Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – Christ, the Life of All the Living (LSB 420)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Opening Sentences – Psalm 51:15; 70:1 P: O Lord, open my lips, C: and my mouth will declare Your praise. P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me; C: 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.
Collect of the Day P: Let us pray. Almighty and gracious God, Your good will seeks that all would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Magnify the power of the Gospel within the hearts of Your people, that rejoicing in Your deliverance, they may learn to be wise, discerning, and faithful as they live their lives within Your goodness and mercy and fulfill Your bidding; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
First Reading - 2 Chronicles 17:1–6; 18:1–3; 19:1–7 Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. His heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the LORD. Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asherahs out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.” Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Second Reading – Revelation 2:18–20 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Catechism – The Third Article C: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. P: What does this mean? C: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
Gospel – Matthew 18:10–22 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Peter came up and said to [Jesus], “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn – Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain (LSB 435)
Come to Calv’ry’s holy mountain, Sinners, ruined by the fall; Here a pure and healing fountain Flows for you, for me, for all, In a full, perpetual tide, Opened when our Savior died.
Come in poverty and meanness, Come defiled, without, within; From infection and uncleanness, From the leprosy of sin, Wash your robes and make them white; Ye shall walk with God in light.
Come in sorrow and contrition, Wounded, impotent, and blind; Here the guilty, free remission, Here the troubled, peace may find. Health this fountain will restore; They that drink shall thirst no more.
They that drink shall live forever; ’Tis a soul-renewing flood. God is faithful; God will never Break His covenant of blood, Signed when our Redeemer died, Sealed when He was glorified.
Sermon
Hymn - O Christ, You Walked the Road (LSB 424)
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.
No bread of earth alone Can fill our hung’ring hearts. Lord, help us seek Your living Word, The food Your grace imparts.
No blinding sign we ask, No wonder from above. Lord, help us place our trust alone In Your unswerving love.
When lures of easy gain With promise brightly shine, Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first; Our wills with Yours align.
O Christ, You walked the road Our wand’ring feet must go. Stay with us through temptation’s hour To fight our ancient foe.
Versicles P: Hear my prayer, O Lord; C: let my cry come to You. P: In the day of my trouble I call upon You, C: for You answer me. P: Hide Your face from my sins, C: and blot out all my iniquities. P: Create in me a clean heart, O God, C: and renew a right spirit within me. P: Cast me not away from Your presence, C: and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. P: Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, C: and uphold me with a willing spirit. P: Because Your steadfast love is better than life, C: my lips will praise You. P: For You have been my help, C: and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. P: Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; C: unite my heart to fear Your name. P: I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, C: and I will glorify Your name forever. P: May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. C: May those who love Your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” P: Save Your people and bless Your heritage! C: Be their shepherd and carry them forever. P: Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; C: listen to my plea for grace.
Prayers P: Let us pray. 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. Keep us faithful unto death so that we may receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. P: Merciful Father, deliver us from all unholy associations and keep us from surrendering Your truth to the will of the moment, so that we may be steadfast and immovable in Christ amid all temptations and distractions. Guard our hearts against trusting in ourselves and our own accomplishments that we be completely dependent upon Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen. P: Father of all mercies and God of all consolation, deliver Your people from the afflictions of the flesh so that they might trust in You only and do the work of Your kingdom for the cause of Your glory. Keep them in the grasp of Your grace and make us mindful of their plight so that we may support them in their hour of need; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Benedicamus P: Let us bless the Lord C: Thanks be to God.
Blessing P: The Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. C: Amen.
Hymn – God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven (LSB 877)
God, who made the earth and heaven, darkness and light: You the day for work have given, for rest the night. May Your angel guards defend us, Slumber sweet Your mercy send us, Holy dreams and hopes attend us all through the night.
And when morn again shall call us to run life’s way, May we still, whate’er befall us, Your will obey. From the pow’r of evil hide us, In the narrow pathway guide us, Never be Your smile denied us all through the day.
Guard us waking, guard us sleeping, and when we die, May we in Your mighty keeping all peaceful lie. When the last dread call shall wake us, Then, O Lord, do not forsake us, But to reign in glory take us with You on high.
Holy Father, throned in heaven, All-holy Son, Holy Spirit, freely given, blest Three in One: Grant us grace, we now implore You, Till we lay our crowns before You And in worthier strains adore You while ages run.
Postlude
+ WORSHIP LEADERS + Preacher/Liturgist – Pastor Scott Jonas Pianist – Janet Leet Sound/Video – Mike Toney |