THE DIVINE SERVICE November 26, 2017 The Last Sunday after Pentecost Sunday of the Fulfillment In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, this church opens wide her doors and offers welcome to all who sin and need a Savior; to all who are spiritually weak and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort; to all who struggle and desire victory; to all who are strangers and want fellowship; to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and to whosoever will come. Jesus taught us that if our brother has something against us, we ought to go and be reconciled to him before we do anything else in gathered worship. Please do that without delay if necessary. Hearing enhancement devices available please ask an usher. WiFi: RedeemerPrivate, wireless@office In Preparation PRELUDE Sangjin Jeong, Guest Organist Fugue in a Minor, BWV 543 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) WORDS OF PREPARATION Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. COLLECT OF THE DAY Lord Jesus Christ, you reign among us by the preaching of your cross. Forgive your people their offenses that we, being governed by your bountiful goodness, may enter at last into your eternal paradise; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God; now and forever. Amen. SILENT PRAYER Following the prelude, please observe silence in final preparation for gathered worship.
The Service of Entrance INTROIT All that hath life and breath praise ye the Lord, shout to the Lord, alleluia! Alleluia, praise him, laud him, alleluia! (Rene Clausen) v HYMN OF INVOCATION Praise ye the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song and his praise in the great congregation. Let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us pray. PRAYER OF ADORATION world without end. Amen. v Congregation stands as able 2
CORPORATE CONFESSION OF SIN Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. SILENCE Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. DECLARATION OF ABSOLUTION Hear the Word of the Gospel: Christ has died for our sins and been raised for our justification. All you who repent of your sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, rejoice and be glad and give glory to the Lord who has taken away all of your sins in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. v Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. O Lord, open our lips, and our mouth will declare your praise. v Congregation stands as able 3
v GLORIA AND HYMN OF GRATITUDE v Congregation stands as able 4
The Service of the Word v THE PSALTER Psalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing to the Lord; Let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving And raise a loud shout to him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the caverns of the earth, And the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, And his hands have molded the dry land. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, And kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! CHORAL PSALTER Psalm 84:1-2, 4 How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place (from Requiem) Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Patricia Dolan & David Mead, piano How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! For my soul, it longeth, yea, fainteth for the courts of the Lord; My soul and body crieth out, yea, for the living God. O blest are they that dwell within thy house; they praise thy name evermore! How lovely is thy dwelling place. v Congregation stands as able 5
THE EPISTLE LESSON 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 Leader: This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God! THE GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 25:31-46 Leader: This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to you, O Christ. v OUR RESPONSE v Congregation stands as able 6
WELCOME At this time, please sign and pass the attendance pads down the row. INTERLUDE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION AND THANKSGIVING Ruling Elder Bob Phillips Unison: 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. v THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Genesis 19:1-38 This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God! v PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION MORNING SERMON Rev. Eric Landry Lingering Faith Genesis 19:1-38 v Congregation stands as able 7
The Biblical significance of eating in God s presence can be noted from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Garden-City in Revelation. The Lord Jesus instituted the New Covenant at a meal the meal as he broke bread and shared the cup with his disciples. The Church has always repeated this meal as Christ and his Apostles command, the culmination of worship in God s presence and a bold proclamation of Christ s death until he comes. We invite all baptized Christians to come to this table, his table, and to rejoice with us in God s grace given to us in Christ. If you recognize yourself as a repentant and believing sinner, trusting in Christ s shed blood for the forgiveness of your sins, then come. Baptized children are admitted to the Table upon an age-appropriate profession of faith in Christ. Let us draw near, then, with thankful and reverent hearts and receive by faith the body and blood of Christ, a true nourishment for our souls. If you have any question about whether or not you should receive communion, please ask one of our elders. Communicants who for medical reasons must consume gluten free bread can receive this during the passing of the peace. An elder or deacon serves in front, near the reading lectern. Children are served only when accompanied by a parent. The center cup and inner circle contain grape juice and the outer circles contain wine. Our elders strongly encourage everyone to take the wine. The juice is available for those who cannot drink the wine in faith (Romans 14:23). Please hold each element until all have been served so that we may partake together. The Service of the Table v CORPORATE CONFESSION OF FAITH The Nicene Creed Unison: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. PASSING OF THE PEACE v The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you! Let us offer one another a sign of peace. Members of the congregation greet one another with a sign of friendship such as the ancient words that the church has used over the centuries, The peace of Christ be with you, and the response, And also with you. v Congregation stands as able 8
TITHES AND OFFERINGS The earth is the Lord s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. HYMN OF GRATITUDE TO GOD v Congregation stands as able 9
v Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendor, and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. v PRAYER OF DEDICATION We give you praise and thanks, our Lord and King, for these gifts that come from your hand. We return them to you in gratitude for your mercy and we ask that you use them to glorify your name and extend your kingdom here in Austin and around the world. In the name of Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen. v THE GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you! And also with you! Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to our Lord God! It is good and right to do so! It is very good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Everlasting God, who in the multitude of your saints did surround us with so great a cloud of witnesses that we, rejoicing in their fellowship, may run with patience the race that is set before us and, together with them, may receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Therefore, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we praise and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing: v Congregation stands as able 10
INVITATION TO THE LORD S TABLE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING THE WORDS OF OUR LORD The Bread The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. (1 Cor. 11:23-24) v Congregation stands as able 11
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD The Cup In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Cor. 11:25) v Congregation stands as able 12
v BENEDICTION v DEPARTING HYMN s 4. v Congregation stands as able 13
LESSONS Psalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing to the LORD; let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the caverns of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands have molded the dry land. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the LORD our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says, all things are put in subjection, it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? 40 And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. 44 Then they also will answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? 45 Then he will answer them, saying, Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. 14
Sermon Lesson Genesis 19:1-38 1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, My lords, please turn aside to your servant s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way. They said, No; we will spend the night in the town square. 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them. 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof. 9 But they said, Stand back! And they said, This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them. Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. 12 Then the men said to Lot, Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it. 14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city. But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. 15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city. 16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away. 18 And Lot said to them, Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there is it not a little one? and my life will be saved! 21 He said to him, Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived. 30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father. 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father. 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day. 15