishment of the vine eventually produces fruit from the branch, so also, the forgiveness and salvation that flow from Jesus Christ produce fruit in us. Jesus said, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Remain in Christ and see what He will do. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (B) - 28 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Your only Son came in the flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. Protect us from all false teaching and the spirit of the Antichrist, that we may always confess Christ to be our only true God and remain faithful to Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have grafted us onto the vine of Your Son. Prune us and cut off from us all sin and dead works, that we may always draw life from Your Son and produce the fruits of faith and good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Savior of all people, in the water of Baptism You welcome sinners into Your kingdom and give them life. Grant that we would always honor and extol this gift, and let nothing prevent people from it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give health and guidance to our president and all in authority, that they may serve honorably and in accord with Your good order. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, You hear and answer Your children in their hour of need. [Give aid to _____________.] Grant that they would bear their crosses with faith, ever looking to You, and so fix their hearts where true joy is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You are love, and You always reveal Your love through Your Son. Grant that all who come to Your feast of love may worthily eat of Christ’s body and blood, so that whoever abides in this love forever abides in You and You in him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Hear and answer our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, and Your saints shall bless You; for You live and reign with the Holy Spirit, ever one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven…..
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
691 “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing”
1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
2 Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
540 “Christ, the Word of God Incarnate”
1 Christ, the Word of God incarnate,
Lord and Son of Abraham;
Christ, the radiance of the Father,
Perfect God, the great I AM;
Christ, the light, You shine unvanquished,
Light and life You bring to all;
Light our path with Your own presence,
Grant us grace to heed Your call.
2 Christ, the living bread from heaven,
Food for body, food for soul;
Christ, the manna daily given,
Nourish, strengthen, make us whole.
Feed us with the food of heaven,
Foretaste of the feast to be;
Quench our thirst with living water
Springing up eternally.
3 Christ, the shoot that springs triumphant
From the stump of Jesse’s tree;
Christ, true vine, You nurture branches
To bear fruit abundantly.
Graft us into You, O Savior;
Prune our hearts so we remain
Fruitful branches in Your vineyard
Till eternal life we gain.
4 Christ, our good and faithful shepherd,
Watching all Your lambs and sheep;
Christ, the gate that guards the sheepfold,
Never-failing vigil keep.
When we stray, Good Shepherd, seek us,
Find us, lift us, bear us home;
Lamb of God, our shepherd, keep us;
Let us hear Your voice alone.
5 Christ, the way that leads unfailing
To the Father’s home on high,
Christ, the truth that frees the captive,
Christ, the life that cannot die.
Mediator to the Father,
Sacrifice and great High Priest:
Lead us to Your heav’nly mansions,
There to share Your wedding feast.
D 6 Christ, the Alpha and Omega,
Christ, the firstborn from the dead,
Christ, the life and resurrection,
Christ, the Church’s glorious head:
Praise and thanks and adoration
And unending worship be
To the Father and the Spirit
And to You eternally.
Text: Steven P. Mueller, 1964
Text: © 2001 Steven P. Mueller. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text and tune: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday of Easter –April 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
TODAY, at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
ALSO, THIS SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to talk about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 484 “Make Songs of Joy”
1 Make songs of joy to Christ, our head;
Alleluia!
He lives again who once was dead!
Alleluia!
2 Our life was purchased by His loss;
Alleluia!
He died our death upon the cross.
Alleluia!
3 O death, where is your deadly sting?
Alleluia!
Assumed by our triumphant King!
Alleluia!
4 And where your victory, O grave,
Alleluia!
When one like Christ has come to save?
Alleluia!
5 Behold, the tyrants, one and all,
Alleluia!
Before our mighty Savior fall!
Alleluia!
D 6 For this be praised the Son who rose,
Alleluia!
The Father, and the Holy Ghost!
Alleluia!
Text: Juraj Tranovský, 1591–1637; tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit John 16:16, Psalm 145:1–2, 8, 10, 21
P A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Kyrie
Canticle: “This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 8:26–40
26An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 150
1Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctu- | ary;*
praise him in his mighty | heavens!
2Praise him for his | mighty deeds;*
praise him according to his excellent | greatness!
3Praise him with | trumpet sound;*
praise him with | lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambou- | rine and dance;*
praise him with | strings and pipe!
5Praise him with sounding | cymbals;*
praise him with loud clashing | cymbals!
6Let everything that has breath | praise the Lord!*
Praise | the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 4:1–11
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:1–8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Our Christ Connection” John 15:1-8
Our Christ Connection – John 15:1-8
Today is a day to talk about connections. In a few days, in some cultures, there is the custom to hold on to a ribbon connected to a pole, and to do this with other children or people and dance around what is called a “May” pole. Our Gospel also talks about a connection - our connection with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." Just as a branch must receive its life from the vine so we must receive our life from Jesus.
Now you would think this would be simple enough to do. Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you." This should be simple, but it often isn't.
Perhaps the problem we have with this command lies in that word “abide”. “Abide” is one of those words that we don't use every day. It sort of sounds impressive - like it is some sort of special spiritual activity. It sounds like it might be tough to do. After all, it is something that has to happen if we are to remain connected to Jesus.
In actuality, once we understand what it means to abide, it doesn't seem that it should be that difficult to do. Abide simply means, "Don't do something. Just lie there!" That's right. To abide is to do nothing. It is as if Jesus said, "The Holy Spirit has given faith to you and put you right where you need to be. Now, just stay put." That sounds easy enough. Doesn't it?
In actual practice, it is something very difficult to do. Our sinful pride always wants recognition and is always trying to take credit for contributing at least a little bit to its own salvation. Therefore, our sinful nature is not satisfied to just let Jesus do all the work. Our sinful nature just doesn't want us to believe that Jesus' perfect life and His suffering and death on a cross are enough. Even though Jesus shouted, "It is finished," just before He died, our sinful nature refuses to believe it. Our sinful nature wants us to believe that Jesus has done His part and now we must add our little effort into the mix.
This is really the foundation of all the false religions in the world: Salvation is found in some effort on our part. One religion might suggest meditation. Another might suggest works of charity. A third might suggest learning some sort of ancient knowledge. Figure out what you think you need to do in order to be saved and Satan will have a custom religion built just for you. In the end, however, there are only two religions in the world: (1) The false religion that asks you to make some sort of an effort to save yourself and (2) the true religion that simply receives the work that Jesus Christ did for us with His life, suffering, death, and resurrection.
When we try to do our part to save ourselves, we are like autumn leaves. In the fall, each leaf grows a membrane that cuts off the supply of nutrients from the plant. In a little while, it dies, the chlorophyll dissipates so that they lose their green color, and then they fall from the tree.
When we put forth an effort to save ourselves from our own sin, we only cut ourselves off from the life giving nutrition that comes from Jesus Christ. We put up a membrane of idolatry that cuts us off from the source of our salvation. We cut ourselves off from Christ. Jesus Himself tells us what happens to branches that cut themselves off from Him. He said, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit [the Father] takes away. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This is a very terrifying prospect - to be dried, gathered, and thrown into the fire of hell because we do not abide in Christ.
From today's Gospel, we learn that it is very good, as far as our salvation is concerned, to be in Christ and do nothing. If that is the case, then how is it that we get into Christ in the first place? If every effort we put forward only serves to drive us away from Christ, how do we end up in Christ? This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture.
When Martin Luther talked about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Small Catechism, he said, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified me in the one, true faith." The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, [Romans 8:7] "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." He also wrote, [1 Corinthians 2:14] "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." And again he said, [1 Corinthians 12:3] "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." From these verses we learn that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to place us into Christ Jesus so that we may abide in Him.
All of us are born like dead branches lying on the ground. The Father who is the caretaker of the vineyard sends the Holy Spirit to graft us into the Jesus Christ, the true vine. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us to life in Jesus Christ.
How is this done? For many of us, this happened at our baptism. Again the Apostle Paul said, [Romans 6:3-4] "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Through baptism, God makes us His own with the wet word of God. The Holy Spirit works in that word to join us to Christ.
Through baptism Christ's suffering and crucifixion become our suffering and crucifixion. When God looks at us, He sees the work of Jesus Christ's suffering and crucifixion and applies it to our account. Just as the vinedresser cuts the vine in order to graft in a branch so also Jesus was cut so that we might become part of Him. We begin life as a branch of the vine of sin and death, but God cut us away from that vine and grafted us into the vine of life - Jesus Christ. God the Father is the vinedresser. He is the one who sent His only begotten son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16] He is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit to be with [us] forever. [John 14:16] It is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who work together to save us and to give us faith in that salvation. God is the one who grafts us into the vine through faith. He is the one who nourishes us with His forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the one who produces the fruit in and through us.
From time to time someone will tell me that they are not good enough to go to church. They will tell me that they will try to improve their lives and then they will come to church. That would be like a branch trying to produce a grape in order to earn a place on the vine.
Instead, the fruits of the Spirit begin at the vine - Jesus Christ. Just as the vine is cut so that the branch can be grafted in place, so also Jesus Christ was cut so that we could be adopted into His family. Just as the vine must build up the branch with nourishment, so also Jesus Christ builds us up with His Word and the Body and Blood of the Sacrament. Just as the nourishment of the vine eventually produces fruit from the branch, so also, the forgiveness and salvation that flow from Jesus Christ produce fruit in us. Jesus said, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Remain in Christ and see what He will do. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (B) - 28 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Your only Son came in the flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. Protect us from all false teaching and the spirit of the Antichrist, that we may always confess Christ to be our only true God and remain faithful to Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have grafted us onto the vine of Your Son. Prune us and cut off from us all sin and dead works, that we may always draw life from Your Son and produce the fruits of faith and good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Savior of all people, in the water of Baptism You welcome sinners into Your kingdom and give them life. Grant that we would always honor and extol this gift, and let nothing prevent people from it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give health and guidance to our president and all in authority, that they may serve honorably and in accord with Your good order. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, You hear and answer Your children in their hour of need. [Give aid to _____________.] Grant that they would bear their crosses with faith, ever looking to You, and so fix their hearts where true joy is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You are love, and You always reveal Your love through Your Son. Grant that all who come to Your feast of love may worthily eat of Christ’s body and blood, so that whoever abides in this love forever abides in You and You in him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Hear and answer our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, and Your saints shall bless You; for You live and reign with the Holy Spirit, ever one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven…..
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
691 “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing”
1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
2 Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
540 “Christ, the Word of God Incarnate”
1 Christ, the Word of God incarnate,
Lord and Son of Abraham;
Christ, the radiance of the Father,
Perfect God, the great I AM;
Christ, the light, You shine unvanquished,
Light and life You bring to all;
Light our path with Your own presence,
Grant us grace to heed Your call.
2 Christ, the living bread from heaven,
Food for body, food for soul;
Christ, the manna daily given,
Nourish, strengthen, make us whole.
Feed us with the food of heaven,
Foretaste of the feast to be;
Quench our thirst with living water
Springing up eternally.
3 Christ, the shoot that springs triumphant
From the stump of Jesse’s tree;
Christ, true vine, You nurture branches
To bear fruit abundantly.
Graft us into You, O Savior;
Prune our hearts so we remain
Fruitful branches in Your vineyard
Till eternal life we gain.
4 Christ, our good and faithful shepherd,
Watching all Your lambs and sheep;
Christ, the gate that guards the sheepfold,
Never-failing vigil keep.
When we stray, Good Shepherd, seek us,
Find us, lift us, bear us home;
Lamb of God, our shepherd, keep us;
Let us hear Your voice alone.
5 Christ, the way that leads unfailing
To the Father’s home on high,
Christ, the truth that frees the captive,
Christ, the life that cannot die.
Mediator to the Father,
Sacrifice and great High Priest:
Lead us to Your heav’nly mansions,
There to share Your wedding feast.
D 6 Christ, the Alpha and Omega,
Christ, the firstborn from the dead,
Christ, the life and resurrection,
Christ, the Church’s glorious head:
Praise and thanks and adoration
And unending worship be
To the Father and the Spirit
And to You eternally.
Text: Steven P. Mueller, 1964
Text: © 2001 Steven P. Mueller. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text and tune: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday of Easter –April 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
CHURCH COUNCIL meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE IS ALSO a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. They meet at Depoe Bay on High Street in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 469 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
1 “Christ the Lord is ris’n today!”
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll’wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Publ
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday of Easter –April 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
CHURCH COUNCIL meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE IS ALSO a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. They meet at Depoe Bay on High Street in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 469 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
1 “Christ the Lord is ris’n today!”
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll’wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Publ