Sunday Worship Resources

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 11, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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, emeritus
         Elder                   Howard Holman
            Acolyte                  Becca Potts
            Organist              Fred Weber
            Communion Preparation   Sonja Helley
            Ushers                 Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
                                         Bliss, Robert Potts

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A Men’s Bible Study this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A ZOOM Women’s Bible study is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). There will be two decorating “parties,” one this Saturday, June 17th at 10 a.m., and the other on Sunday, June 18th following Bible Class and the Children’s study (includes a pizza lunch). Please speak with Barb if you would like to help with either (or both) of the setups.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 11, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1     Today Your mercy calls us
    To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
    Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
    Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
    And make us clean today.

2     Today Your gate is open,
    And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
    And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
    A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
    A glorious crown in heav’n.

3     Today our Father calls us;
    His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
    Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
    How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
    It is our Father’s home.

4     O all-embracing Mercy,
    O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
    When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
    To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
    One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain

Stand
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 50:1, 7–10
P The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.

Kyrie

This Is the Feast

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     Let us pray.
Almighty and most merciful God, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost. Graciously open our ears and our hearts to hear His call and to follow Him by faith that we may feast with Him forever in His kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sit
Old Testament Reading                                    Hosea 5:15—6:6
15I will return again to my place,
    until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
    and in their distress earnestly seek me.
1“Come, let us return to the Lord;
    for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
    he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
3Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
    as the spring rains that water the earth.”
4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes early away.
5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
    and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                         Psalm 119:65–72
Teth
65You have dealt well with your | servant,*
    O Lord, according | to your word.
66Teach me good judgment and | knowledge,*
    for I believe in your com- | mandments.
67Before I was afflicted I | went astray,*
    but now I | keep your word.
68You are good and | do good;*
    teach me your | statutes.
69The insolent smear | me with lies,*
    but with my whole heart I keep your | precepts;
70their heart is unfeeling | like fat,*
    but I delight | in your law.
71It is good for me that I was af- | flicted,*
    that I might learn your | statutes.
72The law of your mouth is bet- | ter to me*
    than thousands of gold and silver | pieces.

Epistle                                                           Romans 4:13–25
    13The promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
    16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                    Matthew 9:9–13
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth chapter.

    9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
    10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Sit
Hymn of the Day: 689 “Let Me Be Thine Forever”
1     Let me be Thine forever,
    My faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never
    Nor wander from Thy Word.
Lord, do not let me waver,
    But give me steadfastness,
And for such grace forever
    Thy holy name I’ll bless.

2     Lord Jesus, my salvation,
    My light, my life divine,
My only consolation,
    O make me wholly Thine!
For Thou hast dearly bought me
    With blood and bitter pain.
Let me, since Thou hast sought me,
    Eternal life obtain.

3     And Thou, O Holy Spirit,
    My comforter and guide,
Grant that in Jesus’ merit
    I always may confide,
Him to the end confessing
    Whom I have known by faith.
Give me Thy constant blessing
    And grant a Christian death.
Text: tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.; (st. 1): Nicolaus Selnecker, 1532–92; (sts. 2–3): Gesang-Büchlein, 1688, Rudolstadt
Text: Public domain

Sermon “Is Anyone Sick Here?” Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13
Is Anyone Sick Here? Matthew 9:9-13

How sick are you? How great is the illness of your sin?

Some people think that the disease of sin is only a minor affliction. Perhaps it is like a little sniffle that you get, but nothing serious.

Others think that sin is a pretty bad disease, but they have it under control. They can do the right things and avoid the wrong things, and keep it within manageable limits.

Some do not think that they are sick at all.

Jesus declares today that those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.

Are you sick? Is it a minor illness that will go away by itself? Is it something that you can handle? Or do you need your doctor?

According to Holy Scripture, the disease of sin is very serious. It is deadly. It causes spiritual blindness. It creates all kinds of symptoms that we call actual sins. However, because of the blindness that it causes, we are often unable to notice the symptoms.

The Pharisees, of course, did not think they needed Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. The Pharisees thought they were doing just fine. They were healthy and had plenty of good works as fruits to demonstrate their spiritual healthiness.

If you pay too much attention to your good works, whatever they may be, and do not notice your sins, then you will surely become like the Pharisees. Then you may still attend worship, although the only real purpose of worship would be to display how good you are before others. If you are a Pharisee, then you have no real need of forgiveness or Christ.

Meanwhile, many sinners were crowding around Christ. Here was a teacher who welcomes sinners at Table with Him, including a chief tax collector named Matthew! Jesus proclaimed forgiveness, which all the sinners knew they needed very badly. So they came to Christ in droves.

The Pharisees sneered at these horrible sinners. But Christ said, “Go learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” Mercy is the quality God desires to show to us. He does not want to be merely a stern God of the Law. But if we reject His mercy in Christ Jesus, then that is all that He will be. If we rejoice and crowd close to receive His mercy, then He will overflow more and more for us.

When we are chiefly receivers of mercy, then why would we ever have room to be self-righteous, judgmental Pharisees? All we should concentrate upon is getting more and more of this precious grace. We should press close to the Son of God who speaks mercy into our ears. As Doctor Luther said in the Large Catechism, we should be begging our preachers to give us more and more of Absolution and the Lord’s Supper and all the gifts of this Divine Service.

But of course, we still find room to have a Pharisee in us. We still find time to notice how the righteousness of others does not measure up to our own righteousness. We notice their flaws, but so often miss our own. We know very well the things they should do better, while we hardly feel there is room for improvement in ourselves.

We will be Pharisees until the day we die. The Spirit fights against the impulses of self-righteousness in each of us, yet they never quite die. This is because we have a disease that will never completely go away in this life.

St. Augustine said that since we have the diseases, we need the medicine for our souls. We need to keep receiving the mercy. The day we decide we do not need the mercy of God, then we have regressed into a full-blown relapse of the deadly sickness of sin.

May it never be so for you. May the Lord produce in you greater and greater desire for every form of mercy that He pours out in this place.

Mercy bled from the Great Physician’s wounds as He hung dying on the tree of the cross. Mercy was heard in his dying cry, “It is finished!” Mercy shone out as the Lord of life stepped forth from His own tomb on Easter morning.

The same mercy shines brightly in this place, although our sin-diseased eyes are not able to see. At the font, at the altar, at the lectern, at the pulpit, mercy pours out to us. This house is filled to the rafters with the mercy of God for poor sinners like us.

But if we think that we do not particularly need mercy, then the services of this house will not be that important. If we think that we are not terribly sick, then the divine medicine in this place will not be a matter of life and death. We will not urgently seek out the Great Physician, like those sinners and tax collectors who crowded around Jesus the Christ, pressing in on Him to hear the mercy of God in His words.

Are we sick? We really are, whether we know it or not. The question is, do we know our condition? If we do, then we know our need for the Savior. We know our need for this house.

May the Spirit open our eyes to see our sin, and then point us to the medicine for us. May He strengthen our trust and increase our faithfulness, that we may always remain people gathered by Him around our Lord Jesus. May He increase our hunger and thirst for these gifts of Divine mercy.

In His name, and to His glory and honor, forever and ever.

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 - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5A) - 11 June 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O Lord, You strike down and You heal. Though we justly deserve Your wrath for our sin, revive us and raise us up, that we may live before You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You desire steadfast love and that Your people would know You. Bless pastors, teachers and all church workers, that Your Word would sound forth in abundance. Open the ears of all who hear to acknowledge Your steadfast love. Be also with those who work this weekend to prepare for our Synod’s convention. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, by Your grace Abraham did not weaken in faith but trusted Your promises. Strengthen parents to persist in their callings and train their children in Your Word and ways. Defend them from discouragement and apathy, and convince them that You are able to do what You have promised. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator of all things, You call into existence what does not exist and govern it for good. Remember those You have given authority among the nations, that the laws they administer might reflect Your order and maintain peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, Your Son came to heal the sick and forgive sinners. Hear our prayers for those who suffer in any way [including _____________]. Restore them according to Your gracious will, and strengthen their faith in Your faithfulness and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, You made childless Abraham the father of many nations when his body was as good as dead, giving him faith to trust in the promised Christ. Strengthen our faith also to trust Your promises despite our weaknesses and troubles. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, Your Son ate with sinners to call them into righteousness and now feeds us in His Supper, that we might be forgiven. Prepare our hearts to partake of the Sacrament of the Altar with penitence and faith, and so depart in righteousness and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Father, receive our thanks for Your kindness to Abraham, Sarah and all the saints who have gone before us. Preserve us in faith and in righteousness, that we, too, may give You glory now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

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 Prayer

Stand
Offertory

Service of the Sacrament
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 on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting 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

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
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.”

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:

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

688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1     “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
    “All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
    Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.

2     “I am the light, I light the way,
    A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
    I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.

3     “My heart abounds in lowliness,
    My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
    With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.

4     “I teach you how to shun and flee
    What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
    From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”

5     Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
    And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
    In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain

Stand
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

518 By All Your Saints in Warfare                             sts. 1,25, 3
1     By all Your saints in warfare,
    For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
    Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
    That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
    Reflected from Your throne.

D 3     Then let us praise the Father
    And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
    Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
    Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
    And praise to God alone.
Text: Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1823–1913, alt.
Text: Public domain

+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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Holy Trinity – June 4, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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, emeritus
  Elder                   Gil McMillan
  Acolyte                  Becca Potts
  Organist              Fred Weber
  Communion Preparation   Sonja Helley
    Ushers                 Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE is sponsoring a trip to the Rivercats game this Saturday, June 10th.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). There will be a decorating “party” on Saturday, June 17th. Please speak with Barb if you would like to help with the setup.

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)

Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

The Holy Trinity
June 4, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1     Holy God, we praise Thy name;
    Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
    All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.

2     Hark! The glad celestial hymn
    Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
    In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!

3     Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
    Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
    And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.

4     Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
    Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
    As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.

D 5     Holy Father, holy Son,
    Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
   Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain

L      O Lord, open my lips,
C     [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L      Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C     [spoken] 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]                                                           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     [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.

Sit
Reading                                                       Genesis 1:1—2:4a
L      A reading from Genesis, chapter 1.

    1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The 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.
    3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
    6And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
    9And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
    11And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
    14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
    20And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
    24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
    26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.
    28And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
    1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
4These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Reading                                                        Acts 2:14a, 22–36
L      A reading from Acts, chapter 2.

    14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .
    22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
    for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
    my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
    or let your Holy One see corruption.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
    29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
    35until I make your enemies your footstool.’
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Reading                                                       Matthew 28:16–20
L      A reading from Matthew, chapter 28.

    16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Responsor
L      Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C     [spoken] 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     [spoken] 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     [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.

Sit
Hymn of the Day: 507 “Holy, Holy, Holy”
1     Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
    Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
    God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

2     Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
    Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
    Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3     Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
    Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
    Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

4     Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
    All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
    God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826
Text: Public domain

Sermon     “The Tri-unity of God”             (all lessons of the day)

“The Tri-unity of God” – Genesis 1:1-2:4, Acts 2:14a, 22-36, Matthew 28:16-20
The festival that we celebrate on this day is very different from the other festivals of the Church Year. The other festivals celebrate events. Christmas is the birth of our Lord. Epiphany is the coming of the Magi. Good Friday is the death of our Lord on the cross. Easter is His return to life. Ascension is His ascension into heaven. Pentecost is the special revelation of the Holy Spirit. The list could go on and on. The point is that every one of these festival days commemorates a special event in the life of the church. The Feast of the Holy Trinity, on the other hand, calls our attention, not to an event, but to a teaching of the Bible … the teaching that while God is one in essence, He is a community of three persons.
Furthermore, while the Bible assumes and describes this three-in-one nature of God, it does not give a name to that nature. As many people point out, you cannot find the words triune or trinity in the Bible. You can find descriptions of God that match the doctrine of the Trinity, but you will not find the actual words triune or trinity in the Bible.
It should not bother us that the words “triune” or “trinity” are not in the Bible. After all, things were falling when people dropped them a long time before we had the word “gravity.” Boats and other things were floating on water a long time before we had the word “buoyancy.” Birds, butterflies, and other things were flying a long time before we had the word “aerodynamics.” Just because we do or do not have a word for something does not mean that something does or does not exist. The question is, “Can we find evidence of this three-in-one nature of God in the Bible?”
We can begin with the Gospel that we just heard. Jesus was about to ascend into heaven and He gave the church instructions to baptize and teach disciples. His instructions call for the church to baptize in the name of God and He said, “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) Note that the word “name” is singular. There is only one name. At the same time, there are three persons … Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus gave instructions to baptize in one name and three persons.
Before we heard Jesus in the Gospel, we heard Peter preach on that special Pentecost that we celebrated last week. In the words that we heard today, Peter was making the case that because Jesus rose from the dead, He is God the Savior. As He made his case, he freely spoke of the Father and the Holy Spirit. He said, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” (Acts 2:32–33) With these words, Peter not only showed that Jesus is the Savior, but He is also the Son of God who received the promise of the Holy Spirit from God the Father. Jesus Himself poured out the Holy Spirit with the signs of the sound of a mighty wind, the tongues of fire, and the ability to speak foreign languages.
Because the signs of that special Pentecost are so spectacular, we might be tempted to believe that that is the debut of the Holy Spirit … that He really didn’t do a lot before that special day. However, the first reading that we heard this morning shows that the Holy Spirit has always been around. 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. (Genesis 1:1–2) Here we see that the Spirit of God was active in the beginning when God created the world.
God reveals Himself through the Bible. As He reveals Himself, we continually encounter only one true God who is a community of three persons. Jesus revealed the Father and prayed to Him. The Father recognized Jesus as His Beloved Son. Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. At the same time, the Bible clearly proclaims that there is one and only one God. The Bible clearly proclaims God as three persons … Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At the same time, it clearly proclaims that God is one and there is no other.
Each of the readings we heard this morning calls attention to one person of the Trinity. The Old Testament reading tells of creation and we generally ascribe the work of creation to the Father. The second reading is part of the history of the Church and we generally ascribe the planting and nurturing of faith and the birth of the church to the Holy Spirit. The Gospel shows Jesus teaching and instituting a sacrament and these are the works we generally ascribe to Jesus the Son of God. So, each reading focuses on one member of the Trinity.
While each of these readings calls attention to one member of the Trinity, they also call attention to the fact that the three persons of the one God work together. As the Father creates the heavens and the Earth, there is the Spirit hovering over the face of the waters. As Peter preaches by the power of the Holy Spirit, he preaches about the Son. As Jesus established the sacrament of Holy Baptism, He tells us to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Whenever we see one person of the Triune God take a leading role, we will always find the other two persons making their contribution. The persons of the Triune God always work together as a team.
This is especially clear in the work that the Son of God did when He took on our human nature. Even His conception as a man was a team effort. When the Son took on our human nature, God the Father sent Him and He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Here we see all three persons of the Trinity at work.
The same three persons of the Triune God that worked together at His incarnation continued to do so throughout His life. Jesus began His public ministry at His Baptism. What happened? The Holy Spirit came down as a dove. The Father declared that Jesus is His Beloved Son and that He is well pleased with Jesus. Jesus began His mission of salvation together with the Father and Holy Spirit, and all are active in completing our salvation. He regularly prayed to His Father, and the Spirit was with him every step of the way.
Then came the final days of His life. An amazing thing happened while Jesus hung on the cross. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Somehow, in a way that is beyond understanding, the tight relationship of the Triune God experienced forsakenness. We can’t imagine what or how that happened. Nevertheless, it had to be horrible. Yet even in that forsakenness, the influence of the Father was still there … Jesus was carrying out His Father’s will by going to the cross. On Easter morning, the Father raised him from the dead. Later, when Jesus ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to establish and nurture the Church. Jesus Christ, the Son of God began, continued, and ended His time here on this earth in complete harmony with the other persons of the Trinity.
When God created us, He created us to be in perfect harmony with the Triune God as well. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) God created humanity in His image … sinless, immortal, intelligent, and with a soul that was breathed into us by the very breathe of God. We were to act on God’s behalf and rule in His name. God gave us a most excellent beginning and declared us to be very good.
That goodness did not last long. The serpent got into the garden and enticed our first parents to doubt God’s goodness. Our first parents began to think that they knew better than God. Instead of honoring God by declining the forbidden fruit, they dishonored Him by taking the fruit and eating it. They sinned against God and with that sin they brought death into the world. Our first parents broke their relationship with God and we have been unable to restore that relationship ever since.
That is the reason that the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, did what He did. In His love for us the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. That is the reason that He suffered hell on the cross as the Father forsook Him. He endured all this in order to renew that relationship that He originally had with us in Eden.
How do we receive that new relationship? Once again we see the teamwork of the Triune God at work. Just as the Father sent the Son to earn our forgiveness, so He sends the Holy Spirit to offer that forgiveness to us through the gift of faith. In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us how the Holy Spirit gives that gift of faith. The Holy Spirit works through the Church to make disciples. He begins with Holy Baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and He continues by teaching [those disciples] to observe all that [Jesus] commanded. As the Church follows Christ’s instructions to baptize and teach, the Holy Spirit works through Holy Baptism and instruction in the doctrines of Jesus Christ to create and strengthen faith in us. Thus today’s Gospel not only relates Christ’s instructions to baptize and teach, but also tells us that this is how the Holy Spirit will make disciples and gather them into the Church.
On this Holy Trinity Sunday, our readings remind us once again of the unity of the three persons in the one God. Even though each person of the Trinity has His primary role … the Father as creator, the Son as Redeemer, the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier … each person of the Trinity is involved with everything that God does … especially in the work of redeeming us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. For we are justified by God the Father’s grace, for God the Son’s sake, through God the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. So we see that in all things … especially our salvation … the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God. 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
Prayer of the Church - The Holy Trinity (A) - 4 June 2023

Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth, we bless Your name. You have called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Guard Your Church, purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Keep her in the true faith, without error, schism or compromise, until that day when You welcome her home as Your spotless Bride. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty Father, as the Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the deep, You uttered Your Word and the world was created. In the waters of Holy Baptism, You have spoken our names and declared us righteous. You have drawn us to Jesus, the light of life, and saved us. Let His light now shine through us, that others may see our good works and give glory to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious God, we thank You for Your abiding presence in all times of life, especially in our homes by Your Word. Protect our youth from all temptation and sin. Lead broken families to confess their wrongs to You and to each other, and then to forgive each other as in Christ You forgive them. Open the hearts of all married people, [especially _____________ and all who celebrate anniversaries,] that their love for each other may never grow weary but deepen and grow through every joy and sorrow shared. Be with the elderly as they cope with physical limitations and weaknesses. Give them spiritual strength to cling to Your mercies, which are new every morning. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

In government and law, Father, You work to establish and preserve order, protecting the weak and fostering godly virtue. Bless our president; our governor; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Bless all who defend us in the armed forces, aid us in the emergency and medical fields, or inform us. Hinder those who oppress any people with mistruth, violence or fear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty Father, as You continue to uphold Your creation, be with us as we still suffer under the curse of sin. By Your will, grant healing to the sick, comfort to the lonely, relief to those whose hearts are heavy with grief, and aid to those who are in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, in the blessed Sacrament Your Son gives His body as the bread of heaven and His blood as the cup of salvation. Help us to receive this blessed Sacrament with faith and show forth the fruits of the Spirit in lives of faith, repentance and goodness. 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.

Kyrie
C     [spoken] 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:

525 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
1     Crown Him with many crowns,
    The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns
    All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
    Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless king
    Through all eternity.

2     Crown Him the virgin’s Son,
    The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
    Which now His brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic rose,
    Yet of that rose the stem,
The root whence mercy ever flows,
    The babe of Bethlehem.

3     Crown Him the Lord of love.
    Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
    In beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky
    Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bend their wond’ring eyes
    At mysteries so bright.

4     Crown Him the Lord of life,
    Who triumphed o’er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
    For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
    Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
    And lives that death may die.

5     Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
    Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
    The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
  As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
    For He is king of all.
Text (sts. 1–3, 5): Matthew Bridges, 1800–94, alt.; (st. 4): Godfrey Thring, 1823–1903
Text: Public domain

905 “Come, Thou Almighty King”
1     Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing;
    Help us to praise;
Father all-glorious,
O’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
    Ancient of Days.

2     Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword;
    Our prayer attend.
Come and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success,
And let Thy righteousness
    On us descend.

3     Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
    In this glad hour!
Thou, who almighty art,
Now rule in ev’ry heart,
And ne’er from us depart,
    Spirit of pow’r.

D 4     To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be
    Hence evermore!
Thy sov’reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
    Love and adore.
Text: English, before 1760, 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 and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever.
C     Amen.

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     [spoken] 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     [spoken]Amen.

Closing Hymn: 506 “Glory Be to God the Father”
1     Glory be to God the Father,
    Glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit:
    Great Jehovah, Three in One!
        Glory, glory
    While eternal ages run!

2     Glory be to Him who loved us,
    Washed us from each spot and stain;
Glory be to Him who bought us,
    Made us kings with Him to reign!
        Glory, glory
    To the Lamb that once was slain!

3     Glory to the King of angels,
    Glory to the Church’s King,
Glory to the King of nations;
    Heav’n and earth, your praises bring!
        Glory, glory
    To the King of glory sing!

4     Glory, blessing, praise eternal!
    Thus the choir of angels sings;
Honor, riches, pow’r, dominion!
    Thus its praise creation brings.
        Glory, glory,
    Glory to the King of kings!
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Day of Pentecost – May 28, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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, emeritus
         Elder                   Howard Holman
         Lay Reader         Robert Potts
            Acolyte                  Sue Hullen
            Organist              Coleen Tallman
            Communion Preparation   Pat Tavare
            Ushers                 Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).

Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.

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 LORD is the everlasting God.    Isaiah 40:28
The Day of Pentecost
May 28, 2023
Pre-Service Music 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
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[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                                 Liturgical Text; Psalm 104:24, 27–28, 30
P Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

Kyrie

Gloria in Excelsis

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     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.

Sit
Old Testament Reading                                  Numbers 11:24–30
    24Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
    26Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                              Psalm 25:1–5
1To you, | O Lord,*
    I lift | up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be | put to shame;*
    let not my enemies exult | over me.
3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;*
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, | O Lord;*
    teach me | your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my sal- | vation;*
    for you I wait all the | day long.

Second Reading                                                    Acts 2:1–21
    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.’”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia

Holy Gospel                                                       John 7:37–39
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventh chapter.

    37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

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: 768 “To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray”
1     To God the Holy Spirit let us pray
For the true faith needed on our way
That He may defend us when life is ending
And from exile home we are wending.
    Lord, have mercy!

2     O sweetest Love, Your grace on us bestow;
Set our hearts with sacred fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Ev’ry stranger, sister, and brother.
    Lord, have mercy!

3     Transcendent Comfort in our ev’ry need,
Help us neither scorn nor death to heed
That we may not falter nor courage fail us
When the foe shall taunt and assail us.
    Lord, have mercy!

4     Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light;
Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright
That we may abide in the Lord who bought us,
Till to our true home He has brought us.
    Lord, have mercy!
Text: tr. Worship Supplement, 1969, alt.; (st. 1): German, c. 13th cent.; (sts. 2–4): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Sermon “Extraordinary Ordinary and Adequate”  John 7:37-39
Extraordinarly Ordinary and Adequate – John 7:37-39
If there’s one day within the life of the Church that can produce the unintended consequence of causing people to feel grossly inadequate in their faithful service to God, it’s this day—Pentecost. Today we hear about faithful disciples boldly and masterfully speaking in tongues, and thousands of people hearing, repenting, and converting. The Church grew by thousands because of the amazing evangelistic efforts of a few. There’s not a single pastor or congregation out there who wouldn’t love to experience even a fraction of such extraordinary and miraculous results. If only…. And this is where the feelings of inadequacy start to surface.
In proud fashion, though, we attempt to overcome these feelings of inadequacy. We try to manufacture and re-produce the results. Churches do it all the time. Re-produce the excitement; manufacture some awe and inspiration, and perhaps you’ll also re-produce the massive influx of new members. If you’re not putting on the biggest, most entertaining and uplifting show in town, then you’re doing something wrong. You don’t stand a chance. You’ll never experience your own personal Pentecost. You’re just a congregation waiting to die.
Well…I don’t believe a word of that. You know why? It’s not true. It’s not right. It’s not faithful. You see, the disciples never set out to have this Pentecost experience. They didn’t organize focus groups and community polls to find out what the public masses were looking for so that they could “scratch the itch of the masses” and make a big public splash. They didn’t sit down at a board meeting and discuss membership data and formulate marketing plans and advertising so that they could increase their market share. They didn’t even wake up that morning with the intention of going out from behind the safety of their locked doors. It wasn’t their plans and purposes and intentions that made that first Pentecost what it was. It was Almighty God.
It was the work of the Holy Spirit, who not only spoke the Truth of the Gospel through these men, endowing them with the gift of proclamation in a foreign tongue, but who also summoned a huge crowd of people to their front yard so that the crowd could hear the Gospel proclaimed to them. Remember: The text tells us that the “sound” of this great rushing wind caused everyone to come running so that they could find out what was going on. Faith comes by hearing. This hearing led the masses right to the source and wellspring of the Gospel. These men didn’t manufacture anything. In terms of “success,” these men were grossly inadequate, in and of themselves. Left to their own devices and schemes and plans, they would’ve produced nothing but ruin and despair. This Pentecost miracle was all God’s working. All glory and honor (and credit) belong to Him.
And that’s why I want to draw your attention to the words of your Lord and Savior in the Gospel lesson for this morning. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Look around at this sinfully parched and barren world that we call “home.” Do you think we need a good healthy drink of the living water that is Christ Jesus? The answer to that question is so obvious, it could be summed up in one word – “yes.” Who is quenching the thirst of the sinfully thirsty? Who is giving life to those dying from spiritual dehydration? Jesus! To say that we’re grossly inadequate in our personal capabilities to save and deliver people from damnation is an understatement. We’re not inadequate. We’re completely and utterly incapable, in and of ourselves…just like those first disciples were on that first Pentecost Sunday.
And this is precisely why I love this text for Pentecost Sunday meditation. So many people have the very best intentions to serve God. They desperately want to overcome their inadequacies. They want to grow Christ’s Church, by any means necessary. Who doesn’t want to see growth? Who wouldn’t love to say that their church is the epitome of “success”? But…are we willing to let God grow His Church His way and by His means, or do we perhaps attempt to manufacture and re-produce the desired growth on our own? Look at it this way: If someone is dying of thirst, will an interpretive dance quench their deadly thirst and save them? If someone is dying of dehydration, will a rousing game of paintball or cards or a trip to the bowling alley save them? Will beautiful place-settings and a decorated fellowship hall and a kitchen with all the bells and whistles give them the drink of life they so desperately need? “You’re thirsty? Here…look at our fancy new stove.” If someone is dying of dehydration, will it help them and save them to know that you and your little group of friends got together privately and thought about them or talked about them while you drank? Kind of sounds like what often passes for “church” nowadays, doesn’t it?
This is what Pentecost is all about! It’s not a one-day-out-of-the-year kind of thing. It’s not a result to emulate and attempt to mass reproduce. It’s simply letting God work, in you and through you, and hopefully not in spite of you. “Out of his heart will flow living waters.” Christ not only quenches your deadly dehydration, but He flows through you to your thirsty neighbor in need. My question for you is: What flows forth from you? What do people get a drink of when they encounter you? Do they receive the life-giving waters of Christ through you and your words and deeds, or do they get a shot full of sin; a tall drink of septic sin flowing forth from your septic, self-centered, idolatrous heart? When you get down to it, it really is that simple; as simple as giving a drink of water; as simple as being the overflowing cup that Christ uses to quench the thirst of all those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
As I said earlier, people want to see growth. We all do. It’s natural. We want to have the same “big score” those first disciples did on that first Pentecost. We all want to be thought of as successful, individually and congregationally. We all want to see and experience more Pentecost results. We’d even be content with fractions of those results. Let God work. Let Him quench the thirst of all those who are sinfully dehydrated and dying in their sin. Open the floodgates and let the Word work, even if it’s one little drink at a time to one little thirsty soul in need. One soul saved is a Pentecost miracle; a miracle that causes the very angels in heaven to rejoice. Faith comes by hearing; hearing the life-giving Word of Christ. Just think about that first Pentecost message. “This Jesus, whom you crucified….” The mass of individuals, cut to their hearts, hear this and respond, “What shall we do to be saved?” “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” So simple. So concise. So right to the Christological point. Law and Gospel in its purest form.
Your Lord—your Good Shepherd—endeavors to lead His dehydrated flock through the valley of the shadow of death to cool, calm, life-giving waters—EVERYONE. “I desire the death of no man.” Let Him lead. Let Him work. Let Him quench and nourish His way. Proclaim the Good News that Christ Jesus died for our sins. Yes—such a proclamation rightly includes calling sin what it is – SIN. But such a proclamation also includes the life-giving cure—the Gospel Good News that says that all is forgiven and forgotten in the all-quenching, life-saving blood of Jesus.
May this Good News of the Gospel quench and satiate you as you continue to be in the world, but not of the world. May this living water of the Gospel freely flow forth from you as your Lord endeavors to quench and satiate all those who are dehydrated and dying in their sin and despair. May God’s almighty and extraordinarily life-giving miracle of Pentecost, which was begun in the lives of some rather ordinary and inadequate men so many centuries ago, continue to work in you and through you, and not in spite of you. Be at peace—the peace that surpasses all understanding—because, in faith, you are not inadequate; not to God. You are in Christ, and Christ is in you. You, like the other ordinary means that God uses to nourish and feed and save—His Word and Sacraments—are made extraordinary by Christ, in Christ, and because of Christ, and He certainly can and does accomplish the extraordinary through the most ordinary and inadequate. May this peace of Christ be the life-giving water that ever flows in you and through you in all your daily Pentecost opportunities.
To God alone be all the glory, praise, and honor. AMEN.

Offertory

Offering

Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (A) - 28 May 2023

Lord God, heavenly Father, when You filled the disciples with the Holy Spirit, 3,000 souls were called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified. Likewise, fill our congregation, our Synod and the whole Christian Church on earth with the Holy Spirit. Renew us, that the Sacraments may be administered faithfully and many more would be called by the Gospel, enlightened with Your gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You delivered Your Word through Moses and the prophets and fulfilled Your Word in Christ. He was planted in death for our sins and raised for our justification, and in Him shall all the nations of the earth be united. Give us pastors who will preach this truth faithfully and church workers who are devoted to Your service. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You have promised that all who drink from Your living water will well up to eternal life. Help us show forth in holy lives the fruits of the Spirit and live with love toward our neighbor. Remove all pride, prejudice and hate, that we may not hinder the cause of the Gospel shamefully but give welcome to all people in Christ’s name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, we give thanks for those who have served our nation through military service, and we remember with gratitude those who gave their lives for us and the cause of freedom. Help us to honor their sacrifice by using our liberty responsibly. Keep safe all who travel, bless our nation, and help us to protect and increase the privileges we have for those who follow us, looking always to You, from whom these gifts come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Light of this dark world, You have sent the Holy Spirit to Your Church as the comforter. Soothe the wounds of Your people. According to Your will, bring restoration to broken families, heal the sick, uplift the depressed, provide for the poor, uphold the forgotten and answer the prayers of all who call out to You for aid [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, Giver of the Holy Spirit, clear away all distractions, that our hearts and minds may be focused on You. As Christ comes to us in the bread which is His body and the cup of His blood, help us to receive Your gifts with faith and to live from them. Receive our praise and thanksgiving together with the tithes and offerings we bring, as tokens of our trust in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty Father, with Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts through Your Word to rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us against every error, that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and good works, and — trusting firmly in Your grace for us by His death — 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.

Service of the Sacrament
Stand
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 ascended above the heavens and, sitting at Your right hand, poured out on this day the promised Holy Spirit on His chosen disciples. For all this the whole earth rejoices with exceeding joy. 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

Pax Domini

Agnus Dei

Sit
Distribution and Hymns:

913 “O Holy Spirit, Enter In”
1     O Holy Spirit, enter in,
And in our hearts Your work begin,
    Your dwelling place now make us.
Sun of the soul, O Light divine,
Around and in us brightly shine,
    To joy and gladness wake us
        That we may be
    Truly living,
    To You giving
        Prayer unceasing
And in love be still increasing.

2     Give to Your Word impressive pow’r,
That in our hearts from this good hour
    As fire it may be glowing,
That in true Christian unity
We faithful witnesses may be,
    Your glory ever showing.
        Hear us, cheer us
    By Your teaching;
    Let our preaching
        And our labor
Praise You, Lord, and serve our neighbor.

3     O mighty Rock, O Source of life,
Let Your dear Word, in doubt and strife,
    In us be strongly burning
That we be faithful unto death
And live in love and holy faith,
    From You true wisdom learning.
        Your grace and peace
    On us shower;
    By Your power
        Christ confessing,
Let us see our Savior’s blessing.
Text: Michael Schirmer, 1606–73, adapt.; (sts. 1, 3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 2): tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain

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
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: 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
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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 21, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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, emeritus
           Elder                   Mark Klein
           Lay Reader        Wayne Helley
             Acolyte                  Kathy McCarthy
              Organist              Allison Yee
              Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
              Ushers                 Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).

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?

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 Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening 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
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[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 100
P I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

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 King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C     Amen.

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 68:1–10
1God shall arise, his enemies shall be | scattered;*
    and those who hate him shall flee be- | fore him!
2As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive | them away;*
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish be- | fore God!
3But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult be- | fore God;*
    they shall be jubilant | with joy!
4Sing to God, sing praises | to his name;*
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
    exult be- | fore him!
5Father of the fatherless and protector of | widows*
    is God in his holy habi- | tation.
6God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to pros- | perity,*
    but the rebellious dwell in a | parched land.
7O God, when you went out before your | people,*
    when you marched through the | wilderness,
8the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of | Sinai,*
    before God, the God of | Israel.
9Rain in abundance, O God, you | shed abroad;*
    you restored your inheritance as it | languished;
10your flock found a dwell- | ing in it;*
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the | needy.

Epistle                                                  1 Peter 4:12–19; 5:6–11
    12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. . . .
    6Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                       John 17:1–11
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

    1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
    6“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C     Praise to You, O Christ.

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: 539 “Christ Is the World’s Redeemer”
sung to a different melody
1     Christ is the world’s Redeemer,
    The lover of the pure,
The font of heav’nly wisdom,
    Our trust and hope secure,
The armor of His soldiers,
    The Lord of earth and sky,
Our health while we are living,
    Our life when we shall die.

2     Christ has our host surrounded
    With clouds of martyrs bright,
Who wave their palms in triumph
    And fire us for the fight.
Then Christ the cross ascended
    To save a world undone
And, suff’ring for the sinful,
    Our full redemption won.

3     Down through the realm of darkness
    He strode in victory,
And at the hour appointed
    He rose triumphantly.
And now, to heav’n ascended,
    He sits upon the throne
Whence He had ne’er departed,
    His Father’s and His own.

D 4     Glory to God the Father,
    The unbegotten One,
All honor be to Jesus,
    His sole-begotten Son,
And to the Holy Spirit--
    The perfect Trinity.
Let all the worlds give answer:
    Amen! So let it be.
Text: attr. Columba, 521–597; tr. Duncan MacGregor, 1854–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon     “Jesus Prays for Us”                           John 17:1-11

Jesus Prays for Us – John 17:1-11
During the last half of the Easter Season, we have been listening to Jesus in the Upper Room just a few hours before Judas betrayed Him. This morning, we had an opportunity to listen to the prayer Jesus prayed at the close of His teaching. Soon they will leave the Upper Room and make their way to Gethsemane where Judas would betray Him into the hands of the temple guard.
This is one of the few accounts of the actual words of Jesus in prayer. The Gospel accounts tell us that prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life, but most of the time, they do not tell us the actual words that He prayed. At this time, just before Jesus took the disciples to Gethsemane, Jesus wanted the disciples to hear the words of His prayer, and the Holy Spirit inspired John to record them for us.
In this prayer, we hear Jesus in His state of humiliation. Although He is both God and man in one person, He did not use His Divine power for His own benefit. As you listen to this prayer, you hear the prayer of a man who endures great stress. He knows what is coming. He knows that the next 24 hours will hold shame, torture, and death. In His state of humiliation, He will not use His divine power to reduce the anguish of the suffering and death that is coming. At the same time, His words tell us that He is fully aware of His divine nature. He will speak of the divine results of His suffering. He will also speak of His eternal existence in the presence of God the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard is only the first half of the prayer. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the overall organization of the entire prayer before we get into the details of what we heard this morning.
Jesus began with prayer for Himself. Just as the flight attendant on an airline instructs you to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then you will have the oxygen you need to help others, so also, when we pray, it is appropriate to pray for ourselves first, so that we may better pray for others. That is exactly what Jesus did.
Second, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He prayed that the Father would strengthen and keep them, not only during the next few days of grief for their dead teacher, but also for the years of persecution as they proclaimed the Gospel.
Finally, in the part of the prayer that we did not hear today, Jesus prayed for you. He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. (John 17:20) This part of the prayer is for all New Testament believers. For it is by the proclamation of the Gospel that these people come to believe. It is by the proclamation of the Gospel that you came to believe.
So, the prayer begins as Jesus prayed for Himself. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John speaks frequently of this hour. At the wedding in Cana Jesus had a conversation with His mother. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:3–4) At another time, He offended some people with His teaching. So they were seeking to arrest him, but “no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:30) And again: “These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20) Now, in this prayer, Jesus acknowledges that the hour has come.
The hour Jesus speaks of is His appointment with the work that will earn the forgiveness of sins for all people. Jesus knows full well about the shame, suffering, and death that waits for Him. He knows full well the wrath of God that He will endure as He takes our punishment onto Himself. And so it is that He begins, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1)
Jesus continued His prayer, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John uses the words glory or glorify about forty times. When we hear the words glory and glorify outside the Bible, they usually refer to fame, honor, wealth, and so forth. This is not what these words mean in the Bible. Within the Bible, glory is lowly service. In the case of Jesus, His greatest glory comes as He hangs on the cross. With these words, Jesus prayed for the strength to submit to death on the cross.
But what is the benefit of Christ’s glory on the cross? Jesus prayed for that as well as He prayed, “Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1–3) The glory of Christ on the cross gives eternal life to all who know God, but not just any god. Eternal Life is for those who know the only true God who sent Jesus Christ to suffer the glory of the cross. It is not enough to say, “I believe in god.” There are many religions that believe in god. The true religion knows the only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent from God.
There is also comfort in this prayer for those who are afraid that their faith is not strong enough … that they are not sure of their salvation. Throughout this prayer, Jesus speaks of the disciples as those whom the Father has given Him. The disciples were not responsible for their faith. The disciples did not attach themselves to Jesus of their own will. Instead, God chose them. Jesus prayed for them as a gift to Him from God the Father. Likewise, God has chosen you. It is God who chooses those who receive Christ’s gift of eternal life.
After Jesus asked for strength for His glorification on the cross, He acknowledged the work that He already did. He prayed, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:4–8) The cross is the crowning glory of Jesus Christ, but the cross would be no good if Jesus did not also lead a perfect life. The blood that He shed on the cross must be innocent. He lived a perfect life under the law.
Part of that perfect life involved the proclamation of the words that the Father gave Him to proclaim. The saving work of Jesus Christ does no good if no one proclaims it. It is when the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel, that God brings people to faith in Jesus so that they receive the gifts that He has for them. Jesus conducted a ministry of teaching and healing. He proclaimed the words that the Father had given Him. Jesus had finished the work the Father sent Him to do before He endured the glory of the cross. He had prepared everything according to the Father’s will. Now it was the time for Him to submit passively to the cross.
As Jesus acknowledged the completion of the task of proclamation, He transitioned into prayer for His disciples. He prayed, “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:8–11)
With these words, Jesus prayed specifically for those whom the Father had chosen. He knew that they would endure incredible grief over the next few days. He, their teacher and their friend, would be arrested, hung on a cross, and buried in a tomb. He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. Jesus did not want them to be alone at this time.
Jesus was also looking ahead to the time after His resurrection. He knew that He would soon ascend into heaven. Again, He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. After Jesus ascended, they would continue to endure the attacks of this sinful world. They needed protection. Jesus prayed for the Father to keep them unified … not just in any unity, but in the unity of God’s name. Jesus prayed, that in the name of God, they would have the transcendent unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
With these words, we come to the end of the Gospel reading for this day. Jesus’ prayer continues to the end of the chapter. I encourage you to take the time to read the entire prayer.
Jesus had fulfilled His ministry of teaching and healing. Everything was in place. The time had come for Him to endure the glory of the cross. He prayed that God the Father would sustain Him so that He would glorify the Father and the Father would glorify Him. By enduring the glory of the cross, He would give eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him. He prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples while He hung on the cross and laid in the grave. He also prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples as, at the time of the ascension, His presence with them changed from the visible to the sacramental. As we came to the ending of today’s reading, we heard Jesus pray for the unity of the church in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went on to pray specifically for you as He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20) He continues to pray for you to this very day.
Of course, God answered Jesus’ prayer. Jesus did indeed endure the glory of the cross to earn eternal life for you, me, and all people. Jesus opened the way to eternal life by rising from the dead. God poured out the Holy Spirit to call us by the Gospel and enlighten us with His gifts. Eternal life is already ours in Christ. Although our understanding of God’s unity is imperfect in this life, we are unified in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
When we leave this world, God will fully glorify us with him forever in heaven. There we will finally see and fully partake of the glory of the Father, not as a reward but as a promise … eternal inheritance for all believers. Until that day, we pray that God would use us to glorify his name in this world in all that we do. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the Church

Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (A) - 21 May 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Lord God, Ruler of all, protect and defend Your Church from every attack of the devil who prowls and seeks to devour. Where he tempts, strengthen Your people to resist his seductions and terrors; where he gains a foothold with false teaching or ungodly living, call to repentance and holiness; and where he incites enemies against Your Word and Church, preserve Your saints in the faith, that they may rejoice to share in the sufferings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, bless the work of our missionaries. Bring forth Your harvest from the seeds they sow. Support those who endure fiery trials for Your name. As they shine the light of the Gospel into hostile darkness, guard them with the sign of Your cross. Let them rejoice that in tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, they share in Your very sufferings. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, You hold the might of man in Your hand and can destroy all things by Your mighty power. Bless our nation and all the peoples of the world. Where war and violence threaten, bring peace and justice. Where oppression reigns, bring liberty. Watch over those who defend us, especially the men and women of our armed forces and those who protect within our communities. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, You have saved us by Your grace. We pray for the sick, the distressed, those whose hearts are heavy, those whose lives are burdened, those who mourn and all who are in any need [especially _____________]. Grant them healing according to Your will, strength and mercy according to their needs, and the peace that passes understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, Your Son is both host and meal in the Sacrament of the Altar. Give us faith to recognize His body and blood and to receive with grateful faith this blessed food in Holy Communion. Guide us to live faithfully here on earth until we live forever with You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, as the first Christians devoted themselves to prayer and worship following Christ’s glorious ascension, preserve us in the same until we are raised with all the saints to Your heavenly kingdom; 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.

Offering 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.

Having revealed Your glory in the face of Your only-begotten Son, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation, You have exalted Him to the highest majesty at Your right hand, that He might graciously fill all things.

Grant us faithfully to eat and drink this Holy Supper, trusting our reigning Savior Jesus, who, though unseen in His ascended glory, is here present to save by 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

Text: Stephen P. Starke

Sit

Distribution and Hymns:

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

772 “In Holy Conversation”
1     In holy conversation
    We speak to God in prayer,
And at His invitation
    Our deepest thoughts we share.
We come, His will obeying,
    As children bringing needs;
And to support our praying,
    His Spirit intercedes.

2     These holy conversations
    Begin in childlike ways;
We bring our supplications
    And words of thanks and praise.
With care our Father listens
    To ev’ry thought expressed,
Then answers our petitions
    In ways He knows are best.

3     As holy conversation,
    In silence or by word,
In ev’ry situation
    Through Jesus, we are heard.
So let us pray securely,
    Expressing hopes and fears
With confidence that surely
    Our Father ever hears.
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

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: 829 “Christ the Eternal Lord”
1     Christ the eternal Lord,
    Whose promise here we claim,
Whose gifts of grace are freely poured
    On all who name Your name;
With thankfulness and praise
    We stand before Your throne,
Intent to serve You all our days
    And make Your glory known.

2     Christ the unchanging Word
    To ev’ry passing age,
Whose timeless teachings still are heard
    Set forth on Scripture’s page;
Transform our thought and mind,
    Enlighten all who read,
Within Your Word by faith to find
    The bread of life indeed.

3     Christ the redeeming Son,
    Who shares our human birth,
And by His death salvation won
    For ev’ry child of earth;
Inspire our hearts, we pray,
    To tell Your love abroad,
That all may honor Christ today
    And follow Him as Lord.

4     Christ the unfading Light
    Of everlasting day,
Our Morning Star in splendor bright,
    The Life, the Truth, the Way;
That light of truth You give
    To servants as to friends,
Your way to walk, Your life to live,
    Till earth’s brief journey ends.

5     Christ the ascended King
    Exalted high above,
Whose praise unending ages sing,
    Whom yet unseen we love;
When mortal life is past
    Your voice from heaven’s throne
Shall call Your children home at last
    To know as we are known.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1999 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives!+

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

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, emeritus
           Elder                   Howard Holman
             Acolyte                  Gena Dillon
              Organist              Fred Weber
              Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
              Ushers                 Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

ALSO ON THURSDAY, A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY is scheduled for 10 a.m. via Zoom. Questions? Ask Barb Whitley. Thanks.

DELTA DASH is scheduled for this coming Saturday. See Randy Peeters if you have any questions. Thanks.
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).

The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 14, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 594 “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It”
1     God’s own child, I gladly say it:
    I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it,
    Gave my full redemption price.
Do I need earth’s treasures many?
I have one worth more than any
    That brought me salvation free
    Lasting to eternity!

2     Sin, disturb my soul no longer:
    I am baptized into Christ!
I have comfort even stronger:
    Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.
Should a guilty conscience seize me
Since my Baptism did release me
    In a dear forgiving flood,
    Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?

3     Satan, hear this proclamation:
    I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation,
    I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I’ve traveled,
All your might has come unraveled,
    And, against your tyranny,
    God, my Lord, unites with me!

4     Death, you cannot end my gladness:
    I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness
    To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes
Faith’s assurance brightly flashes:
    Baptism has the strength divine
    To make life immortal mine.

5     There is nothing worth comparing
    To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring:
    Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
    I am baptized into Christ;
    I’m a child of paradise!
Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. Robert E. Voelker, 1957
Text: © 1991 Robert E. Voelker. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[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 119:105, 89–93
P Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.   I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.

Kyrie

This Is the Feast

Salutation and Collect of the Day

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.

Sit
First Reading                                                     Acts 17:16–31
    16While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
    22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                            Psalm 66:8–20
8Bless our God, O | peoples;*
    let the sound of his | praise be heard,
9who has kept our soul among the | living*
    and has not let our | feet slip.
10For you, O God, have | tested us;*
    you have tried us as sil- | ver is tried.
11You brought us in- | to the net;*
    you laid a crushing burden | on our backs;
12you let men ride o- | ver our heads;*
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of a- | bundance.
13I will come into your house with burnt | offerings;*
    I will perform my | vows to you,
14that which my lips | uttered*
    and my mouth promised when I was in | trouble.
15I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacri- | fice of rams;*
I will make an offering of | bulls and goats.
16Come and hear, all you who | fear God,*
    and I will tell what he has done | for my soul.
17I cried to him | with my mouth,*
    and high praise was | on my tongue.
18If I had cherished iniquity | in my heart,*
    the Lord would not have | listened.
19But truly God has | listened;*
    he has attended to the voice | of my prayer.
20Blessèd | be God,*
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast | love from me!
Epistle                                                            1 Peter 3:13–22
    13Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
    18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                      John 14:15–21
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fourteenth chapter.

    15[Jesus said:] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
    18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

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         “The Paraclete Comes”                    John 14:15-21

Jesus Prays for Us – John 17:1-11
During the last half of the Easter Season, we have been listening to Jesus in the Upper Room just a few hours before Judas betrayed Him. This morning, we had an opportunity to listen to the prayer Jesus prayed at the close of His teaching. Soon they will leave the Upper Room and make their way to Gethsemane where Judas would betray Him into the hands of the temple guard.
This is one of the few accounts of the actual words of Jesus in prayer. The Gospel accounts tell us that prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life, but most of the time, they do not tell us the actual words that He prayed. At this time, just before Jesus took the disciples to Gethsemane, Jesus wanted the disciples to hear the words of His prayer, and the Holy Spirit inspired John to record them for us.
In this prayer, we hear Jesus in His state of humiliation. Although He is both God and man in one person, He did not use His Divine power for His own benefit. As you listen to this prayer, you hear the prayer of a man who endures great stress. He knows what is coming. He knows that the next 24 hours will hold shame, torture, and death. In His state of humiliation, He will not use His divine power to reduce the anguish of the suffering and death that is coming. At the same time, His words tell us that He is fully aware of His divine nature. He will speak of the divine results of His suffering. He will also speak of His eternal existence in the presence of God the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard is only the first half of the prayer. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the overall organization of the entire prayer before we get into the details of what we heard this morning.
Jesus began with prayer for Himself. Just as the flight attendant on an airline instructs you to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then you will have the oxygen you need to help others, so also, when we pray, it is appropriate to pray for ourselves first, so that we may better pray for others. That is exactly what Jesus did.
Second, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He prayed that the Father would strengthen and keep them, not only during the next few days of grief for their dead teacher, but also for the years of persecution as they proclaimed the Gospel.
Finally, in the part of the prayer that we did not hear today, Jesus prayed for you. He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. (John 17:20) This part of the prayer is for all New Testament believers. For it is by the proclamation of the Gospel that these people come to believe. It is by the proclamation of the Gospel that you came to believe.
So, the prayer begins as Jesus prayed for Himself. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John speaks frequently of this hour. At the wedding in Cana Jesus had a conversation with His mother. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:3–4) At another time, He offended some people with His teaching. So they were seeking to arrest him, but “no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:30) And again: “These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20) Now, in this prayer, Jesus acknowledges that the hour has come.
The hour Jesus speaks of is His appointment with the work that will earn the forgiveness of sins for all people. Jesus knows full well about the shame, suffering, and death that waits for Him. He knows full well the wrath of God that He will endure as He takes our punishment onto Himself. And so it is that He begins, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1)
Jesus continued His prayer, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John uses the words glory or glorify about forty times. When we hear the words glory and glorify outside the Bible, they usually refer to fame, honor, wealth, and so forth. This is not what these words mean in the Bible. Within the Bible, glory is lowly service. In the case of Jesus, His greatest glory comes as He hangs on the cross. With these words, Jesus prayed for the strength to submit to death on the cross.
But what is the benefit of Christ’s glory on the cross? Jesus prayed for that as well as He prayed, “Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1–3) The glory of Christ on the cross gives eternal life to all who know God, but not just any god. Eternal Life is for those who know the only true God who sent Jesus Christ to suffer the glory of the cross. It is not enough to say, “I believe in god.” There are many religions that believe in god. The true religion knows the only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent from God.
There is also comfort in this prayer for those who are afraid that their faith is not strong enough … that they are not sure of their salvation. Throughout this prayer, Jesus speaks of the disciples as those whom the Father has given Him. The disciples were not responsible for their faith. The disciples did not attach themselves to Jesus of their own will. Instead, God chose them. Jesus prayed for them as a gift to Him from God the Father. Likewise, God has chosen you. It is God who chooses those who receive Christ’s gift of eternal life.
After Jesus asked for strength for His glorification on the cross, He acknowledged the work that He already did. He prayed, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:4–8) The cross is the crowning glory of Jesus Christ, but the cross would be no good if Jesus did not also lead a perfect life. The blood that He shed on the cross must be innocent. He lived a perfect life under the law.
Part of that perfect life involved the proclamation of the words that the Father gave Him to proclaim. The saving work of Jesus Christ does no good if no one proclaims it. It is when the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel, that God brings people to faith in Jesus so that they receive the gifts that He has for them. Jesus conducted a ministry of teaching and healing. He proclaimed the words that the Father had given Him. Jesus had finished the work the Father sent Him to do before He endured the glory of the cross. He had prepared everything according to the Father’s will. Now it was the time for Him to submit passively to the cross.
As Jesus acknowledged the completion of the task of proclamation, He transitioned into prayer for His disciples. He prayed, “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:8–11)
With these words, Jesus prayed specifically for those whom the Father had chosen. He knew that they would endure incredible grief over the next few days. He, their teacher and their friend, would be arrested, hung on a cross, and buried in a tomb. He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. Jesus did not want them to be alone at this time.
Jesus was also looking ahead to the time after His resurrection. He knew that He would soon ascend into heaven. Again, He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. After Jesus ascended, they would continue to endure the attacks of this sinful world. They needed protection. Jesus prayed for the Father to keep them unified … not just in any unity, but in the unity of God’s name. Jesus prayed, that in the name of God, they would have the transcendent unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
With these words, we come to the end of the Gospel reading for this day. Jesus’ prayer continues to the end of the chapter. I encourage you to take the time to read the entire prayer.
Jesus had fulfilled His ministry of teaching and healing. Everything was in place. The time had come for Him to endure the glory of the cross. He prayed that God the Father would sustain Him so that He would glorify the Father and the Father would glorify Him. By enduring the glory of the cross, He would give eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him. He prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples while He hung on the cross and laid in the grave. He also prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples as, at the time of the ascension, His presence with them changed from the visible to the sacramental. As we came to the ending of today’s reading, we heard Jesus pray for the unity of the church in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went on to pray specifically for you as He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20) He continues to pray for you to this very day.
Of course, God answered Jesus’ prayer. Jesus did indeed endure the glory of the cross to earn eternal life for you, me, and all people. Jesus opened the way to eternal life by rising from the dead. God poured out the Holy Spirit to call us by the Gospel and enlighten us with His gifts. Eternal life is already ours in Christ. Although our understanding of God’s unity is imperfect in this life, we are unified in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
When we leave this world, God will fully glorify us with him forever in heaven. There we will finally see and fully partake of the glory of the Father, not as a reward but as a promise … eternal inheritance for all believers. Until that day, we pray that God would use us to glorify his name in this world in all that we do. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 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 - Sixth Sunday of Easter (A) - 14 May 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O Lord, You bless and protect Your people in a world where many false gods, known and unknown, are worshiped. Give Your saints a clear and bold proclamation of Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, Your Son suffered on our behalf to win salvation for us. Grant that we may have the privilege not only of believing in Him but also of suffering for His sake. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of heaven and earth, You have given the Spirit of truth to dwell in us through Holy Baptism. Grant Your Spirit’s steadfast guidance, that the feet of this congregation and its catechumens may not slip into sin and unbelief, but live always in praise of You before the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator, You made from one man all the nations of the earth, and still You sustain us. Grant good leaders in every land who will seek peace and serve justice. Frustrate the causes of evil, violence and oppression. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, You have given us a mirror of Your love in the vocation of mothers who nurture, guide and raise their children in all things good. Bless them in their calling. Sustain them through weary and difficult times. Remember in compassion all who are barren, and bring them comfort through the children of Your Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, You promised not to abandon us in our need nor leave us as orphans. Send forth Your Spirit and work through us, Your people, that the lonely, poor, homeless and travelers may rejoice in Your presence and the power of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Grant healing according to Your will, and sustain in faith those for whom we pray [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We give You thanks for the salvation and life You give us through Christ Jesus. You do not leave Your people as orphans but strengthen the penitent with the body and blood of Your Son. Help us to receive what You offer here for our good, that this Holy Communion may strengthen our faith and equip us for Your service. 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.

Offering 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
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,
     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:

779 “Come, My Soul, with Every Care”
1     Come, my soul, with ev’ry care,
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not turn away.

2     Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and pow’r are such
None can ever ask too much.

3     With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.

4     Lord, Thy rest to me impart,
Take possession of my heart;
There Thy blood-bought right maintain
And without a rival reign.

5     While I am a pilgrim here,
Let Thy love my spirit cheer;
As my guide, my guard, my friend,
Lead me to my journey’s end.

6     Show me what is mine to do;
Ev’ry hour my strength renew.
Let me live a life of faith;
Let me die Thy people’s death.
Text: John Newton, 1725–1807, alt.
Text: Public domain

725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1     Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

2     God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

3     Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

4     Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain

Stand
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: 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
+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives!+

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 © 2023 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 – May 7, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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                   Gil McMillan
             Acolyte                  Becca Potts
              Organist              Karen Broach
              Communion Preparation   Pam Trocha
              Ushers                 Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). ALSO, THERE IS A MEETING TODAY FOLLOWING THIS SERVICE FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS. Please meet in the cry room for this brief meeting.

“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 Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 465 “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds”
1     Now all the vault of heav’n resounds
In praise of love that still abounds:
    “Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat their song of glory here:
    “Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!”
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

2     Eternal is the gift He brings,
Therefore our heart with rapture sings:
    “Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Now still He comes to give us life
And by His presence stills all strife.
    Christ has triumphed! He is living!
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

3     O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
    That we conquer through Your triumph;
Grant grace sufficient for life’s day
That by our lives we truly say:
    “Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

D 4     Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heav’nly blessèd sing:
    “Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!”
Be to the Father and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
    All the glory, never ending!
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Paul Z. Strodach, 1876–1947, alt.
Text: © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

L      O Lord, open my lips,
C     [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L      Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C     [spoken] 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]                                                           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     [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.

Sit
Reading                                                 Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60
L      A reading from Acts, chapter 6.

    1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
    7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
    8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. . . .
    2And Stephen said:
    “Brothers and fathers, hear me. . . .
    51You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
    54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Reading                                                           1 Peter 2:2–10
L      A reading from 1 Peter, chapter 2.

    2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
    4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”
8and
“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
    9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Reading                                                             John 14:1–14
L      A reading from John, chapter 14.

    1[Jesus said:] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
    8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
    12“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

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     [spoken] 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     [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.

Hymn of the Day: 526 “You Are the Way; through You Alone”
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

Sermon “Jesus: The Only Way, Truth and Life”      John 14:6

Jesus: The Only Way, Truth and Life – John 14:6
I once heard a pastor talk about when he lived in Frederick, Maryland, about 50 miles from Washington, DC. He said that on one of his days off, he and his wife drove to the nation’s capital and upon arriving, they could see the Washington Monument in the distance. (By the way, these were the days before GPS.) They decided to drive over to it and have a look around. Well, he said that was easier said than done. Between the various one-way streets and the traffic pattern of downtown Washington, they suddenly found themselves on a bridge going over the Potomac River into Virginia. Then as they were driving along the river on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, they could see the Washington Monument behind them. So, at the next opportunity, they drove back across the Potomac, and, once again, there was the Washington Monument in the distance. They tried not to make the same mistakes, but, in about ten minutes, they found themselves driving across the Potomac and back onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The pastor said they tried several more times. In the process, they discovered many ways to get around in Washington, DC. Nevertheless, they did not discover the way that led to the Washington Monument. Instead, he said that they became very familiar with many of the exit and entrance ramps on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Finally, he said they noticed a sign to Arlington National Cemetery. He said that they drove right to it, parked the car, and toured the cemetery. As they came back out to the parking lot, they saw many tour buses. These buses gave guided tours of Washington, D.C. So they decided to purchase day passes and got on one of the buses. The pastor said: “Do you know that driver took us straight past the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Smithsonian Institute, the White House, AND the Washington Monument? He went to all those places, and more, and we were never lost once. The driver of that bus knew the way.”
In today’s Gospel, we heard Jesus say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) With these words, Jesus teaches that finding the way to the Father is a little bit like trying to find the Washington Monument. It can’t be done. It is only by the way of Jesus that we can come to the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard was a few paragraphs from the teaching in the Upper Room on the night that Jesus was betrayed. Jesus made an important promise concerning the eternal destiny of all believers. He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1–3) Here Jesus teaches us that, although our homes on this earth may be very comfortable, they are only temporary. He has promised that a day will come that even though we are dead, He will raise us up to live with Him forever. On that day, He will take us to His home where He has an eternal dwelling for each and every one of us. These lodgings in the Father’s House are far beyond any luxury that we can even imagine while we live here on this earth.
Then Jesus said something that should give great comfort. He said, “And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:4) Now, the disciples should have known the way. For example: Jesus once said, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18–19) With words like this, Jesus regularly told His disciples about the way He was to go. He would go this way for the life of the world. So that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.
As often as Jesus told them about it, the disciples did not understand. You can’t really blame them. To begin with, resurrection from the dead was extremely rare. Jesus had raised a few people as had some of the prophets. Furthermore, no one in the entire history of the world before or since has come back from the dead under His own power. The disciples did not have the ability to understand that Jesus would rise from the dead after a cruel death on a cross.
I am sure that Thomas spoke for all the disciples when He asked, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5) Thomas was thinking that if He was to be with Jesus, then, somehow, he had to walk the way Jesus walked. He did not understand that Jesus would do the walking for him.
Here is one way that one’s struggle, say, to find the Washington Monument is very different from the disciples’ struggle. Eventually, we can no doubt learn how to find the Washington Monument. On the other hand, neither Thomas nor anyone else could ever find the way to the Father’s house. That is what Jesus meant when He explained, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus was telling His disciples and us that He and He alone is the one who is the way. If you know Him, you know the way.
Our natural instinct is to believe that we can and must find the way … that we may even need to make a way. The devil and the world know about this tendency and encourage it. Satan is more than happy to feed our ego and tell us that we can earn our way into heaven, and the world is more than happy to help Satan out. The world sends us all kinds of messages that pump up our self-esteem – that tell us that the good works you need for heaven might be a bit of a challenge, but we can do it. We’re basically good people. Most of us are nice people. Heaven is within our grasp. We just have to put in a little effort and it will all be ours.
Then there are those who teach that there are many ways and they are all good. Consider an engineer from India. He had a full color photograph of a man on his work desk. The man in the photograph looked as though he was in his early twenties. He wore a lumberjack shirt and blue jeans. One day he was asked who that man was. He said that the man in the photograph was his god. He made it very clear that he worshipped him. He said that there were thousands of gods like that all over the world and that at some point in your life, you had to choose one and worship him, her, or it. When a Christian told him that his God died for him and all people on a cross and then rose from the dead, he thought the Christian had chosen one of the very good gods and that made him happy. Unfortunately, he never quite got the idea that the God the Christian worships is the only true God and our only way of salvation. The world wants us to believe that our eternal destiny is like a great religious smorgasbord from which we get to pick and choose. And one religion is just as good as another.
The world’s view is exactly the opposite of what Jesus told His disciples. 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 only one who can take us to the Father’s house is the Son who comes from that house and Jesus Christ is that Son. He is the way to the Father. He is the truth that keeps us on that way. He is the life that is the destination of that way. Without Jesus there is no way to the Father. Without Jesus there is no saving truth. Without Jesus there is no spiritual life. Jesus is not just one of many ways to the Father. He is the only way to the Father. He is the beginning, middle, and destination of our faith. Any religion that is not based on the person and work of Jesus Christ is false and leads to eternal suffering in hell.
At first, this may sound like it is all law and no gospel, but Christ’s teaching really is good news. Jesus Christ did not say we are the way, the truth, and the life. That would be pure law. If it were true, we would all be doomed. Instead, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6). It is Jesus who makes it possible for us to call God our Father and have a room in His house.
How did Jesus do that? He left His Father’s house and came to this earth to do the works of His Father. While He was here He took on human nature and lived a righteous life under the authority of the law. He allowed the authorities to arrest Him, torture Him, and put Him on a cross. By doing these things He satisfied His Father’s wrath against our sin. This is how He became the way for us to enter His Father’s house. We have confidence that He is the way because He rose from the dead. This is the reason He could say, “He said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3) His resurrection assures us that we too shall rise from death and that He will take us to live with Him.
What gracious words Jesus shared with His disciples in that upper room on the evening before He went to the cross. His words are full of comfort and reassurance. How gracious it is of Christ to prepare a uniquely perfect room for each and every one of us in His Father’s house. How comforting it is to know that Jesus will bring us to His Father’s house safely because He Himself is the way. How reassuring it is to know that Jesus is the full presence of God with us. Most of all, how wonderful it is to know that Jesus’ perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection mean that His Father is also our Father and His Father’s house is also our eternal home. 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
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (A) - 7 May 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Heavenly Father, through the power of Christ’s resurrection You adopt all who believe in Him. Receive us as Your newborn children and nourish our faith through the pure spiritual milk of Your Word, that we may dwell in Your presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, You have promised to build up Your Church to be a holy priesthood, that Your people might offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving acceptable to You. Bless Your Church, and bring all congregations together. Bless all pastors who proclaim Christ to us. Bless church workers and those preparing for full-time church vocations, that we may be supplied with faithful leaders and servants of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy God, Your power brought all things into being and still preserves what You have made. Bless our president; the Congress of these United States; our governor; and all elected and appointed civil servants. Lead them to honor You and Your purpose, establishing order and justice, encouraging virtue, and protecting all life. Give them wisdom and moderation to lead for the well-being of the nation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, who has restored all things by His cross, grant healing, comfort, deliverance and peace to those in need. Bless the sick, the sorrowing, the anxious, the fearful, the homebound, the homeless, the dying and all who have requested our prayers [including _____________]. At the last, give them entrance into Your heavenly kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father of the risen Christ, You give us the crucified and risen body and blood of our Lord in this Holy Supper. Let us taste that the Lord is good and continually grow up unto salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for Your servant St. Stephen, whom Your Son has received into His glory. May we imitate him in faith and love to speak Your truth with boldness, forgiving those who sin against us as Christ forgave His persecutors from the cross. When our last hour comes, let us fall asleep in Him and be born into eternal life; for the sake of Him who was born into our flesh to redeem it, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.

Kyrie
C     [spoken] 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:

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

687 “Thine Forever, God of Love”
1     Thine forever, God of love!
Hear us from Thy throne above;
Thine forever may we be
Here and in eternity!

2     Thine forever! Oh, how blest
They who find in Thee their rest!
Savior, guardian, heav’nly friend,
O defend us to the end!

3     Thine forever, Lord of Life!
Shield us through our earthly strife.
Thou, the life, the truth, the way,
Guide us to the realms of day.

4     Thine forever! Shepherd, keep
These Thy frail and trembling sheep;
Safe alone beneath Thy care,
Let us all Thy goodness share.

5     Thine forever! Thou our guide,
All our wants by Thee supplied,
All our sins by Thee forgiv’n;
Lead us, Lord, from earth to heav’n.
Text: Mary F. Maude, 1819–1913
Text: Public domain

Stand
Collects
L      O Lord, hear my prayer.
C     And let my cry come to You.

Collect of the Day
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C     Amen.

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: 846 “Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old”
1     Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
    Was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed over ills and death,
    O’er darkness and the grave.
To You they came, the blind, the mute,
    The palsied and the lame,
The lepers in their misery,
    The sick with fevered frame.

2     Your touch then, Lord, brought life and health,
    Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and frenzy calmed
    Revealed You, Lord of light.
And now, O Lord, be near to bless,
    Almighty as before,
In crowded street, by beds of pain,
    As by Gennes’ret’s shore.

3     O be our great deliv’rer still,
    The Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless,
    With Your life-giving breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see
    Give wisdom’s healing pow’r
That whole and sick and weak and strong
    May praise You evermore.
Text: Edward H. Plumptre, 1821–91, alt.
Text: Public domain

+vivat Jesus—Jesus lives!+

Announcements

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 © 2023 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 30, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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                   Mark Klein
Lay Reader         Barb Whitley
             Acolyte                  Sue Hullen
              Organist              Karen Broach
              Communion Preparation   Jeri Bliss
              Ushers                 Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
                                           (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities.    For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).

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”]
Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing.
Ps. 100:2
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 30, 2023

PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL

OPENING HYMN:    475, “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”

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.
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

Sit
FIRST LESSON                                                       Acts 2:42-47

    42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

EPISTLE LESSON                                                               1 Peter 2:19-25

                19This is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Stand
GOSPEL LESSON                                                                    John 10:1-10

1[Jesus said:] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
            7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Sit
SERMON HYMN: 709, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”

SERMON               “Our Good Shepherd”                              John 10:1-10
Our Good Shepherd – John 10:1-10
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! This morning we remember that the one who rose from the dead is our Good Shepherd.
In the time and place that Jesus first spoke the words we heard in today’s Gospel, sheep grazed on the open range. There were areas of land that were not of much use for crops, but they still grew vegetation that sheep could eat. It was in these wild, desolate areas that shepherds led their flocks during the day.
Although sheep country was not that great for agriculture, the rocky terrain produced a fine crop of stones. Shepherds often used those stones to build sheepfolds … an enclosure with walls high enough to discourage both animal and human predators. Other times the shepherds would use caves or other natural rock formations for sheepfolds. As the sun went down, the shepherds would bring their flocks together and lead them into one of these sheepfolds. The sheep spent the night in the relative security of the sheepfold.
There was only one opening to the sheepfold and during the night a shepherd would sleep in that opening. That shepherd became the door. No predators could get in and no sheep could get out without waking the shepherd. The only way in or out of that sheepfold was by that shepherd who had become the door of the sheep.
In the morning, each of the shepherds needed to lead his sheep out of the sheepfold. Now how do you make sure that the right flock of sheep goes with the right shepherd? Well, the sheep would know the voice of their shepherd. A shepherd would come to the entrance to the sheepfold and talk or sing to the sheep. The sheep in the shepherd’s flock knew that this voice meant food when they were hungry … water when they were thirsty … and safety at all times. They followed the voice. The sheep in the other flocks didn’t know the voice and they ignored it. All the shepherd had to do was start talking or singing and lead his flock out of the sheepfold to green pastures and still waters.
A man by the name of H. V. Morton was an eyewitness to this very thing. Apparently, while he was in the Holy Land, he was up early one morning in the countryside around Bethlehem. Later, he recorded his experience in a book. He wrote, “Early one morning I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem. Two shepherds had evidently spent the night with their flocks in a cave. The sheep were all mixed together and the time had come for the shepherds to go in different directions. One of the shepherds stood some distance from the sheep and began to call. First one, then another, then four or five animals ran towards him; and so on until he had counted his whole flock” (H. V. Morton, In the Steps of the Master [London, 1935] quoted in L. Morris, The Gospel According to John [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971] p. 502 n. 17).
This is the reason that shepherds made sure that the sheep knew their voice. They spoke to the sheep. They sang to the sheep. The sheep grew used to the voice of their shepherd. That voice became a source of comfort and security. This confidence in the voice of the shepherd was very important for the sheep.
Jesus used this figure of speech to teach about His church. The shepherd is Jesus Himself. The flock of sheep is His church. The thieves and robbers are the false prophets and teachers who would tempt His people to leave His church. The voice that the shepherd uses to call his sheep is the Bible as it is taught in its truth and purity. In essence, Jesus said that the members of His church will follow His word in the same way that sheep will follow the voice of their shepherd. Christ’s Word is our source of comfort and security.
Jesus words become even more interesting if you look at their context. Jesus had just given sight to a man who had been born blind. Jesus performed this miracle on a Sabbath and that really offended the Pharisees. Perhaps you remember that the account of this healing was the Gospel reading about six weeks ago in the season of Lent. You may remember that the Pharisees excommunicated the man who was born blind and they condemned Jesus as well. By then, the man didn’t care because his faith was in Jesus and not in the Pharisees or the synagogue.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees by declaring that, even though they claimed to have spiritual insight, they were spiritually blind. And because they insisted that they had spiritual insight, their guilt remained. Then He began the teaching that we heard in today’s Gospel. Therefore, when Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber,” (John 10:1) He was speaking directly to the Pharisees who condemned Him and who had thrown the man out of the synagogue. He was saying that they were the thieves and robbers.
The Pharisees serve as reminders to us. There are still false teachers today who want to lead us away from our Good Shepherd. They, like the Pharisees at the time of our text, are experts at taking the Word of God out of context. They replace the true meaning of Scripture with their own opinion. Jesus would condemn these false teachers even as He condemned the Pharisees and said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘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.’” (Matthew 15:7–9) Such false teachers will be with us until the Lord returns on the Last Day.
There are millions of false opinions out there. They come in all sizes, shapes, and styles. At first, this might seem overwhelming. How can we guard against false teachings if there are so many? While it is never easy to guard against false teachings, it does become a little easier when you realize that all false teachings have one central teaching. In some way, shape, or form, they all teach that you are at least partially responsible for providing your own salvation. There may be all kinds of rituals. There may be all kinds of teachings. There may be many approaches. But, in the end, somewhere inside it all, you will hear a condition … a condition that says, “When (or “If”) you do something, then you will receive something.” It all depends on you.
It can sound ever so simple, such as: “God wants to bless you. All you have to do is think happy thoughts and then He will give you a life of victory.” At first, this sounds tempting, but then we realize, “I am the one who has to think happy thoughts. I am the one who has to do something.” It sounds so harmless and uplifting, but as soon as any part of the process depends on you, it is false teaching. It is a robber or thief trying to get into the sheepfold. Any system that depends in any part on me will fail in the end because I will fail. In the end, we all must stand before Almighty and Holy God and give an account of ourselves. Those who listen to the opinions of the false prophets will depend on themselves and not pass the final test.
Those who listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd will depend on Jesus Christ who has already earned eternal life for all. His voice gives us His body for food and His blood for drink. His voice is our safety from sin, death, and the power of the devil. His voice is our comfort and security. His voice is our comfort and security especially when we realize that we cannot pass God’s test in our own power.
Instead of looking to our own power, the voice of Jesus tells you that He, the Good Shepherd, is the door to salvation. When you go before God and confess, “I do not love You as I should,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When you go before God and confess, “I do not love my neighbor as I love myself,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When you go before God and confess, “I cannot bear the punishment I deserve for my sin,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When Jesus hung on the cross for three hours and cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” He endured the eternal punishment of hell for you. The truth proclaimed by the voice of Jesus is that God does all the work that gives us salvation. We do nothing. God does it all. God the Holy Spirit even gives you the faith that receives this salvation.
We hear Jesus’ voice when we hear his teaching. When Jesus instituted Holy Baptism, He also instructed the church to continue His teaching. He 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.” (Matthew 28:18–20) Teaching the things that Jesus taught is an ongoing part of the church’s ministry to the baptized. Baptism brings us into the flock of Jesus Christ. Teaching the things that Jesus taught keeps us in that flock. Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd in His teachings makes it possible for us to recognize His voice and ignore the voice of the false teacher.
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. It is He who loves God perfectly for you. It is He who loves His neighbor perfectly for you. It is He who died for you. It is He who rose from the dead for you. It is He who ascended for you. He is the one whose body is the door to salvation. It is He who calls you by name. He has done all that you need. And He has done it so that you can live with Him forever. 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.
Prayer of the Church--Fourth Sunday of Easter (A)--30 April 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Loving Father, Your Son is the great Shepherd of the sheep, who faithfully gathers His flock to Himself in the pastures of the Church. Grant us steadfast faith to hear His voice and follow Him, even through the valley of the shadow of death, that we may receive our portion in His abundant life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Father, by the work of Your Spirit through the Means of Grace, You daily add to the number of believers. Grant Your people courageous hearts and bold tongues to proclaim Your truth, trusting that You will gather more in keeping with Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, You have clothed us with Christ’s righteousness and taught us to love all that is good, beautiful and true. Bless all artists and artisans, composers and musicians, and craftsmen and writers, that they may employ all their skills for Your glory and, in service to the Gospel, testify to Your saving death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You hold in Your hands all the might of man, and You hold accountable those who would govern Your people. Grant to us good government and leaders who will honor Your purpose, protect Your people, serve the cause of justice and defend our liberty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Shepherd, Your wounds are our healing and Your voice our certainty. Hear us on behalf of those who suffer in body or mind, who grieve, or to whom death draws near. [We pray especially for _____________ and those we name in our hearts.] Grant them healing according to Your will, grace to sustain them in trouble and the sure hope of everlasting life. Abide also with the unemployed and the distraught. Return them to health and livelihood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, in the wake of Your Son’s resurrection, Your people devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Unite Your people in the one true faith, and grant penitent hearts to all who come to receive the Sacrament this day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, as You have put our sins to death in Christ’s body on the tree, so bring life to our faith by His Spirit, that in Your continual grace we may bring forth the fruit of holy lives. 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.

OFFERING PRAYER
        [This will be shared after the offerings are presented at the altar.]

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 7]
     [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:

                     711, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”

740, “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

CLOSING HYMN: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”

+ 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 Third Sunday of Easter – April 23, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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                   Gil McMillan
Lay Reader         Marian Dunham
             Acolyte                  Sue Hullen
              Organist              Allison Yee
              Communion Preparation   Pat Tavare
              Ushers                 Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
                                           (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as a Voters’ Meeting and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
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 to 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. As 2 Corinthians 5:20 states, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”

Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.

The Third Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023

Pre-Service Music 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: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[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 133
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for- evermore.
C     [sung]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Kyrie

Gloria in Excelsis

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sit
First Reading                                                 Acts 2:14a, 36–41
    14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
    37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                     Psalm 116:1–7, 12-14
1I love the Lord, because | he has heard*
    my voice and my pleas for | mercy.
2Because he inclined his | ear to me,*
    therefore I will call on him as long | as I live.
3The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid | hold on me;*
    I suffered distress and | anguish.
4Then I called on the name | of the Lord:*
    “O Lord, I pray, deliv- | er my soul!”
5Gracious is the Lord, and | righteous;*
    our God is | merciful.
6The Lord preserves the | simple;*
    when I was brought low, he | saved me.
7Return, O my soul, | to your rest;*
    for the Lord has dealt bountifully | with you.
12What shall I render | to the Lord*
    for all his bene- | fits to me?
13I will lift up the cup of sal- | vation*
    and call on the name | of the Lord,
14I will pay my vows | to the Lord*
    in the presence of all his | people.

Epistle                                                            1 Peter 1:17–25
    17If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
    22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for
“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia

Holy Gospel                                                      Luke 24:13–35
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.

    13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
    28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

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: 879 “Stay with Us”
1     Stay with us, till night has come:
Our praise to You this day be sung.
    Bless our bread,
    Open our eyes:
Jesus, be our great surprise.

2     Walk with us, our spirits sigh:
Hear when our weary spirits cry,
    Feel again
    Our loss, our pain:
Jesus, take us to Your side.

3     Walk with us, the road will bend:
Make all our weeping, wailing end.
    Wipe our tears,
    Forgive our fears:
Jesus, lift the heavy cross.

4     Talk with us, till we behold
A joyful life You will unfold:
    Heal our eyes
    To see the prize:
Jesus, take us to the light.

5     Stay with us, till day is done:
No tears nor dark shall dim the sun.
    Cheer the heart,
    Your grace impart:
Jesus, bring eternal life.
Text: Herbert F. Brokering, 1926–2009
Text: © 1990 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Sermon                “I Told You So”                           Luke 24:13-35
I Told You So – Luke 24:13-35
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia!
There is a subtle, but very persistent theme in the events of the Resurrection as told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It shows up in the announcement that the angels make to the women at the tomb. Listen to the angel’s words and you will hear a common thread. In Matthew’s account, the angel said, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” (Matthew 28:6) In Mark, the angel said, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:7) Luke’s account is the longest. In his account, the angel said, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:6–7) Did you notice the small, but very important idea that each angel had in their message? Each of these accounts made it clear that an important part of the angel’s message of the Resurrection was a reminder that Jesus had regularly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead. They all included an emphasis on the Word of Jesus. And, since Jesus is God, this is an emphasis on the Word of God.
Jesus Himself made this very clear in the reading we just heard. Jesus joined two of His disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24:13–16) Notice that Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself to them. Instead, He first taught them from the Word of God. The opening words of their conversation show how much they need this instruction.
Jesus greeted them by asking a perfectly natural question. “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” (Luke 24:17) This gave the two travelers the opportunity to express their grief at Jesus’ death. In their grief, the two travelers stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:17–18) From these words, we learn that the news of Jesus’ crucifixion had spread throughout Jerusalem. Cleopas assumed that anyone who had been in Jerusalem would know all about it.
Then Jesus asked one of those open-ended questions that gave Cleopas and his friend an opportunity to talk. He said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” (Luke 24:19–24)
This is a very good summary of Jesus’ ministry. It even speaks of the resurrection. The words, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” even proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah. The only problem is that they didn’t believe that it was true. Their words showed that they knew everything they needed to believe in Jesus. Nevertheless, from their point of view, it was more like a dream than reality.
Right then and there, Jesus could have said, “Here I am! The accounts of my resurrection are true!” He could have shown them His hands, feet, and side. He could have shown them that He was alive, but He didn’t. Instead, He began an intense Bible Study. He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25–27)
Before Jesus revealed Himself to these two disciples, He showed them Christ in Moses and the prophets … what we would call the Old Testament. He taught them that the entire Old Testament points to Christ. He used the Old Testament to show these two disciples that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer as they had witnessed with their own eyes and ears. He showed them, from the Old Testament, that the very heart of what it meant to be the Christ was for the chief priests and rulers to deliver Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified. According to the Scriptures, this is exactly what the Christ came to do and experience. The very testimony that they gave when they explained the happenings in Jerusalem … who Jesus was … what He experienced … His suffering and death … this very testimony points to Jesus as the Messiah promised by God in the Holy Scriptures.
Last week we heard John’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room. When Thomas saw the Lord, he confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Jesus responded to Thomas and said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) In today’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus did that with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this account, Jesus pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the proof of His resurrection before He revealed Himself to these two disciples. They did not know it was Jesus talking to them. Nevertheless they believed because of the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. They believed without seeing.
When Jesus first joined the disciples, they had the facts exactly right, but the facts depressed them. The facts depressed them because they did not interpret the facts in light of the Holy Scriptures. They did not understand how the crucifixion fit into the plan of God. They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel, but they did not understand that the crucifixion was the way that the Christ did the redeeming. It was as Jesus opened the Holy Scriptures to them that they began to understand that, in the crucifixion, Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but He redeemed the entire world. Jesus opened the Gospel of the Old Testament to them, and the Holy Spirit called them by that Gospel. The Holy Spirit created faith in them even though they did not recognize that it was Jesus Himself who taught them. Not only did the Holy Spirit bring them to faith, but they became an example of “those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
There are many devout Christians who really wish they could have heard the Bible class that Jesus gave on that road to Emmaus. How wonderful it would be to hear God’s Word taught by the perfect teacher. While we cannot know every last detail of His teaching, today’s reading gives us insight into the general theme of His teaching. It really all boils down to this: “What is the key to the correct understanding of the Bible?” The official answer is: “Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is the heart and center of the Scripture and therefore the key to its true meaning.” This is a primary principle of Biblical interpretation taught by the Scriptures themselves and demonstrated in today’s Gospel: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) These words teach us that you have not fully explored a passage in Scripture until you have learned something about Jesus from that passage. Jesus Himself tells us that the Bible teaches us that “it is necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26) It is by this suffering that Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but also redeemed the entire world.
Now that Jesus had taught them from the Holy Scriptures, it was time for them to share a meal. “As they talked, the two disciples drew near to the village to which they were going. [Jesus] acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them.” (Luke 24:28–29) This is common Middle Eastern hospitality at work. There were no Motels or other public lodgings. As travelers came to the end of the day, those who had farther to go, acted as though they would continue their journey. Those who had arrived at their destination, insisted that other travelers stay with them and enjoy their hospitality.
Hospitality included a meal. When you stayed at someone’s house, they would serve a meal to you. They would bless the food and serve it to you, the guest. But something changed as this guest came to eat with these two disciples. Notice how Jesus turned the tables on His hosts. He became the host and served them. “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” (Luke 24:30–31) Jesus was the invited guest, but He became the host. He took the bread. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it. Jesus served the two disciples. It was as Jesus served them with this meal that He finally revealed Himself to them.
This pattern of teaching and then eating is very common in the Bible. The Gospels record many meals that Jesus had with a wide variety of people. Every time there was teaching before eating. First there is teaching from the Word of God. Then there is a meal with the Christ. This meal in Emmaus was different in that it is a meal after Jesus rose from the dead. In this meal, Jesus began teaching the disciples that although they could not always see Him, He was always with them. He was with them in disguise on the road as He taught from God’s Word. He was with them as He broke the bread and they recognized Him. He was still with them even after He disappeared from their sight.
This pattern of hearing God’s Word and then eating God’s meal has made its way into the liturgy of the church. We follow the pattern that Jesus used as we first have the Service of the Word where we hear the teaching that Jesus has passed on to us through the writings of His apostles. We continue that pattern as we eat a meal with Jesus and all the company of heaven even as Jesus gives His body and blood for us to eat and to drink.
Even though we cannot see Jesus, He has promised to be with us. He is with us as we hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit uses it to strengthen our faith. Then, after we hear teaching that is based on the Word of God, we have a meal with Jesus where He feeds us His true body and His true blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus comes to us in His Word. He comes to us as His Word falls on our ears and He comes to us as the Word combines with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. In each case Jesus reveals Himself to us. He is with us just as He was with the Emmaus disciples. We have His promise and by His promise He gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen

Offertory

Offering Prayer

Prayer of the Church

Prayer of the Church-Third Sunday of Easter (A)--23 April 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O Father of the risen Christ, in Your Son’s appearance to the Emmaus disciples, He expounded the Scriptures and revealed Himself in the breaking of the bread. Grant us grace that we, too, may perceive Him as our Savior through His Word and rejoice to receive Him as the bread of life for the salvation of our souls. By the Word and Sacraments, renew our piety this Eastertide, that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of all, Your Spirit opens the Holy Scriptures to the hearts of Your people. Enlighten this congregation by the resurrection light that never fades, that our hearts may burn in faith toward You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, You have poured out Your Spirit upon us, that we might believe Your truth and raise our sons and daughters in it. Bless all parents, that they may faithfully catechize their children in Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, stifle the powers of darkness and end the reign of war, violence and terror. Give leaders who will seek peace and work for the common good. Instill in them a love of righteousness, and guide them in the pursuit of justice for all. Bless our president; the Congress of the United States; our governor; all state and local officials; all medical and emergency workers; and all members of the armed forces who protect us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of compassion, those who suffer cry to You. Hear them and answer them with grace sufficient for all their needs. Heal the sick according to Your will, comfort the wounded and give Your peace to the dying. [We especially pray for _____________.] You are our health and strength for this life and eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, Your compassion is made known to us through Your Son’s breaking of the bread. Open our hearts and mouths to receive forgiveness in the body and blood of Christ, who suffered for us and has entered into His glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, have mercy on us when we are foolish and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken about Your Son. Pour out Your Spirit on us through the preaching of the Gospel, that the Scriptures might be opened to us; 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.

Service of the Sacrament
Stand
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. 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                                                                   LSB 195

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

Agnus Dei

Sit
Distribution and Hymns:

461 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
1     I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living head.

2     He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives all-glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.

3     He lives to bless me with His love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.

4     He lives to grant me rich supply;
He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint;
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

5     He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.

6     He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

7     He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

8     He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
Text: Samuel Medley, 1738–99, abr.
Text: Public domain

488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
1     He is arisen! Glorious Word!
Now reconciled is God, my Lord;
    The gates of heav’n are open.
My Jesus did triumphant die,
And Satan’s arrows broken lie,
    Destroyed hell’s fiercest weapon.
        O hear what cheer!
    Christ victorious,
    Rising glorious,
        Life is giving.
He was dead but now is living!
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
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: 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 Jesus – Jesus Lives+

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday of Easter – April 16, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

In Your presence there is fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Mark Klein
           Lay Reader         Sue Hullen
             Acolyte                  Becca Potts
              Organist              Coleen Tallman
              Communion Preparation Becca Potts
              Ushers                 Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
                                           (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE has been scheduled for Dick Seiler this Saturday, April 22nd at 11 a.m. [Note: Delta Dash will be rescheduled to Saturday, May 20th. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions about the trip.]

ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]

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”)!

RAINFOREST EXPLORERS VBS 2023- SAVE THE DATE JUNE 19-23 TALK TO BARB WHITLEY if you are being called to be a part of this exciting week or would like to serve on the planning team. Thank you for your prayers for yet another community outreach event.

The Second Sunday of Easter
April 16, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 463 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia”
1     Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
Offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
At the paschal victim’s feet. Alleluia!

2     For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!

3     Hail, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
When contending death and life, Alleluia!
Met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!

4     Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
All your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1809–81, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[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                                           1 Peter 2:2–3; Psalm 105:1–5, 8
P Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.

Kyrie

Gloria in Excelsis

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sit
First Reading                                                      Acts 5:29–42
    29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
    33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all]                                                 Psalm 148
1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the | heavens;*
    praise him | in the heights!
2Praise him, all his | angels;*
    praise him, | all his hosts!
3Praise him, | sun and moon,*
    praise him, all you | shining stars!
4Praise him, you highest | heavens,*
    and you waters above the | heavens!
5Let them praise the name | of the Lord!*
    For he commanded and they were cre- | ated.
6And he established them forever and | ever;*
    he gave a decree, and it shall not | pass away.
7Praise the Lord | from the earth,*
    you great sea creatures and | all deeps,
8fire and hail, | snow and mist,*
    stormy wind fulfill- | ing his word!
9Mountains and | all hills,*
    fruit trees and all | cedars!
10Beasts and all | livestock,*
    creeping things and | flying birds!
11Kings of the earth and all | peoples,*
    princes and all rulers | of the earth!
12Young men and maidens to- | gether,*
    old men and | children!
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is ex- | alted;*
    his majesty is above earth and | heaven.
14He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for | all his saints,*
    for the people of Israel who are near to him. | Praise the Lord!

Epistle                                                              1 Peter 1:3–9
    3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                      John 20:19–31
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.

    19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
    24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
    26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
    30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Sit
Hymn of the Day: 470 “O Sons and Daughters of the King”
1     O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

2     That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

3     An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
“Your Lord will go to Galilee.”
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

4     That night the_apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, “My peace be with you here.”
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

5     When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

6     “My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be.”
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

7     No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

8     How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

9     On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon        “Peace Be Especially with You”          John 20:19-31
Peace Be Especially with You! – John 20:19-31
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! Our Savior who once was dead now lives.
The Gospel that we just heard begins with a time marker, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week.” (John 20:19) We need to look at the context to see what John means when he says, “That day.” The previous verse give the account of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene near the empty tomb. So, today’s reading is an account of something that happened on the evening of the day of the Resurrection. By this time, the disciples knew that the body was gone. Some of the women even claimed to have seen and talked with Jesus. Nevertheless, they weren’t sure what it all meant. They were confused.
The text goes on to say, “The doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews.” (John 20:19) The one thing they did know was that the Jewish leaders went to a lot of trouble to wipe out their leader. Now that He was out of the way, there was the possibility that they would try to destroy the entire movement. So, not only were they confused, but they were terrified.
This is another one of those moments that supports the credibility of the Biblical text. If you are making up a history to support your own man-made religion, you do not portray the leaders of your religion as confused, frightened, and helpless men cowering in a locked room.
The other thing we learn from this account is that, at the beginning of this account, there was not a single Christian in the room. They had heard reports of the Resurrection, but they did not believe them. If you do not believe in the Resurrection, then you are not a Christian. This was a room full of unbelievers.
Now this is annual “Pick on Thomas Day.” You heard in the reading how Thomas was missing, and he made his assertion of unbelief before he saw Jesus, but the fact is that all the disciples were total pagans before Jesus showed Himself to them on that evening.
Now here is where we see how gracious and merciful Jesus truly is. He had every right to show up and rip into these disciples. He had every right to condemn them for their unbelief. After all, He had told them that after He died, He would rise again. If they had been listening, they should have expected Him to rise on the third day. But they didn’t. They deserved condemnation.
Instead, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) What a marvelous greeting this is. Instead of getting what they deserve, Jesus gave them His peace. This peace is greater than any other peace for it comes from the very Son of God Himself. This is the peace that Jesus earned with His perfect life and His suffering and death on the cross. This is the peace that Jesus earned while He hung on the cross and endured the wrath of God for the sin of the world. This is the peace we have with God because Jesus took away the sins of the world.
When [Jesus] had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. (John 20:20) Jesus verified His identity and certified His peace by inviting the disciples to examine the wounds of the cross that still showed on His body. This was a real bodily resurrection … a resurrection that the disciples could touch and see. Jesus is real and so is His peace.
As the disciples began to realize that their friend and teacher was alive, Jesus gave them even more gifts. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) This is nothing other than Jesus installing these men as apostles. The very word apostle comes from a Greek word that means to send. Jesus said that He is God the Father’s apostle, the one sent from the Father. Now He is commissioning these disciples to be His apostles, ones who are sent directly by Him. These apostles will take the very peace that Jesus has given to them and proclaim it to the world.
Do you realize how crazy this is? These are the guys who often quarreled about who is the greatest among them. These are the guys who abandoned Jesus at His greatest need. These are the guys who thought the stories of the resurrection were idle tales. These are the guys who drew a total blank every time Jesus told them He was going to suffer, die, and rise from the dead. People! These are not the brightest bulbs in the box.
Nevertheless, they are the one whom Jesus sent. They are the ones the Apostle Paul wrote about to the church in Ephesus: “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:19–20) The Apostle Paul states that these men are the foundation of the household of God. Paul is talking about men who were cowardly unbelievers until Jesus showed Himself to them. Now Jesus is sending them. Now they are Jesus’ Apostles.
But wait, there’s more. When [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) Here is Jesus giving the authority to forgive sins to His church. This authority carries with it the authority to administer His peace as well.
We sometimes use a special form of confession and absolution where the pastor asks this question, “Do you believe that the forgiveness I speak is not my forgiveness but God’s?” This question is based on the words we just heard from Jesus in today’s Gospel. He has given the church the actual authority to forgive sins with the forgiveness that He earned with His perfect life and suffering and death. That means that when I, after your confession say, “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 Son and of the Holy Spirit,” that is Jesus forgiving your sins.
The wonderful thing is that it doesn’t depend on how wonderful your pastor is. He could be a total jerk. Nevertheless, the forgiveness is sure. It is sure because it does not depend on the character of your pastor, but on the promise of Jesus Christ … the same Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the dead. The one who kept His promise to rise from the dead, will most certainly keep His promise to forgive all your sins.
This forgiveness not only comes with the actual word forgive, but it also comes with other words … words like peace. In a few minutes, at the end of the sermon, I will place God’s peace on you. That is not just me giving my good wishes, but I am placing the very same peace that Jesus gave to His disciples on you. This also happens in the benediction. When I place God’s name on you, I also place God’s peace on you. After you receive communion, I say, “Depart in peace.” That is also the same peace that Jesus gave to His disciples in today’s Gospel. It is another way of placing His forgiveness on you with all its gifts.
We need the gifts of Christ’s forgiveness. We live in a sin-filled world that tempts us continually. Satan continually attacks us with the poisonous darts of His temptations. When we examine our lives in light of the Ten Commandments, we become aware of our many failings … our many sins. Our only hope is the forgiveness that Jesus gives to us. With that forgiveness, we receive His mercy, His grace, and His peace. In His love, He has given His church the authority to administer all these gifts and give them out freely. That is what we do when the Holy Spirit calls us together by the Gospel. In this place and in all the other places His believers gather around the world, He gives us His gifts through His servants in His congregation.
God continues to work in grace and mercy today. At birth, every one of us is a selfish, enemy of God. Nevertheless, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus gives His peace to us. The Holy Spirit still works in us by the power of the very Word that Jesus sent His apostles to proclaim. Pastors still administer the very forgiveness of Jesus Christ as they say, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In all of these ways and more, Jesus still comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.” Amen

Apostles’ Creed
C     I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
     maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
     who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
     born of the virgin Mary,
     suffered under Pontius Pilate,
     was crucified, died and was buried.
     He descended into hell.
     The third day He rose 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--Second Sunday of Easter (A)--16 April 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O God, our Father, You have raised Your Son, and He has bestowed the Holy Spirit on His apostles. Believing Christ’s resurrection, help us also to trust the forgiving words of His servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, our Father, turn the enemies of Your Church, and bring their hearts to repentance. Strengthen all Christians in their faith and in their vocation of service as Your children, that we may be obedient to Your Word and receive the salvation of our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, our Father, build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, our Father, You appoint rulers and officials for the sake of order and peace. Bless those You have placed in authority in federal, state and local governments. Give to them the desire to serve with integrity and honor and to work for the benefit of all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, our Father, we praise Your Son’s resurrection from the dead and draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. [Show Your kindness to _____________.] Graciously receive our prayers of intercession for Christ’s sake. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, our Father, Your Son greets His disciples with peace despite their sins against Him. Make us confident in His mercy toward us, and gladden our hearts as He comes to us in His body and blood with forgiveness and renewal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that out of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel and instituted the blessed Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and the forgiveness of sin. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word, and through the Holy Sacraments establish our faith day by day, until at last we 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.

Offering Prayer

Stand
Offertory

Service of the Sacrament
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
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,
     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:

482 “This Joyful Eastertide”
1     This joyful Eastertide
    Away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
    Has sprung to life this morrow: Refrain

ref   Had Christ, who once was slain,
    Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
    But now has Christ arisen,
    arisen, arisen;
    But now has Christ arisen!

2     Death’s flood has lost its chill
    Since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
    My passing soul deliver: Refrain

3     My flesh in hope shall rest
    And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
    Shall wake the dead in number: Refrain
Text: George R. Woodward, 1848–1934
Text: Public domain

480 “He’s Risen, He’s Risen”
1     He’s risen, He’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;
He opened death’s prison, the_incarnate, true Word.
Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song
And earth, sea, and mountain their praises prolong.

2     The foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.

3     But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,
And death, hell, and Satan He vanquished, His foes.
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high;
He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die.

4     O, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
For all our transgressions His blood does atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.

D 5     Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain:
With Father and Spirit He ever shall reign.
Text: C. F. W. Walther, 1811–87, abr.; tr. Anna M. Meyer, 1867–1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. 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: 487 “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
1     Come, you faithful, raise the strain
    Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
    Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke
    Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
    Through the Red Sea waters.

2     ’Tis the spring of souls today:
    Christ has burst His prison
And from three days’ sleep in death
    As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
    Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom is giv’n
    Laud and praise undying.

3     Now the queen of seasons, bright
    With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
    Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
    Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
    Jesus’ resurrection!

4     For today among His own
    Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
    Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
    Nor the tomb’s dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
    Hold Him as a mortal.

5     Alleluia! Now we cry
    To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
    Of the tomb’s dark portal.
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
    Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
    Into joy from sadness!
Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesus – Jesus lives!+

Announcements

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Easter/The Resurrection of Our Lord – April 9, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

In Your presence there is fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Howard Holman
             Acolyte                  Gena Dillon
              Organist              Fred Weber
              Trumpeter          John Dykstra
              Communion Preparation   Gena Dillon
              Ushers                 Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
                                           (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)

REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE has been scheduled for Dick Seiler on Saturday, April 22nd at 11 a.m. [Note: Delta Dash will be rescheduled.]

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?

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 Resurrection of Our Lord/ Easter Sunday
April 9, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Processional Hymn: 457 “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”
1     Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

2     Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heav’nly king, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

3     But the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured; Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

D 4     Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love; Alleluia!
Praise Him, all ye heav’nly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!
Text: tr. Lyra Davidica, 1708, London, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Latin, 14th cent.; (st. 4): Charles Wesley, 1707–88
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                                            Exodus 15:1b, 2a, 6, 13, 17–18
P I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The Lord will reign forever and ever.

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.
Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C     Amen.

Sit
First Reading                                                     Acts 10:34–43
    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.”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                                   Psalm 16
1Preserve me, | O God,*
    for in you I take | refuge.
2I say to the Lord, “You | are my Lord;*
    I have no good a- | part from you.”
3As for the saints | in the land,*
    they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all | my delight.
4The sorrows of those who run after another god shall | multiply;*
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names | on my lips.
5The Lord is my chosen portion | and my cup;*
    you | hold my lot.
6The lines have fallen for me in pleasant | places;*
    indeed, I have a beautiful in- | heritance.
7I bless the Lord who gives me | counsel;*
    in the night also my heart in- | structs me.
8I have set the Lord always be- | fore me;*
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be | shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being re- | joices;*
    my flesh also | dwells secure.
10For you will not abandon my soul | to Sheol,*
    or let your holy one see cor- | ruption.
11You make known to me the | path of life;*
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore.

Epistle                                                          Colossians 3:1–4
    1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                   Matthew 28:1–10
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

    1Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

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: 479 “Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living”
1     Christ is risen, Christ is living,
    Dry your tears, be unafraid!
Death and darkness could not hold Him,
    Nor the tomb in which He lay.
Do not look among the dead for
    One who lives forevermore;
Tell the world that Christ is risen,
    Make it known He goes before.

2     If the Lord had never risen,
    We’d have nothing to believe.
But His promise can be trusted:
    “You will live, because I live.”
As we share the death of Adam,
    So in Christ we live again;
Death has lost its sting and terror,
    Christ the Lord has come to reign.

3     Death has lost its old dominion,
    Let the world rejoice and shout!
Christ, the firstborn of the living,
    Gives us life and leads us out.
Let us thank our God, who causes
    Hope to spring up from the ground;
Christ is risen, Christ is giving
    Life eternal, life profound.
Text: Nicholas Martinez, 1917–72; tr. Fred Kaan, 1929–2009
Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Sermon              “Christ Has Risen!”                    Matthew 28:1-10

Christ Has Risen! - Matthew 28:1-10
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! Our Savior who once was dead now lives. What confidence and comfort these words now give to us.
Shortly before Jesus died on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) If those words are true, then He has finished the work that earned the forgiveness of sins for every man, woman, and child in all places and times. If those words are true, then the declaration of war that He issued in Eden when He cursed the serpent has ended in His victory. If those words are true, then He has taken your place and endured the wrath of God against the sin of the world. If those words are true, then God and man are reconciled. If those words are true, then we have new life in the eternal joy of God’s presence. So, the words of Jesus from the cross, “It is finished,” (John 19:30) are a tremendous proclamation of the Gospel, if they are true.
How can we know if those words are true or false? The Apostle Paul gives us the answer. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:17–20) The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to proclaim that the truth of the words, “It is finished,” (John 19:30) depends on the bodily resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If Christ has not been raised, then those are empty words, but if Jesus lives, then those words proclaim victory over sin, death, and the devil.
When we look at the proclamation of the church down through the ages, there are a wide variety of messages, but sooner or later, the church always gets around to confessing the crucifixion of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the bodily resurrection of that same Christ from the dead. A seminary homiletics professor always made one thing perfectly clear from the beginning of the class: “The only way I will ever give you an ‘F’ on a sermon is if you forget to mention that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead.”
So it is that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is a major theme of the Bible, especially of the New Testament. Every one of the Gospel accounts concludes with eyewitness accounts of this resurrection. Since we are in year “A” of our three-year lectionary series, we turn to the eyewitness accounts that Matthew recorded for us in his account of the gospel.
Matthew calls some very interesting witnesses to the stand. First of all, he included the witness of the guards at the tomb. There are two possibilities for these guards. They could have been Roman soldiers loaned to the Jewish leaders by Pontius Pilate. However, the evidence that they were temple guards under the direct command of the Jewish leaders is very strong. If they were temple guards, they may have been present for everything from the arrest of Jesus to the presentation of Jesus to Pontius Pilate. They may have been in the crowd that called for the crucifixion. In either case, these men were highly motivated to make sure that Jesus stayed in that tomb. If the guards were called into court, they would definitely be hostile witnesses.
Then there were the women. While they certainly came to the tomb to mourn, there was another more practical reason for them to be there. Because Jesus died in the middle of Friday afternoon, it was almost sundown and the start of the Sabbath when they placed Him in the tomb. When the Sabbath came, there could be no work … not even the work of placing a body into a tomb. The preparation of the body was hurried and incomplete. The women came to help in whatever way they could to properly complete the preparation of the body.
Just as God rested on the Sabbath after He had created the heavens and the earth, so also, Jesus rested on the Sabbath after He had done the work of salvation. When the sun set on that Sabbath, Jesus had fulfilled the Sabbath rest. Sometime between that sunset and dawn of the next day, Jesus rose from the dead. Because He had done everything needed for our salvation, He no longer remained in His state of humiliation. In His state of exaltation, He fully used His divine power. He simply left the tomb, for the stone at the entrance was no barrier to Him.
Although the stone was no barrier to Jesus leaving the tomb, it was still a barrier that prevented people from entering the tomb. There would be no witnesses to the empty tomb if the stone remained in place. Therefore, God sent an angel to remove the stone. Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. (Matthew 28:2–3) The angel did not roll away the stone so that Jesus could get out, but so that the witnesses could get in.
The first people to witness the angel were the guards. For fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. (Matthew 28:4) The guards’ response to the angel was total terror. Once again, we see that real, biblical angels do not look like cute, chubby little babies with wings. They don’t look like fashion models either. The appearance of angels is terrifying. So much so, that the guards collapsed in terror.
The women would have collapsed in terror as well, but the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:5–6) The angel’s message was a message of comfort … not of terror. Their teacher and friend was no longer in the tomb. He had risen.
There is a loving, gentle reminder in the angel’s message: “He has risen, as he said.” Jesus regularly told His disciples that He would die and then rise from the dead on the third day, but they didn’t understand. The angel reminded the women of this promise. He said He was going to rise from the dead, and now He has.
The angel then instructed the women to do something that they wanted to do anyway. The angel said to the women, “… Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” (Matthew 28:5–7) How could they not share their joy that Jesus had risen from the dead. So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:8)
As they ran to tell the disciples about the resurrection, Jesus Himself stood before them. Behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:9) As Jesus stood before them, they took hold of his feet. In order to take hold of his feet, they had to get down on the ground. Here was their Lord in His risen, immortal body. They fell to their knees and worshipped Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10) Jesus shared words of comfort with them … words of comfort for the women and words of comfort for the disciples. All cause for fear and grief is gone. Their teacher and friend … their Savior who was dead is now alive and lives forever more. The disciples who had deserted and denied Him deserved His anger, but He calls them His brothers instead. He has risen and reconciled man with God.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus happened. It is a true, historical event. Therefore, the work of Jesus Christ to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil is truly finished. He has earned forgiveness for all people. The Holy Spirit now offers His forgiveness freely in the Gospel. Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (Acts 10:43) And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. In the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have new life in the eternal joy of God’s presence. Amen

Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Easter Day (A)--9 April 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O Lord, our strength and song, You have become our salvation. Receive our thanks for Your gracious deliverance in Christ Jesus, crucified and risen. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, in Baptism You have joined us to Christ’s death and resurrection and made us citizens of Your kingdom. Move our hearts to repentance, that we would set our minds on things above and be directed by Your holy will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, when doubt and fear weigh us down, console us with the certainty that Christ is risen from the dead and that He rules over all things for our good and greets us with life in His Means of Grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord, lead Your people in Your steadfast love, and guide them in strength to Your holy abode. Sanctify our homes. Be the companion of those who live alone. Make our households places where Your wisdom and grace are found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power. Grant that all in authority would govern according to Your will, maintaining order and curbing evil, that we may live in peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Righteous Lord, You have seated Christ at Your right hand for our deliverance. Remember those afflicted with illness and injury [including _____________]. Give them health and strength according to Your will. Sustain them in faith, knowing that, for Jesus’ sake, You will raise them in glory on the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, our strength and salvation, You delivered Your people from bondage in Egypt by means of the Passover lamb. As we celebrate Christ, our Passover Lamb, who has been sacrificed and raised from the dead, bless all who partake of His Sacrament. Cleanse them from boasting, malice and evil, and give them repentant hearts to receive Him in sincerity and truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Eternal God, thanks be to You for victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember all who mourn. Comfort them with the promise that You love them with an everlasting love, and will raise them and all Your people from the dead; 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

Offering 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

Pax Domini
P     The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C     Amen.

Agnus Dei

Text: Stephen P. Starke

Sit
Distribution and Hymns:

483 “With High Delight Let Us Unite”
1     With high delight
    Let us unite
In songs of great jubilation.
    Ye pure in heart,
    All bear your part,
Sing Jesus Christ, our salvation.
    To set us free
    Forever, He
    Is ris’n and sends
    To all earth’s ends
Good news to save ev’ry nation.

2     True God, He first
    From death has burst
Forth into life, all subduing.
    His enemy
    Doth vanquished lie;
His death has been death’s undoing.
    “And yours shall be
    Like victory
    O’er death and grave,”
    Saith He, who gave
His life for us, life renewing.

3     Let praises ring;
    Give thanks, and bring
To Christ our Lord adoration.
    His honor speed
    By word and deed
To ev’ry land, ev’ry nation.
    So shall His love
    Give us above,
    From misery
    And death set free,
All joy and full consolation.
Text: Georg Vetter, 1536–99; tr. Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

633 “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
1     At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from His piercèd side.
    Alleluia!

2     Praise we Him, whose love divine
Gives His sacred blood for wine,
Gives His body for the feast--
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.
    Alleluia!

3     Where the paschal blood is poured,
Death’s dread angel sheathes the sword;
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
    Alleluia!

4     Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, paschal bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.
    Alleluia!

5     Mighty Victim from the sky,
Hell’s fierce pow’rs beneath You lie;
You have conquered in the fight,
You have brought us life and light.
    Alleluia!

6     Now no more can death appall,
Now no more the grave enthrall;
You have opened paradise,
And Your saints in You shall rise.
    Alleluia!

7     Easter triumph, Easter joy!
This alone can sin destroy;
From sin’s pow’r, Lord, set us free,
Newborn souls in You to be.
    Alleluia!

D 8     Father, who the crown shall give,
Savior, by whose death we live,
Spirit, guide through all our days:
Three in One, Your name we praise.
    Alleluia!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Robert Campbell, 1814–68, 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: 478 “The Day of Resurrection”
1     The day of resurrection!
    Earth, tell it out abroad,
The passover of gladness,
    The passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
    From sin’s dominion free,
Our Christ has brought us over
    With hymns of victory.

2     Let hearts be purged of evil
    That we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal
    Of resurrection light
And, list’ning to His accents,
    May hear, so calm and plain,
His own “All hail!” and, hearing,
    May raise the victor strain.

3     Now let the heav’ns be joyful,
    Let earth its song begin,
Let all the world keep triumph
    And all that is therein.
Let all things, seen and unseen,
    Their notes of gladness blend;
For Christ the Lord has risen,
    Our joy that has no end!

D 4     All praise to God the Father,
    All praise to God the Son,
All praise to God the Spirit,
    Eternal Three in One!
Let all the ransomed number
    Fall down before the throne
And honor, pow’r, and glory
    Ascribe to God alone!
Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain

+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives!+

Announcements

Postlude

Refreshments

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Palm Sunday – April 2, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Gil McMillan
             Acolyte                  Becca Potts
              Organist              Fred Weber
              Communion Preparation   Becca Potts
              Ushers                Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
                                           (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)

REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.

AFTER TODAY’S Bible Class and Children’s Study, all are invited to stay to help get ready for the Hopping Down the Bunny Trail Easter event on Saturday, April 8th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. here at the church. There are eggs that need to be stuffed and activity bags that need to be filled. Questions? Please speak with Barb Whitley.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

MAUNDY THURSDAY worship will be at 7 p.m. This will be a communion service.

GOOD FRIDAY worship will be a 7 p.m. This will be a Tenebrae service.

NEXT SUNDAY, Easter Sunday, we will have one divine service at the usual Sunday service time of 9 a.m.   Light refreshments will be available after the service.
CHECK IT OUT! – Reading and meditating on pages 329-330 in the hymnal is a great preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It’s Luther’s “Christian Questions with Their Answers” for those who intend to go to the Sacrament. [These questions first appeared as part of Luther’s Small Catechism in 1551, five years after his death.]

Palm Sunday/ The Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord
April 2, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Procession of Palms
Greeting
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.

P     Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C     Hosanna to the Son of David.

Collect
P     Let us pray.
Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C     Amen.

Holy Gospel                                                      John 12:12–19
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

P         12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.

P     Let us go forth in peace,    C in the name of the Lord.

Processional Hymn: 442 “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”
ref   All glory, laud, and honor
    To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
    Made sweet hosannas ring.

1     You are the King of Israel
    And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
    Our King and Blessèd One. Refrain

2     The company of angels
    Is praising You on high,
And we with all creation
    In chorus make reply. Refrain

3     The multitude of pilgrims
    With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
    Before You we present. Refrain

4     To You before Your passion
    They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
    Our melody we raise. Refrain

5     As You received their praises,
    Accept the prayers we bring,
O Source of ev’ry blessing,
    Our good and gracious King. Refrain
Text: Theodulf of Orléans, c. 762–821; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain

P     Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C     Hosanna in the highest.

Collect of the Day
P     Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C     Amen.

L      O Lord, open my lips,
C     [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L      Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C     [spoken] 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, Lamb of our salvation.

L      Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C     [spoken] 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     [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.

Sit
Reading                                                           Isaiah 50:4–9a
L      A reading from Isaiah, chapter 50.

4The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
    him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.
5The Lord God has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious;
    I turned not backward.
6I gave my back to those who strike,
    and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
    from disgrace and spitting.
7But the Lord God helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
    8He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
    Let him come near to me.
9Behold, the Lord God helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Reading                                                       Philippians 2:5–11
L      A reading from Philippians, chapter 2.

    5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Reading                                                       Matthew 27:38–66
L      A reading from Matthew, chapter 27.

38Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
    45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
    51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
    55There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
    57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
    62Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Responsory (Lent)
L      We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C     [spoken] He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L      Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C     [spoken] He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L      We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C     [spoken] He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.

Sit
Hymn of the Day: 542 “When I Behold Jesus Christ”
1     When I behold Jesus Christ,
    True God who died for me,
I wonder much at His love
    As He hung on the tree. Refrain

ref   What kind of love is this?
What kind of love is this?
    You showed Your love, Jesus, there
    To me on Calvary.
What kind of love is this?
What kind of love is this?
    You showed Your love, Jesus, there
    To me on Calvary.

2     For me You gave all Your love,
    For me You suffered pain;
I find no words, nothing can
    Your selflessness explain. Refrain

3     You had no sin, holy Lord,
    But You were tortured, tried;
On Golgotha there for all
    My sins You bled and died. Refrain

4     What love is this? Greater love
    No one has ever known.
My life with God— this I owe
    To You, and You alone. Refrain
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): tr. Hartmut Schoenherr, with Jim and Aurelia Keefer; (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): Almaz Belhu; (st. 4): Joseph Herl, 1959
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): © 1970 Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus; (st. 4): © 1998 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Sermon                    “Jesus Did It for Us and for Our Salvation”

Jesus Did It for Us and for Our Salvation – Matthew 27:45-46, 51-54, 62-66

As we enter Holy Week, today’s Gospel lesson has us focus our minds on the events coming up on Friday, reminding us once again, “For us and for our salvation, He [Jesus] came down from heaven.”
When Martin Luther encountered the very first chapter of the first book of the Bible, he immediately encountered a problem. When we read, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1) we trust the translators and don’t really think about what these words might be in Hebrew, the original language in which it was written. You see, in Hebrew, the word for God is plural … Gods … as in more than one. On the other hand, the word for created is singular. It means only one entity did the creating. There is a tension here. The word for created forces the sentence to say that one and only one God created everything. Nevertheless, the word for God means “more than one.” How can we resolve this tension? The only way to resolve the tension in this sentence is to recognize that while God is one and only one, there is still something that is more than one about Him.
Then Martin Luther encountered the next verse and read, “The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) Here we see that although God is one, there are at least two persons within God … the Creator and the Spirit.
In verse three, Martin Luther read, “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) Here he once again called attention to another oddity in the Hebrew. There are two different words that we can translate as say or speak, but in Hebrew, one of these words denotes only and strictly the uttered word, but the other word also denotes a thing or a person. In this passage, Moses used the Hebrew word that denotes a thing or person. It says that God is, so to speak, the Speaker who creates; nevertheless, He does not make use of matter, but He makes heaven and earth out of nothing solely by the Word which He utters.
Now compare with this the Gospel of John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) John is in proper agreement with Moses. He expressly adds: “This Word is God and yet is a Person distinct from God the Father, just as a word and he who utters a word are separate entities.” Yet even though this distinction is very real, it does not disturb the unity of God. So it is that by the time Martin Luther got three verses into the very beginning of Scripture, he had already shown that Scripture assumes a Triune God, Creator, Spirit, and Word.
(Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 1: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 1-5, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 1 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 16–17.)
As we make our way through the Bible, we learn that God the Creator is God the Father, God the Spirit is God the Holy Spirit, and God the Word, is God the Son, Jesus Christ.
The point here is to impress upon you the fact that, from the very beginning, the Bible teaches a unified God of three persons … that this has been the case forever. The Father eternally begets the Son. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. This is an eternal thing that transcends time and space. The relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is perfect and eternal.
Now consider the words of Jesus from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Here is the eternal Son begotten of the Father crying out that God has forsaken Him. What does it even mean that within this eternal relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that one forsakes another? The wisest human mind is not able to begin to answer this question. Consider the transcendent relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is beyond time and space AND yet, here in time and space … on a hill near Jerusalem. The Son of God suffers and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
What human condition can even compare to it? Consider the expressions of homesickness that you often hear from those who have had to move into a nursing facility of some sort. How often have you heard them remark how much they miss living at home? Or consider the expressions of grief that you hear from the widows and widowers that you know, some of whom are gathered with us today. Oh, they have learned to move on with their lives. They’ve had to. But it can never, ever be the same as when they shared their life with a spouse.
Now consider Jesus on the cross. Consider the grief of homesickness caused by less than a century in a house. Consider the grief of parting after less than a century of life together with a spouse. How much more did Jesus suffer when His eternal, perfect relationship with the Father experienced this forsakenness? The thorns, the rod, the whip, the nails … these are all bad enough, but the worst is the forsakenness experienced in the eternal relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless, this is the price that the holy, innocent Son of God paid because the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) Your sin and my sin earned this forsakenness for us. We should be the ones suffering the agony of eternal forsakenness by God, but here is God the Son carrying the sin of the world and enduring the punishment for that sin. You should be on that cross, but you are not. He does not deserve that cross, but there He is. He is there for you.
Creation itself recoiled at this supernatural forsakenness. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” (Matthew 27:45) Even the sun could not bear to watch this supreme sacrifice on the part of the Word of God through whom it was created. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. (Matthew 27:51–52) The very earth shuddered and released her dead.
In the midst of creation’s response to this supernatural forsakenness, we heard, “Behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Matthew 27:51) The curtain of the temple blocked the way to the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. The curtain limited access to this Holy of Holies. Even the High Priest was restricted to once a year … Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. On that day and that day alone, the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice. Now, with His perfect suffering unto death, Jesus, the Ultimate High Priest has fulfilled the Day of Atonement. The way to God is no longer restricted to one man on one day. The old system of sacrifice, priesthood, and temple worship is over. Jesus has opened the way for every repentant sinner to enter God’s presence. God may now dwell openly with His people without destroying them for their sin. “When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11–12) “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19–22)
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54) The pagan Roman soldiers of the execution squad witnessed all these signs and concluded that something important had just happened. As witnesses, they proclaimed that the man they had crucified was the Son of God. Once again, we see that the proclamation of the Gospel is not just for Jews, but it is for all people in all places and times.
The Jewish leaders on the other hand, were the opposite of the Roman execution squad. They had many more opportunities to hear and watch Jesus. When Jesus promised to rise from the dead, the disciples were very confused, but the Jewish leaders heard Jesus very well. In their stubbornness, they went to Pilate one more time. The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:62–64) They planned to make certain that no one would ever believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
By this time, Pilate was probably sick and tired of dealing with them. “Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” (Matthew 27:65–66) Little did they know that they were providing more witnesses for the greatest sign of all … the resurrection that Jesus promised to all who heard Him.
God the Father laid the iniquity of the world upon His Son, Jesus. Then His justice forced Him to turn away from that sin so that Jesus endured the forsakenness of God … a forsakenness with the eternal, perfect, loving relationship that only exists between the persons of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We cannot begin to understand this punishment, but it is the punishment that we deserve. Nevertheless, because Jesus took this punishment onto Himself, we shall never experience it.
Instead, all who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins will receive the blessing of the torn curtain. We have the right and the confidence to enter the eternal Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus. We look forward to eternal life in the joy-filled presence of the Living God. Amen

Matthew 27:45-46, 51-54, 62-66
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

Prayer of the Church--Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday (A)--2 April 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

King of glory, Lord of hosts, lift up the gates of our hearts, and make way for Your blessed Son. Forgive our sins and renew our souls, that we may glorify Him who died to save us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, You desire not the death of any sinner but that all would turn in repentance to You. Bless the preaching of Your Gospel and the administration of Your Sacraments in mission fields around the world. Convert those who do not yet know Christ, and sustain those who face danger and opposition for the name of Christ. Bless and protect all missionaries as they proclaim Christ boldly in hostile places, and surround their families with Your care. Banish from our hearts all prejudice that might hinder our mission work here in our nation or abroad. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, You sacrificed Your own Son on the cross, that we may be called Your children. Increase the faith of all Christian fathers, that receiving Jesus and trusting in His atoning sacrifice, they may be enlivened to sacrificial love for their children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, our King, Your Son entered Jerusalem as the true ruler, ready to lay down His life for His people. Grant this same mind to those in authority over us, that they would discharge their duty even for the least among us, and so receive Your commendation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

According to Your gracious will, O Lord, look on all who suffer illness or physical disability [especially _____________]. Bless them with what is best for them according to Your good and gracious will, and strengthen their faith. Open our hearts to serve their bodily needs. Take into Your care those who mourn the death of loved ones [especially _____________]. Give them peace and comfort through Your Holy Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Eternal Lord, as Your Son once entered humbly into Jerusalem to cries of “hosanna,” so send Him to us according to His promise in the Holy Sacrament, that we may eat His body and drink His blood in repentance and faith for the forgiveness of our sins and in the unity of a true confession. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We praise You, Father, that You have sent Your Son not in wrath but in mercy. As we enter this most holy week and ponder together the mysteries of Your great salvation, show us the answer to Your people’s prayers of “hosanna,” in the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, 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:

444 “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet”
1     No tramp of soldiers’ marching feet
    With banners and with drums,
No sound of music’s martial beat:
    “The King of glory comes!”
To greet what pomp of kingly pride
    No bells in triumph ring,
No city gates swing open wide:
    “Behold, behold your King!”

2     And yet He comes. The children cheer;
    With palms His path is strown.
With ev’ry step the cross draws near:
    The King of glory’s throne.
Astride a colt He passes by
    As loud hosannas ring,
Or else the very stones would cry
    “Behold, behold your King!”

3     What fading flow’rs His road adorn;
    The palms, how soon laid down!
No bloom or leaf but only thorn
    The King of glory’s crown.
The soldiers mock, the rabble cries,
    The streets with tumult ring,
As Pilate to the mob replies,
    “Behold, behold your King!”

4     Now He who bore for mortals’ sake
    The cross and all its pains
And chose a servant’s form to take,
    The King of glory reigns.
Hosanna to the Savior’s name
    Till heaven’s rafters ring,
And all the ransomed host proclaim
    “Behold, behold your King!”
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

443 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
1     Hosanna, loud hosanna,
    The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
    The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
    Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
    The simplest and the best.

2     From Olivet they followed
    Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving
    And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
   Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children
    Should on His bidding wait.

3     “Hosanna in the highest!”
    That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer,
    The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him
    With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence
    Eternally rejoice!
Text: Jeannette Threlfall, 1821–80, alt.
Text: Public domain

Collects
L      O Lord, hear my prayer.
C     And let my cry come to You.

Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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.

Stand
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: 441 “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty”
1     Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.

2     Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.

3     Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the_approaching sacrifice.

4     Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.

5     Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign.
Text: Henry H. Milman, 1791–1868, alt.
Text: Public domain

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Postlude

Refreshments, Adult Bible Class, 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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent –March 26, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Mark Klein
           Lay Reader        Steve Broach
             Acolyte                  Sue Hullen
              Organist             Allison Yee
              Communion Preparation   Pam Trocha
              Ushers                 Howard Holman, Allan Bliss, Robert
                                           Potts (captain)

REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.

ON WEDNESDAY, we will have our last midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. A Signup sheet for remaining soup supper is on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
Hang on! “God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: ‘Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous’ (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it.” (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.

THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 26, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 819 “Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good”
1     Sing praise to God, the highest good,
    The author of creation,
The God of love who understood
    Our need for His salvation.
With healing balm our souls He fills
And ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
    To God all praise and glory!

2     What God’s almighty pow’r has made,
    In mercy He is keeping.
By morning glow or evening shade
    His eye is never sleeping.
Within the kingdom of His might
All things are just and good and right:
    To God all praise and glory!

3     We sought the Lord in our distress;
    O God, in mercy hear us.
Our Savior saw our helplessness
    And came with peace to cheer us.
For this we thank and praise the Lord,
Who is by one and all adored:
    To God all praise and glory!

4     He never shall forsake His flock,
    His chosen generation;
He is their refuge and their rock,
    Their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother’s tender hand,
He leads His own, His chosen band:
    To God all praise and glory!

5     All who confess Christ’s holy name,
    Give God the praise and glory.
Let all who know His pow’r proclaim
    Aloud the wondrous story.
Cast ev’ry idol from its throne,
For God is God, and He alone:
    To God all praise and glory!
Text: Johann Jacob Schütz, 1640–90; (sts. 1–3, 5): tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, adapt.; (st. 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, adapt.
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 116:15, 1–4, 8
P Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
Kyrie

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sit
Old Testament Reading                                     Ezekiel 37:1–14
    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.”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all}                                                 Psalm 130
1Out | of the depths*
    I cry to you, | O Lord!
2O Lord, | hear my voice!*
    Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for | mercy!
3If you, O Lord, should mark in- | iquities,*
    O Lord, | who could stand?
4But with you there is for- | giveness,*
    that you | may be feared.
5I wait for the Lord, my | soul waits,*
    and in his | word I hope;
6my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the | morning,*
    more than watchmen for the | morning.
7O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is | steadfast love,*
    and with him is plentiful re- | demption.
8And he will redeem | Israel*
    from all his in- | iquities.

Epistle                                                            Romans 8:1–11
    1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
    9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Holy Gospel                                                       John 11:1–45
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter.

    1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
    5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
    17Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
    28When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
    38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
    45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

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: 430 “My Song Is Love Unknown”
1     My song is love unknown,
    My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
    That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
    That for my sake
    My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?

2     He came from His blest throne
    Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
    The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
    My friend indeed,
    Who at my need
His life did spend!

3     Sometimes they strew His way
    And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
    Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
    Is all their breath,
    And for His death
They thirst and cry.

4     Why, what hath my Lord done?
    What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
    He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
    Yet they at these
    Themselves displease
And ’gainst Him rise.

5     They rise and needs will have
    My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
    The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
    To suff’ring goes
    That He His foes
From thence might free.

6     In life no house, no home
    My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
    But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
    Heav’n was His home
    But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.

7     Here might I stay and sing,
    No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
    Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
    In whose sweet praise
    I all my days
Could gladly spend!
Text: Samuel Crossman, c. 1624–1683
Text: Public domain

Sermon

Dead Men Do Rise – John 11

Charles Dickens begins A Christmas Carol, his well-known story about Ebenezer Scrooge with these words: “Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner.” Later on Dickens says, “There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.”
We might use similar words to describe the scene in today’s Gospel as Jesus approached the town of His friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. This was the fourth day of mourning for him. Mary and Martha, his sisters knew he was dead. The people who prepared his body and laid it in the tomb knew he was dead. There is no doubt that Lazarus was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story in today’s Gospel.
Death is a universal experience. Different cultures have different ways of coping with death, but all cultures must deal with death in some way. Human experience teaches us that dead is dead. Once you are dead, there is nothing that can be done.
There can be any number of reasons that death comes. The immediate cause of death can be anything from accidental trauma to the failures of old age. Despite the many different causes of death listed on death certificates, there is only one ultimate cause of death. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “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)
“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” (John 11:1–3) Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were best friends with Jesus. Now Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus. Note the faith that Mary and Martha exhibit in this message. They simply inform Jesus of the circumstances. They do not ask Him to do anything. They trust Him to do the right thing. The assumption is that Jesus will find the best way to bring Lazarus back to health.
Jesus responded to this information in a very confusing way. “ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” (John 11:5–6) Wait! What! If Jesus loved Martha and Mary, wouldn’t the appropriate response be to get to Lazarus as quickly as possible? We would expect the text to read: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he immediately departed for Bethany.” That is what we would expect. But the text clearly says, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. This teaches us that God does not always express His love the way we want. It also teaches us that what we think is best and what God knows is best can often be very different things. As strange as it sounds to our ears, the text makes it clear that the best way for Jesus to love Lazarus, Mary, and Martha was to allow Lazarus to die before He came to him.
By the time that Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for a few days. The Holy Spirit inspired John to make this very clear. Jesus told [the disciples] plainly, “Lazarus has died.” John himself records: When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” [Some of the Jews] said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” The Holy Spirit inspired John to make sure that there was no way that anyone could say that Lazarus was just mostly dead. If there would have been a Munchkin coroner available, he would have said, “As coroner I must affirm, I thoroughly examined him, and he's not only merely dead, but he’s also really most sincerely dead.” There was no chance whatsoever that Lazarus could have revived under his own power. Lazarus was dead and decaying.
Now it is one thing to bring someone back to health when that person is ill, but it is something entirely different when that person is dead. We have a medical community that can deal with a wide variety of health issues. Nevertheless, when a person has been dead for a few days and the body begins to decompose so that there is an odor, even the best of medical science can do nothing.
So it is not surprising that those who attended Mary and Martha in their time of grief had lost hope. John recorded many comments indicating that the mourners believed that Jesus could do nothing about Lazarus. All of them believe that Jesus could have averted death. They may even have believed that if Jesus had arrived shortly after death, He could have done something as He did with the daughter of Jairus and the widow’s son at Nain. But four days is four days. After four days, the decay has set in. Could Jesus still do something after four days? Today’s Gospel seems to indicate that everyone thought that Lazarus was beyond even Jesus and His substantial power. This limited faith is disappointed that Jesus had not come sooner because now there is no hope.
The common experience of death brings us all into this story. We too have lost loved ones. We too know the grief that death brings as it parts us from the company of those we love. Jesus said … “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26) This is the main teaching of the Gospel for this day. This is the teaching for Mary, Martha, those who mourned, and for us gathered here on this day.
Jesus taught these words and then He demonstrated them. Jesus made His way to the tomb and had them remove the stone from the entrance. Then he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out. (John 11:43–44) Jesus is Lord, even over death.
Death is an ever-present reminder of sin as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Even as Jesus demonstrated His power over death, He also demonstrated the means by which He would conquer sin itself.
Sadly, there were those who rejected the teachings of Jesus. How stubborn does someone have to be in order to be angry and frustrated over the fact that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? We saw that attitude last week when Jesus healed the blind man. Some people are so stubborn that they reject the gifts of Jesus even though Jesus gave sight to the blind and raised people from the dead.
Today’s Gospel ends as the Pharisees call a meeting of the council. In this council they decide that Jesus must die. A little later in the Gospel according to John, they also decide that they must put even Lazarus to death. It is their intention to get rid of Jesus once and for all. Little do they know that this is all according to a plan much greater than theirs.
It was not long after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead that Jesus Himself experienced death. The plans of the council came together with the help of Judas and they were able to capture Jesus. They subjected Jesus to an illegal trial and then took Him to Pontius Pilate and applied political pressure to Pilate until He agreed to put Jesus to death.
It was not long after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead that Jesus allowed a Roman execution squad to nail Him to a cross. There He would endure not only the physical pain of the cross, but also the eternal pain of our sin. He would endure a punishment that we cannot even understand as He cried out, “My God, my God! Why have You forsaken Me?”
No mere human being can even understand what it means that God the Father forsook God the Son. All we can know is that it is very, very bad for Jesus and very, very good for us. It is bad for Jesus in that He suffered all the punishment of eternity in hell. It is good for us in that we can now look forward to the eternal joy of God’s presence with us and our presence with Him.
Three days after Jesus died on the cross, He once again demonstrated that He is Lord over death. He rose from the dead. That resurrection assures us that our death is not the end. Whether we are dead for four days, four years, or four thousand years, Jesus will raise us from the dead.
There is one great difference between the resurrection in today’s Gospel and the resurrection of the Last Day. Lazarus is no longer with us. He had to die again. When Jesus calls our bodies back to life on the Last Day, we shall never die again. On that day, all people shall rise with eternal bodies. Those who reject the gifts of Jesus Christ will rise to an eternity of punishment. Those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith will rise to live with Christ in eternal joy.
When Jesus arrived on the scene, Mary and Martha’s faith was theoretical. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” (John 11:24) If Jesus would have arrived and healed Lazarus before he died, her faith would have stayed that way. After the events of this day, she had a constant concrete reminder of the great lesson in today’s Gospel. The resurrection of Lazarus demonstrates the words of Christ: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26) Because Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, He gave them this teaching. This teaching is also for us for it gives us confidence in times of life and a very real comfort in times of death. Amen

P     The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
C     Amen.

Offertory                                                                LSB 192

Offering Prayer
The offering will be brought forward to the altar prior to the prayer.

Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Fifth Sunday in Lent--26 March 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Lord, You raised Your Son and sent Your Spirit. Sustain us while we await Christ’s attention to our present needs. Give strength to our prayers, heal our weaknesses and restore all our losses. Give us faith throughout our days in Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, breathe Your life into Your Church, that she may stand by Your strength and live according to Your Word. Lay Your hand on men of every era to proclaim Your Word and to bring life to the downtrodden, the faithless, the fearful and the outcast. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, You have visited Your creation in Your Son. Grant that our homes would always receive Him and that husbands and wives and brothers and sisters would rejoice to hear His promises, steadfastly believing them and ever living in their light. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of all, You are the true source of life, which You give through the power of Your Spirit. Humble those who are given authority over the lives of our people, that they would discharge this duty honorably in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, the ones You love are ill and need Your holy care [especially _____________]. Make haste to help them. Spare their lives. On the Last Day, call them from their graves and unite them to You and all Your saints. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Father, in Baptism You have given the new birth of water and the Spirit. Make Your children strong in Your Spirit, that they may shun the works of the flesh and live in this world expecting the resurrection and the life of the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

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.

Service of the Sacrament
Stand
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 overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. 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
      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

Agnus Dei

Sit
Distribution and Hymn:

724 “If God Himself Be for Me”(sung to LSB 660 melody)
1     If God Himself be for me,
    I may a host defy;
For when I pray, before me
    My foes, confounded, fly.
If Christ, my head and master,
    Befriend me from above,
What foe or what disaster
    Can drive me from His love?

2     I build on this foundation,
    That Jesus and His blood
Alone are my salvation,
    My true, eternal good.
Without Him all that pleases
    Is valueless on earth;
The gifts I have from Jesus
    Alone have priceless worth.

3     Christ Jesus is my splendor,
    My sun, my light, alone;
Were He not my defender
    Before God’s judgment throne,
I never should find favor
    And mercy in His sight,
But be destroyed forever
    As darkness by the light.

4     He canceled my offenses,
    Delivered me from death;
He is the Lord who cleanses
    My soul from sin through faith.
In Him I can be cheerful,
    Courageous on my way;
In Him I am not fearful
    Of God’s great Judgment Day.

5     For no one can condemn me
    Or set my hope aside;
Now hell no more can claim me:
    Its fury I deride.
No sentence now reproves me,
    No guilt destroys my peace;
For Christ, my Savior, loves me
    And shields me with His grace.

6     Who clings with resolution
    To Him whom Satan hates
Must look for persecution;
    For him the burden waits
Of mock’ry, shame, and losses
    Heaped on his blameless head;
A thousand plagues and crosses
    Will be his daily bread.

7     From me this is not hidden,
   Yet I am not afraid;
I leave my cares, as bidden,
    To whom my vows were paid.
Though life from me be taken
    And ev’rything I own,
I trust in You unshaken
    And cleave to You alone.

8     No danger, thirst, or hunger,
    No pain or poverty,
No earthly tyrant’s anger
    Shall ever vanquish me.
Though earth should break asunder,
    My fortress You shall be;
No fire or sword or thunder
    Shall sever You from me.

9     No angel and no gladness,
    No throne, no pomp, no show,
No love, no hate, no sadness,
    No pain, no depth of woe,
No scheming, no contrivance,
    No subtle thing or great
Shall draw me from Your guidance
    Nor from You separate.

10    My heart with joy is springing;
    I am no longer sad.
My soul is filled with singing;
    Your sunshine makes me glad.
The sun that cheers my spirit
    Is Jesus Christ, my King;
The heav’n I shall inherit
    Makes me rejoice and sing.
Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; (sts. 1, 3–5, 10): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.; (sts. 2, 6–9): tr. Richard Massie, 1800–87, alt.
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: 433 “Glory Be to Jesus”
1     Glory be to Jesus,
    Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
    From His sacred veins!

2     Grace and life eternal
    In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
    Infinitely kind!

3     Blest through endless ages
    Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
    Did the world redeem!

4     Abel’s blood for vengeance
    Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
    For our pardon cries.

5     Oft as earth exulting
    Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
    Make their glad reply.

6     Lift we, then, our voices,
    Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
    Praise the precious blood!
Text: Italian, c. 18th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Announcements

Postlude

Refreshments, followed by Adult Class and 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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Lent –March 19, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Mark Klein
           Lay Reader        Carla Lanz
             Acolyte                  Becca Potts
              Organist             Karen Broach
              Communion Preparation
              Ushers                 Howard Holman, Allan Bliss, Robert
                                           Potts (captain)

REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.

ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Signup sheets for all the remaining midweek Lenten soup suppers (March 22, 29) are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A QUOTE TO PONDER:
Some scholars today suggest that Jesus didn’t plan to go to the cross. They picture Jesus as a revolutionary with a dream, a vision of peace and brotherhood, who got cut down in His prime by His enemies. For these scholars, the cross is the end of the story. The Gospel is a tragedy, not a romance. God sees things differently. From God’s perspective, the cross stands at the very center of His story about saving people from their sin. Without the cross there could be no forgiveness for anyone. Everyone would face an eternity of God’s righteous anger. God’s justice requires payment for sin, and the payment the Law requires is a person’s life. The cross has always been God’s plan for saving people.--taken from a Concordia Publishing House LifeLight Study on the Gospel of John.

Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 19,2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn:849 “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
1     Praise the One who breaks the darkness
    With a liberating light;
Praise the One who frees the pris’ners,
    Turning blindness into sight.
Praise the One who preached the Gospel,
    Healing ev’ry dread disease,
Calming storms, and feeding thousands
    With the very Bread of peace.

2     Praise the One who blessed the children
    With a strong, yet gentle, word;
Praise the One who drove out demons
    With the piercing, two-edged sword.
Praise the One who brings cool water
    To the desert’s burning sand;
From this Well comes living water,
  Quenching thirst in ev’ry land.

3     Let us praise the Word Incarnate,
    Christ, who suffered in our place.
Jesus died and rose victorious
    That we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness,
    Seeing what our God has done;
Let us praise the true Redeemer,
    Praise the One who makes us one.
Text: Rusty Edwards, 1955
Text: © 1987 Hope Publishing Co. 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     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 25:15; Psalm 27:4–6
P My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 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. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Kyrie

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     Let us pray.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, 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.

Sit
Old Testament Reading                                     Isaiah 42:14–21
14For a long time I have held my peace;
    I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
    I will gasp and pant.
15I will lay waste mountains and hills,
    and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
    and dry up the pools.
16And I will lead the blind
    in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
    I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
    the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
    and I do not forsake them.
17They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
    who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
    “You are our gods.”
18Hear, you deaf,
    and look, you blind, that you may see!
19Who is blind but my servant,
    or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,
    or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20He sees many things, but does not observe them;
    his ears are open, but he does not hear.
21The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake,
    to magnify his law and make it glorious.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm                                                                   Psalm 142
1With my voice I cry out | to the Lord;*
    with my voice I plead for mercy | to the Lord.
2I pour out my complaint be- | fore him;*
    I tell my trouble be- | fore him.
3When my spirit faints within me,
    you | know my way!*
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a | trap for me.
4Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice | of me;*
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares | for my soul.
5I cry to you, | O Lord;*
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the | living.”
6Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought | very low!*
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too | strong for me!
7Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks | to your name!*
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully | with me.

Epistle                                                          Ephesians 5:8–14
    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.”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Holy Gospel                                                         John 9:1–41
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the ninth chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

    1As [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
    8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
    13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
    18The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
    24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
    35Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C     Praise to You, O Christ.

Sit
Hymn of the Day: 744 “Amazing Grace”
1     Amazing grace—how sweet the sound--
    That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
    Was blind but now I see!

2     The Lord has promised good to me,
    His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
    As long as life endures.

3     Through many dangers, toils, and snares
    I have already come;
His grace has brought me safe thus far,
    His grace will lead me home.

4     Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail
    And mortal life shall cease,
Amazing grace shall then prevail
    In heaven’s joy and peace.

5     When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
    Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
    Than when we’d first begun.
Text (sts. 1–4): John Newton, 1725–1807, alt.; (st. 5): A Collection of Sacred Ballads, 1790, Richmond
Text: Public domain

Sermon       “I Was Blind and Now I See”            John 9
I Was Blind, and Now I See! – John 9
One of the things we do to prepare for the Lord’s Supper is confess our sins and receive absolution. Those of us who received baptism as infants and attended services regularly ever since probably can’t remember the first time we heard this confession of sins. When something has been such a life-long habit, it can become mechanical. We can say the words on autopilot without really thinking about what we are saying.
We use a few different orders of confession to confess our sins in preparation for the Lord’s Supper. One of them begins with these words, “O almighty God, merciful Father, 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.” Think a moment about what you said when last saying those words. “I … justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment.” Temporal punishment is punishment here in time. It means that you confessed that you deserved bad things every day. You deserve an absolutely miserable life. Eternal punishment means that even after you leave this world and enter eternity, you deserve continuous punishment in hell. It sounds very severe when you think about it, but it is what you said you deserved when you confessed your sin. How thankful we can be that God graciously forgives our sins for the sake of the perfect life and sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
The old sinful nature that still struggles in us wants to deny this confession. The Old Adam constantly tries to convince us that we are not really that bad. We might make the occasional mistake from time to time, but, surely, we have not earned temporal and eternal punishment. A slap on the wrist … maybe, but eternal damnation? Surely not! In this way and others, the Old Adam battles against the confession we make. The Old Adam would have me believe that I am God … that I am responsible for my own salvation.
One of the many things that challenges the Old Adam is a person with disabilities … a person with special challenges … a person with severe problems. The Old Adam would have us believe that the right word … the right thought … the right attitude would prevent all struggles in this life and the next. That means that the person with the problem has been speaking the wrong word … thinking the wrong thought … having the wrong attitude. The Old Adam wants the security of knowing how to prevent that problem. Therefore, it seeks to determine what this person did wrong. Then it can avoid that behavior secure in the belief this cannot happen to me.
Jesus’ disciples demonstrated the Old Adam in action when they encountered a blind man. They asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) Not only were they cruel in assuming some gross sin on the part of this man or his parents, but they were also being arrogant. Since they could see, they assumed they were better than this man. They failed to understand that they could see by virtue of the grace and mercy of God who did not punish them as they deserved.
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3) First of all, it is impossible to trace a specific condition to a specific sin. The sin in this world means that we all deserve to be blind. We all deserve a life that is way worse than the life we actually lead. Instead of asking why bad things happen to good people, we should ask why we sinners receive so many blessings from day to day.
The second thing that Jesus taught was that God often turns the tragedies of this life and uses them to accomplish His purposes. The blindness of this man would ultimately reveal the works of God.
Jesus proceeded to give sight to this man in a way that reminds us of the creation narrative: “The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7) Just as the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, so Jesus used the dust of the ground. “He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” (John 9:6–7)
You would think that giving sight to a blind man would be a cause for celebration. You would think that the man’s family would declare a feast. You would think that the entire community would give thanks to God for His many blessings. That is what you would think. But that is not what happened.
Instead of celebration, this healing led to great controversy and division in the community. His neighbors refused to believe that he had been healed. The Pharisees launched an investigation. The healing caused suspicion and fear. In the end, we learn that blindness of the heart is a lot more dangerous than blindness of the eyes.
The reason that this healing was so controversial is the day on which it happened. “Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.” (John 9:14) The Pharisees had hundreds of traditions and according to their traditions, making mud from saliva and dust was work. This meant that Jesus had violated the Sabbath by working on the holy day. According to their traditions, this would seem to indicate that Jesus was a sinner.
On the other hand, God obviously listened to Jesus and gave sight to the blind man. This would seem to indicate that Jesus was not a sinner for God does not listen to sinners. This contradiction really bothered the Pharisees. They either had to resolve this contradiction or they had to change their theology. Not only that, but they are going to make everyone’s life miserable until they get this contradiction straightened out.
Here is where we see the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the man who was born blind. The Pharisees will verbally abuse him, but this will only serve to strengthen his witness. He will gain boldness even as the Pharisees apply the pressure. At the start of the interrogation, this man’s answers are short. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” (John 9:15) The Pharisees intimidate him. He just wanted to testify and go home.
He doesn’t know it, but he is about to have another eye-opening experience. You can almost see the wheels turning inside this man’s head as the interrogation continues. He perceives that these Pharisees are only human after all and he grows bold enough to contradict them. “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25) Finally, at the end of the grilling, he begins preparing his first sermon. “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 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 9:30–33)
As we read the account of this interrogation, we see the control slip away from the Pharisees. They had hoped to break this little beggar and get him back under their control, but God made him into a theologian instead. God had taken a blind beggar and made him into a spiritual David and these Pharisees were beginning to take stones between their spiritually blind eyes. The Pharisees witness a miracle much greater than giving sight to the blind. They are watching a faith grow and mature right before their eyes. Ultimately, the Pharisees lost control and, with all the bluster they could muster, they expelled this man from the synagogue.
The man who had been born blind now understood that the Pharisees had no answers for him. Their faith in a collection of man-made traditions could not save him. His only hope was in the great prophet who had given sight to him. It was then that this greatest of all prophets found him. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:35–38) The man’s faith took action as he confessed with his mouth and fell to his knees to worship the one who brought light to both his eyes and his soul.
Our sin has broken creation and we deserve nothing but punishment here in time and forever in eternity. Nevertheless, for the sake of the perfect life and the sacrificial death of God’s beloved Son Jesus Christ, God reduces the hardships of this life. In addition, He uses the hardships that do enter our lives to build us up as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3–5)
God also uses the persecution of this world to make good theologians of us as Martin Luther said:
“I myself am deeply indebted to my papists that through the devil’s raging they have beaten, oppressed, and distressed me so much. That is to say, they have made a fairly good theologian of me, which I would not have become otherwise.”
The man who had been born blind received much more than his sight from the Savior. The Holy Spirit worked faith in his heart. He understood that he was a sinner and could not save himself. He learned that Jesus was not just a prophet, but that he was the Lord of the prophets and even more. He was the fulfillment of all the prophets. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, rose from the dead, and showed himself to his disciples, this man saw that his sins died with Jesus Christ and remained in the grave when Christ rose. He saw that Jesus would never leave him and when he died, he would immediately see Jesus again face to face.
God often allows disabilities into our lives to help us understand that we are all born full of sin and spiritually blind. It is when God allows persecution into our lives that the Holy Spirit works to make theologians of us. It is when the Holy Spirit moves us to admit our sinful, spiritually blind condition that Jesus Christ gives us spiritual sight. It is when Christ reveals himself to us in Word and Sacrament that the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith in us. Like the man who was born blind, the Holy Spirit shows us that Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king. As a result, we too will become fairly good theologians. Amen.

Stand
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--Fourth Sunday in Lent--19 March 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Great Physician, enlighten our eyes by Your blessed Gospel, and hide us in Your shelter in the day of trouble. Provide a home in Your Church for those cast out by this world, and unite them with us in the pure confession of Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, Your Son abides among His saints in the temple of His Church. Shelter all those who seek refuge under the cover of His tent, and raise up pastors in every age to serve them in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, through Holy Baptism You have brought us into the light of Christ. Guide us always in Your ways and teach us to know Your will, that we would do what is good and right and true. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, those who wait for Your salvation have the promise that You will not forsake them. Lead those who wander in darkness through rough places, that they would find the way of righteousness and not be put to shame. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious Father, You have promised that what we suffer does not condemn us, but instead displays Your glory. Sustain the afflicted in body or soul, [especially _____________,] that they would take heart, trust You for healing and find You even in the midst of their trials. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, everyone who believes in Jesus as Lord will not be put to shame. Unite Your people in a right confession of Your Word, and free them from disagreement over Your truth. Bring us with penitent hearts to receive the great riches of Your Son’s body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

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 Prayer
This will be said after the offerings are presented at the altar.

Offertory

Stand
Service of the Sacrament
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 overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. 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

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:
420 “Christ, the Life of All the Living”
1     Christ, the life of all the living,
    Christ, the death of death, our foe,
Who, Thyself for me once giving
    To the darkest depths of woe:
Through Thy suff’rings, death, and merit
I eternal life inherit.
    Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
    Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

2     Thou, ah! Thou, hast taken on Thee
    Bonds and stripes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
    O Thou sinless Son of God!
Thus didst Thou my soul deliver
From the bonds of sin forever.
    Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
    Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

3     Thou hast borne the smiting only
    That my wounds might all be whole;
Thou hast suffered, sad and lonely,
    Rest to give my weary soul;
Yea, the curse of God enduring,
Blessing unto me securing.
    Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
    Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

4     Heartless scoffers did surround Thee,
    Treating Thee with shameful scorn
And with piercing thorns they crowned Thee.
    All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne,
That as Thine Thou mightest own me
And with heav’nly glory crown me.
    Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
    Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

5     Thou hast suffered men to bruise Thee,
    That from pain I might be free;
Falsely did Thy foes accuse Thee:
    Thence I gain security;
Comfortless Thy soul did languish
Me to comfort in my anguish.
    Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
    Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

6     Thou hast suffered great affliction
    And hast borne it patiently,
Even death by crucifixion,
    Fully to atone for me;
Thou didst choose to be tormented
That my doom should be prevented.
    Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
    Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

7     Then, for all that wrought my pardon,
    For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
For Thine anguish in the Garden,
    I will thank Thee evermore,
Thank Thee for Thy groaning, sighing,
For Thy bleeding and Thy dying,
    For that last triumphant cry,
    And shall praise Thee, Lord, on high.
Text: Ernst Christoph Homburg, 1605–81; (sts. 1–2, 5, 7): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (sts. 3–4, 6): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1912, St. Louis
Text: Public domain

426 “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
1     When I survey the wondrous cross
    On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
    And pour contempt on all my pride.

2     Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
    Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
    I sacrifice them to His blood.

3     See, from His head, His hands, His feet
    Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
    Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

4     Were the whole realm of nature mine,
    That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
    Demands my soul, my life, my all!
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748
Text: Public domain

Stand
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: 841 “O Son of God, in Galilee”
1     O Son of God, in Galilee
    You made the deaf to hear,
The mute to speak, the blind to see;
    O blessèd Lord, be near.

2     O listen to the silent prayer
    Of Your afflicted ones.
O bid them cast on You their care;
    Your grace to them make known.

3     The speechless tongue, the lifeless ear
    You can restore, O Lord;
Your “Ephphatha,” O Savior dear,
    Can instant help afford.

4     Meanwhile to them the list’ning ear
    Of steadfast faith impart,
And let Your Word bring light and cheer
    To ev’ry troubled heart.

5     Then in Your promised happy land
    Each loss will prove a gain;
All myst’ries we shall understand,
    For You will make them plain.
Text: Anna B. D. Hoppe, 1889–1941, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Announcements

Postlude

Refreshments, followed by Adult Bible Class & 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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Lent –March 12, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Howard Holman
             Acolyte                  Gena Dillon
              Organist             Fred Weber
              Communion Preparation    Pat Tavare
              Ushers                 Howard Holman, Allan Bliss, 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 on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Signup sheets for all the remaining midweek Lenten soup suppers (March 15, 22, 29) are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
GOD LOVES HIS DAUGHTERS: Christ didn't degrade women in His talk, but He made women heroes in His stories. He sat with a woman at a well. 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.

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.

The Third Sunday in Lent
March 12, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 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

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 84:5, 1–4
P Blessèd are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Blessèd are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Kyrie

Salutation and Collect of the Day
P     The Lord be with you.
C     And also with you.

P     Let us pray.
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; 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                                      Exodus 17:1–7
    1All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                              Psalm 95:1–9
1Oh come, let us sing | to the Lord;*
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our sal- | vation!
2Let us come into his presence with thanks- | giving;*
    let us make a joyful noise to him with | songs of praise!
3For the Lord is a | great God,*
    and a great King a- | bove all gods.
4In his hand are the depths | of the earth;*
    the heights of the mountains are his | also.
5The sea is his, for he | made it,*
    and his hands formed the | dry land.
6Oh come, let us worship and | bow down;*
    let us kneel before the Lord, our | Maker!
7For he | is our God,*
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep | of his hand.
Today, if you | hear his voice,*
    8do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the | wilderness,
9when your fathers put me | to the test*
    and put me to the proof, though they had | seen my work.

Epistle                                                              Romans 5:1–8
    1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
    6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Holy Gospel                                                         John 4:5–26
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fourth chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

    5[Jesus] came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
    7There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
    16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

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: 699 “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”
1     I heard the voice of Jesus say,
    “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
    Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
    So weary, worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
    And He has made me glad.

2     I heard the voice of Jesus say,
    “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
    Stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
    Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
    And now I live in Him.

3     I heard the voice of Jesus say,
    “I am this dark world’s light.
Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise
    And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
    In Him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
    Till trav’ling days are done.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon “God So Loved the Woman at the Well”    John 4:5-26
God So Loved the Woman at the Well – portions of John 4
One of the ways to add a little variety to daily Bible study is to vary the amount of the bible that you read from day to day. On some days, you can focus on one verse of the Bible. You can meditate on that verse all day as you go about your daily activities. At other times, you can choose to read a complete event of Bible history or on a complete teaching of doctrine at one time. You can do word studies where you search through the Bible for a particular word or phrase and notice all the different ways the Bible uses that word or phrase. Then, every so often, it is good to read an entire book of the Bible in one sitting. When you read an entire book, you notice very instructive patterns that you may not notice when you meditate on shorter sections of the Bible.
There is a pattern between last week’s Gospel from John and the reading that we just heard a few minutes ago. You may remember that last week we heard about the conversation that Jesus had with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. This morning, we heard about a conversation that Jesus had with the woman at the well. The Holy Spirit inspired John to place these two conversations near one another. First, John recorded the conversation with Nicodemus where He spoke of the new birth of water and the Spirit. Then, he recorded a few verses that describe Jesus teaching His disciples to baptize near the place John the Baptist was baptizing. Then the verses after that record that Jesus walked straight north through Samaria to meet the woman at the well and talk to her about living water. The account of Nicodemus and the account of the woman at the well are only separated by this ministry of baptism that Jesus taught to His disciples. The accounts of Nicodemus and the woman at the well just invite us to make comparisons.
Last week, we heard “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.” (John 3:1) Notice he was a man, a Pharisee, and a ruler. This is someone who is at the apex of society … respected … a teacher … the cream of the crop. Today, we heard that Jesus was sitting beside Jacob’s well when a woman from Samaria came to draw water. (John 4:6–7) We also heard that this woman had been married five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. (John 4:17–18) It would be difficult to find someone who was more different than Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a male. The woman was a female. Nicodemus was a Jew. The woman was a Samaritan. Nicodemus was a Pharisee … a man who had high moral standards. The woman was living in adultery. Many people would point at Nicodemus and say, “Here is an example of the best.” Many people would point at the woman and say, “Here is an example of the worst.”
Jesus had three good reasons not to talk with this woman. She was a female. She was a Samaritan. She was an adulterer. Any one of these characteristics would be enough to prevent communication. No one would blame Jesus for ignoring this woman. In fact, they would expect Him to ignore her.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit inspired John to tell us what time of the day it was. Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. (John 4:6) That would be about noon … when the sun would bear down in full power. It was one thing for a weary traveler like Jesus to be at the well in the middle of the day, but the locals would come out to the well after the sun was low in the sky … during the cool of the day. The well would become the focal point of community life in the late afternoon and early evening. The fact that this woman came out at noon tells us that she was not welcome in the community. Even they shunned her. This woman was an outcast in every respect of the word.
Nevertheless, Jesus had some challenging teaching for this woman just as He had challenging teaching for Nicodemus the Pharisee in the reading we heard last week. Jesus broke down the barriers between Himself and this woman and showed that His teaching is for all people in all times and in all places.
Jesus transcended the cultural barriers between Him and the woman in a very simple way. He asked for a drink of water. With this seemingly simple request, He blew away the barriers that stood between them. The Holy Spirit inspired John to bring out the tremendous cultural break that this was by recording the woman’s response and then adding an editorial comment of his own. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) (John 4:9) It is clear that Jesus will break down any barrier that seeks to prevent Him from doing what is right and fulfilling His vocation as Messiah.
Once Jesus broke down the cultural barriers, He began teaching this woman just as He taught Nicodemus in last week’s reading. Jesus told the woman, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)
The woman struggled with Jesus’ words. She said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?” (John 4:11) The woman expressed confusion because what Jesus said did not make sense from their point of view. She was thinking in terms of the flesh and not in terms of the spirit.
Jesus then took her to a special kind of water. He said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13–14) Here is another time that Jesus prepared someone for baptism. He spoke of the spring of water welling up to eternal life. His words invite the woman to change her focus from her short life here in time to her life forever in eternity.
It was then that Jesus began dealing with her poor lifestyle choices. He confronted her lifestyle with a simple request. Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” (John 4:16) This was a reasonable request. In fact, according to the culture of that day, this is what Jesus should have done to begin with. Men did not normally interact with women outside of their family. Instead, a man normally went through another man who was closely related to the woman – a husband, father, adult son, or some other close relative. In this case, however, this ordinary request began a process that would cause the woman to confront her guilt. The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” (John 4:17)
Then Jesus laid her sins out before her. He said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:17–18) Jesus laid out this woman’s lifestyle of adultery … a sin that was punishable by death … a sin that is still evil in God’s eyes today … a sin that earns eternal punishment.
It may seem that God is cruel when He forces us to face our sin, but that is not the case. This is actually part of the love that God has for us. As the Holy Spirit shows our sin to us, He shows us that we cannot save ourselves. He shows us that we must receive our salvation from outside of ourselves. He shows us our need for a savior. This reality check with the law prepares us for the living water of the Gospel.
You see, once the Law has softened our hearts, the Holy Spirit uses the living water of the Gospel to show our savior to us. Notice how Jesus brought the Gospel to the woman. The woman said to [Jesus], “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:25–26) The same Jesus who presented this woman with her sin now shows her the salvation from that sin. Jesus is the Gospel in the flesh. He is the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one. He is the savior from all our sins.
The Holy Spirit used these words to work faith in this woman. It was just as Jesus had said. She became a spring of living water. The living water of the Gospel quickly became a fountain in this woman. The woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:28–29) The living water in her produced an instant missionary.
God used the living water of the Gospel that came out of this adulterous woman to perform an immense miracle. A Samaritan town asked a Jewish rabbi to teach them. He taught them for two days. Can you imagine today’s Palestinians allowing a Jewish rabbi to teach them for two days?
Eventually, the people of this town confessed, “We know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42) These people only had the books of Moses, but that was enough. They knew that this was the Seed of the Woman that God had promised to Adam and Eve in the Garden. They knew that this was the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. They knew this was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices required by the Law of Moses. They knew that this was God’s sacrifice who would give up His life for the sins of the world. Because Jesus lovingly hammered a Samaritan woman with the law, a Samaritan village came to the knowledge of God’s salvation through the teaching of a Jewish rabbi – a Jewish rabbi who is their savior.
It is interesting that the Holy Spirit seemed to convert this woman at the well much more quickly than He converted Nicodemus. We see this throughout the Gospels. Tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners came to Jesus in droves. Meanwhile, the people who thought they were righteous stayed away. The people who should get it, don’t get it and the people who should not get it, receive it with eager hearts. The people who felt their guilt the most came to Jesus first. The people who felt their guilt the least came to Jesus last, if at all.
The Bible’s main message is that the Son of God took on human flesh, lived a perfect life under the law, and died on the cross to save sinners. It is the duty of your pastor to proclaim that you qualify for that salvation.
When flight attendants give instructions for emergencies at the beginning of a flight, they tell the passengers to place the oxygen mask on themselves first and then on the people around them. In a similar way, when Jesus tells the church to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name, I need to proclaim it to myself first. I need to begin with my own evil self and the forgiveness that Jesus has for me. Only then can I proclaim that message to others. It is only when the church proclaims that message to herself first that she can go on to proclaim it to the world.
Our message to the world is not that Christians are better than anyone else, but that Christians are in the process of becoming honest about our sin. It is only as we see our true depravity in the law that we begin to see the love that God has for us in that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Through that death we receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, for where there is forgiveness of sins there is also life and salvation. Amen

Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Third Sunday in Lent--12 March 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Lord of hosts, You have brought us to dwell in Your house and called us to worship You in spirit and truth. Receive our praise and hear our prayers, that we would leave this place satisfied with Your living water. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, You led Your ancient people by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Lead us through the wilderness of this world by the hand of faithful pastors, that we would be refreshed by the living water flowing from the stricken side of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, You have made us righteous through Jesus Christ and made peace with us by His cross. Lead us to embrace our suffering in faith, as they shape us in His image, and prepare us to behold Your glory in heaven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, You appointed Your Son to suffer on our behalf, that we would rejoice in the hope of glory. Make all Christian fathers to stand in Your grace, that they would live faithfully for the sake of their families and urge them always toward eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, bless the nations of the world, that both citizens and authorities would seek justice, peace and the common good of all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, help the sick and suffering, especially those who desire our prayers [_____________]. Surround them with Your love in Christ and, according to Your gracious will, heal them. Comfort all those who mourn, [especially _____________,] and fill their hearts with the certain hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of hosts, grant us safe haven at Your altar, that we who bear the weight of this world and its sorrows would always long for Your courts and the blessings You have prepared for those who sing Your praise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, to You all hearts are open and all sins are known. Strengthen our hearts by Your grace, that we who daily sin much would make confession boldly and then joyfully receive Your precious word of absolution; 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.

Offering Prayer (said after the offerings are brought forward)
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.

At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.

As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

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

Text: Stephen P. Starke

Sit
Distribution and Hymns:

609 “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive”
1     Jesus sinners doth receive;
    Oh, may all this saying ponder
Who in sin’s delusions live
    And from God and heaven wander!
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

2     We deserve but grief and shame,
    Yet His words, rich grace revealing,
Pardon, peace, and life proclaim;
    Here our ills have perfect healing.
Firmly in these words believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

3     Sheep that from the fold did stray
    No true shepherd e’er forsaketh;
Weary souls that lost their way
    Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh
In His arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

4     I, a sinner, come to Thee
    With a penitent confession.
Savior, mercy show to me;
    Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

5     Oh, how blest it is to know:
    Were as scarlet my transgression,
It shall be as white as snow
    By Thy blood and bitter passion;
For these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

6     Now my conscience is at peace;
    From the Law I stand acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
    And my ev’ry sin remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

7     Jesus sinners doth receive;
    Also I have been forgiven;
And when I this earth must leave,
    I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756
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

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: 855 “For All the Faithful Women” (sts. 1,10, 3,4)
1     For all the faithful women
    Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
    To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
    In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
    Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.

10    Recall the outcast woman
             With whom the Lord conversed;
        Christ gave her living water
             To quench her deepest thirst.
        Like hers, our hearts are yearning;
             Christ offers us His Word.
        Then may our lips be burning
              To witness to our Lord.

3     O God, for saints and servants,
    Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
    Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
    And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
    Our lives may sing Your praise.

D 4     All praise to God the Father!
    All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
    Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
    With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
    And strive to do Your will.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007, alt.
Text: © 1993, 1997, 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Announcements

Postlude

Refreshments, followed by Bible Classes

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Lent –March 5, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Gil McMillan
             Acolyte                  Becca Potts
              Organist             Fred Weber
              Communion Preparation    Becca Potts
              Ushers                 Howard Holman, Allan Bliss, Robert
                                           Potts

REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.

TODAY, following the service, there will be a planning meeting for the “Hopping Down the Bunny Trail” event on Saturday, April 8th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This activity is in lieu of having the Easter Egg Hunt at Ashford Park. This event will be held here in the church driveway and parking lot. All interested are encouraged to attend the meeting. Questions? Speak with Barb Whitley.

ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Signup sheets for all of the midweek Lenten soup suppers (March 8,15,22,29) are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

The Second Sunday in Lent
March 5, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 596, “All Christians Who Have Been Baptized”
1     All Christians who have been baptized,
    Who know the God of heaven,
And in whose daily life is prized
    The name of Christ once given:
Consider now what God has done,
The gifts He gives to ev’ryone
    Baptized into Christ Jesus!

2     You were before your day of birth,
    Indeed, from your conception,
Condemned and lost with all the earth,
    None good, without exception.
For like your parents’ flesh and blood,
Turned inward from the highest good,
    You constantly denied Him.

3     But all of that was washed away--
    Immersed and drowned forever.
The water of your Baptism day
    Restored again whatever
Old Adam and his sin destroyed
And all our sinful selves employed
    According to our nature.

4     In Baptism we now put on Christ--
    Our shame is fully covered
With all that He once sacrificed
    And freely for us suffered.
For here the flood of His own blood
Now makes us holy, right, and good
    Before our heav’nly Father.

5     O Christian, firmly hold this gift
    And give God thanks forever!
It gives the power to uplift
    In all that you endeavor.
When nothing else revives your soul,
Your Baptism stands and makes you whole
    And then in death completes you.

6     So use it well! You are made new--
    In Christ a new creation!
As faithful Christians, live and do
    Within your own vocation,
Until that day when you possess
His glorious robe of righteousness
    Bestowed on you forever!
Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. Jon D. Vieker, 1961
Text: © 2004 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Please stand if able
L      O Lord, open my lips,
C     [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L      Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C     [spoken] make haste to help me, O Lord.
       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, Lamb of our salvation.

L      Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C     [spoken] 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     [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.

Sit
Reading                                                           Genesis 12:1–9
L      A reading from Genesis, chapter 12.

    1The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
    4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Reading                                                    Romans 4:1–8, 13–17
L      A reading from Romans, chapter 4.

    1What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered;
8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” . . .
    13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
    16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Reading                                                              John 3:1–17
L      A reading from John, chapter 3.

    1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The 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.”
    9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
    16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Responsory (Lent)
L      We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C     [spoken] He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L      Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C     [spoken] He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L      We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C     [spoken] He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.

Sit
Sermon Hymn: 708, “Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart”
1     Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;
I pray Thee, ne’er from me depart,
    With tender mercy cheer me.
Earth has no pleasure I would share.
Yea, heav’n itself were void and bare
    If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And should my heart for sorrow break,
My trust in Thee can nothing shake.
    Thou art the portion I have sought;
    Thy precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word.

2     Yea, Lord, ’twas Thy rich bounty gave
My body, soul, and all I have
    In this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place
May glorify Thy lavish grace
    And help and serve my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile;
Let Satan not my soul defile.
    Give strength and patience unto me
    To bear my cross and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
In death Thy comfort still afford.

3     Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,
    That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
    Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me,
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
    O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
    My Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end.
Text: Martin Schalling, 1532–1608; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon “God So Loved Nicodemus, and All of Us” John 3:1-17
God So Loved Nicodemus, and All of Us – John 3:1-17
Today’s Gospel is one of those readings that reminds us that not all Pharisees were hypocrites. Some were genuine. Nicodemus was one of the genuine ones.
Some of the Pharisees were convinced that Jesus was a troublemaker … a problem … that Jesus was evil. On the other hand, there were the eye-witness accounts of miracles, powerful preaching, and personal integrity. Perhaps Nicodemus felt it was his duty as a leader in the community to see Jesus first-hand … to reconcile these conflicting accounts of Jesus. We don’t know exactly why Nicodemus came to see Jesus, but we do know that Nicodemus approached Jesus with courtesy.
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night.” (John 3:1–2) There are people who criticize Nicodemus for coming to Jesus by night. They suggest that Nicodemus did not want his fellow Pharisees to see him with Jesus. He was afraid of what they might think.
They might be right, but we should also consider the possibility that Nicodemus was an important man and had a busy schedule. It may be that he worked all day and instead of going home to his nice comfy bed, he came out in search of the truth about Jesus. Either way, Nicodemus came out to see Jesus.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2) These words show that Nicodemus respected Jesus and was ready to listen and learn from Him. While these words show that Nicodemus had great respect for Jesus, they do not indicate that Nicodemus believed that Jesus was the Christ … the Son of God.
Jesus obliged Nicodemus by beginning to teach him. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) With these words, Jesus taught that you must be born into the kingdom of God. This is very important. You do not decide to be born. That decision is out of your hands. The words born again tell us that we have no say in entering the kingdom of God. It is something that happens to us.
Martin Luther had an excellent illustration for this. In one of his sermons, he preached,
“Let me illustrate. A child which is to be born two years from now is still nonexistent. At present the maiden who is to carry and bear the child is still unmarried. The child which is to be born of her is nothing and can do nothing. Everyone must admit that one can do nothing until one has life. Therefore, all works, however precious and fine they may be, are absolutely nothing if performed before regeneration; they are nothing but sin and death. Consequently, the Lord Christ judges that Nicodemus and all the Pharisees, yes, the entire Jewish nation, who do not accept Christ and believe in Him, are nothing at all; for they are not yet reborn.”
One thing that we must NOT do is give any one the impression that they can decide to be born again or that they can put any work into being born again. Just as you had no say in when your mother gave birth to you, so we have no say in when we are born into the family of God.
Apparently, Nicodemus was not ready for this teaching. It confused him. Much to his credit, he was not ashamed to ask Jesus to explain. Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4) Certainly Nicodemus did not think that Jesus really meant that a person had to shrink down and crawl back into his mother. But Nicodemus could think of no other meaning to the idea of rebirth. Nicodemus was honorable enough to admit that he did not understand what Jesus meant.
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. (John 3:5–6) These words teach Nicodemus and us that Jesus was not speaking about physical birth. He was speaking about re-birth from the death of trespasses and sins that the Apostle Paul spoke of when he taught, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) This is coming to life from the death of sin.
When Jesus said, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit,” He was pointing to Holy Baptism. Holy Baptism delivers the Gospel along with the water. Therefore, the Holy Spirit uses baptism to give birth to the Christian. Even the Christian who comes to faith by hearing the word will want to receive baptism as soon as possible.
Jesus continued, “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.” (John 3:7–8) Jesus taught that just as a mother brings about the physical birth of a child, the Holy Spirit brings about the new birth of the Christian. Just as the wind changes direction and speed, so also the Holy Spirit works faith, when and where it pleases Him.
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9) Nicodemus had been taught that while God is gracious and merciful, it is still up to him to do his part. He believed that he must do his best and then God would do the rest. Jesus was teaching that God and God alone is the source of forgiveness and the faith that receives that forgiveness. Jesus was teaching that the Holy Spirit works conversion at the time and place of His choosing. There is no choice or decision on the part of the human being. This was too much for Nicodemus to take in. He didn’t understand how this could be possible.
Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” (John 3:10) Jesus acknowledged that Nicodemus was a man of great learning … that people respected him … that he was a teacher in Israel. Nevertheless, he did not understand these teachings. All of his learning did not prepare him for the truth that Jesus had for him.
Jesus went on to say, “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:11–12) Here is the reason that Nicodemus struggled. When Jesus said, “We speak of what we know,” He was speaking for all the inspired authors of Holy Scripture. When Jesus said, “You do not receive our testimony,” He was telling Nicodemus that he and the other religious leaders in Israel did not receive the testimony of Holy Scripture. That is the reason that Nicodemus, despite his great learning, struggled to understand the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus then gave Nicodemus an example of the proper way to receive the teachings of Holy Scripture. He said, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (John 3:13) These words help Nicodemus understand the meaning of the title Son of Man as Jesus used it. The title Son of Man means more than just a mere human being. It means the person who freely descends from and ascends into heaven. This can only be the person who is God descended from heaven in human flesh.
After Jesus explained what He meant by the title Son of Man, He went on to use one of the events recorded in Holy Scripture to show how God works salvation among His people. Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the time that poisonous snakes attacked the Israelites in the wilderness. God instructed Moses to make a replica of the snakes and put it up on a pole. The people who believed God’s promise looked upon the serpent on the pole and God healed their snake bites. Jesus taught Nicodemus that this is a model of how God saves. He said, “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.” (John 3:14–15) Jesus told Nicodemus that the Son of Man lifted up on the cross will save people from eternal punishment just as the serpent lifted up on the pole saved people from poisonous snakes. Here is the proclamation of the Gospel to Nicodemus. Eternal life comes from the Son of Man who will suffer and die on a cross.
Jesus then reinforced this Gospel with the words that most of us know by heart. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16–17) It is in the middle of this conversation with Nicodemus that these words take on their full meaning. God sent His Son into the world to be lifted up on the cross in the same way that Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.
In this conversation, Jesus gave Nicodemus a lot to think about – more than we have time to consider today. He explained that it is the new birth by the Holy Spirit that gives us the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation that the Son earned for us on the cross. He proclaimed the Father’s love that He sacrificed His only begotten Son for us. With these words, Jesus explained that the Kingdom of God does not come to Nicodemus by anything that Nicodemus does, but because the Holy Spirit works saving faith in him.
We do not know the exact moment when the Holy Spirit converted Nicodemus, but we do know that the Holy Spirit used Jesus’ words as He always does. Eventually, Nicodemus experienced the new birth as the Holy Spirit established faith in him. “After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea, … asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission … 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. Now in the place where he was crucified there was … new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So, … they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:38–42)
Nicodemus helped Joseph place Jesus’ body in the tomb and what a joy it must have been when Nicodemus learned that the body he had laid in Joseph’s tomb was no longer there … that his savior Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. What a joy it is for Nicodemus that he will forever enjoy the Kingdom of God that he received through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. What a joy it is for us who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of the new birth that the day will come when we shall join Nicodemus around the throne of God in eternal joy. 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 (after offerings are brought forward)
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Second Sunday in Lent--5 March 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Heavenly Father, Your Son has shown Your love to the world in His death and resurrection. Give Your people hearts to remember Your gracious works and to proclaim Your name in all things. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, You promise us an inheritance not because of Your law but because of Your promise to Abraham and to us. In Your grace, nourish us in the faith unto life eternal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, You made Your servant Abraham the father of us all through faith, and You have given all fathers the calling of Abraham to hand down the Gospel of Christ. Fill their hearts with the words of Christ, and remember them according to Your great mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, remember our nation and its leaders. Bless all who make, administer and judge our laws, and enable us to be good and responsible citizens. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord, be near to the sick and the suffering [especially _____________]. Comfort them with Your divine promises, and grant healing according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, Nicodemus was led by the word of Jesus to the cross, and from the cross he received the body of Jesus. Grant us faith like his to trust Your Word and receive Christ’s body and blood in the Holy Sacrament for forgiveness, life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, You give life to the dead and have united the faithful of all ages in the Body of Christ. As You shelter all the saints in the arms of Your mercy, so comfort us who await Your final victory over death and the life of the world to come. 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.

Kyrie
C     [spoken] 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:
Hymn: 601, “All Who Believe and Are Baptized”
1     All who believe and are baptized
    Shall see the Lord’s salvation;
Baptized into the death of Christ,
    They are a new creation.
Through Christ’s redemption they shall stand
Among the glorious, heav’nly band
    Of ev’ry tribe and nation.

2     With one accord, O God, we pray:
    Grant us Your Holy Spirit.
Help us in our infirmity
    Through Jesus’ blood and merit.
Grant us to grow in grace each day
That by this sacrament we may
    Eternal life inherit.
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Text: Public domain

Hymn: 571, “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1     God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.

2     Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.

3     God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.

4     Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.

5     If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.

D 6     Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain

Stand
Collects
L      O Lord, hear my prayer.
C     [spoken] And let my cry come to You.

Collect of the Day
O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; 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: 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

+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements

Postlude

Refreshments and Bible Classes

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Lent – February 26, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Howard Holman
           Lay Reader       Karen Broach
             Acolyte                  Sue Hullen
              Organist             Allison Yee
              Communion Preparation   Pam Trocha
              Ushers                 L. Tallman, W. Helley, S. Broach (captain)

REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.

ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Signup sheets for all of the midweek Lenten soup suppers (March 1,8,15,22,29) are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

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 chainsaw 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 third vice-president and also our regional vice-president (South/ Southwestern region).
With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask,
Jesus will perfect it. LSB 869:1

The First Sunday in Lent
February 26, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 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
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 91:15-16, 9–13
P When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will sat- isfy him and show him my salvation. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge--
no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Kyrie

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; 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                                      Genesis 3:1–21
    1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
    He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So 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. 7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
    8And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
    14The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you above all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
15I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”
    16To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
    and he shall rule over you.”
    17And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
    and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
    in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”
    20The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                              Psalm 32:1–7
1Blessèd is the one whose transgression is for- | given,*
    whose sin is | covered.
2Blessèd is the man against whom the Lord counts no in- | iquity,*
    and in whose spirit there is | no deceit.
3For when I kept silent, my bones wast- | ed away*
    through my groaning | all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy up- | on me;*
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of | summer.
5I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my in- | iquity;*
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity | of my sin.
6Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you | may be found;*
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not | reach him.
7You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from | trouble;*
    you surround me with shouts of de- | liverance.

Epistle                                                           Romans 5:12–19
    12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
    15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
    18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Holy Gospel                                                    Matthew 4:1–11
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fourth chapter.

    1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”
11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

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: 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

Sermon     “Jesus Resists Temptation for Us”      Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Resists Temptation for Us – Genesis 3:1-21, Matthew 4:1-11
Every year, we begin the season of Lent by looking at the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give us an account of this temptation. Since this is year A of the three-year lectionary series, it is Matthew’s turn to tell us about Jesus defending Himself against the devil. The church fathers who assembled the three-year lectionary paired Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation with the account of the temptation of Adam and Eve from Genesis chapter 3. This gives us an excellent opportunity to compare these two temptation narratives with each other. We can compare the defeat of Adam and Eve with the victory of Jesus Christ.
Many people imagine that the devil uses some sort of evil and mysterious cosmic power to do his tempting, but as we compare the temptation of Christ with the temptation of Adam and Eve, we see that the only weapon the devil uses is words. I remember a saying from my childhood: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” The more I study the Bible, the more I am convinced that saying is wrong. The devil did not pull a gun on Adam and Eve. He did not hold them hostage. He did not threaten physical harm of any kind. There was no supernatural cosmic power. All he did was talk. That is all the temptation was … words. The same is true of the temptation of Christ. The battle between the devil and Jesus was a war of words … nothing more. Words are way more powerful and important than we think they are.
When Jesus spoke of the devil He said, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) He is a con artist … a spin doctor … a trickster. He uses words and ideas to create doubt and confusion and false thinking. The devil uses the power of words to deceive us into believing that sin is not really sin.
In Adam’s case, the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16–17) It is important to know that God gave these words to Adam before He created Eve. Eve did not hear these words directly from God, but Adam told these words to Eve after God created her. Therefore, the serpent went after the person who heard the Word of God indirectly through the mouth of her husband, Adam. The serpent opened his conversation with Eve by creating doubt in God’s Word. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)
“Did God actually say …” Here the devil used his words to raise doubts in Eve’s mind. If he could cause her to doubt God’s word, then he could work on causing her to doubt God Himself.
In Jesus’ case, the temptation happens right after John baptized Jesus in the Jordan. When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16–17) Here is God the Father claiming Jesus as His Son. When the devil tempted Jesus, he went right after the words of God. The tempter came and said to {Jesus], “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:3)
“If you are the Son of God …” Here the devil tried to raise doubts that Jesus really is God’s Son. It is almost as if the devil was daring Jesus to prove that He really is God by changing the stones into bread. After all, would God really allow His Son to go without food for forty days in the wilderness?
The devil’s words of doubt had the desired effect on Eve. She began to rationalize. Eventually, she convinced herself that eating the fruit might actually be a good thing. She ate some of the fruit. She fell into sin.
Now it is at this point that many want to lay the entire blame on Eve. She’s the one who listened to the serpent. She’s the one who ate the fruit. She’s the one who sinned first.
The Holy Spirit inspired words of Moses will not let us think that way. 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. (Genesis 3:6) Did you hear that? Her husband … was with her. She was not alone when she had the conversation with the serpent. Adam was a witness to the whole thing, and he did nothing! Adam heard the command about the tree straight from the mouth of God, and he did nothing! The vocation of husband is to lay down his life to protect his wife, and he did nothing! The Bible states that it is in Adam that all die. (1 Corinthians 15:22) And sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin. (Romans 5:12) So it is that the Bible ultimately lays the blame for sin and death at the feet of Adam. So it is that we see that Adam failed and Jesus succeeded.
Now, as we compare the temptation of Adam and Eve with the temptation of Jesus, someone will make a very important objection. Is it fair to make this compare? After all, Jesus is not only man, but He is also God. Adam and Eve were mere human beings. Is it really fair to make this compare?
A few simple words from Matthew’s account make it clear that it is fair to compare these two events. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:2) If Jesus used His divine power, He would never get hungry. He would never need to eat. As God, Jesus had the divine power to create a full meal out of nothing. As man, He voluntarily decided not to use that power.
People who study Jesus have a term for this. We call it Jesus in His state of humiliation. Even though Jesus always had the total almighty power of God at His disposal, He chose not to use it. He chose to limit Himself to the resources available to any other human being. He would use His divine power to help other people, but He would never use His divine power to help Himself. Jesus remained in this state of humiliation from the moment He entered the womb of the Virgin Mary until His friends laid Him in the tomb.
Jesus was in His state of humiliation when the devil tempted Him. He used nothing to defend Himself that was not available to any other man. He quoted God’s Word from Deuteronomy. Instead of doubting God’s Word, He depended on it for His defense from the devil. He used no special power other than God’s Word … the same God’s Word that is available to all of us.
In the final temptation recorded for us in today’s Gospel, the devil made an amazing claim. The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8–9) With these words, the devil claimed that when Adam and Eve sinned, they gave the entire universe to him. When God created Adam and Eve He said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) The devil was arrogant enough to claim that when Adam and Eve sinned, they turned that dominion over to him.
In the third temptation that we heard about today, the devil made Jesus the offer of giving it all back to Him. There was only one string. Jesus had to worship the devil. The devil claimed that if Jesus would worship him, then he would give the kingdoms of the world back to Him. He would not have to suffer or die. He would not need to endure the wrath of God. Just worship the devil one time, and he would give everything back and it would all be as though Adam and Eve had never sinned. It was a painless, easy shortcut. Everyone would get what they wanted. Peace would reign.
Jesus did not take the shortcut. Instead, He once again put His faith in the Word of God. Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” (Matthew 4:10) With these words, Jesus remained faithful to His mission. He followed the path to the cross. He suffered and died. While He hung on the cross, He endured the wrath of God. He did not take the easy way. Instead, He took the way that saved you from your sin.
Although the devil left Him after this battle, he would be back. Listen to the words of those who mocked Jesus on the cross. They said, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) If you are the Son of God … the same words that began the temptations in the wilderness. This is the same temptation. The devil is speaking through these people and saying, “Have you changed your mind now that you can feel the nails … now that the full wrath of God bears down on you. Show these ignorant fools who you really are. You still have the power. With a mere thought, you could switch places with them. They could suffer and die. You could look on in righteous revenge. That is, of course, if you really are the Son of God.”
Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil right up to the end. He resisted until he was dead and buried. In this way, He triumphed over sin, death, and the power of the devil. He triumphed for you so that you may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This is most certainly true. Amen

Offertory

Offering Prayer

Stand
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church---First Sunday in Lent (A)--26 February 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O Lord, You sought Adam and Eve in the garden and called them to repentance. Seek us when we wander from Your Holy Word, and give us contrite hearts to confess our sins and receive the forgiveness and restoration You promise us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, Your Son trampled the serpent underfoot and freed us from sin and death by His own death on the cross. Protect and preserve all called to preach Christ and Him crucified. Command Your angels to guard them in all their ways and bear them up for the sake of Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, You created the home as the place where we are brought up in the ways of truth, goodness and mercy. Sustain parents in their sacred charge, and grant that our homes would be places of confession and forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, You have established earthly authorities to punish evil and praise those who do good. Grant our rulers humble hearts to resist the allure of power and to worship You alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, Your Son was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to suffer temptation for our sake. Strengthen us when we are tempted, and teach us to rely upon Your Word as our defense against the evil one. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, send Your holy angels to protect and keep us in Your ways, that no evil may befall us. Graciously behold the needy, the sick and the troubled [especially _____________]. Satisfy us with long life, and show us Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You covered the shame of our first parents with animal skin and thereby foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of the shedding of Your Son’s blood by which we are cleansed and clothed. Give us the garments of repentance and faith, that we may receive Your Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, You have given us a refuge from the world in the Body of Christ. Protect us from all evils of body and soul, that we would find rest in this life and eternal rest in Your heavenly embrace; 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.

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 overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. 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

The Words of Our Lord

Pax Domini

Agnus Dei                                                                LSB 198

Sit
Distribution and Hymns:

561 “The Tree of Life”
1     The tree of life with ev’ry good
In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet
God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew
Another tree, of which they knew;
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
Against whose eating God had warned.

2     The stillness of that sacred grove
Was broken, as the serpent strove
With tempting voice Eve to beguile
And Adam too by sin defile.
O day of sadness when the breath
Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed
Within the world so newly made.

3     What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace:
In sending One from woman’s seed,
The One to fill our greatest need--
For on a tree uplifted high
His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
To crush the ancient serpent’s head!

4     Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame
Flows life eternal in His name;
For all who trust and will believe,
Salvation’s living fruit receive.
And of this fruit so pure and sweet
The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood
The tree of life with ev’ry good.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1993 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

424 “O Christ, You Walked the Road”
1     O Christ, You walked the road
    Our wand’ring feet must go.
You faced with us temptation’s pow’r
    And fought our ancient foe.

2     No bread of earth alone
    Can fill our hung’ring hearts.
Lord, help us seek Your living Word,
    The food Your grace imparts.

3     No blinding sign we ask,
    No wonder from above.
Lord, help us place our trust alone
    In Your unswerving love.

4     When lures of easy gain
    With promise brightly shine,
Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first;
    Our wills with Yours align.

5     O Christ, You walked the road
    Our wand’ring feet must go.
Stay with us through temptation’s hour
    To fight our ancient foe.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

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 : 418 “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days”
1     O Lord, throughout these forty days
    You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
    And free us from our past.

2     You strove with Satan, and You won;
    Your faithfulness endured;
Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust
    In God’s eternal Word.

3     Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed
    And fixed Your mind above;
So teach us to deny ourselves,
    Since we have known God’s love.

4     Be with us through this season, Lord,
    And all our earthly days,
That when the final Easter dawns,
    We join in heaven’s praise.
Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838–98; para. Gilbert E. Doan, 1930
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Announcements, Postlude, Refreshments and Bible Classes

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Transfiguration of Our Lord – February 19, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Mark Klein
           Lay Reader         Chris Essley
             Acolyte                   Becca Potts
              Organist              Coleen Tallman
              Communion Preparation   Jeri Bliss
              Ushers                 L. Tallman, W. Helley, S. 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 this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE is planned for Karen Taylor this Saturday, February 25th at 1 p.m. here at the church.

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)

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.
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 Transfiguration of Our Lord
February 19, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 415 “Jesus on the Mountain Peak”
1     Jesus on the mountain peak
    Stands alone in glory blazing;
Let us, if we dare to speak,
    Join the saints and angels praising.
        Alleluia!

2     Trembling at His feet we saw
    Moses and Elijah speaking.
All the prophets and the law
    Shout through them their joyful greeting:
        Alleluia!

3     Swift the cloud of glory came:
    God proclaiming in its thunder
Jesus as the Son by name!
    Nations, cry aloud in wonder,
        Alleluia!

4     This is God’s belovèd Son!
    Law and prophets sing before Him,
First and Last and only One.
    All creation shall adore Him!
        Alleluia!
Text: Brian Wren, 1936
Text: © 1977 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution

Please stand if able
[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 99:9, 1–5
P Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Kyrie

Gloria in Excelsis

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P     Let us pray.
O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sit
Old Testament Reading                                     Exodus 24:8–18
    8And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
    9Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.
    12The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”
    15Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                              Psalm 2:6–12
6“As for me, I have | set my King*
    on Zion, my | holy hill.”
7I will tell of | the decree:*
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have be- | gotten you.
8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your | heritage,*
    and the ends of the earth your pos- | session.
9You shall break them with a | rod of iron*
    and dash them in pieces like a potter’s | vessel.”
10Now therefore, O | kings, be wise;*
    be warned, O rulers | of the earth.
11Serve the | Lord with fear,*
    and rejoice with | trembling.
12Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly | kindled.*
Blessèd are all who take ref- | uge in him.

Epistle                                                            2 Peter 1:16–21
    16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                    Matthew 17:1–9
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the seventeenth chapter.

    1After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
    9And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

P     This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Sit

Sermon Hymn: 413 “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair”
1     O wondrous type! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church may share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!

2     With Moses and Elijah nigh
The_incarnate Lord holds converse high;
And from the cloud the Holy One
Bears record to the only Son.

3     With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.

4     And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery,
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.

D 5     O Father, with the_eternal Son
And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.
Text: Sarum Breviary, 1495, Salisbury; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon         “Jesus Was Transfigured”               Matthew 17:1-9
Jesus was Transfigured – Matthew 17:1-9
As Jesus went about teaching and healing, there came a time when He began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (Matthew 16:21) This teaching was very confusing for the disciples. Peter [even] took [Jesus] aside and began to [scold] him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:22–23) The disciples simply did not yet understand that Jesus came to die on the cross and save them from their sins. They were very confused.
So it is that Jesus showed His true identity to some of the disciples in a very special way. “Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:1–2) Jesus is both God and man. Up until this time, Jesus had hidden His Divine glory within His human body. Then, on this mountain … Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see a little bit of His glory as the Son of God. Jesus wanted Peter, James, John, and us, to have a clearer understanding of who He is.
As Jesus shone in glory, two new figures appeared. Behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with [Jesus]. (Matthew 17:3) Both Moses and Elijah had been dead for centuries. They were both heroes of the faith. God used Moses to establish Israel as a free nation by leading them out of Egypt and giving them the Law. Elijah did not die in the normal way, but went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11) With the appearance of these two men, Jesus clearly showed that He reigns in both earth and heaven.
It was then that Peter did his thing. Peter had this bad habit of burning off nervous energy by opening his mouth and babbling before he thought about what to say. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4) Peter believed that this mountain top experience was the goal of Christ’s mission to this earth. He wanted to build shelters for the threesome who appeared before him. He did not know what to say, for [the disciples] were terrified. (Mark 9:6) This is not the first or the last time that Peter’s mouth got him into trouble.
It was then that God the Father interrupted Peter. [Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5) It is as if God the Father said, “Hey, Peter, you can’t learn a whole lot with all that noise coming out of your mouth. If you want to learn, here is my beloved Son; close your mouth and listen to Him.” The Father identified Jesus as His Son, the Eternal Word in the flesh. Pay attention to Him.
You see, when Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, (Matthew 16:21) the disciples refused to listen. They recognized Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God,” (Matthew 16:16) but they could not comprehend the idea that the work of the Christ was to suffer and die to take away the sin of the world. If they could not understand Jesus’ work as their suffering savior, then they could not understand Jesus at all.
Jesus had to use this extreme demonstration of His glory to teach them that they must listen to Him. God the Father also spoke to them and told them to listen to Him. Jesus had to teach His disciples that He was indeed the Christ, the Son of God and that He came into the world to save sinners with His suffering, and death, and then rise from the dead on the third day. The way to eternal glory is through the cross. If the disciples were to learn this, then they must listen to Jesus.
Peter and the other disciples responded the way most people respond to the glory of God. When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. (Matthew 17:6) That is the way everyone responds when they encounter the God of glory. When you encounter the God of glory in all His holiness, the only response is terror. He is holy. I am sinful. He is powerful. I am powerless. He is everything. I am nothing. The Children of Israel encountered God in His glory. When all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20:18–19) The Children of Israel saw God from a distance … the base of the mountain and they were afraid. Peter, James, and John encountered the bright cloud of God … right there on the mountain. I can’t even imagine how terrified they were.
There is only one person who removes that kind of fear. Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.” (Matthew 17:7–8) Jesus touched them. He spoke the word. He removed the fear. They looked up and only Jesus was there. Jesus was there with His mercy and comfort. Jesus is still the true Son of God, filled with splendor and glory, but that glory was hidden in His humanity. Jesus is the one and only savior and comfort from the terror of sin.
Sometimes we think about the times when God showed His glory in the Bible. It’s easy to get excited about mountain top experiences when we aren’t there. It is very exciting to think about God speaking to Moses from the burning bush. We imagine that it would be interesting to witness God smoking away at the top of Mount Sinai. We might fantasize about meeting God in all His glory. The thought of God pouring His glory out on us sounds very thrilling. We like the Jesus who lights up the mountain top in today’s Gospel. We like the Jesus whose Father thunders from the cloud and tells us that Jesus is His Son. We like a God who is large and in charge. We like that kind of power and majesty. We like an awesome God who has thunder in His footsteps and lightning in His fists. We like our sovereign God.
But before we get too excited about meeting God in all His glory, we should take time to read about the people who actually DID encounter the glory of God. Adam and Eve tried to run away and hide. Other people who encountered the glory of God fell on their faces. Others became as dead men. Others trembled and were not able to stand. Isaiah cried out, “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; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5) The common element in all these encounters with God is fear. Even angels who only reflect the glory of God must say, “Fear not,” before they can deliver their messages.
It is easy to forget the words that God said to Moses, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20) It is easy to forget that when God the Father spoke from the cloud, the disciples fell on their faces in fear. It is easy to forget that in order to stand before God without fear, we must be just as perfect … just as holy as He is. We must be blameless … innocent … sinless. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees. We must be perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. In order to stand before God in His glory, we too must be glorious.
It is easy to think that we can be glorious when we stand before the false god of our own making, but when the true God reveals His law to us, we see that we are anything but glorious. Instead of being sinless, we are sinful. Instead of being innocent, we are guilty. Instead of being holy, we are profane. Our only response to God’s holy, almighty glory is to collapse in terror just as the disciples did.
We need the Jesus who came to the disciples and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” We need the Jesus who led these three disciples down from the Mount of Transfiguration. We need the Jesus who made His way to another mountain … Golgotha, the place of the skull. On that mountain, Jesus will express the inner most being of God in sweat and blood, pain and suffering, and, ultimately death and burial. It is through that suffering and death on the cross that Jesus earned our justification. It is through that suffering and death on the cross that Jesus took away our sin and replaced it with His righteousness. It is Jesus working through the cross who offers us forgiveness, life, and salvation. It is Jesus who takes away the burden of our sin and makes it possible for us to stand in the presence of God. It is the glory of Christ on the cross that gives the glory of eternal life to us.
Through the cross, Jesus became the death of death and the life of life. As the life of life, He rose from the dead. It was not until after that resurrection that the disciples finally understood the true mission of the Christ. Then Peter, James, and John could properly tell about their experience on the mountain when Jesus showed them a bit of heaven. Then it was that they could proclaim that they had seen the divine glory of Jesus Christ, but Jesus hid that glory in His human flesh and by means of that human flesh humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. They could point to the glory of His Transfiguration that terrified them and then they could point to the even greater glory of His death on the cross. In this way, they could proclaim the magnitude of His salvation.
God the Father proclaimed Jesus as His Son and commanded us to listen to Him. As we hear the proclamation of Jesus’ words, the Holy Spirit produces and sustains the true faith in us … the faith that receives Christ’s great salvation. That great salvation will carry us through not only the mountain top experiences, but also through the valleys in between until our last hour comes and our Father in heaven gives us a blessed end and carries us from this valley of sorrows to Himself in heaven. 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--The Transfiguration of Our Lord (A)--19 February 2023

Heavenly Father, You revealed Your glory in the transfiguration of Your Son, who tabernacled among us in the flesh. Open our eyes, that by faith we would see Him continuing to tabernacle among us in the Divine Service. Grant that we would heed Your admonition to “listen to Him” as He forgives and preserves us at the font, pulpit and altar. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy God, we ask for Your blessing on this congregation, especially for our catechumens. As Moses was changed when he saw Your glory on Mount Sinai, may we who have beheld Your glory in the face of Christ also be transformed and given boldness of spirit to share Your glory abroad. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, Moses and Elijah appeared with the Savior in glory, witnessing all that the Law and the prophets speak about Him. Grant wisdom to all pastors and church workers to open Your Scriptures in such a way that everyone would hear the voice of Jesus calling them to life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, bless the families of Your Church, that parents would teach the faith to their children and that the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in all households. Remember also all expectant mothers, that they and their babies would be kept safe and healthy throughout their pregnancies. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty Father, You alone establish all authority on earth. Bless those entrusted with authority both here and abroad to serve with integrity and honor for the well-being of all. Grant that all division, conflict and strife would give way to unity, peace and quietness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of all comfort, You alone bring the peace that passes understanding to troubled hearts. Remember the afflicted, [especially _____________ and those we name in our hearts,] that they would know Your presence, taste Your peace and receive healing according to Your gracious will, ever trusting in the hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, we praise You, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Give us ears to hear Your voice speaking through Your Word, holy lips to receive Christ’s blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, and holy awe at Your glory granted to us in the Means of Grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, Your power is beyond compare and Your glory beyond understanding. Open our hearts to know You through the glory of Your Son, whose saving will and purpose has rescued us from sin and death and made us Your own people by Baptism and faith; for to You, blessed and eternal Father, belong all honor and glory, worship and praise, with Your beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.

Offering 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 at His transfiguration revealed His glory to His disciples that they might be strengthened to proclaim His cross and resurrection and with all the faithful look forward to the glory of life everlasting. 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

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:

395 “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”
1     O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You shine with God’s own truth and light,
    Aglow with grace and mercy!
Of Jacob’s race, King David’s son,
Our Lord and master, You have won
    Our hearts to serve You only!
        Lowly, holy!
    Great and glorious,
    All victorious,
        Rich in blessing!
Rule and might o’er all possessing!

2     Come, heav’nly Bridegroom, Light divine,
And deep within our hearts now shine;
    There light a flame undying!
In Your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
    Your life our lives supplying.
        Now, though daily
    Earth’s deep sadness
    May perplex us
        And distress us,
Yet with heav’nly joy You bless us.

3     Lord, when You look on us in love,
At once there falls from God above
    A ray of purest pleasure.
Your Word and Spirit, flesh and blood
Refresh our souls with heav’nly food.
    You are our dearest treasure!
        Let Your mercy
    Warm and cheer us!
    O draw near us!
        For You teach us
God’s own love through You has reached us.

4     Almighty Father, in Your Son
You loved us when not yet begun
    Was this old earth’s foundation!
Your Son has ransomed us in love
To live in Him here and above:
    This is Your great salvation.
        Alleluia!
    Christ the living,
    To us giving
        Life forever,
Keeps us Yours and fails us never!

5     O let the harps break forth in sound!
Our joy be all with music crowned,
   Our voices gladly blending!
For Christ goes with us all the way--
Today, tomorrow, ev’ry day!
    His love is never ending!
        Sing out! Ring out!
    Jubilation!
    Exultation!
        Tell the story!
Great is He, the King of Glory!

6     What joy to know, when life is past,
The Lord we love is first and last,
    The end and the beginning!
He will one day, oh, glorious grace,
Transport us to that happy place
    Beyond all tears and sinning!
        Amen! Amen!
    Come, Lord Jesus!
    Crown of gladness!
        We are yearning
For the day of Your returning!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

523 “O Word of God Incarnate”
1     O Word of God incarnate,
    O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
    O Light of our dark sky:
We praise You for the radiance
    That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,
    Shines on from age to age.

2     The Church from You, dear Master,
    Received the gift divine;
And still that light is lifted
    O’er all the earth to shine.
It is the chart and compass
    That, all life’s voyage through,
Mid mists and rocks and quicksands
    Still guides, O Christ, to You.

3     O make Your Church, dear Savior,
    A lamp of burnished gold
To bear before the nations
    Your true light as of old!
O teach Your wand’ring pilgrims
    By this their path to trace
Till, clouds and darkness ended,
    They see You face to face!
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
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

414 ’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here
1     ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
    Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
    Shine with unborrowed light.

2     ’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
    Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
    Thy messengers of old.

3     Fulfiller of the past
    And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
    And our redemption see.

4     Before we taste of death,
    We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
    And make this hill our home.

5     ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
    Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
    Come with us to the plain.
Text: Joseph A. Robinson, 1858–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+

Announcements, Postlude, Refreshments, and Bible Classes

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 © 2023 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 Epiphany – February 12, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Howard Holman
             Acolyte                   Gena Dillon
              Organist             Fred Weber
              Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
              Ushers                 L. Tallman, W. Helley, S. Broach (captain)

REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
TODAY, there will be a one-item voters’ meeting to nominate pastors for the synodical positions of president, first vice-president, and a regional vice-president. Information was sent out via email. If you would like a hard copy of this information, it will be available at the meeting. The meeting will be held after the worship service, and will just be for this one item. Member congregations of synod are allowed to nominate up to two pastors for each of these three positions.
THERE WILL BE A CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING at 6 p.m. Wed.

THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome! Also, there is a WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY at 10 a.m. on Zoom. They welcome newcomers as well!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE is planned for Karen Taylor on Saturday, February 25th at 1 p.m. here at the church.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
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.
Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks
you for a reason for the hope that is in you.      1 Peter 3:15b

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 12, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 394 “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
1     Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
    Manifested by the star
    To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem:
    Anthems be to Thee addressed,
    God in man made manifest.

2     Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
    And at Cana wedding guest
    In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in pow’r divine,
Changing water into wine;
    Anthems be to Thee addressed,
    God in man made manifest.

3     Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
    Manifest in valiant fight,
   Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
    Anthems be to Thee addressed,
    God in man made manifest.

4     Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heav’ns shall flee;
    Christ will then like lightning shine,
    All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
    Thou by all wilt be confessed,
    God in man made manifest.

5     Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Present in Thy holy Word--
    Grace to imitate Thee now
    And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we might become like Thee
At Thy great epiphany
    And may praise Thee, ever blest,
    God in man made manifest.
Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[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 98:2, 7–9
P The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

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 Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; 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 30:15–20
    15“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Psalm [sung by all]                                            Psalm 119:1–8
Aleph
1Blessèd are those whose way is | blameless,*
    who walk in the law | of the Lord!
2Blessèd are those who keep his testi- | monies,*
    who seek him with their | whole heart,
3who also | do no wrong,*
    but walk | in his ways!
4You have commanded your | precepts*
    to be kept dil- | igently.
5Oh that my ways may be | steadfast*
    in keeping your | statutes!
6Then I shall not be | put to shame,*
    having my eyes fixed on all your com- | mandments.
7I will praise you with an | upright heart,*
    when I learn your just and righ- | teous decrees.
8I will keep your | statutes;*
    do not utterly for- | sake me!

Epistle                                                       1 Corinthians 3:1–9
    1But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
    5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

A     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                   Matthew 5:21–37
P     The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

    21[Jesus said:] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But 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. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
    27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
    31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
    33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

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: 581 “These Are the Holy Ten Commands”
1     These are the holy Ten Commands
God gave to us by Moses’ hands
When high on Sinai’s mount he stood,
Receiving them for our good.
    Have mercy, Lord!

2     “I am alone your God, the Lord;
No other gods shall be adored.
But you shall fully trust in Me
And love Me wholeheartedly.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

3     “Do not My holy name disgrace,
Do not My Word of truth debase.
Praise only that as good and true
Which I Myself say and do.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

4     “You shall observe the worship day
That peace may fill your home, and pray,
And put aside the work you do,
So that God may work in you.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

5     “You are to honor and obey
Your father, mother, ev’ry day,
Serve them each way that comes to hand;
You’ll then live long in the land.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

6     “You shall not murder, hurt, nor hate;
Your anger dare not dominate.
Be kind and patient; help, defend,
And treat your foe as your friend.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

7     “Be faithful to your marriage vow;
No lust or impure thoughts allow.
Keep all your conduct free from sin
By self-controlled discipline.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

8     “You shall not steal or take away
What others worked for night and day,
But open wide a gen’rous hand
And help the poor in the land.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

9     “Bear no false witness nor defame
Your neighbor nor destroy his name,
But view him in the kindest way;
Speak truth in all that you say.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

10    “You shall not crave your neighbor’s house
Nor covet money, goods, or spouse.
Pray God He would your neighbor bless
As you yourself wish success.”
    Have mercy, Lord!

11    You have this Law to see therein
That you have not been free from sin
But also that you clearly see
How pure toward God life should be.
    Have mercy, Lord!

12    Our works cannot salvation gain;
They merit only endless pain.
Forgive us, Lord! To Christ we flee,
Who pleads for us endlessly.
    Have mercy, Lord!
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (st. 1): tr. Joseph Herl, 1959; (st. 2): tr. Michael A. Penikis, 1964; (sts. 3–5, 7, 11): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001, alt.; (sts. 6, 8–10, 12): tr. Christian Worship, 1993, alt.
Text (sts. 1–2): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 3–5, 7, 11): © 1980 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Text (sts. 6, 8–10, 12): Public domain

Sermon               “New Hearts for Old”              Matthew 5:21-37
New Hearts for Old – Matthew 5:21-37
In Luther’s Large Catechism, one comes across the following statement in his discussion of the Third Commandment:
“This commandment, therefore, in its literal sense, does not apply to us Christians. It is entirely an outward matter, like other ordinances of the Old Testament. The ordinances were attached to particular customs, persons, times, and places, but now they have been made matters of freedom through Christ.” (Large Cat.: Commandments, art. iii, par. 82)
Does that surprise you? Those of us who have gone through catechism instruction using Luther’s Small Catechism spent a long time studying the Ten Commandments. Why did Martin Luther put them in the Large and Small Catechisms if they no longer apply? What’s the deal?
To begin with: God gave the Law in two basic ways. First of all, He gave it to Adam and Eve when He created them. The Law was written on their hearts. It was part of their being. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they corrupted that version of the Law. Because human beings had brought sin into creation, they could no longer trust the version of the Law written in their hearts. God needed to reveal His Law in other ways.
Eventually, God spoke the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel as they gathered around Mount Sinai under the guidance of Moses. God gave many other laws as well … laws concerning the building of the Tabernacle and all its furniture and utensils … laws concerning the sacrificial system … laws concerning the ways His people would set themselves apart from the other nations … and so forth. One of the questions we must deal with when we study all these laws is which of these laws still apply to us and how do they apply to us.
Today, as we continue to make our way through the Sermon on the Mount, we come to the part of that sermon where Jesus interpreted some of the Ten Commandments for us. In the section of the Sermon on the Mount that we heard last week, Jesus taught, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17) How did Jesus instruct us to keep the law now that He has fulfilled it? As we consider Jesus’ teaching, we can begin to understand how the Law given to Israel through Moses still applies to us today.
When God spoke to Israel from Mount Sinai, He said, “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13) Most people can say, “I never killed anyone.” Even soldiers and law enforcement officers can say, “I never took a life without the proper authority.” Strictly speaking these people have kept the letter of this law.
Jesus will not let them get away with this simple interpretation. He taught, “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 5:22) Here Jesus teaches us that murder includes any form of harm … anger … name calling, and so forth. He has raised the bar. All honest people will confess that they are murderers given the way that Jesus defines murder.
When God spoke to Israel from Mount Sinai, He said, “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14) Again, many people can say, “I have only been intimate with my spouse and no one else.” Such people would be inclined to believe that they have kept this law.
Again, Jesus raised the bar. He taught, “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) Once again, we learn that we can sin in our thoughts even if we never act on them. Once again, Jesus has forced honest people to confess that they are adulterers.
By the way ladies, this is not just the visual stuff that seems to corrupt us men. It also includes those novels with the romantic hero who makes your heart race just a little bit. It also includes those times when your husband has been a clod and you remember that there were other men in your life that you could have married instead of the clod. Jesus raises the bar to include all this kind of thinking.
Jesus does this sort of thing a lot. By the time He gets through with the Ten Commandments, we must all admit that we break them all every day. We have gotten so used to breaking them that we often break them and don’t even notice it. Martin Luther got this right when he teaches what sins to confess. In the Small Catechism he asks, “What sins should we confess?” His answer is this: “Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer.”
Then, if we are tempted to think that sins are not all that serious, Jesus tells us to amputate all the body parts that cause us to sin. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matthew 5:29–30) You know it is serious when Jesus starts talking about hell.
Now, before we start collecting funds to amputate body parts, let me tell you what another pastor shared with me about a television show that he enjoys. He told about “Babylon 5,” a television show that was popular many years ago. He said two scenes apply to what we are talking about today. In the first scene there is an absolutely evil and insane Nero-like dictator. This dictator captures one of the main characters and tortures him. He orders one of his guards to flog him nearly to death. It is not surprising that there is an assassination and a new dictator comes to power. The new dictator offers the main character the opportunity to take revenge on the guard by flogging him nearly to death. The main character replies and says, “When someone slaps you, do you blame the hand or do you blame the mind that ordered the hand to do the slapping. The hand has no choice. It is the mind that is at fault. This guard was only the hand and had no choice. The mind that ordered the flogging is dead. I have no desire to flog the hand.” Then he threw the whip to the ground.
The true cause of sin is not the eye or the hand. Jesus once said, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (Matthew 15:19) The Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5) It is not the hands or the eyes that need amputating. The seat of our sin is in our hearts. We need to get rid of our sinful hearts.
I always find it just a little puzzling when people tell me that they have given their heart to Christ as though that were some sort of a noble gesture on their part. The sin in our hearts is absolutely disgusting. A jar of raw sewage would be a better gift than our old, sinful hearts.
God is not interested in receiving our hearts as a gift. Instead, He is interested in taking our hearts and putting them to death. 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? 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. … 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) He also wrote, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) When Jesus went to the cross, He took our filthy, toxic, sinful hearts with Him. With His death, He put those hearts to death.
What about the big empty space left behind? We can’t live without hearts. How does God address this problem?
You may not know it, but you sing the answer to that question usually once a month on Sunday: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.” This is a prayer that asks God to create a clean heart to replace that old, sinful heart that Jesus took to the cross.
This also happens in Holy Baptism. Even as the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write about the removal of the old heart, He also inspired Paul to tell of the new. Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) He also said, “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his … “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:5–8) When the Holy Spirit plants faith in us, He does a heart transplant. He removes our filthy hearts of sin and replaces them with the clean and holy heart of Jesus Christ Himself.
Now, although we have the holy heart of Christ within us, 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 to live with Him forever where our hearts will 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 could give our hearts as a gift to God. Instead, God took our filthy, sinful hearts and destroyed them at the cross. Now through Holy Baptism, He gives us His heart – by the power of that heart we fear, love and trust in Him above all things – we turn to Him in time of trouble – and when temptations overwhelm us, His heart draws us to Him in confession in the sure and certain knowledge that God loves us for Christ’s sake and will forgive us. Because Christ has given us His heart, we will live with Him in eternity and rejoice before His throne forever. This is the new heart that God has created in us. Amen

Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany (A)--12 February 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Almighty God, the seas roar and the rivers clap their hands because You come to judge the earth. Receive our thanks that You declare us righteous by water and the Word, and grant that we would live in that baptismal grace until You come in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, You make us Your children in Baptism and desire that we grow and mature in the faith. Bless pastors, teachers, parents and all who teach Your Word, and give us a constant desire to hear and obey it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You condemn unrighteous anger even as You command, “You shall not murder.” You have poured out Your righteous anger on Your Son at the cross, that we might be reconciled to You. Where there is division, move us to repent and seek reconciliation with one another so that we might live in peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of life, You condemn sexually impure thoughts even as You command, “You shall not commit adultery.” Deliver us from lustful thoughts and defend us from the temptations of pornography, that we may lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, the Author of truth, You command us, “You shall not swear falsely.” Give us faith to acknowledge Your Word and, by Your strength, do what You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of all, You judge the peoples in righteousness and equity. Give wisdom to our nation’s authorities, preserve us from unjust division and cause us to love one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, our God, You are our life and our length of days. Sustain and strengthen those who suffer sickness and affliction, [especially _____________,] and comfort all who mourn [especially _____________] with the promise of everlasting life in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, You give growth to the Church by Your Holy Word and Sacraments. Preserve Your people from the wisdom of the world, which creates division and follows after the winds of the age. Unite the Church in a common confession of Your truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

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 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.

As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.

We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.

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:

645 “Built on the Rock”
1     Built on the Rock the Church shall stand
    Even when steeples are falling.
Crumbled have spires in ev’ry land;
    Bells still are chiming and calling,
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the souls distressed,
    Longing for rest everlasting.

2     Surely in temples made with hands
    God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
    All earthly temples excelling.
Yet He who dwells in heav’n above
Chooses to live with us in love,
    Making our bodies His temple.

3     We are God’s house of living stones,
    Built for His own habitation.
He through baptismal grace us owns
    Heirs of His wondrous salvation.
Were we but two His name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell
    With all His grace and His favor.

4     Here stands the font before our eyes,
    Telling how God has received us.
The_altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice
    And what His Supper here gives us.
Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
    And evermore, our Redeemer.

5     Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,
    That, when the church bells are ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
    Where Christ His message is bringing:
“I know My own; My own know Me.
You, not the world, My face shall see.
    My peace I leave with you. Amen.”
Text: Nikolai Fredrik Severin Grundtvig, 1783–1872, abr.; tr. Carl Döving, 1867–1937, alt.
Text: Public domain

843 “Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive”
1     “Forgive our sins as we forgive,”
    You taught us, Lord, to pray;
But You alone can grant us grace
    To live the words we say.

2     How can Your pardon reach and bless
    The unforgiving heart
That broods on wrongs and will not let
    Old bitterness depart?

3     In blazing light Your cross reveals
    The truth we dimly knew:
What trivial debts are owed to us,
    How great our debt to You!

4     Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
    And bid resentment cease;
Then, bound to all in bonds of love,
    Our lives will spread Your peace.
Text: Rosamond E. Herklots, 1905–87, alt.
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

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: 865 “Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain”
1     Lord, help us ever to retain
The Catechism’s doctrine plain
    As Luther taught the Word of truth
    In simple style to tender youth.

2     Help us Your holy Law to learn,
To mourn our sin and from it turn
    In faith to You and to Your Son
    And Holy Spirit, Three in One.

3     Hear us, dear Father, when we pray
For needed help from day to day
    That as Your children we may live,
    Whom You baptized and so received.

4     Lord, when we fall or go astray,
Absolve and lift us up, we pray;
    And through the Sacrament increase
    Our faith till we depart in peace.
Text: Ludwig Helmbold, 1532–98; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain

+Soli Deo Gloria+

Announcements

Postlude

Refreshments, followed by Adult 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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 5, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Gil McMillan
             Acolyte                   Becca Potts
              Organist             Fred Weber
              Communion Preparation
              Ushers                 L. Tallman, W. Helley, S. 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 this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE is planned for Karen Taylor on Saturday, February 25th at 1 p.m. here at the church.

NOTE TWO SMALL CHANGES occurring during our divine service:
1) After communion, the cups are to be placed in the receptacle in the center aisle of the church; 2) The offering plate will be brought forward prior to the saying of the offering prayer. Gifts may continue to be placed in the offering box in the back of the church for gifts given at the conclusion of the service.
NEXT SUNDAY, there will be a one-item voters’ meeting to nominate pastors for the synodical positions of president, first vice-president, and a regional vice-president. Information was sent out via email. If you would like a hard copy of this information, please speak with pastor. The meeting will be held after the worship service, and will just be for this one item. Member congregations of synod are allowed to nominate up to two pastors for each of these three positions.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.

The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 5, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 873 “Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
1     Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
    Christ, the true and only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise;
    Triumph o’er the shades of night.
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.

2     Dark and cheerless is the morn
    Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
    Till Thy mercy’s beams I see,
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

3     Visit then this soul of mine,
    Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
    Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text: Public domain

Please stand if able

L      O Lord, open my lips,
C     [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L      Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C     [spoken] 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]                                                           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     [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.

Sit
Reading                                                                 Isaiah 58:3–9a
L      A reading from Isaiah, chapter 58.

3“‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
    Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
    and oppress all your workers.
4Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
    will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
    and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
    and a day acceptable to the Lord?
6“Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
    and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’”

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Reading                                                    1 Corinthians 2:1–12
L      A reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 2.

    1And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
    6Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”--
10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Stand
Reading                                                        Matthew 5:13–20
L      A reading from Matthew, chapter 5.

    13[Jesus said:] “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
    14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
    17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

L      O Lord, have mercy on us.
C     Thanks be to God.

Responsory
L      Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C     [spoken] 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     [spoken] 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     [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 578 “Thy Strong Word”
1     Thy strong word did cleave the darkness;
    At Thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank Thee,
    While Thine ordered seasons run.
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Praise to Thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Alleluia without end!

2     Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,
    Dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of Thy salvation,
    Breathed Thine own life-breathing breath.
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Praise to Thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Alleluia without end!

3     Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous;
    Bright with Thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory,
    And our lives our hopes confess.
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Praise to Thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Alleluia without end!

4     From the cross Thy wisdom shining
    Breaketh forth in conqu’ring might;
From the cross forever beameth
    All Thy bright redeeming light.
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Praise to Thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
    Alleluia without end!

5     Give us lips to sing Thy glory,
    Tongues Thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats that shout the hope that fills us,
    Mouths to speak Thy holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia!
    May the light which Thou dost send
Fill our songs with alleluias,
    Alleluias without end!

D 6     God the Father, light-creator,
    To Thee laud and honor be.
To Thee, Light of Light begotten,
    Praise be sung eternally.
Holy Spirit, light-revealer,
    Glory, glory be to Thee.
Mortals, angels, now and ever
    Praise the holy Trinity!
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Sermon                    “Salt and Light”                  Matthew 5:13-20
SALT AND LIGHT
Matthew 5:13-16

     “Why am I here?” “Why am I still here on earth, for as a Christian, I am ready for heaven, but I am still here?” Have you asked yourself that question in the past few days, or even already today?
     After answering that question, we conclude that we are certainly not here to simply twiddle our thumbs, or loaf around until we are called from this life, that somehow God has forgotten about us. Rather, we acknowledge that Jesus has given each of us a great calling to fulfill. We have a call to be holy, to show forth His praises. Someone called this the fifth Gospel (after Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)--the Gospel according to you. Perhaps you are familiar with the following poem:
If none but you in the world today Had tried to live in a Christ-like way,
Would the rest of the world look close at you, And find the path that is straight and true?

If none but you in the world so wide   Had found the Christ for His daily guide,
Would the things you do and the things you say, Lead others to live in His blessed way?

Men read and admire the Gospel of Christ   With its love so unfailing and true,
But what do they say and what do they think of the Gospel according to you?

     Jesus teaches us what our calling should be: SALT AND LIGHT
I.
     “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus said in His sermon on the mount. The United States Department of Agriculture controls the labeling requirements for the amount of salt in foods, and though that has decreased over the years, it is still vital to the needs of our bodies. Those of you who have lived in the Midwest and plains states know about the placement of salt on road surfaces to melt the ice.
     In ancient times, some cultures even used salt in place of money. It was even referred to as “salarium,” from which we get our word salary. Even to this day, some in the Middle East refer to salt by a word which means pact, treaty, or togetherness. In Leviticus 2:13 God Himself ordered Moses, in establishing types of offerings in the Old Testament, “You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Later, God reminds King David in 2 Chronicles 13:5, “Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?”
Salt, as abundant and universal as it is, is valuable. It is precious and distinct.
     “You are the salt of the earth” is a calling of distinction. It is also a humbling admission, for we all know that we cannot make salt (at least not inexpensively). The vast majority of the salt in the world is one of God’s gifts to us, to be gathered, and used. So our calling is one of grace alone. We do not make ourselves Christian—God has done it all and preserves us in faith. “When we were still helpless, Christ died for us.” “God the Father did not spare His only Son but gave Him up for us all.” “For it is by God’s grace that you are saved through faith. It is not of your own doing. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any try to boast about it. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
     “Salt” also speaks of function. We may think of salt as useful for flavoring and as a seasoning, but the fisherman disciples who first heard this, understood its first function in their day very well. Those were times of no refrigeration or deep freezes. As they would make their catch at the Sea of Galilee, it had to be salted down well, for the long trip to the Jerusalem markets, to be brought through the Fish Gate. Besides, other foods were salted down to preserve them. We too, are “left” in the world for a time to be a wholesome influence to help keep society from rotting morally by “lifting high the cross, the love of Christ proclaiming.”
     It is important to remember that Jesus did not say, “you are the sugar of the earth,” so that we see our purpose as “sugar-coating” those things that are really and truly wrong in God’s eyes. “Sin” is to be called “sin.” And we can point to the one and only remedy for sin—Jesus, who died on the cross and rose again to save us all.
     I once read that the healthiest business in the world is harvesting salt. Indigenous people in Puerto Rico, for instance, who spend their lives harvesting salt, never have colds, never have rheumatism or lumbago, and cuts on the skin heal over night, all because of the healing, antiseptic qualities of salt.
     Does your life bring healing to others around you? Can others learn what is truth by your actions? Do they know the meaning of life from your life? Do they see the transforming power of Christ working in you?
     Jesus issues a warning—“If salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Salt harvesters have to be careful not to get dirt mixed with their crop of salt. If salt is dirty, it is thrown on sidewalks and roadways on icy mornings, to be ground in with the elements of the world. Jesus says that if we as Christians allow ourselves to get mixed up with the evil ways of the world—just to be popular—we are good for nothing because the world can’t see the difference.
     We are to speak with “salty” speech. St. Paul, in writing to the Christians in Colossae said, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” “Salty speech” edifies, whether it is a parent speaking to a child, or a child speaking to a parent. It also means that we Christians give the right answers to moral questions in our time, no matter how others “take it,” even if it isn’t how other Christians would answer or the world would wish us to respond. We also need to keep in mind that how we speak of our church and pastor can either incite people for Christ or turn them off. If we have an issue with our pastor, we should speak to him.
     And so we acknowledge that applying “salt” is an art. Sometimes we need a lot, so we pour it out. Sometimes, a little will do—so we use, as it were, the little holes in the salt shaker. The Bible does caution parents not to overcorrect their children but it also cautions children to listen to their parents and not bad mouth them. The same is true of employees and employers, and so on as Luther spells out in his Table of Duties which is part of his small catechism. Luther’s subtitle for his Table of Duties is “certain passages of Scripture for various holy orders and positions, admonishing them about their duties and responsibilities.” In fact, if you haven’t read it in awhile, I would encourage you to do so. It is also in the hymnal on page 328, but the Scripture passages are not printed out for you so you would need to look them up, which wouldn’t be a bad thing to do by the way, but it would take more time. Luther concludes his Table of Duties by stating—“Let each his lesson learn with care, and all the household well shall fare.”
II.
     Secondly, Jesus adds another point to our Christian calling. Salt preserves society from decay, so we can be a light and show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. “You are the light of the world.”
     Noah and his family were both the salt and light—the world was preserved from total destruction because of Noah and his family, and they let their light shine to following generations.
     Elijah and the 7,000 in Israel who did not bow down to the false god Baal, were the salt and light in their day. The disciples and early Christians seasoned and lightened the world of their day, and now the light is shining on us—Jesus is our Light who gives us saving faith. We reflect that faith in actions, like the moon reflects the light of the sun, so that others may see our good deeds and end up glorifying the Father in heaven by such action.
     Jesus illustrates how “light” functions in two ways—1. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, and second, people do not light a lamp to cover it and snuff it out but place it in such a way that it gives off light for others to see.
     Ancient cities were generally built on hills so that they would be easier to find and for protection. I don’t know about you, but I greatly appreciate living up in the foothills, especially when it is foggy in the valley below. Our church is also on a hill and not in a cave. We want others to “see” us, and we desire to be visible by being a “light” that is not hidden. When we gather for worship, we light the chancel candles, and use the eternal light to remind us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the light no darkness can hide. And for our part, we remember that we are lights upon the earth, children of a heavenly birth as God has claimed us as His own through our baptism, something, by the way, that He desires for everybody, as the Great Commission reminds us—“Go into all the world and make disciples, 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 when we leave this church, this place of light, this means that each and everyone of us brighten the corner wherever we are sent as this poem reminds us:
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.

Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him, bringing those that wander from the paths of sin,
He will ever help us if we shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

   St. Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus, “at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8) Remember, someone is watching.
     To conclude, two boys were watching a minister nail up a trellis for a vine in his garden. As they watched, the minister said, “You boys must really be interested in gardening to be watching so intently,” and one said, “nah, we’re just waiting to hear what a minister says when he hammers his thumb.”
     As we sang:
Give us lips to sing Thy glory, Tongues Thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats that shout the hope that fills us, Mouths to speak Thy holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia! May the light which Thou dost send
Fill our songs with alleluias, Alleluias without end!
     May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
[Votum]

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
Prayer of the Church--Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (A)--5 February 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Almighty God, You delight to loose the bonds of wickedness and undo the straps of the heavy yoke, that freed from sin’s bondage, we may gladly receive Your blessings. Preserve us from the lie that You are a cruel oppressor, and give us thankful hearts to rejoice that You are the Giver of all good gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful God, preserve Your Church by Your life-giving Word. Open the lips of pastors to declare Your just decrees and store them up in the hearts of Your people, that we may delight in Your promises and abound in good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, give wisdom and courage to parents as they teach their children Your ways. Make our homes havens of peace in a quarrelsome, self-seeking world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, You declare that a young man may keep his way pure by guarding it according to Your Word. Protect children and youth against the siren calls of the devil, the world and their own sinful nature. Grant delight in Your testimonies as much as in all riches. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, according to Your wisdom You establish rulers of this age for a time. Remember Joseph, our president; _____________, our governor; and all those You have placed in authority, that they might fulfill their duties with wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Father, cause healing to spring up speedily for the sake of Your Son. Have mercy upon those who suffer afflictions of sin in mind and body [especially _____________]. Where You permit trial to remain, preserve Your people in faith until the day when Your light breaks forth like the dawn. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, in Christ Your righteousness goes before us and Your glory is our rearguard. Answer our pleas for mercy this day in the gift of Christ’s body and blood, and prepare all those who commune to receive Him worthily and joyfully. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Holy Spirit, that delivered from the spirit of this world, we may hold fast in faith to what You freely give us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.

Kyrie
C     [spoken] 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:

563 “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness”
1     Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

2     Bold shall I stand in that great day,
Cleansed and redeemed, no debt to pay;
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

3     Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which at the mercy seat of God
Pleads for the captives’ liberty,
Was also shed in love for me.

4     Lord, I believe, were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

5     When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
This then shall be my only plea:
Jesus hath lived and died for me.

6     Jesus, be endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me,
For me, and all Thy hands have made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
Text: Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, 1700–60; tr. John B. Wesley, 1703–91, alt.
Text: Public domain

580 “The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace”
1     The Gospel shows the Father’s grace,
Who sent His Son to save our race,
Proclaims how Jesus lived and died
That we might thus be justified.

2     It sets the Lamb before our eyes,
Who made the_atoning sacrifice,
And calls the souls with guilt oppressed
To come and find eternal rest.

3     It brings the Savior’s righteousness
To robe our souls in royal dress;
From all our guilt it brings release
And gives the troubled conscience peace.

4     It is the pow’r of God to save
From sin and Satan and the grave;
It works the faith which firmly clings
To all the treasures which it brings.

5     It bears to all the tidings glad
And bids their hearts no more be sad;
The weary, burdened souls it cheers
And banishes their guilty fears.

6     May we in faith its message learn
Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn;
May we in faith its truth confess
And praise the Lord, our righteousness.
Text: Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain

Stand
Collects
L      O Lord, hear my prayer.
C     [spoken] And let my cry come to You.

Collect of the Day
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; 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     [spoken] 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: 698 “May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill”
1     May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfill
And do on earth our Father’s will
    As angels do above;
Still walk in Christ, the living way,
With all Thy children and obey
    The law of Christian love.

2     So may we join Thy name to bless,
Thy grace adore, Thy pow’r confess,
    From sin and strife to flee.
One is our calling, one our name,
The end of all our hopes the same,
    A crown of life with Thee.

3     Spirit of life, of love and peace,
Unite our hearts, our joy increase,
    Thy gracious help supply.
To each of us the blessing give
In Christian fellowship to live,
    In joyful hope to die.
Text: Edward Osler, 1798–1863, 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 © 2023 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 Epiphany – January 29, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Mark Klein
           Lay Reader         Coleen Tallman
             Acolyte                   Sue Hullen
              Organist              Karen Broach
              Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
              Ushers                 Kermitt Dickey, Dick Seiler, Orville
                                           Harshbarger (honorary), Doak Whitley
                                           (captain)

TODAY BEING A FIFTH SUNDAY, we will once again offer the optional anointing with oil. Please remain at the communion rail following communion if you wish to be anointed.

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 this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE is planned for Karen Taylor on Saturday, February 25th at 1 p.m. here at the church.

NOTE TWO SMALL CHANGES occurring during our divine service:
1) After communion, the cups are to be placed in the receptacle in the center aisle of the church; 2) The offering plate will be brought forward prior to the saying of the offering prayer. Gifts may continue to be placed in the offering box in the back of the church for gifts given at the conclusion of the service.
CHECK IT OUT! – Reading and meditating on pages 329-330 in the front of the hymnal is a great preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It’s Luther’s “Christian Questions with Their Answers” for those who intend to go to the Sacrament. [These questions first appeared as part of Luther’s Small Catechism in 1551, five years after his death.

MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany – January 29, 2023

PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE 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

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.

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

Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON                                              Micah 6:1–8

1Hear what the Lord says:
Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
    and let the hills hear your voice.
2Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,
    and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against his people,
    and he will contend with Israel.
3“O my people, what have I done to you?
    How have I wearied you? Answer me!
4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
    and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
    Aaron, and Miriam.
5O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised,
    and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
    that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”
6“With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

EPISTLE LESSON                                                    1 Corinthians 1:18–31

    18The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
    26For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Stand
GOSPEL LESSON                                                             Matthew 5:1–12

    1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
    2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
    3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
    4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
    5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
    6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
    7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
    8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
    9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
    10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
    11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Sit
SERMON HYMN: 932 “Jesus Sat with His Disciples”
1     Jesus sat with His disciples
    On a mountainside one day;
As the crowds of people gathered,
    He began to teach and say:
“Blessèd are the poor in spirit,
    Heaven’s kingdom they will share.
Blessèd are the sad and mourning,
    Joy and comfort will be theirs.

2     “Blessèd are the meek and humble,
    All the earth to them is willed.
Those who hunger to be holy,
    They are bless’d and will be filled.
Yes, the merciful are blessèd,
    Mercy will to them be shown.
And the pure in heart are blessèd,
    They have eyes for God alone.

3     “Blessèd are God’s sons and daughters,
    Making peace where there is strife.
Blessèd are the persecuted,
    Who for righteousness lose life;
Their reward is great in heaven,
    In the kingdom up above--
So be glad to share My suff’ring
    And rejoice to know My love.”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1997 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

SERMON               “Rejoice That You Are Blessed”           Matthew 5:1-12
Rejoice That You Are Blessed – Matthew 5:1-12
I have no idea what kind of nightmares you have, but people who study dreams say that there are some themes that are very common. One of them is being unprepared for a very important meeting. Perhaps the nightmare begins as you wake up and realize that your alarm didn’t go off. This life and death meeting is about to begin at any moment and you are still at home in your bedroom. In a panic, you bolt across the room and through the door. Only, instead of being in the hall outside your bedroom, you are suddenly standing at the head of the table in the meeting room at work. All the most important movers and shakers are seated at the table. They are all looking to you to give them the genius of your ideas. Everything depends on this and you’ve got … nothing. In terrified embarrassment, you look down at the floor in the hopes that you can sink through it, but, instead, you see that you are still dressed in your night clothes. Then you look around the room at all these elegant charts and graphs that are part of your presentation and they all look like gibberish. The movers and shakers around the table begin to speak, but you don’t understand a word. The room begins to close in on you and what a mercy it is to wake up and realize that it was all just a bad dream.
As we listened to the words of Jesus’ sermon this morning, we heard Him begin with the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3) Those who are poor in spirit are a lot like the people who have that nightmare of being unprepared.
To be poor means to be without resources … helpless … destitute, and so forth. But Jesus didn’t just say, “poor,” He said, “poor in spirit.” Here, He is not talking about being without house, home, food, clothing, and so forth. Instead, He is talking about our standing in the spirit. He is talking about people who are totally unprepared to stand before God. The poor in spirit stand before God and are just like the person in the nightmare. There is God almighty saying, “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” (Job 40:7) And they’ve got … nothing. In shame, they look down and see that they are still dressed in the filth of their sin. Is it any wonder that God’s Word says that they will try to hide themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:15–17) The really terrifying thing is that this is not a nightmare. It is reality.
How then, can Jesus say that such people are blessed? They are blessed because of what Jesus means when He says, “… theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As we learned last week, the kingdom of heaven is the deeds of God, performed in and through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. The kingdom of heaven includes the perfect life that Jesus lived in our place. It includes His ministry of preaching and healing. It includes His passive obedience to the suffering and death of the cross. It includes the promise of eternal life that comes in his resurrection. It includes His presence with us now in Word and Sacrament. It includes His final coming on the Last Day to raise our bodies and take us body and soul into His eternal presence.
When Jesus says, “… theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He is saying that all the resources of the reign of heaven are there for us. Those who have nothing in themselves, have everything in Christ Jesus. The reign of heaven belongs to those who are spiritually destitute. It is there for lost sinners. It is there for you.
When the Holy Spirit works faith in us, He shows us that we are spiritually impoverished, and He then bestows the blessing of the reign of heaven on us. Forgiveness, Baptism into Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit for faith and obedience, the nourishment of the Lord’s Supper, the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and more are all ours. All because we have the reign of heaven in Jesus Christ.
Sadly, although Jesus blesses everyone with the kingdom of heaven, some will reject it. The world remains a sinful place. Those who have the reign of heaven see this rejection and evil and it breaks their hearts. They mourn over the sin they see in themselves and the sin they see around them. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) When the day comes that they shall leave this world, Jesus will comfort all their tears and take away all their sorrows. Even as he lives with them now in a way that they cannot see, they will see Him and live with Him forever.
Those who know that they are “poor in spirit” cannot help but be meek. They are not meek because they seek meekness. They have not set out on a quest to become meek. They are meek because, as sinners, meek is all that they can be. Meek describes the helpless sinner. Nevertheless, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5) Because of the work that Jesus has done for them on the cross, they will rule with Jesus on a new earth – the earth that replaces this sinful world on the Last Day.
Those who receive the blessings of the reign of heaven know that Jesus Christ is their righteousness. They know that they are helpless and only the righteousness given to them by Christ saves them. Once they have tasted the righteousness of Christ, they want as much as they can get. They always hunger and thirst for more of the righteousness that is Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6) Here Jesus promised to satisfy their desire for righteous on into eternity.
As heaven reigns in God’s people, they shall be filled with mercy. Christ’s mercy works in them and through them. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) This beatitude describes the Church of Jesus Christ as a community of people who freely forgive those who sin against them. This beatitude parallels the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. This mercy is not something that we work in ourselves, but something that Christ works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As heaven reigns in God’s people, they have a pure heart. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) We receive the forgiveness of sins when the Holy Spirit works faith in us so that we believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. When the Holy Spirit does that He performs a heart transplant. He removes our dead, unbelieving heart and creates a new heart in us. That is the reason that we sometimes chant, “Create in me a clean heart, O God …” when the sermon is over. When the Holy Spirit works that faith in us, He gives us a pure heart. Those who have such a pure heart will see God face-to-face. For the day will come when God will call us out of this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
The reign of heaven gives the peace of God that passes all understanding. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9) By virtue of our savior’s holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death, we have peace with God. Those who have that peace readily share it with others. They proclaim the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
The eighth beatitude is a bookend of sorts. It connects to the simple reality that the world hates Jesus and, therefore, it hates those who know that they are poor in spirit. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10) The righteousness in this phrase is not our good deeds. Instead, it is the righteousness of Christ that He has earned for us with His perfect life and innocent suffering and death. The world hates Jesus and so it hates those who have His righteousness. Therefore, the world persecutes those who believe. When this happens, Jesus promises us His blessings. The One who reigns in heaven already belongs to believers in such difficult times.
The persecution of the church is part of the now, but not yet of the Christian faith. The present reign of Christ in this world is a hidden reality. He rules, not from power, but from the apparent weakness of the cross. He shows His true power only to those who believe in Him. It is only on the last day that all people will see Jesus and know that He is both Lord and Christ. Until then, He will bless His church even as she suffers persecution for His name’s sake.
The first and eighth beatitudes sort of bracket the others as bookends. They teach us that the blessings of the beatitudes depend on Jesus. Nothing that we do can earn these blessings for we are spiritually poor. The blessings that Jesus gives us in these two bookends show us that all the beatitudes depend entirely on Jesus.
The summary blessing doesn’t seem like much of a blessing at first. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11–12) No one enjoys being an outcast, but how else can we expect the sinful world to treat those whose sins have been forgiven. When people in this world make us miserable because we trust in Christ, we have the promise of blessing from Jesus Himself.
It is not our job to earn the blessings of the beatitudes. Instead, Jesus has taken it on Himself to give us these blessings in His love. In order to give us His gifts, He endured our punishment and carried our shame. These blessings come to us freely by God’s grace and not by anything we do in ourselves.
The world in its wisdom would look at these beatitudes and say, “These are the symptoms of those who have that disease known as Christianity.” Those who know they are poor in spirit look at these beatitudes and see the signs of Jesus Christ and His Church. They see the gifts God has already given to us. You can truly rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. 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 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
     [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:

557 “Seek Where You May to Find a Way”
1     Seek where you may
To find a way
    That leads to your salvation.
My heart is stilled,
On Christ I build,
    He is the one foundation.
His Word is sure,
His works endure;
    He overthrows
    All evil foes;
Through Him I more than conquer.

2     Seek whom you may
To be your stay,
    None can redeem his brother.
All helpers failed;
This man prevailed,
    The God-man and none other,
Our Servant-King
Of whom we sing.
    We’re justified
    Because He died,
The guilty being guiltless.

3     Seek Him alone
Who did atone,
    Who did your souls deliver.
O seek Him first,
All you who thirst
    For grace that fails you never.
In ev’ry need
Seek Him indeed;
    To ev’ry heart
    He will impart
His blessings without measure.

4     My heart’s delight,
My crown most bright,
    O Christ, my joy forever.
Not wealth nor pride
Nor fortune’s tide
    Our bonds of love shall sever.
You are my Lord;
Your precious Word
    Shall guide my way
    And help me stay
Forever in Your presence.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Arthur P. Voss, 1899–1955, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

848 “Lord, Whose Love through Humble Service”
1     Lord, whose love through humble service
    Bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross, forsaken,
    Offered mercy’s perfect deed,
We, Your servants, bring the worship
    Not of voice alone, but heart,
Consecrating to Your purpose
    Ev’ry gift that You impart.

2     Still Your children wander homeless;
    Still the hungry cry for bread;
Still the captives long for freedom;
    Still in grief we mourn our dead.
As, O Lord, Your deep compassion
    Healed the sick and freed the soul,
Use the love Your Spirit kindles
    Still to save and make us whole.

3     As we worship, grant us vision,
    Till Your love’s revealing light
In its height and depth and greatness,
    Dawns upon our quickened sight,
Making known the needs and burdens
    Your compassion bids us bear,
Stirring us to tireless striving,
    Your abundant life to share.

4     Called by worship to Your service,
    Forth in Your dear name we go,
To the child, the youth, the aged,
    Love in living deeds to show;
Hope and health, goodwill and comfort,
    Counsel, aid, and peace we give,
That Your servants, Lord, in freedom
    May Your mercy know and live.
Text: Albert F. Bayly, 1901–84, alt.
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283

Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

CLOSING HYMN: 842 “Son of God, Eternal Savior”
1     Son of God, eternal Savior,
    Source of life and truth and grace,
Word made flesh, whose birth among us
    Hallows all our human race,
You our Head, who, throned in glory,
    For Your own will ever plead:
Fill us with Your love and pity,
    Heal our wrongs, and help our need.

2     As You, Lord, have lived for others,
    So may we for others live.
Freely have Your gifts been granted;
    Freely may Your servants give.
Yours the gold and Yours the silver,
    Yours the wealth of land and sea;
We but stewards of Your bounty
    Held in solemn trust will be.

3     Come, O Christ, and reign among us,
    King of love and Prince of Peace;
Hush the storm of strife and passion,
    Bid its cruel discords cease.
By Your patient years of toiling,
    By Your silent hours of pain,
Quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,
    Stem our selfish greed of gain.

4     Son of God, eternal Savior,
    Source of life and truth and grace,
Word made flesh, whose birth among us
    Hallows all our human race:
By Your praying, by Your willing
    That Your people should be one,
Grant, O grant our hope’s fruition:
    Here on earth Your will be done.
Text: Somerset T. C. Lowry, 1855–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain

+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +

ANNOUNCEMENTS

POST-SERVICE MUSIC

REFRESHMENTS

BIBLE CLASSES

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 Third Sunday after Epiphany – January 22, 2023
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: stpaulaubca@gmail.com

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 acolyte will come after pastor and collect the empty individual cups.

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
             Pastor                 The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
           Elder                   Gil McMillan
           Lay Reader         Doak Whitley
             Acolyte                   Becca Potts
              Organist              Allison Yee
              Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
              Ushers                 Kermitt Dickey, Dick Seiler, Orville
                                           Harshbarger (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 this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!

A MEMORIAL SERVICE is planned for Karen Taylor on Saturday, February 25th at 1 p.m. here at the church.

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?

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, What depths of peace, When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease, My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 22, 2023

Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell

Opening Hymn: 412 “The People That in Darkness Sat”
1     The people that in darkness sat
    A glorious light have seen;
The light has shined on them who long
    In shades of death have been,
    In shades of death have been.

2     To hail Thee, Sun of Righteousness,
    The gath’ring nations come;
They joy as when the reapers bear
    Their harvest treasures home,
    Their harvest treasures home.

3     To us a Child of hope is born,
    To us a Son is giv’n,
And on His shoulder ever rests
    All pow’r in earth and heav’n,
    All pow’r in earth and heav’n.

4     His name shall be the Prince of Peace,
    The Everlasting Lord,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
    The God by all adored,
    The God by all adored.

5     His righteous government and pow’r
    Shall over all extend;
On judgment and on justice based,
    His reign shall have no end,
    His reign shall have no end.

D 6     Lord Jesus, reign in us, we pray,
    And make us Thine alone,
Who with the Father ever art
    And Holy Spirit, one,
    And Holy Spirit, one.
Text: John Morison, 1749–98, 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     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 22:22, 27–31
P I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

Kyrie                         &