Second Sunday in Advent December 10, 2017 St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School 437 Turner Street, Wrightstown WI, 54180 www.stjlw.com Pastor Mike Gehl (pastorgehl@gmail.com)... (920) 309-5171 Church Office (church@stjlw.com)... (920) 532-4865 School Office (stjlsw@gmail.com)... (920) 532-4361 Mr. Timothy Raddatz, Principal, Grades 4-8... (920) 636-5007 Mrs. Jennifer Bunn, Grades 1-3... (920) 217-3405 Mrs. Rebecca Wicks, Pre-K and K... (920) 809-8648 Miss. Jamie Buss, Preschool and Pre-K... (920) 538-0470 Mr. Terry Sieker, Congregation President... (920) 864-7307 Fox Valley Lutheran High School... (920) 739-4441
Welcome! We extend a very warm and friendly welcome to all who ve joined us for worship today. We pray that the God of grace, who sent his Son to save you and who proved his love for you by raising him from the dead, will fill your heart with joy in knowing that your salvation has been made sure through Jesus. May God bless your worship! If you re a guest with us this morning, please sign the Friendship Register in your row, checking any applicable boxes. If you need assistance of any kind, don t hesitate to ask one of the ushers. If you d like to learn more about St. John congregation or the Bible s teachings, please speak with Pastor Mike Gehl. And if you don t already have a churchhome, feel free to return and worship with us again at your earliest convenience. Our restrooms are located downstairs (through the entryway). Activity bags to help keep children occupied are on a hanger in the entryway. We love having your children sit with you during the service, but if you feel that your infant or toddler is getting a little too fussy, you may briefly step out of the sanctuary until they re ready to come back in. Today s order of service is displayed on the screen and printed out in the worship folder (with music notes) for your convenience. Hymns are found in the red book in front of you. St. John also operates an all-day preschool and a fullday kindergarten through eighth grade Lutheran Elementary School. We re a member of the Fox Valley Lutheran High School federation. If you are interested in hearing more about these opportunities for Christian education, please speak with Pastor Gehl or Principal Tim Raddatz. At Your Service Today: 7:45 10:15 Greeters: Jean Brandt Karen Geiger Marna Johns Lynn Zirbel Judy Wicker Ushers: Courtney / Heather Schisel Loree Baumgartener Mike Geiger Gary Brandt Perry / Reese Schisel Terry Schaeuble Roy Schisel Jack Zirbel Troy Schisel Organist: Deb Schaeuble Deb Schaeuble PowerPoint: Phil Roberts Lou Ann Beard Altar Guild: Tina DeMerritt, Betty Schmidt, Pat Vickman [2] Mission and Purpose St. John Lutheran Church exists as part of the Holy Christian Church on earth. We engage in the continuing development of disciples of Jesus Christ by GATHERING for worship, education, and fellowship in order to GROW in faith and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. By God s GRACE we GO to proclaim Christ and his Word with our lips and lives. We realize that it s only through the GOSPEL in Word and Sacraments that one can be equipped for discipleship and bringing GLORY to God. [15]
Closing Hymn... Prepare the Royal Highway (CWS 702) [14] [3]
Service Theme for the Second Sunday in Advent: Since his coming is sure and so important, he sends out forerunners in the footsteps of St. John the Baptist who help us to make proper preparation for his coming. They do that with a message not their own. They do it with the message that he himself has given. Pay close attention to those heralds of the coming Lord, the prophets and apostles, and to the pastors and teachers in our midst who have succeeded them to get us ready for his coming. The Common Service Opening Hymn... Blest Be the God of Israel (CW 275) In the name of the Father and of the Son [] and of the Holy Spirit. Confession of Sins Beloved in the Lord: let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord, Have Mercy... (Kyrie) Direct our eyes not only to the manger but also to the skies, where we will see your Son coming again, not as a lowly child but as the Lord of lords. Lift up our hearts in joyful anticipation of that day. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, in your grace, in your power, and in your glory. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen. The Lord s Prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. Closing Prayer Blessed Lord, you have given us your Holy Scriptures for our learning. May we so hear them, read, learn, and take them to heart, that being strengthened and comforted by your holy Word, we may cling to the blessed hope of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 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. Blessing 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. [4] [13]
Create in Me Prayer and Praise In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord. Glory Be to God... (Gloria in Excelsis) Thank-Offering Prayer of the Church Eternal Father, throughout the centuries you repeated and affirmed your promise to send the offspring of the woman to crush the serpent s head. Through your prophets of old, you continually directed the eyes of your people to the advent of their Savior. We praise you, O Lord, for keeping your promise and sending your Son to destroy the works of the devil. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King, use your mighty Word to shatter our pride and to rouse us from spiritual slumber and apathy. Move us to take to heart the words of John: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. You sent your Son to redeem us from sin. Let this good news be our joy and strength. Use it to cheer the lonely, encourage the fearful, and give hope to the despairing. In these days before and around Christmas, spare us from the stress of deadlines and the frenzy of commercialism. Fill our lives with the message of your peace and the music of your grace. [12] [5]
Prayer of the Day The Lord be with you. Let us pray. Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son. By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. The Word First Lesson...Isaiah 40:1-11 (EHV) The message of God s messengers has not changed. It is a message that prepares us for his coming both at Christmas and on the Last Day. The messenger cries out: We are nothing; He is everything. We are born to die; He comes to give life. We know nothing and are sure of nothing; his Word of grace and pardon lasts forever and gives the pardon and grace that it promises. Crane your necks. Stand on tiptoes. Listen to his footsteps in the voice of the apostles and prophets, in the Word proclaimed this day from the pulpit. That s how the Savior King himself prepares you for his coming. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her. Her warfare really is over. Her guilt is fully paid for. Yes, she has received from the LORD s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice is calling out: In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD. In the wasteland make a level highway for our God. 4 Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The rugged ground will become level, and the rough places will become a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it. Yes, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 6 A voice was saying, Cry out! And I said, What shall I cry out? All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like a wildflower in the countryside. 7 Grass withers, flowers fade, when the breath of the LORD blows on them. Yes, the people are grass. 8 Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever. 9 Get up on a high mountain, O Zion, you herald of good news. Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, you herald of good news. Lift it up! Do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, Here is your God! 10 Look, God the LORD will come with strength, and his arm is ruling for him. Look, his reward is with him. The result of his work is in front of him. 11 Like a shepherd he will care for his flock. With his arm he will gather the lambs. He will lift them up on his lap. He will gently lead the nursing mothers. [6] [11]
sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. 6 John was clothed in camel s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He preached, One more powerful than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals! 8 I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. this is the Gospel of our Lord. The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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. Amen. Children s Message Hymn of the Day... On Jordan s Bank the Baptist s Cry (CW 16) Sermon... Isaiah 40:1-8 The Glory of the LORD Will Be Revealed! Listen to his Prepare his Believe his gracious comfort. desert highway. everlasting Word. [10] [7]
Psalm of the Day... Psalm 85 You showed favor to your land, O LORD;* you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people* and covered all their sins. Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,* and grant us your sal- vation. Refrain I will listen to what God the LORD will say;* he promises peace to his people, his saints. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,* that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet to- gether;* righteousness and peace kiss each other. Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the be- ginning, * is now, and will be forever. Amen. Refrain Second Lesson... 2 Peter 3:8-14 (EHV) A little child keeps asking during Advent: Is Christmas here yet? With like eagerness we ask the Savior King s messenger: How come it takes so long? The messenger has come in fulfillment of God s promise to send messengers. The messenger assures us that the promise of his final coming also will be kept, just as surely as the promise of his first coming was kept. Therefore don t lose heart in the midst of all the distractions that the world offers to make us forget our chief business of being and getting ready for his coming. Those lost in the distractions will meet him with dismay. Let us keep craning our necks and standing on tiptoe, busy with obedience to his Word and cherishing each proclamation of the message that helps us to prepare. [8] 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: For the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to do what he promised, as some consider slowness. Instead, he is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be dissolved as they burn with great heat, and the earth and what was done on it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be, living in holiness and godliness, 12 as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God? That day will cause the heavens to be set on fire and destroyed, and the elements to melt as they burn with great heat. 13 But according to his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, dear friends, as you look forward to these things, make every effort to be found in peace, spotless and blameless in his sight. Verse of the Day... Luke 3:4,6 (EHV) Alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight. And everyone will see the salvation of God. Alleluia. Gospel Lesson... Mark 1:1-8 (EHV) Since he is coming, as we heard last Sunday, both to destroy and to save, the sending of forerunners to help us prepare is a special mark of the Savior s grace and kindness. Notice that the forerunner is the lowliest man in the world: He is not even fit to untie the shoes of the one whose coming he proclaims. Since he is so lowly, no one needs to be afraid to listen to him; he will not scare us away. The one whose way he prepares is so eager that we be ready that the messenger and the message alike are lowly. But the message is powerful at the same time. For the message is one of forgiveness, a message that washes away sin and guilt in the Word and in the water, so that those who receive it will be fit for the only one who is great: Our coming Savior King. Give thanks to God that for these thousands of years and to this very day God has sent forerunners to prepare us for his coming at Christmas and on the Last Day, so that his coming for us would be a coming in grace, not a coming in dread and terror. Heed their call to repentance and trust in the Word and work of the coming Savior. Today s Gospel reading is recorded in the 1 st chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark, beginning at the 1 st verse. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 This is how it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare the way for you. 3 A voice of one calling out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight. 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of [9]