PRESERVICE MUSIC / PIANO & ORGAN DUET “Reformation Chorale”
WELCOME
OPENING HYMN Glory Be to God the Father LSB 506
1 Glory be to God the Father, Glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit: Great Jehovah, Three in One!
Glory, glory While eternal ages run!
2 Glory be to Him who loved us, Washed us from each spot and stain:
Glory be to Him who bought us, Made us kings with Him to reign!
Glory, glory To the Lamb that once was slain!
3 Glory to the King of angels, Glory to the Church’s King,
Glory to the King of nations; Heav'n and earth, your praises bring!
Glory, glory To the King of glory sing!
4 Glory, blessing, praise eternal! Thus the choir of angels sings:
Honor, riches, pow'r, dominion! Thus its praise creation brings.
Glory, glory, Glory to the King of kings!
INVOCATION & OPENING SENTENCES John 8:31-32
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Jesus said, “If you abide in My word,
C you are truly My disciples,
P and you will know the truth,
C and the truth will set you free.”
CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS John 8:36
P With humble hearts, let us approach our Father’s throne of grace.
[Silence to reflect on our sin and our need for the Savior]
P Together, we pray:
C Gracious Father, because our entire lives are to be ones of repentance, we bow before You and confess our sins. We have turned away from the truth of Your Word, choosing to go our own way. By what we have thought, by what we have done, and by what we have failed to do, we have broken Your commands and are deserving of Your wrath and punishment. By the mercy of Christ, Your Son, set us free from our captivity. Enable us by Your Holy Spirit to live under You in Your kingdom and to serve You in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Amen.
P Just as Christ is risen from the dead, He lives and reigns to all eternity! It is most certainly true that He died and rose again for you to make you right with God, to adopt you as children of the heavenly Father, and to set you free from sin and death. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P “So if the Son sets you free,
C you will be free indeed!”
INTROIT Psalm 34:1–2, 11, 22; antiphon: Psalm 119:46
P I will speak of your testimonies before kings, [O Lord,]
C and shall not be put to shame.
P I will bless the Lord at all times;
C his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
P My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
C let the humble hear and be glad.
P Come, O children, listen to me;
C I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
P The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
C none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P I will speak of your testimonies before kings, [O Lord,]
C and shall not be put to shame.
HYMN OF PRAISE By Grace I’m Saved LSB 566
1 By grace I'm saved, grace free and boundless; My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise? Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain; By grace you too will life obtain.
2 By grace! None dare lay claim to merit; Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone, And we are saved by grace alone.
3 By grace God's Son, our only Savior, Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone, That brought Him from His heav'nly throne.
4 By grace! This ground of faith is certain; So long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration, What in His Word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done Depends on grace--grace through His Son.
5 By grace to timid hearts that tremble, In tribulation's furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble, The Father's heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure If grace were not my anchor sure?
6 By grace! On this I'll rest when dying; In Jesus' promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart's condition, I also know my Savior's voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown Since I am saved by grace alone.
SALUTATION & COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
All: Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and through the abiding Word of Your Son, set us free from our sin that we may know Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
FIRST READING Revelation 14:6–7
6Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
HYMN OF RESPONSE God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage LSB 582
God's Word is our great heritage And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way, In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.
EPISTLE Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
L This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA VERSE Luke 12:32
All: Alleluia. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL John 8:31–36
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter. C Glory to You, O Lord.
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY A Mighty Fortress Is Our God LSB 656
1 A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev'ry need That hath us now o'ertaken.
The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
2 With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord, And there's none other God;
He holds the field forever.
3 Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us.
We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow'r us.
This world's prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none. He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
4 The Word they still shall let remain Nor any thanks have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Though these all be gone, Our vict'ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
SERMON
Pastor David Vanderhyde; University Hills Lutheran Church
APOSTLE’S CREED
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And 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 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.
OFFERING “Amazing Grace” by Kevin Sadowski
OFFERTORY Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ LSB 565
1 Thy works, not mine, O Christ, Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done, They bid my fear depart.
To whom, save Thee, Who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
2 Thy wounds, not mine, O Christ, Can heal my bruised soul;
Thy stripes, not mine, contain The balm that makes me whole.
To whom, save Thee, Who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
3 Thy cross, not mine, O Christ, Has borne the crushing load
Of sins that none could bear But the incarnate God.
To whom, save Thee, Who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
4 Thy death, not mine, O Christ, Has paid the ransom due;
Ten thousand deaths like mine Would have been all too few.
To whom, save Thee, Who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
5 Thy righteousness, O Christ, Alone can cover me;
No righteousness avails Save that which is of Thee.
To whom, save Thee, Who canst alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. Lord Jesus, You have freed us from the captivity to sin and death, from the delusion of trying to earn and maintain our own righteousness, and from the chains of condemnation and fear. That is why we rejoice in Your Word: If the Son sets you free,
C you will be free indeed!
P Lord Jesus, only Your mercy and grace enable us to know, find, and live in the freedom of Your eternal Gospel. Send Your Spirit upon Your Church that we continue in the truths of the Reformation, and that, to all the peoples of the world, we proclaim this truth: If the Son sets you free,
C you will be free indeed!
P Lord Jesus, free us from self-centeredness and pride. Turn our focus toward You first in faith and then toward others in love. Bless all who serve You and others in their homes, in the church, in the workplace, and in our community to rejoice in knowing that if the Son sets you free,
C you will be free indeed!
P Lord Jesus, You proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery for those with infirmities. Grant Your healing, in both soul and body, to those we name before You, [especially . . .]. Rejoicing in Your healing touch, grant that all who receive Your Good News boldly say: If the Son sets you free,
C you will be free indeed!
P Lord Jesus, for these and all other concerns we have, please hear and answer our prayers according to Your gracious will
C that we live each day in the freedom we have come to know. Amen.
LORD'S PRAYER
P O Lord Jesus Christ, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you His peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN Amazing Grace LSB 744
1 Amazing grace--how sweet the sound-- That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see!
2 The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.
3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;
His grace has brought me safe thus far, His grace will lead me home.
4 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail And mortal life shall cease,
Amazing grace shall then prevail In heaven's joy and peace.
5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.
POSTLUDE “A Mighty Fortress” by Johann Pachelbel