First Sunday in Advent A Decree Went Out

Transcription

1 Togeteher we can: Connect, Grow and serve First Sunday in Advent A Decree Went Out In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Luke 2:1 December 2, 2018 St. Mark Lutheran Church 4475 Henry Street, Muskegon, MI * sml.muskegon@yahoo.com

2 Divine Service December 2, 2018 Welcome and Greetings to Our Guests! If you re new here, we welcome you in the name of Jesus. We also sincerely hope that you will come and worship with us again! Following the 9:30 am worship service, members and guests are invited to come down to the Fellowship Hall for a cup of coffee, juice, snacks, and a time of fellowship with one another. Please join us for Bible Study on the Gospel of John. As a reminder, please turn off or silence your cell phones during the service. As We Gather This series of worship services for the Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrates the events in those days, the time when our Savior was born. As we light the candles on the Advent wreath, we remember an emperor s decree, a journey to Bethlehem, the search for a home, the birth of a firstborn son, news for shepherds and a sign from God. In our worship for the first week in Advent we will remember the decree of the Roman emperor that sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, which long before had been decreed as the birthplace of the Savior. Today, as we light the first candle on the Advent wreath, we remember the decree of Caesar Augustus that sent Mary and Joseph on a journey to Bethlehem, where our Savior was born. Prelude Welcome Opening Hymn On Jordan s Bank the Baptist s Cry LSB 344 Invocation P In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. Opening Sentences P Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! C Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! P Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! C Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! P Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. C And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. - Page 2 -

3 Lighting of the Advent Wreath P In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. C This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. P Long before Caesar s decree, God decreed that a great king, an eternal king, would be born in Bethlehem: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, C From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. P We light the first candle on our Advent wreath as we remember God s decree, his promise that the King of kings would be born in Bethlehem. C Our Lord and King, we rejoice in your birth, in the promise fulfilled! Response O Little Town of Bethlehem LSB 361, stanzas 1 & 4 C O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent starts go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuel! Confession and Absolution P Let us confess our sins to God and ask his forgiveness. C Almighty God, we confess to you that we daily turn from your will to follow our own sinful desires. Instead of listening to your Word, we listen to the tempting voices of the world around us. We do not love and serve others as we should. Have mercy on us and forgive us for the sake of Jesus our Savior. P God has had mercy on us. He sent his Son to be our Savior. Jesus suffered and died so that our sins can be forgiven. He rose up from death to give us eternal life. I announce to you that your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. C Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for the promises of your Word and for the gift of your Son, our Savior! Hymn of Praise Let Us All with Gladsome Voice LSB Page 3 -

4 Salutation and Collect of the Day P The Lord be with you. C And also with you. P Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. Sit Old Testament Reading Micah 5:2-4 R But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. R This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. Epistle Reading 1 Peter 1:17-21 R And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. R This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. Holy Gospel Matthew 28:16-20 A C A The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter. Glory be to You, O Lord. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. - Page 4 -

5 A C This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise be 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. - Page 5 -

6 Sit Sermon Hymn Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord LSB 352 Sermon A Decree Went Out Luke 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Sermon Notes - (For reflection now or later) Know What? - What is this section of God s Word saying? So What? - Why do you think God included this in His word? What is he teaching us? Now What? - Now what am I going to do with what I read/heard? How can I put it into practice? Offering Prayers of St. Mark P Let us pray. King of kings and Lord of lords, C Hear our prayers and accept our praise. P Jesus, Son of David and Lamb of God, long before the Roman Empire existed and long before the decree of Caesar Augustus was announced, your birth was foretold. When the time was right, you were born among us as one of us to be our Savior. King of kings and Lord or lords, C Hear our prayers and accept our praise. P Jesus, Son of David and Lamb of God, you took onto yourself the penalty of death that we earned for ourselves through our rebellion against our God and Creator. You, the sinless Son of God, stood in the place of sinners, in our place. Through your death and resurrection we receive forgiveness and eternal life. King of kings and Lord of lords, C Hear our prayers and accept our praise. P Jesus, Son of David and Lamb of God, work through our witness as we follow your command to make disciples of all nations. Give us opportunities to speak of your love and sacrifice so that others will come to know and worship you as Lord. King of kings and Lord of lords, C Hear our prayers and accept our praise. Amen. - Page 6 -

7 The Sacrament of Holy Communion We celebrate the Lord s Supper at St. Mark Lutheran in the confidence that in this feast, our Lord gives us not only bread and wine, but His very body and blood. In Communion, we receive forgiveness for our sins, a deeper relationship with Christ and with one another, and power to live a life that truly glorifies God. Our Lord invites to His feast those who believe this, repent of their sins, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love others as He forgives and loves us. Because the Bible tells us of the serious consequences of misusing the Lord s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-34), we commune those who have been instructed in God s Word and who declare their faith in these truths. We welcome our guests and ask that you direct any questions in this regard to Pastor Gilson. For those not able to receive the wine, white grape juice is offered and is available in the middle of each communion tray. 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, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing: - Page 7 -

8 The 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 LSB 162 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. - Page 8 -

9 Distribution Hymns O Living Bread from Heaven LSB 642 To Jordan s River Came Our Lord LSB 405 Praise Be to Christ LSB 538 Thanksgiving P Gracious God, our heavenly Father, You have given us a foretaste of the feast to come in the Holy Supper of Your Son s body and blood. Keep us firm in the true faith throughout our days of pilgrimage that, on the day of His coming, we may, together with all Your saints, celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. Salutation and Benedicamus LSB 201 P The Lord be with you. C And with thy spirit P Bless we the Lord. C Thanks be to God. Benediction P You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days C And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. P The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C Amen. Closing Hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel LSB 357 Closing Prayer Postlude - Page 9 -

10 Prayer Requests and Suggestions - If you have a prayer request, please fill out one of the forms found in the workroom or your pew and place in the offering tray. Those continuing medical care and/or undergoing treatment: Jack Adkins, Jackie Balkema, Mary Benninger, Betty Deater, Beth Erickson, Betty Havermans, Brenda Hoisington, Jody Hoppus, Pat Hoppus, Kevin Kolberg, Jan Larabee, Cindy Meister, Larry Miller, Sally Mitchell, Sue Neuman, Norbert Scholle, Lu Suchovsky, Carol Warren. Red Meister - Hospice Care Please pray for family and friends of the congregation: Karen Marquez, mother of RJ Marquez; Mary Barker, friend of Gary and Kathleen Schottke; Wilma Hudson, sister of Vergie Council; Nick Root, nephew of Marsh and Sue Lohr; Betty Ridgell, sister of Vergie Council; Pat Jaeger, mother of Pastor Gilson; Dale Johnson, friends of Jack and Colleen Adkins; Joy Chalko, sister of Renee Schaab; Scott Verhoven, son of Sandy and Frank Verhoven; Mike Johnston, nephew-in-law of Ron and Bonnie Micka; Joanie Davis, sister-in-law of Sharon Johnson; Jennifer Snowden Bossi, granddaughter of Ardy Bulthouse; Jeff Jasicki, friend of Leo Deuster; Ron Burmeister, father of Steve Burmeister; Yvonne (Jacoby) Ochmanski, friend of Judy Yonker; Charles Joe Barton, friend of the congregation; Amy Loper, cousin of Dick and Lynne Guerne; Shelly Schaub friend of Sharon Johnson; Lesli Lehner, friend of Larry and Gloria Miller; Tim and Allison DeVreindt, friend of Duane and Cherie Wentzloff and Sheila Bluhm, daughter of Lois Bluhm. Pray for St. Mark members who reside in assisted living facilities: Gerry Bastian at Hermitage; Valerie Larson at Seminole Shores, and Marguerite Maxwell at Sanctuary on the Shore Nursing Home in Grand Haven. - Page 10 -