FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 3, 2017 11:00 AS WE GATHER When a dignitary like a president, prime minister, or monarch comes to town, people know it! Often, just for that one VIP, there is a police escort, support vehicles, and multiple limousines. Crowds stand behind barriers, bodyguards surround the dignitary, and everything is orchestrated to bring the leader swiftly and safely to his or her destination. But not so on Palm Sunday. Jesus rides a humble donkey. He plods down the road at a slow pace. The crowds interact with Jesus, throwing their cloaks along His way and waving palm branches. Jesus has no security detail just His disciples. Jesus is a different kind of dignitary. Even though the crowds may not fully realize it, He is the King of kings and Lord of lords who comes in humility. This King chooses to come humbly and lay down His life for those who line His way and for all people including you. PRE-SERVICE All My Hope Ingram/Morgan (2011 Hillsongs) Light in my darkness, peace for my soul, You are my rescue, you never let go. Light in my darkness, peace for my soul, You are my rescue, you never let go. All my hope is in You. All my strength is in You. Here in my weakness, always the same. Your love is my shelter. Your life is my way. All my hope is in You. All my strength is in You. All my hope is in You. All my strength is in You. Constant Savior, Friend forever, Lord, You have my heart. Sure foundation, never failing, Lord, You have my heart. Constant Savior, Friend forever, Lord, You have my heart. Sure foundation, never failing, Lord, You have my heart. All my hope is in You. All my strength is in You. All the earth beneath You. All my life before You. WELCOME 1
PREPARATION OPENING SONG Come Thou Fount Robinson BOB 37 Come, Thou Fount of ev ry blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. While the hope of endless glory Fills my heart with joy and love, Teach me ever to adore Thee; May I still Thy goodness prove. Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I m constrained to be; Let that grace now like a fetter Bind my wand ring heart to Thee: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love. Here s my heart, oh, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. Oh, that day when freed from sinning, I shall see Thy lovely face; Clothed then in the blood-washed linen How I ll sing Thy wondrous grace! Come, my Lord, no longer tarry, Take my ransom d soul away; Send Thine angels soon to carry Me to realms of endless day. CCLI #219979. Used by permission. (Please Stand) CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Since we are gathered to hear God s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people, let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all Your people. Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY SERVICE OF THE WORD The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. 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; 2
for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Please Be Seated) OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 64:1 9 ( Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down. ) 1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. 5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. 8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 1:3 9 (He will sustain you to the end.) 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. HOLY GOSPEL Mark 11:1 10 ( Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass way. ) 1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples 2 and said to them, Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3If anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? say, The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately. 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, What are you doing, untying the colt? 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, 3
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest! This is the Gospel of Lord. Praise to You, O Christ. मक स 11:1-10 जब उह ह यशल मक न जक ज त न ड ड़ क छ उम ब थफ ग र ब थ नय भन न ठ उ म आइप ग न भय, तब उह ल आफ न च ल हमध य द ई जन ल ई यस भन र पठ उन भय, तम हक स म न न क ग उ म ज ओ, र पस द पस द तम हल अ हल सम म क ह म नस नचढ़ क एउट गध क बछ ड़ भ. उन छ त यसल ई फ क एर यह ल य ओ कस ल तम हल ई य क गर क? भन य भन, 1भ ल ई यसक ख च पर क छ, र उह ल च ड़ फक इ दन 3न छ भन तब तन ह गए, र त य बछ ड़ ख ल गल ल म एउट घरक ब हरप. ढ क न र ब धएक भ. ए, र त यसल ई फ क ए त यह उ भएक हमध य कस -कस ल तन हल ई स ध, बछ ड़ ल ई फ क एर तम ह क गद6छ? य श ल तन हल ई अ7 उन भएजस त तन हल भन, र उन हल तन हल ई ज न दए तन हल बछ ड़ य श कह ल य ए, र आफ न वस 9ह त यसम थ र :ख दए, र उह त यसम थ सव र 3न भय ध र ल आफ न वस 9ह र अहल म द नब ट स य उल ह क ट र ब ट म ओ; ए अ न उह क अ ग-अ ग हड न र प छप छ आउन हल यस भन द जय-ध व न लग ए, ह सन न! धन य उह, ज परम1भ क न उ म आउन 3न छ! धन य ह स, ह < पत द ऊदक त य आउन र ज य, परमध मम ह सन न! मक स 11:1-10 APOSTLES CREED LSB 159 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. 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. 4
(Please Be Seated) CHILDREN S MESSAGE God Loves Me Dearly LSB 392, v. 1 God loves me dearly, Grants me salvation, God loves me dearly, Loves even me. Refrain: Therefore I ll say again: God loves me dearly, God loves me dearly, Loves even me. SONG OF THE DAY O Come, O Come, Emmanuel LSB 357 O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel! Shall come to thee, O Israel! O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ord rest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai s height In ancient times didst give the Law In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain O come, Thou Branch of Jesse s tree, Free them from Satan s tyranny That trust Thy mighty pow r to save, And give them vict ry o er the grave. Refrain O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Refrain SERMON (Please Stand) PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Let us come before our Lord in prayer, asking Him to hear our prayer and grant us hope. Lord of hope, during this season of Advent, prepare our hearts that we would be made ready to receive Your Son as He comes in His incarnation and birth, but also in His body and blood. Make us ever ready for His final coming on the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer and grant us hope. Lord of hope, You have instructed us to pray for workers in Your harvest field. Raise up faithful and loving teachers of Your Word so that Christ may be proclaimed near and far. Make us Your instruments to encourage and equip individuals for work in Your Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer and grant us hope. Lord of hope, we ask that You stretch forth Your almighty arm to protect the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces of our land. Support them, granting them courage and loyalty. Strengthen them to serve with integrity and honor. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer and grant us hope. 5
Lord of hope, You are the creator and sustainer of all things. According to Your will, grant healing to those who suffer in body and mind. Look with favor upon Your servants, [especially...], and if it is Your will, restore them to health, or give them grace to accept tribulation, knowing that Your grace is sufficient for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer and grant us hope. (Special Petitions) Into Your hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy and Your promise to hear us for the sake of the One in whose name we come, Your Son, Jesus Christ. (Please Be Seated) OFFERING Let All Mortal Flesh LSB 621 Let all mortal flesh keep silence And with fear and trembling stand; Ponder nothing earthly-minded, For with blessing in His hand Christ our God to earth descending, Comes our homage to demand. King of kings yet born of Mary, As of old on earth He stood, Lord of lords in human vesture, In the body and the blood, He will give to all the faithful, His own self for heav'nly food. Rank on rank the host of heaven Spreads its vanguard on the way As the Light of Light, descending From the realms of endless day, Comes the pow'rs of hell to vanquish, As the darkness clears away. At His feet the six-winged seraph, Cherubim with sleepless eye, Veil their faces to the presence As with ceaseless voice they cry: "Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, Lord Most High!" (Please Stand) PREFACE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise. 6
PROPER PREFACE PROPER PREFACE SANCTUS 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. In Him we are truly blessed, and while we await the celebration of His birth and anticipate His second coming, our thanksgiving and praise cannot be contained. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing: Revelation Song Riddle Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who was, and is, and is to come With all creation I sing: Praise to the King of Kings! You are my ev rything, And I will adore You! REPEAT THE LORD S PRAYER LSB 209 Hear us as we pray in His name as He has taught us: 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. THE WORDS OF OUR LORD LSB 209 PAX DOMINI The Peace of the Lord John 20:19 LSB 209 The peace of the Lord be with you always. (Please Be Seated) DISTRIBUTION SONGS Above All LeBlanc/Baloche BOB 9 Above all powers, above all kings, above all nature and all created things; above all wisdom and all the ways of man, You were here before the world began. Above all kingdoms, above all thrones, above all wonders the world has ever known; above all wealth and treasures of the earth, there s no way to measure what You re worth. 7
CHORUS: Crucified, laid behind the stone; You lived to die, rejected and alone. Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall, and thought of me above all. REPEAT SONG Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall and thought of me above all. One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails) Johnson/Gifford/Riddle Higher than the mountains that I face, stronger than the power of the grave. Constant in the trial and the change. One thing remains. One thing remains. Interlude Higher than the mountains that I face, stronger than the power of the grave. Constant in the trial and the change. One thing remains. One thing remains. Your love never fails, It never gives up never runs out on me. SING 3X Your love. On and on and on and on it goes. It overwhelms and satisfies my soul. And I never ever have to be afraid. One thing remains. One thing remains. Your love never fails, It never gives up never runs out on me. SING 3X Your love. In death, in life, I'm confident and cover'd by the power of Your great love. My debt is paid; There's nothing that can separate my heart from Your great love. SING X2 Your love never fails, It never gives up never runs out on me. SING 3X Your love. (Please Stand) BENEDICAMUS and BENEDICTION Psalm 103:1 Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26 8
CLOSING SONG You Never Let Go Redman Even though I walk through the valley Of the shadow of death Your perfect love is casting out fear And even when I'm caught in the middle Of the storms of this life I won't turn back I know You are near And I will fear no evil For my God is with me And if my God is with me Whom then shall I fear Whom then shall I fear CHORUS: Oh no You never let go Through the calm and through the storm Oh no You never let go In ev'ry high and ev'ry low Oh no You never let go Lord, You never let go of me And I can see a light that is coming For the heart that holds on A glorious light beyond all compare And there will be an end to these troubles But until that day comes We'll live to know You here on the earth And I will fear no evil For my God is with me And if my God is with me Whom then shall I fear Whom then shall I fear CHORUS You keep on runnin' and You never let go... Singin' CHORUS Lord, You never let go of me. Yes I can see a light That is coming for the heart that holds on And there will be an end to these troubles But until that day comes Still I will praise You Still I will praise You REPEAT, REPEAT CHORUS X2 Lord, You never let go of me. POSTLUDE Instrumental Music Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series B, Quarter 1. Copyright 2017 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Text 2015 Ascension Lutheran Church. Used by permission. LSBHymnLicense.net #100012046 9