Festival of the Holy Trinity 06/11/2017 NEXT STEP: STUDY & SHARE READINGS Genesis 1:1--2:4a Psalm 8 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20 PRAYER OF THE DAY God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, lifegiving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. SERMON TEXT- Matthew 28:16-20 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. LISTENING TO... GOD- Christian life is rooted in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit 1. How do we know the Holy Spirit belongs to the Godhead? See v19; Deuteronomy 6:4; Luke 12:8-12; John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 2. Is v18 new information (cf. 7:29, 9:6)? What does this authority include? See Isaiah 45:7; Jeremiah 18:1-10; Daniel 4:17, 25, 7:13-14; John 1:1-4; Revelation 20:11-15 EACH OTHER- Sharing & growing with our brothers & sisters in Christ 3. What do you think the disciples doubted (compare vv19-20 with 26:31-32, 56)? Hint it wasn t the resurrection (Matthew 28:5-10) or that Jesus is Lord (Matthew 16:16). 4. With #3 in mind, what doubts do you have? Talk about them with someone able to tell you the truth (not correct you) in order to discharge their power to haunt you. NEIGHBORS- Bearing fruit for those not yet our brothers & sisters 5. What obedience (v20) is Jesus looking for in everyday life? See Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Micah 6:8; Matthew 16:19, 18:18, 22:34-40, 25:31-40, 26:26-28; Luke 24:44-49; John 13:34, 15:12, 17, 20:19-28; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Galatians 3:6-9; Philippians 2:5-11 6. Read the Small Catechism s teaching about the Apostles Creed; how is God s trinity as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit and his unity as one God either A) superfluous or B) essential to salvation? Hint: try dividing or removing the persons and see what happens to the whole truth. <SC is available at bookofconcord.org>
Festival of the Holy Trinity 06/11/2017 Sent, but Not Where You Think Rev. Jared Stillions Going through Everyday Life God s church doesn t have a mission, God s mission has a church -Notes- KEY VERSE: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. (v19-20a) -NEXT STEPS MEMORY VERSE- Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; God s glory fills the whole earth. (Isaiah 6:3)
Second Sunday after Pentecost 06/18/2017 NEXT STEP: STUDY & SHARE READINGS Exodus 19:2-8a Psalm 100 Romans 5:1-8 Matthew 9:35--10:8 PRAYER OF THE DAY God of compassion, you have opened the way for us & brought us to yourself. Pour your love into our hearts, that, overflowing with joy, we may freely share the blessings of your realm & faithfully proclaim the good news of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior & Lord. Amen. STUDY TEXT- Exodus 19:2-8a 2 [The Israelites] had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, & camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, & tell the Israelites: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, & how I bore you on eagles wings & brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you obey my voice & keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom & a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites. 7 So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, & set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8a The people all answered as one: Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do. LISTENING TO... GOD- Christian life is rooted in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit 1. What did God do to the Egyptians (v4)? See Exodus 7:1-25, 13:1-9, 21-22, 14:1--15:21; Psalms 77, 78, 105, 106, 114 2. The ancient Israelites had specialized priests (Aaron s male descendants); how could Israel all be priests together (v6a)? See Leviticus 11:44-45, 20:26; Deuteronomy 7:6, 26:19; Isaiah 42:1-9, 46:13, 49:1-7, 61:6, 62:12 EACH OTHER- Sharing & growing with our brothers & sisters in Christ 3. Compare 1 Peter 2:9 with v6a; from where does our holiness come? See Matthew 5:48; John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 3:1-7; Ephesians 1:3-4; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:15-16 4. Think of your closest friends or neighbors who do not go to church; other than that attendance, how is your everyday life different from theirs? See Ephesians 5:18--6:9; Colossians 3:18--4:1; Titus 2:1-10; 1 Peter 2:13--3:7 NEIGHBORS- Bearing fruit for those not yet our brothers & sisters 5. An earnest criticism of the Church by our culture/society is that Christian lives are indistinguishable from secular ones; how is that criticism fair or unfair? See Romans 12:1-21 6. Think of priestly duties (e.g. prayer, sacrifice, forgiveness, worship & praise, etc.); how can you be a priest for your neighbors & neighborhood at home & work? See Matthew 5:1-6, 18:23-35;Romans 1:9; Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 1:16; Philippians 4:4-5, 8; Philemon 1:4; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 3:15
Second Sunday after Pentecost 06/18/2017 Rev. Gary Hilfiger -Notes- -NEXT STEPS MEMORY VERSE- The kingdom of God has come near; repent, & believe in the good news. (Mark 1:15)
Third Sunday after Pentecost 06/25/2017 NEXT STEP: STUDY & SHARE READINGS Jeremiah 20:7-13 Psalm 69:7-18 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 PRAYER OF THE DAY Teach us, good Lord God, to serve you as you deserve, to give & not to count the cost, to fight & not to heed the wounds, to toil & not to seek for rest, to labor & not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we do your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior & Lord. Amen. SERMON TEXT- Jeremiah 20:7-13 7 O Lord, you have enticed me, & I was enticed; you have overpowered me, & you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. 8 For whenever I speak, I must cry out, I must shout, Violence & destruction! For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach & derision all day long. 9 If I say, I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name, then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, & I cannot. 10 For I hear many whispering: Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him! All my close friends are watching for me to stumble. Perhaps he can be enticed, & we can prevail against him, & take our revenge on him. 11 But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, & they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. 12 O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous, you see the heart & the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. 13 Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers. LISTENING TO... GOD- Christian life is rooted in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit 1. Compare v7 to 1 Kings 22:19-23, Judges 14:15-18, & 2 Samuel 3:25; what is Jeremiah saying about his situation as God s prophet? Also compare vv11-13 with Philippians 3:1-8 2. How does v8 compare with Paul s words in 1 Corinthians 1:17--2:5 (& Acts 17:16-34)? EACH OTHER- Sharing & growing with our brothers & sisters in Christ 3. What challenges & difficulties at church do you find enriching & fulfilling? See 2 Corinthians 11:23-30, 12:9-10 4. What makes these challenges more worthy of your efforts than something else? See Philippians 4:8-13 NEIGHBORS- Bearing fruit for those not yet our brothers & sisters 5. Too often we trick (cf. v7) folks into Christianity or holy service saying, Oh it doesn t require much work from you but later they find out it asks everything them. What did you have to learn the hard way about Christianity that you (reasonably) could have been warned about? See Matthew 7:13-14, 8:19-22, 10:21-25, 34-39, 24:9, 25:1-30; Luke 9:57-60, 14:26 6. Read the commitments made by parents/god-parents/sponsors at Holy Baptism (green LBW p121 #6) (attend worship, teach: Lord s Prayer, Creed, 10 Commandments, Bible, & Christian doctrine); what makes these vows so easy to dismiss? See Exodus 20:1-8, 16; Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Ecclesiastes 5:4-6; Proverbs 20:25; Matthew 12:31-37, 13:3-9, 18-23, 18:1-7
Third Sunday after Pentecost 06/25/2017 Rev. Gary Hilfiger -Notes- -NEXT STEPS MEMORY VERSE- Jesus says, The Spirit of the Lord will testify on my behalf, & you also are to testify. (John 15:26, 27)
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 07/02/2017 NEXT STEP: STUDY & SHARE READINGS Jeremiah 28:5-9 Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 Romans 6:12-23 Matthew 10:40-42 PRAYER OF THE DAY O God, you direct our lives by your grace, & your words of justice & mercy reshape the world. Mold us into a people who welcome your word & serve one another, through Jesus Christ, our Savior & Lord. Amen. SERMON TEXT- Matthew 10:40-42 [Jesus said to the twelve:] 40 Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, & whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet s reward; & whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. LISTENING TO... GOD- Christian life is rooted in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit 1. How is favorably receiving Jesus the same as receiving his sender (v40)? See Exodus 3:6, 13-15; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5; Mark 16:19; John 5:23, 8:58, 10:30, 14:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 13:13, 1 John 5:20 2. By the way, what s the reward of the righteous Jesus speaks of (v41)? See Psalm 16:10-11; John 3:15, 36, 5:29, 10:27-28; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25, 5:11-12 EACH OTHER- Sharing & growing with our brothers & sisters in Christ 3. Who are the little ones Jesus speaks of (v42)? See Deuteronomy 32:6; Isaiah 63:16; Luke 18:17; John 13:33; Galatians 4:19; 1 John 2:1, 12 4. The littlest ones are the newest baptized believers, infants or otherwise; how is refreshing, cold water given to them (v42)? See Matthew 28:19-20, John 4:14, 7:38, 17:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:16, Revelation 21:6 NEIGHBORS- Bearing fruit for those not yet our brothers & sisters 5. Compare this gospel lesson to Luke 10:1-12, 16-20 & John 13:12-20; how does this inform the idea of the Body of Christ or the communion of saints? See Romans 5:6-11; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Ephesians 6:19-20 6. Jesus seems to make a connection between the world s favorable hospitality toward the Kingdom & (rudimentary?) faith; if so, how could this be the case? See Psalm 72:10-11; Isaiah 46:13, 49:6, 60:3-9; Matthew 8:5-13, 10:5-13, 22, 24:9-13, 25:31-46; Mark 9:38-40; Luke 2:25-32; Acts 10; 1 Corinthians 12:3; James 2:14-17; Revelation 20:11-13
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 07/02/2017 Sent, but Not Where You Think Rev. Jared Stillions Cold Water for Hot Days To baptize means to teach, equip, remind, & challenge as a community -Notes- KEY VERSE: Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. (v40) -NEXT STEPS MEMORY VERSE- You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.. (1 Peter 2:9)
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 07/09/2017 NEXT STEP: STUDY & SHARE READINGS Zechariah 9:9-12 Psalm 145:8-14 Romans 7:15-25a Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 PRAYER OF THE DAY You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. SERMON TEXT- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 [Jesus spoke to the crowd saying:] 16 To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17 We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon ; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. 25 At that time Jesus said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. LISTENING TO... GOD- Christian life is rooted in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit 1. From where does wisdom come? See Job 28:20-28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 8:1-36 esp. vv22-23; Sirach 1:11-20 2. Who are these children of wisdom (v24)? Note other translations read children in v24; cf. Luke 7:35. See 1 Corinthians 1:17-31; James 3:13 EACH OTHER- Sharing & growing with our brothers & sisters in Christ 3. One reason Jesus rest (v28) eludes us is, that like our electronic devices, we re always on; what would happen if you made some e-free times and spaces for prayer, scripture, your spouse, etc.? Try it for 30 days and see if you find rest. See Matthew 14:13; John 6:1, 15 4. Not very long ago only important people were always on; now all of us are important, too. How does our new found pride conflict with Jesus invitation (vv28-30, esp., v28)? See Isaiah 2:12; Psalm 138:6; Proverbs 3:34, 9:12, 21:24; Luke 1:48-53, 18:44; James 4:6-10 NEIGHBORS- Bearing fruit for those not yet our brothers & sisters 5. Particularly in medicine the world is increasingly unconvinced by the Church s moral wisdom; what happens when the sanctity of all human life is reduced to the quality of life? Who gets to decide if your life has proper quality? See Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-16, Matthew 10:28-31, Luke 12:4-7 6. The children of the world complain (vv16-17) that John the Baptizer (Matthew 3:1-12) and Jesus didn t dance to the their tune (v18); what are some characteristic ways the Church (and your congregation and you) stay out of step for the sake of neighbors and their needs in the world? See Luke 10:25-42
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 07/09/2017 Sent, but Not Where You Think Rev. Jared Stillions Come Rest Our faith is a break from the world, not the world with Jesus tacked on -Notes- KEY VERSE: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (v29) -NEXT STEPS MEMORY VERSE- Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed these things to infants.. (Matthew 11:25)