First Sunday in Lent. Give Up Materialism: Worship the Lord and Serve Him Only

Transcription

1 3461 Merle Ave Modesto, CA (209) W First Sunday in Lent March 10, 2019 Give Up Materialism: Worship the Lord and Serve Him Only elcome and thank you for joining us for worship today! In our service, we gather before our almighty and saving God to offer him our worship and praise. We also assemble to hear God s holy and powerful word and celebrate his life-giving sacraments. Through these means, God strengthens our faith and walks us ever closer to our eternal home with him. The Lord s Supper (Holy Communion) The Bible tells us that those who take Communion together are to: Recognize that Christ s true body and blood are present in the Sacrament (1 Cor. 11:29), Examine themselves as Scripture instructs (1 Cor. 11:28), and Be one in faith and belief with the congregation with which they commune (1 Cor. 10:17). For these reasons, it is our practice that only those who are members of our congregation or a congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) join us for Holy Communion. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of our body of believers or want to find out more about our Communion practice please speak to Pastor Schroeder after the service. PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP Since the time of Adam and Eve, your people have been tempted to go astray. And we are no exception. Forgive us, O Lord, for even thinking of abandoning you and going our own way. May the words of Scripture give us the strength to turn away from Satan s lures and turn back to you. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Flowers adorning our altar this morning are given to the glory of God by Kim and Judith Winsor in celebration of their 40 th anniversary. Minister: Pastor Dan Schroeder Pianist: Karen Adams The following were reprinted under OneLicense.net #A : Cover artwork by Ian M. Welch. Copyright 2015 Ian M. Welch. All Rights Reserved. The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible, and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. 1

2 PREPARING FOR WORSHIP During Lent God calls us to give up our sin. His pointed attacks against the sins that beset his people help us put off the attitudes and actions of our sinful nature. His perfect righteousness as our substitute assures us that we are right with God and empowers us in godly living. Today Jesus attacks what is perhaps the most common form of idolatry: materialism. Love of money and possessions tempt us to replace God as the most important thing in our life. Thankfully we have a Savior who was tempted as we are but was without sin. GATHERING RITE FOR LENT Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Congregation: Amen. M: If you say, The LORD is my refuge, and you make the Most High your dwelling, C: no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. M: For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; C: they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. M: Because he loves me, says the LORD, I will rescue him; C: I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. M: He will call on me, and I will answer him; C: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91:9-12, 14-16, NIV 11 2

3 CONFESSION OF SINS M: O Lord, C: I, a poor, miserable sinner, plead guilty before you of all my sins. I have lived as if you did not matter and as if I mattered most of all. Your name, O Lord, I have not honored as I ought; my worship and prayers have faltered. I have not let your love persuade me and so my love for others has failed. There are those whom I have hurt and those whom I have failed to help. My thoughts and desires are soiled with sin. I am sorry for all of this and I beg you for your grace to forgive me all my sin and grant me your Spirit to amend my sinful life. ABSOLUTION M: Our heavenly Father received the sacrifice of our Lord and raised him from death on the third day. His Holy Spirit has worked faith in our hearts so that we may trust him to give us all we need. Scripture promises that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 8:9 Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ( ) Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. 3

4 PRAYER OF THE DAY M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. M: Let us pray. Lord our strength, the battle of good and evil rages within and around us, and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises. Keep us steadfast in your Word, and when we fall, raise us up again and restore us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. 4

5 THE WORD OF GOD CHILDREN S MESSAGE Children are invited to come forward for a children s devotion in the front of the church. FIRST LESSON Joshua 7:16-26 An example of someone making money and possessions his god Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the Zerahite clan was selected. He had the Zerahite clan come forward by heads of families, and Zabdi was selected. 18 He then had Zabdi s family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19 So Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to him. I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don t hide anything from me. 20 Achan replied to Joshua, It is true. I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I coveted them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak. 22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the LORD s presence. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, Why have you brought us trouble? Today the LORD will bring you trouble! So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor still today. (CSB) M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! 5

6 SONG RESPONSE The Battle Belongs to the Lord based on 1 Samuel 17:47 6

7 SECOND LESSON Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus was tempted like we are, but was perfect like we aren't. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (CSB) M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! VERSE OF THE DAY Matthew 4:10b C: Refrain M: It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. C: Refrain 7

8 GOSPEL LESSON Luke 4:1-13 Jesus perfectly worships the Lord and serves him only After the announcement of the Gospel, the congregation sings: Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. 4 But Jesus answered him, It is written: Man must not live on bread alone. 5 So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 The devil said to him, I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. 7 If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours. 8 And Jesus answered him, It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. 9 So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you, 11 and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answered him, It is said: Do not test the Lord your God. 13 After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time. (CSB) M: This is the gospel of the Lord. 8

9 NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. HYMN OF THE DAY A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Christian Worship #201 Often called the battle hymn of the Reformation, A Mighty Fortress combines Martin Luther s skills as a theologian, preacher, poet, and musician. Luther s theological greatness is well known, but he was an equally accomplished musician. He wrote, After theology, there is nothing that can be placed on a level with music. It drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. It is a gift that God gave to birds and to men. The text vividly illustrates Luther s awareness of our intense struggle with Satan and how God is our strength all based on the words of Psalm 46. SERMON Joshua 7:16-26 It s Only a Little Temptation, Right? 9

10 CREATE IN ME THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER THE OFFERING The members of St. Peter Congregation have joined together to do the Lord s work in this community and around the world. Guests at St. Peter are welcome to participate in the offering but need not feel obligated to do so. 10

11 PRAYER OF THE CHURCH M: Strong Son of God, you took upon yourself our humanity, facing the same needs and pressures and challenges which are part of our daily living, tempted in every way as we are. C: We praise you that while you lived among us you walked in perfect obedience and resisted every occasion to be less than holy. M: O Jesus, sweet perfection, we give in so easily to Satan and to his subtle promises. We become the victims of his gentle persuasion with so small resistance. He seems to want so little. C: Only you are strong to resist his temptations. M: You declare, It is written, and Satan flees. Teach us the power of your Word. Remind us that Satan cannot stand before the blinding glare of your Father s revelation. Keep us aware that the Evil One who seems so powerful and assured is swiftly routed with one small reference to your holy will. C: We are not weak and helpless before him after all. We have your strong Word to defeat the Tempter. M: You and you alone deserve our worship. Put the old evil foe behind us, too. C: Frustrate his efforts to mislead us. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. M: Now bless with peace and comfort, strength and patience our friends who hurt or mourn or struggle. Protect them from Satan s harm. Lead us all in safety out of temptation s grasp, C: in your most holy name. Amen. 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. 11

12 THE SACRAMENT St Peter Lutheran Church practices close communion. We invite confirmed members to come forward to partake of the Sacrament. Thank you for your consideration. M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. M: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them up unto the Lord. M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is good and right so to do. M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who brought the gift of salvation to all people by his death on the tree of the cross, so that the devil, who overcame us by a tree would in turn by a tree be overcome. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join in their glorious song: 12

13 WORDS OF INSTITUTION M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. M: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen. O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD DISTRIBUTION OF THE LORD S SUPPER During the distribution you are invited to join in singing the indicated hymns or to use the time for private prayer and meditation. Appropriate prayers are found on page 11 in the front of the hymnal. A personal preparation for the Lord s Supper is found on page

14 DISTRIBUTION HYMNS Jesus, Grant that Balm and Healing Christian Worship #121 Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle Christian Worship #122 SONG OF SIMEON THANKSGIVING & BLESSING M: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. C: And his mercy endures forever. M: We give thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us with this Holy Supper. We pray that through it you will strengthen our faith in you and increase our love for one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. M: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. 14