CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Church of the Lutheran Confession 450 W. Ohio Marquette, Michigan

Transcription

1 CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Church of the Lutheran Confession 450 W. Ohio Marquette, Michigan PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP: Psalm: 16 (Pg. 125) Prayers: 58 (Pg. 108) 72 (Pg. 109). Organist: Mr. Walter Priebe HYMNS: 371: :6-7 Divine Worship :30am Andrew A. Schaller, Pastor Church: (906) Parsonage: (906) TRINITY TWELVE August 19, 2018 PRAYER OPENING HYMN: 371:1-5 Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness THE ORDER OF MORNING SERVICE The Invocation The Confession of Sins Absolution, -- Amen. The Introit The Gloria Patri (Pg. 6) The Kyrie (Pg. 7)... (TLH Pg.5ff.) If Thy beloved Son, O God, Had not to earth descended And in our mortal flesh and blood Had not sin's power ended, Then this poor, wretched soul of mine In hell eternally would pine Because of its transgression. My guilt, O Father, Thou hast laid On Christ, Thy Son, my Savior. Lord Jesus, Thou my debt hast paid And gained for me God's favor. O Holy Ghost, Thou Fount of grace, The good in me to Thee I trace; In faith do Thou preserve me. The Salutation (Pg. 9) The Collect -- Amen. THE COLLECT: Pastor CONGREGATION: (Sung) "Amen." THE BENEDICTION: Pastor CONGREGATION: (Sung) "Amen, Amen, Amen." CLOSING HYMN: 371:6-7 - Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness THIS WEEK Sunday: Worship 9:30am ANNOUNCEMENTS August 19, 2018 GENERAL FUND DEFICIT Let each of us evaluate our giving to determine whether it reflects our love for and thanks to the LORD. We will revisit this issue as needed. CLC CALL NEWS Pastor Nathan Pfeiffer has accepted the call of Berea Lutheran, Inver Grove Heights, MN. Trinity Lutheran in Spokane, WA, will be calling. Pastor Mark Gullerud has returned the call of Bethel Lutheran Church in Morris, MN. Pastor David Baker of Redeemer, Red Wing MN, has announced his retirement from the Public Ministry effective December 15, Pastor John Klatt has announced his retirement from the Public Ministry effective June 30, Missions/Cooperative Budget Plan Pledge 2018 Amount Pledged 2018 Amount Received as of 8/12 $ $ ( ) CLCI SEMINARY STUDENT SPONSORSHIP - $35/MO OCTOBER GOAL RECEIVED 8/12 OCTOBER GOAL $30.00 $0 $30.00 The Offerings of Thankful Hearts Calvary Offerings 8/12/18 General Fund Loose Offerings Missions (CBP) ILC Student Aid $ $61.53 $ $ Offerings Total: $ * Scripture quotations (unless otherwise noted) are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, 1982 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.All rights reserved.

2 READINGS FOR HOME DEVOTIONS; AUGUST 20-25, 2018 Monday - 1Samuel 1&2 The miracle boy was born to a godly mother, and she loved him. In thankfulness to God, she dedicated Samuel to God s service, which meant he would move in with Eli, the perceptive priest. Eli already had two sons in the ministry, but they were perverts a disgrace to the ministry, to their father, and to God, who took it personal (22-29). Bad news: God was going to dump them (35-36). Good news: Samuel was being prepared. Tuesday - 1 Samuel 3 Was Samuel ready? Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears is good evidence and he listened when the LORD spoke. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision (15) because it contained bad news. But since Eli insisted on hearing all that God had spoken, Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. How did Eli take it? Humbly and devoutly: It is the LORD, let Him do what seems good to Him. We share in praying Thy will be done! Wednesday - 1 Samuel 8 Samuel s good record was ruined by his sons, so the church council figured it was time for a king (4-5). Ch. 9: Keeping His thumb on things, God selected tall, handsome, humble Saul. Ch. 10: Samuel anointed Saul, and God inspired him for one sermon. However, Samuel laid it on the line that the nation had rejected God in favor of a rookie. Read ch. 12 for your wickedness is great, we are sorry, and God still loves you. Thursday - 1 Samuel 15:10-16:13 Saul started out A-OK, but when he cheated on God by selfishness and disobedience, he couldn t represent God any longer. Samuel feared reprisal, so the LORD sent him to Bethlehem, where He bypassed Jesse s elite sons in favor of juvenile David because the LORD looks at the heart, not on outward appearance. [We take close note of that!] Friday - 1 Samuel 24 Since Saul did not surrender his throne, the nation became racked by civil strife. David viewed Saul as one of the LORD s anointed (6) and explained it this way to his adversary: I have not sinned against you Let the LORD judge between you and me, and see and plead my case with you. David s appeal softened Saul s hard heart, and they made a pact that David would not avenge himself on Saul s descendants. Stay tuned. Saturday - 1 Samuel 28 Saul had fallen away from his first love (Rev.2:4) and had become his own worst enemy. Since the LORD would not support him in his renegade career, Saul turned to the dark side, seeking the aid of a heathen spiritist. Using black arts, she conjured up the spirit of Samuel, whose bad news floored Saul in despair. He had gone past the portal of repentance, while David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (30:6). Lesson: Satan, the world, and our own human nature are capable of seducing a child of God into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Lord, have mercy! CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH Trinity Twelve August 19, 2018

3 SERMON: 2 SAMUEL 12:15B-23 And the LORD struck the child that Uriah s wife bore to David, and it became ill. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm! 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food. 22 And he said, While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. * HOW FAITH DEALS WITH SIN S CONSEQUENCES We understand with David that: Forgiveness doesn t mean freedom from consequences. Death doesn t mean the absence of hope. THE OFFERINGS OF THANKFUL HEARTS THE OFFERING HYMN: (TLH 441:1-2,6) We give Thee but Thine own, Whate'er the gift may be; All that we have is Thine alone, A trust, O Lord, from Thee. May we Thy bounties thus As stewards true receive And gladly, as Thou blessest us, To Thee our first-fruits give! And we believe Thy Word, Though dim our faith may be: Whate'er for Thine we do, O Lord, We do it unto Thee. PRAYER(S) THE LORD S PRAYER HYMN: Morning Breaks upon the Tomb OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: 2 SAMUEL 12:1-15 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. 5 So David s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity. 7 Then Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master s house and your master s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11 Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun. 13 So David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die. 15 Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah s wife bore to David, and it became ill. *

4 EPISTLE LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-23 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ s at His coming. * THE GRADUAL -- (A Prayer for the Sunday read responsively) Pastor: I will praise the LORD at all times; Congregation: His praise will continually be in my mouth. P: My soul shall boast in the LORD; C: The Faithful will hear and rejoice. Hallelujah, Hallelujah! P: Christ is arisen from the dead, the first-fruits of those fallen asleep; C: In Adam all die, In Christ, all will be raised from death. Hallelujah! (Sung) Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! "Glory be to Thee, O Lord!" GOSPEL LESSON: MATTHEW 12:38-45 [cf. also Luke 11:24 26, 29 32] 38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Teacher, we want to see a sign from You. 39 But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 43 When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation. * "Praise be to Thee, O Christ!" CONFESSION OF FAITH: APOSTLES CREED (PG. 12) HYMN: 330 I Come to Thee, O Blessed Lord

5 CLC Missions Prayer List August 16, Myanmar the annual monsoon season brought more rain than usual in July. Over 100,000 people have been forced from their homes due to extensive flooding. There have also been several deaths. The CLC Board of Missions was able to provide some financial support through the Mission Development Fund (MDF) to provide basic assistance to several families in Yangon. 2. Nepal There has also been extensive flooding in Nepal. A few HCLCN families have lost crops and farm land due to heavy rains and landslides. 3. Nepal A new anti-conversion law goes into effect on August 17. The anti-conversion law is a part of article 36 of the newly adopted constitution that reads: no one attempt to change or convert someone from one religion to another, or disturb or jeopardize the religion of others, and such acts/activities shall be punishable by law. Some have offered a rather strict interpretation of this new law that would forbid baptisms and any preaching of or explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who is not already a Christian. Pray that the Lord would thwart these attempts of Satan to eliminate the proclamation of the Gospel and use this persecution to strengthen the faith of His children in Nepal. Thy Kingdom Come 4. Tanzania the CLC-Tanzania continues to work on plans to start the Wartburg Lutheran Seminary in Arusha, Tanzania. There are currently twelve men from four districts who are planning to study God s word to prepare them for the ministry. Pray that the Lord will provide all that is necessary for this important work to go forward. 5. Missionary Peter Evensen/India The majority party in India is called the BJP. This party currently has the most political influence. The prime minister of India represents the BJP. The BJP has a Hindu Nationalist platform that promotes the idea of making Hinduism the official religion of India. The government in India is making it more and more difficult to spread the Gospel. All of this has led to more scrutiny by immigration officers as individuals enter and leave India on a regular basis. Pray that Missionary Evensen will not be hampered as he prepares to return to his work in India. 6. Zambia Pastor Ibrahim will be moving from Lusaka to Livingstone soon. The main pastor in the Livingstone area died rather suddenly over a year ago. By moving to Livingstone, Pastor Ibrahim will be able to spend more time serving and instructing the congregation in the truths of God s saving word. He will also be working to prepare men in the area to serve as faithful preachers and teachers of God s saving Word in the preaching stations in this area of Zambia. 7. West Africa (Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Liberia) It has been several years since the CLC affiliated church bodies have been able to gather for a conference. A conference is being planned for November. Pray that the Lord will bless efforts to organize a West Africa Joint Pastoral Conference this fall. 8. Mission Festivals Several congregations will be hosting Mission Festivals over the next couple of months. Missionaries Evensen and Ohlmann have been invited to preach in many of our CLC congregations. Thank the Lord for these opportunities to rejoice in and consider the privilege we have all been given to be His ambassadors. Pray also that the Lord will grant them safe travels and that the truths of God s saving word that they preach will serve the purpose for which God gave it. 9. CLC Online Theological Studies continue to pray for the following individuals who are studying God s word through correspondence courses as they train to be faithful preachers and teachers of God s saving word: Pastor Idahosa Eghosa (Senegal, Africa) Pastor Jacques Pondi Lumiangu (D.R. Congo, Africa) Pastor Monotosh Banjaree (Bangladesh, SE Asia) Pastor Liberty Atawa (Zimbabwe, Africa) Samuel Benson Edwards and Ivan Edwards (Myanmar, Asia) Evangelist Eliewaha Mshana (Tanzania, Africa)

6 CLC Missions Prayer List August 16, Myanmar the annual monsoon season brought more rain than usual in July. Over 100,000 people have been forced from their homes due to extensive flooding. There have also been several deaths. The CLC Board of Missions was able to provide some financial support through the Mission Development Fund (MDF) to provide basic assistance to several families in Yangon. 2. Nepal There has also been extensive flooding in Nepal. A few HCLCN families have lost crops and farm land due to heavy rains and landslides. 3. Nepal A new anti-conversion law goes into effect on August 17. The anti-conversion law is a part of article 36 of the newly adopted constitution that reads: no one attempt to change or convert someone from one religion to another, or disturb or jeopardize the religion of others, and such acts/activities shall be punishable by law. Some have offered a rather strict interpretation of this new law that would forbid baptisms and any preaching of or explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who is not already a Christian. Pray that the Lord would thwart these attempts of Satan to eliminate the proclamation of the Gospel and use this persecution to strengthen the faith of His children in Nepal. Thy Kingdom Come 4. Tanzania the CLC-Tanzania continues to work on plans to start the Wartburg Lutheran Seminary in Arusha, Tanzania. There are currently twelve men from four districts who are planning to study God s word to prepare them for the ministry. Pray that the Lord will provide all that is necessary for this important work to go forward. 5. Missionary Peter Evensen/India The majority party in India is called the BJP. This party currently has the most political influence. The prime minister of India represents the BJP. The BJP has a Hindu Nationalist platform that promotes the idea of making Hinduism the official religion of India. The government in India is making it more and more difficult to spread the Gospel. All of this has led to more scrutiny by immigration officers as individuals enter and leave India on a regular basis. Pray that Missionary Evensen will not be hampered as he prepares to return to his work in India. 6. Zambia Pastor Ibrahim will be moving from Lusaka to Livingstone soon. The main pastor in the Livingstone area died rather suddenly over a year ago. By moving to Livingstone, Pastor Ibrahim will be able to spend more time serving and instructing the congregation in the truths of God s saving word. He will also be working to prepare men in the area to serve as faithful preachers and teachers of God s saving Word in the preaching stations in this area of Zambia. 7. West Africa (Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Liberia) It has been several years since the CLC affiliated church bodies have been able to gather for a conference. A conference is being planned for November. Pray that the Lord will bless efforts to organize a West Africa Joint Pastoral Conference this fall. 8. Mission Festivals Several congregations will be hosting Mission Festivals over the next couple of months. Missionaries Evensen and Ohlmann have been invited to preach in many of our CLC congregations. Thank the Lord for these opportunities to rejoice in and consider the privilege we have all been given to be His ambassadors. Pray also that the Lord will grant them safe travels and that the truths of God s saving word that they preach will serve the purpose for which God gave it. 9. CLC Online Theological Studies continue to pray for the following individuals who are studying God s word through correspondence courses as they train to be faithful preachers and teachers of God s saving word: Pastor Idahosa Eghosa (Senegal, Africa) Pastor Jacques Pondi Lumiangu (D.R. Congo, Africa) Pastor Monotosh Banjaree (Bangladesh, SE Asia) Pastor Liberty Atawa (Zimbabwe, Africa) Samuel Benson Edwards and Ivan Edwards (Myanmar, Asia) Evangelist Eliewaha Mshana (Tanzania, Africa)