St. Matthew Apostle & Evangelist Thursday, September 18 & Sunday, September 21, 2014 Christ Lutheran Church (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) Rev. David Wetmore, Pastor Rev. Rick Kelm, Pastoral Assistant 1300 Townline Road Wausau, Wisconsin 54403 (715) 848-2040 Pastor Wetmore Cell: (715) 581-6084 Pastor Kelm Cell: (402) 200-0190 Website: www.clc-wausau.org The Mission of Christ Lutheran Church is to help all people know Jesus as their Savior and grow in relationship with Him.
St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist Thursday, September 18 & Sunday, September 21, 2014 AS WE GATHER Each year on September 21, the Church takes note of and gratefully remembers Matthew, apostle and evangelist. While complementary, the two titles applied to this disciple of our Lord are quite different. An apostle is one who has heard a message and then is sent out to share it verbally. Apostles are speakers, preachers, and proclaimers. Their words have an instant impact as they are shared. But once they have been spoken, their immediate impact ends. The benefit of written communication, such as that of an evangelist, is that the message that is shared can be reencountered again and again in printed form. We thank God that the message of Matthew was not limited to those who heard him as an apostle, but has continued through centuries of the written word in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. THURSDAY HYMN Christ is Made the Sure Foundation... LSB 909 SUNDAY HYMN Dearest Jesus, We are Here... LSB 592 INVOCATION P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. BAPTISM OF OLIVER ROBINSON (Sunday)... page 268 OPENING SENTENCES Matthew 5:7 8, 14; 7:7 8 P: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. C: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. P: You are the light of the world. C: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. P: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. C: For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION P: Let us confess our sin to God, our gracious Father. C: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, Judge of all people, we humbly confess our sins to You. We have not followed Your law in our thinking, speaking, or 2
doing. We have followed our own ways and have not obeyed Your commands. We have not always been merciful, meek, or peaceable. We repent of our transgressions and ask Your forgiveness. P: In His mercy, God hears our confession and responds with forgiveness and love. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. Be at peace. HYMN Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs... LSB 812 vs. 1-2 Text and Music: Public domain Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. + WORD + WITNESS FROM MATTHEW Part 1: Narratives and teachings P: As we give thanks to God this day for Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist, we are reminded of the special blessing that the Gospel which bears his name is for us. There are many Scripture accounts of the words and works of Jesus our Lord which are exclusive to Matthew s Gospel. 3
Reader: Only in Matthew s Gospel do we meet the magi from the East who come to worship the infant Jesus. Only Matthew tells us of the death of the innocent children of Bethlehem because of the wrath of King Herod, and of the flight to Egypt to protect the young child. It is Matthew who tells us what happened at the exact time when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Matthew writes, And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, Truly this was the Son of God! (Matthew 27:50 54) P: Only Matthew s Gospel has the extended sequence of teaching that we have come to know as The Sermon on the Mount, including sections on oaths, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Through the written words of Matthew the evangelist we hear Jesus proclaim, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17) Matthew brings good news from our Savior that speaks directly to our hearts and our lives. INTROIT P: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Psalm 92:1 5, antiphon: Matthew 9:13b, c Women: It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. Men: For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy. How great are Your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! All: 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. 4
P: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. HYMN God s Word is Our Great Heritage... LSB 582 Text (st. 1) and Music: Public domain Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. SALUTATION and COLLECT P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. O Son of God, our blessed Savior Jesus Christ, You called Matthew, the tax collector, to be an apostle and evangelist. Through his faithful and inspired witness, grant that we also may follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 5
OLD TESTAMENT READING Ezekiel 2:8 3:11 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And He spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. 1 And He said to me, Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. 2 So I opened my mouth, and He gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And He said to me, Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. 4 And He said to me, Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 10 Moreover, He said to me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, whether they hear or refuse to hear. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. EPISTLE READING Ephesians 4:7 16 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ s gift. 8 Therefore it says, When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men. 9 (In saying, He ascended, what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building 6
up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. WITNESS FROM MATTHEW Part 2: Parables P: Although each of the four Gospel writers includes a good number of the teachings of Jesus, the Gospel according to Saint Matthew is the source of many stories of Jesus that are found only in his writings. Only in Matthew s Gospel do we read what is known as the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, where the goodness of the owner of the vineyard is central to the story. Matthew shares with us parables that are lengthy, like the story of the wise and foolish virgins who were called to the feast of the bridegroom, and the story of the talents that were wisely or not so wisely put to use by the servants of the master. Reader: Matthew is also the singular source of some of the briefest parables of Jesus, which continue to serve as points of thought and reflection. In Matthew s Gospel alone we hear Jesus say, The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44 46) P: Through the written word from Matthew, we hear our Lord calling us to be alert and aware that the Kingdom of God is at hand as we hear the good news proclaimed among us. In Chapter 24 of Matthew s Gospel, we read this word of warning and of promise from Jesus, And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the 7
whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14) VERSE Matthew 28:19a, 20b C: Alleluia. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Alleluia. THE HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 9:9 13 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 9 th chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. 9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, Follow Me. And he rose and followed Him. 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? 12 But when He heard it, He said, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ. HYMN What Is the World to Me... LSB 730 SERMON 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 Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. 8
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. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs: P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. OFFERING PREFACE P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord. + SACRAMENT + P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. PROPER PREFACE P: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, our God, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son for our salvation. Pour out upon us the gift of Your Spirit, that we may receive Your blessings with thankfulness. Grant that we may receive the body and blood of our Lord as the guarantee of our salvation and as a foretaste of the feast to come in Your eternal kingdom where, with the blessed evangelist Matthew and all the saints, we shall enjoy Your eternal kindness. Therefore with patriarchs and prophets, apostles and evangelists, with Your servant Matthew, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying: 9
SANCTUS Sanctus... LSB 961 Text (st. 1): 1975 International Consultation on English Texts Used by permission: LSB Hymn License.NET, number 100012765. Music: 2006 Concordia Publishing House Used by permission: LSB Hymn License.NET, number 100012765. Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING P: Blessed are You, almighty Lord, for calling us as Your people. You know us as individuals and have graciously given each of us Your special gifts to use to Your glory. We thank You for granting us the grace needed to fulfill our various vocations and ask that at Your Table we may be strengthened in faith toward You and in active love for one another. Send Your Holy Spirit upon us to sanctify and renew us in body and soul for the sake of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we offer our thanksgiving. WORDS OF INSTITUTION PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST P: As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord s death until He comes. Come, Lord Jesus. 10
THE LORD S PRAYER 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 PEACE OF THE LORD P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. AGNUS DEI Come, Let Us Join our Cheerful Songs... LSB 812 vs. 3-4 3 Jesus is worthy to receive Honor and pow r divine; And blessings more than we can give Be, Lord, forever Thine. 4 Let all creation join in one To bless the sacred name Of Him who sits upon the throne And to adore the Lamb. Text and Music: Public domain Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. If you are a confirmed member of a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation, we invite you to commune with us. If you are not a confirmed member of an LCMS congregation and would like to come forward with your family and friends during the distribution, please place your hands over your heart and you will receive a blessing. DISTRIBUTION HYMN Jesus, Priceless Treasure... LSB 743 POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING P: Let us pray. Blessed are You, heavenly Father, for You have once again fed and nourished us at Your Table through the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. As we follow our Lord Jesus Christ, grant us opportunities to proclaim Your love to all the world. Bless us day by day, and keep us firm in faith and joyous in life unto Your eternal kingdom, where You live and reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 11
WITNESS FROM MATTHEW Part 3: Miracles and more P: Accounts of the miracles of Jesus are included in all four of the Gospels. Once again, however, Matthew shares special times in which Jesus reached out in a miraculous way that are not shared by Mark, Luke, or John. In Chapter 9, Matthew tells about the two blind men near Capernaum who are healed by Jesus and shares the story of the man who was unable to speak, whose life was changed by Jesus in such a dramatic way that the crowds marveled, saying, Never was anything like this seen in Israel. (Matthew 9:33) Reader: One of the most memorable miracles only to be found in Matthew is recorded this way in chapter 17, When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, Does your teacher not pay the tax? He said, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others? And when he said, From others, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for Me and for yourself. (Matthew 17:24 27) P: By including special stories about Jesus, sharing parables and accounts of miracles found nowhere else, and including words of our Lord that otherwise we would never have heard, Matthew fulfilled his calling as an evangelist, a sharer of the good news. His Gospel record concludes with some of the most memorable words found anywhere in the Bible as he relates the words of Jesus spoken after Easter to His disciples on a mountain in Galilee words to direct us in life and mission: 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. (Matthew 28:19 20) 12
BENEDICTION P: As you go forth: The blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be and remain with you always. HYMN Praise the Almighty... LSB 797 vs. 1,5 Acknowledgments Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Part 3. Copyright 2014 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission. READINGS FOR NEXT WEEK Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Ezekial 18:1 4, 25 32 Philippians 2:1 4 (5 13) 14 18 Matthew 21:23 27 (28 32) THIS WEEK (September 21st 28th) Sunday: Worship/HC/Baptism of Oliver Robinson, 9:00am; Christian Ed, 10:30am Monday: Bible Study, 1:00pm Tuesday: Council, 6:30pm Wednesday: Bible Study, 8:30am; Confirmation (2 nd year), 5:00pm; Confirmation (1 st year), 6:00pm Thursday: Bethesda Work Day, 1:00; Worship/HC, 6:30pm; Bible Class, 7:30pm Sunday: Worship/HC, 9:00am; Christian Ed, 10:30am OUR RESPONSE TO GOD S LOVE (Week ending 09/21/14) General Fund: $3826.00; Building Fund: $520.00; Blessings: $55.00; Miscellaneous: $288.37 Total Attendance: 158 (Midweek: 25; Sunday: 133) CLC ANNOUNCEMENTS GUESTS AND VISITORS: We are glad you are here! We invite you to join us for fellowship and Bible study following the service. Bathrooms are located upstairs on each end of the fellowship/bible study area. 13
BAPTISM OF OLIVER ROBINSON, Sunday September 21st. Oliver, welcome into the family of God! May God bless you as you continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Congregation members who work with the children and youth in our congregation will need to attend the Child and Adult Protection Plan Training on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at 6:30pm at CLC. This training is mandatory. Please contact Michelle Bahr at 715-432-1985 or email at smbahr85gmail.com if you will be attending, for dessert planning; and if you are not able to attend, so that you may check out the video. LITTLE LAMBS DAY CARE IS LOOKING FOR A CUSTODIAN. This position is 20 hours per week: two hours per night Monday through Thursday and the remaining hours you may finish cleaning on Friday night or when it fits your schedule during the weekend. Please call Donna Stolze at (715) 848-2040 Ext. 2. VISIT CLC NEIGHBORS: Thank you to everyone who joined us in canvassing CLC neighborhood. CLC QUILTERS ANNOUNCE... the fall quilt raffle has begun. It is located near the mailboxes in the fellowship hall. Fill in your bid on the sheet provided. Quilt size is 90 wide x 98 long (approx. queen size). BRING AND BUY TO HELP SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS! The Ladies Guild Bake and Craft Sale will be held on Sunday, October 5th. We are inviting all our Christ family who have garden produce, crafts, or baked goodies to bring them along to church on that day to include in the sale. Your donations then will also go toward the support of missions. In this small way, we will be helping to share the Good News in a world of growing Islamic influence. EASTON-HEWITT-WAUSAU LIONS CLUB is sponsoring an ALL- YOU-CAN-EAT Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, October 5th from 8:00am-1:00pm at Homestead at 8507 Hwy 52 East of Wausau. Potato and regular pancakes, sausage patties, cheese, and beverages will be served. Cost is $8.00 for adults, children 5-12 are $4.00, under 5 are free. 14
NWD ADULT GATHERING: Martin Luther and the Reformation will be held at Mt. Olive on Tuesday October 28, 2014, 8:30am 2:00pm. Cost: $20 includes program, breaks, and lunch. Please find brochures on the bulletin board and table below. SERVING CLC SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH: Greeters: Linda Otten and Elinor Baese Ushers: Jim Hess and Brian Kinney Acolyte: Logan Allen Coffee Servers: Ronnie Radant, Sandi Michaelis, Yvonne Schilsky Altar Guild: Judy Saeger COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS may be found on the bulletin boards. LIFE QUOTES from Lutherans For Life Every human life is someone for whom Jesus shed His blood. Every human life is one He wants to call to faith in this redemptive event. Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life (www.lutheransforlife.org) 15