Sunday, April 28, 2024
+ PREPARATION +
OPENING HYMN LIFT HIGH THE CROSS LSB # 837 1-4-6
CHORUS
Lift high the cross the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore His sacred name
Come Christians follow where our Captain trod
Our king victorious Christ the Son of God Chorus
O Lord once lifted on the glorious tree
As Thou hast promised draw us all to Thee Chorus
So shall our song of triumph ever be
Praise to the Crucified for victory Chorus
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 66:1–4, 8–9; 40:5
Pastor: Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
People: sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!
Pastor: Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!
People: All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; they sing praises to Your name.”
Pastor: Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard,
People: who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.
Pastor: You have multiplied, O Lord my God, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You!
People: I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Humble yourselves then before God, confess your sins to Him, and implore His forgiveness.
People: O almighty God, most merciful Father, I, a repentant sinner, confess to You all my sins and iniquities with which I have offended You. By nature, I am a sinful creature. In thought, word, and deed I have continually transgressed Your law. For this I justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of the sufferings and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, be gracious and merciful to me, a penitent and contrite being. Forgive me all my sins and grant me the power of Your Holy Spirit that I may amend my sinful life and bear fruit in keeping with true repentance.
Pastor: God be gracious to you and strengthen your faith.
People: Amen.
Pastor: As you believe, so let it be. As a called and ordained servant Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
SONG OF PRAISE 10,000 REASONS (Bless The Lord)
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I worship Your holy name
The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I worship Your holy name
You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
So bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I worship Your holy name
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
Forevermore!
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I worship Your holy name
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I worship Your holy name
Yes I will worship Your holy name
Lord I worship Your holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
Worship Your holy name
Jesus I will worship Your holy name
Worship Your holy name.
James Myrin, Matt Redman, Jason Ingram
C 2011 Shout! Publishing (APRA)
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
FIRST READING Acts 8:26–40 (Philip witnesses about Jesus to the Ethiopian official.)
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
EPISTLE 1 John 4:1–11 (An exhortation to lives of Christian love)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
HOLY GOSPEL John 15:1–8
(Jesus says that He is the vine and His people are the branches.)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN ABIDE, O DEAREST JESUS LSB # 919 1-4-5-6
Abide O dearest Jesus
Among us with Your grace
That Satan may not harm us
Nor we to sin give place
Abide with richest blessing
Among us bounteous Lord
Let us in grace and wisdom
Grow daily through Your Word
Abide with Your protection
Among us Lord our strength
Lest world and Satan fell us
And overcome at length
Abide O faithful Savior
Among us with Your love
Grant steadfastness and help us
To reach our home above
SERMON
THE SECOND ARTICLE OF THE APOSTLES’ CREED
Pastor: As we celebrate the risen Christ in this season of Easter, let us speak together the words of the Apostles’ Creed regarding our Savior, who is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
People: 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
Pastor: What does this mean?
People: I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This is most certainly true.
GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH LSB, p. 215
Pastor: Friends in Christ, I urge you all to lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ our Lord has taught us and freely promised to hear us.
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: May Your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Strengthen us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we commend [name(s)] and all who are in need, praying for them at all times: Thy will be done. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.