Today s Worship at Zion

Transcription

1 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Affiliation: Church of the Lutheran Confession 132 Hurricane Shoals Road - Suite E Lawrenceville, Georgia On the Web at: Greetings to everyone in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ! It is our prayer that by the working of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God which you hear in our Bible-based liturgy, hymns, and preaching, your trust in Jesus as the long-awaited Christ will be strengthened. If you are visiting us this morning please sign our Guest Book at the entry of the church and please come and worship with us again. If you are looking for a church home, we hope you will consider Zion! If you have any questions about our services, our church or its confession, please speak to Pastor Mayhew. Today s Worship at Zion Opening Prayer Opening Hymn: 73 - Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates Invocation We begin our service in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen (spoken). The Fourth Sunday in Advent December 19, 2010 Confession and Absolution P : We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve Him as His dear children. But we have disobeyed Him and deserve only His wrath and punishment. Therefore let us confess our sins to Him and plead for His mercy. Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against You and do not deserve to be called Your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to Your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin and take away my guilt. God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, He has removed your guilt forever. You are His own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to His will. Amen (spoken).

2 Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16 (ESV) Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie) Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. 13 And he said, Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 10 Glory to God in the Highest (Gloria) Responsive Reading: Psalm 24 (NKJV) Prayer of the Day Let us pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (spoken). The earth is the LORD S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.

3 Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it. The Apostles Creed 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 Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Christian Church, the communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. Children s Sermon Hymn: The Joy of the Angels (sung to the tune of Hymn 198) What joy in the heavens, what gladness and mirth, When angels awaited His wonderful birth Whose coming the prophets for ages foretold: The King and Messiah, the Shiloh of old. The voice of their singing, their music on high, Was held in reserve for a Baby s low cry. The cry that arose from a cave on the plain, And signaled the heavens to open again. Then out came the flood-tide of radiant light, The sweep of the harp-strings, the song of delight, The Glory to God in the highest, and peace, The goodwill to mankind that never shall cease. No ages nor distance the tidings can dim, For heaven and earth are still singing of Him; And all the year s brightness dates back to His birth, The Joy of the angels, the Joy of the earth. W. M. Czamanske - published in The Lutheran Witness of Dec. 20, 1921

4 The Sermon: Romans 1:1-7 (ESV) 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Offertory Theme: The True Message of Christmas Introduction It s Nothing New I. What is the Message of Christmas? Hymn: God, We Praise You True Man and True God were united in the same Person True Man - through His birth by Mary True God - from eternity (But declared as such through His resurrection) II. What does the Message of Christmas bring? It Reveals God s Grace You ve been called to Salvation It Calls us to Service Helping others for Christ s sake Conclusion The Message of Christmas: Jesus Christ our Lord

5 Announcements Voters Meeting Today - Following our service this morning the voters of Zion will meet for the purpose of electing new officers to the Church Council for the 2011 term. The following names are being presented as nominees for office: President: Mark Greve; Wade Knowlton Treasurer: Bill Duncan; Brian Radichel Secretary: Seth Hanel; Lance Schoon The voters may amend the above list at the voters meeting. Any of Zion s voting members may be nominated to an office by another voter. Likewise, names may also be withdrawn from the list above. The men elected to these offices will be carrying out the responsibilities of their respective offices on behalf of the members of this congregation. Thus, these elections are an important part of the work of our as a church for the coming year. The installation of the officers elected today will take place during our service next Sunday. They will assume their duties following their installation. Offering of Thankful Hearts / Prayer The Benediction: The LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen (spoken). Closing Hymn: 70 - Hosanna to the Living Lord ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christmas Bag Construction - This afternoon we will be putting together Christmas bags for the children. Let Debra or Virginia know if you have anything to be included in the bags. If you are willing to help put them together they would be glad to have your assistance! Christmas Service Practice - This afternoon will be the last opportunity for all our children to practice for the Christmas Day Service. We will begin a practice this afternoon as soon as we are able. Families with children in the Christmas service please plan to arrive early on Christmas Day. The service begins at 11:00am so please be here by 10:30 at the latest. If you have any questions please speak to Pastor Mayhew.

6 Upcoming Church Calendar Today, 12/19-9:00 A.M. Catechism Class (9-10 Commandments) 10:00 A.M. Sunday School (Jesus Birth Announced) 10:00 A.M. Bible Class (1 Thessalonians 4) 11:00 A.M. Family Worship Service 12:30 P.M. Zion Voters Meeting Thurs. 12/23-7:00 P.M. Mid-week Advent service Sat. 12/25-11:00 A.M. Christmas Day Worship Service Sun. 12/26-10:00 A.M. Sunday School (The Birth of Christ) 10:00 A.M. Bible Class (1 Thessalonians 4) 11:00 A.M. Family Worship Service CLC Call News - Pastor Matthew Hanel, Dallas, Texas, has returned the call to Ascension Lutheran Church in Batavia, Illinois. The congregation has now called Pastor Michael Wilke, who currently serves Faith Lutheran Church in Saginaw, Michigan. New CLC Group in Australia: During the past year Pastor Dan Fleischer has been in correspondence with a family in Australia who had requested information about the CLC. After much correspondence and discussion, they have found themselves in agreement with us and have requested fellowship with the CLC. President Schierenbeck has given them an acknowledgment of fellowship which will be presented for ratification at the next convention. Their church, Steadfast Ev. Lutheran Church, is recognized as affiliated with the CLC. What a joy to see the Lord at work in this family, giving them the strength to stand firm against the liberal Christianity in their country. Please keep Tim Stiller and his family in your prayers. Praise God for His work among sinners such as us! CLC Church Extension Fund: Because the CEF has a substantial cash balance and there are no requests for building project loans, no new promissory notes to the fund are needed. If requested, the CEF will renew existing promissory notes as they come due. Services via Skype: At the end of October we began broadcasting our services to members through Skype. We began with just the audio of our services and have now added video as well (for up to ten different computers at one time). We have also improved the audio quality by feeding the audio from the organ and pastor s microphone directly from the mixer into the computer s microphone jack (in place of the microphone on the webcam at the back of the church. With money designated for the improvement of the audio/video system, the council approved the purchase of a computer for church to be used for this purpose (as well as other church-related projects). We will soon convert the coat-closet area into an Audio/video room where the work of broadcasting these services will be done. We thank all the members who have assisted with the project in various ways, and those who have patiently helped to refine this program to its current quality! Since we began this program on October st 31, we have had 11 broadcasts of our worship services. During those 11 broadcasts, we have had a total of 82 participants for an average of 7.5 participants per service. In all we have had 25 different persons join our Skype services from 8 different families. Participants have been involved from Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia and Nebraska. Our highest participant total came last Thursday night when we had 22 viewers in six homes! May the Lord continue to bless our use of this online feature, now and in the future! Responding to God s Grace at Zion: December 12, 2010 Bible Class - 12 Weekly Needed: $ Sunday School - 8 Sunday Received: $ Church Atten Y.T.D. Needed: $ 42, Skype Atten. - 6 Y.T.D. Received: $ 43, Advent Service - December 16, 2010 Church Atten Offering: $ N/A Skype Atten. - 22