Our Savior Lutheran Church-LCMC Port Charlotte, Florida Second Sunday in Advent December 6, 2015 Good Morning! Advent is not Advent without considering the preparatory work of John the Baptist. His mission was to be the one who would draw attention to the Coming King, and not to hang onto the notoriety of the moment himself. He would stir enough things up with the news that His King was coming, it would ultimately cost him his life. For you and I, preparations come in a lot of different ways in our world today. While we are not out in the wilderness dressed in wild clothing and having honey & grasshoppers for lunch, we are engaged in the season of getting gifts for loved ones and making our preparations work for here in our homes. Preparing is what is on our docket today. Not too much emphasis on the presents, but perhaps more emphasis on the presence of the Holy Spirit in our actions and activities as we get ready for Jesus birth and our annual celebration. We also need to be paying attention to the aspect of His Coming again in our lives. It is a time then of preparation. Get the tasks complete for your holiday celebrations. Yet keep a watchful eye on what it is that you are doing as you prepare a place for Jesus in your hearts. Hearts once full of sin, now set free, completely free, but the work of Jesus on the cross and the empty tomb. As we await His coming again, we ought to be about the business of keeping the main thing, the main thing in our lives. That s presence, not presents, and we can celebrate the beauty of a season that gives us the opportunity to prepare, get ready, or however you choose to say it. Today! Pastor Jonathon Kosec
GATHERING AND MEDITATION TIME Pre-Service Music Welcome and Announcements CONFESSIONAL PRAYER OUR WORSHIP TODAY Most merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by the things 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. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen ABSOLUTION Pastor: Almighty God, in His mercy, has given His Son to die for us, and for His sake, and by His promise, forgives us all our sin. Therefore on His behalf, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Go and sin no more, that the rest of your life might be pure and holy and modeled after our Lord Jesus in all we say and all we do, we pray in His Holy Name, Amen. BLESSING OF THE ADVENT WREATH O Lord our God, you came to bring us salvation and your Son Jesus has promised to come again. Let us pray that we may be always ready to welcome him. May our keeping of the Advent season open our hearts to your love, that the light of Christ would penetrate the darkness of our sin, and may this wreath constantly remind us to prepare for your coming again. As we light two candles this day, may this Advent and Christmas season fill us with peace and joy as we strive to follow the example of Jesus, we pray in your holy name, Amen. HYMN 74 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus 1,2 THE PRAYER OF THE DAY (Unison): Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming give to all the people of the world knowledge of your salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia Special Music Immortal, Invisible Dean Carson
FIRST LESSON : Malachi 3:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT) Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming, says the Lord of Heaven s Armies. 2 But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. 4 Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past. Responsive Reading Luke 1:68-79 Read responsively, congregation reads the bold print. 68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant 73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. 74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. 76 And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. THE SECOND LESSON: Philippians 1:3-11 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will
continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ for this will bring much glory and praise to God. THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 3:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT) It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord s coming!clear the road for him! 5 The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. 6 And then all people will see the salvation sent from God. P: The Gospel of our Lord: PRAISE TO YOU, O CHRIST. SERMON Prepare Pastor Jonathon Kosec SERMON HYMN: 76 Creator of the Stars of Night 1,3,5
OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH The Apostles Creed (C) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God s 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. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and 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. THE OFFERING: After the consecration of the Offering, we will sing the Doxology: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, Praise him, all creatures here below, Praise him above, Ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. THE PREPARATION OF THE TABLE THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE THE GREAT THANKSGIVING -PRAYERS OF PRAISE, WORDS OF INSTITUTION -LORD S PRAYER THE DISTRIBUTION THE COMMUNION BLESSING HYMN 80 Of the Father s Love Begotten 1,4 THE BENEDICTION & THE DISMISSAL P. Go in peace! Serve the Lord! C. Thanks be to God + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + WELCOME TO OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN! Thank you for joining us as we worship our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We are happy you are here! Welcome to our Advent celebration! DECEMBER BIBLE STUDIES: Our next Bible Study time will be held December 9th, 2016, at 10:00 AM here at the church. Our topic will focus on the book of Judges and on being God s Covenant People. It will be followed by the other Study for December, held on December 16th, again at 10:00 AM, which will look carefully at the Christmas story.
PRAYER LIST: Please use a prayer request card for your extra prayer petitions this morning. Hand them to Pastor Jon prior to worship or give them to the ushers at the offering. In our prayers today we remember- Our neighbors in the El Jobean community Charles Kennedy All who travel ADVENT CONTINUES TODAY with the second of our four-part Advent celebration. Our four themes, Watch, Prepare, Rejoice and Wait will help guide our thoughts and our worship for this time. Plan to join us as we complete the celebration with our Christmas Candlelight Eucharist on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 6:00 PM. OSLC CHURCH COUNCIL meets Tuesday evening, December 8th, at 7 PM here at the Church. Our Savior Lutheran Church, LCMC 14344 Jamison Way Port Charlotte, FL 33953 Website: http://www.oslc-lcmc.com Worship Time: Sunday 10 A.M. Bible Study: (Seasonally) Wednesday, 10 A.M Rev. Jonathon Kosec, Lead Pastor Pastor s email: jonathonkosec@gmail.com Cell Phone: (941) 916-7300