OPENING HYMN Songs of Thankfulness and Praise LSB 394
1 Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise,
Manifested by the star To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David's stem In Thy birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to Thee addressed, God in man made manifest.
2 Manifest at Jordan's stream, Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding guest In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in pow'r divine, Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed, God in man made manifest.
3 Manifest in making whole Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight, Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will, Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed, God in man made manifest.
4 Sun and moon shall darkened be, Stars shall fall, the heav'ns shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine, All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear, All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed, God in man made manifest.
5 Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord, Present in Thy holy Word–
Grace to imitate Thee now And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we might become like Thee At Thy great epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest, God in man made manifest.
INVOCATION & OPENING SENTENCES Baptism, First & Fourth
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P These are the words of your Baptism. What is Baptism?
C Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word.
P What does such baptizing with water indicate?
C It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS
P As God’s baptized people, therefore, let’s do that! Let us repent anew that we may arise to live. But first let me ask, what is Confession?
C Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 98:7–9; antiphon: v. 2
P The LORD has made known his salvation;
C he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
P Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
C the world and those who dwell in it!
P Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD,
C for he comes to judge the earth.
P He will judge the world with righteousness,
C and the peoples with equity.
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 The LORD has made known his salvation;
C he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
HYMN OF PRAISE Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven LSB 793
1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; To His feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise the everlasting King.
2 Praise Him for His grace and favor To His people in distress;
Praise Him still the same as ever, Slow to chide and swift to bless:
Alleluia, alleluia! Glorious in His faithfulness.
3 Father-like He tends and spares us; Well our feeble frame He knows;
In His hand He gently bears us, Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia! Widely yet His mercy flows.
4 Angels, help us to adore Him; You behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him, All who dwell in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace.
SALUTATION & COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
All: Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
SHARING OF THE PEACE
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
P Let us share this peace with one another.
(People greet one another saying: “Peace be with you. And also with you.”)
OLD TESTAMENT READING Deuteronomy 30:15–20
15“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
A This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 3:1–9
1But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
A This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA VERSE Ephesians 5:2
All: Alleluia. Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 5:21–37
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter. C Glory to You, O Lord.
21[Jesus said:] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling LSB 650
1 Holy Spirit, ever dwelling In the holiest realms of light;
Holy Spirit, ever brooding O'er a world of gloom and night;
Holy Spirit, ever raising Those of earth to thrones on high;
Living, life-imparting Spirit, You we praise and magnify.
2 Holy Spirit, ever living As the Church's very life;
Holy Spirit, ever striving Through us in a ceaseless strife;
Holy Spirit, ever forming In the Church the mind of Christ;
You we praise with endless worship For your gifts and fruits unpriced.
3 Holy Spirit, ever working Through the Church's ministry;
Quick'ning, strength'ning, and absolving, Setting captive sinners free;
Holy Spirit, ever binding Age to age and soul to soul
In communion never ending, You we worship and extol.
SERMON “WE ARE GOD’S FIELD, GOD’S BUILDING IN GOD’S SERVICE” 1 Cor. 3:1-9
The Rev. Dr. Tilahun Mendedo, Executive Director at Lutheran Bible Translators
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 / HANDBELL SELECTION “Holy Spirit Ever Dwelling”
OFFERTORY Listen, God Is Calling LSB 833
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH [Incorporating the words of LSB 850]
P God of grace and God of glory, we give thanks to You this day that You do not leave us in silence but continually comfort, defend, and strengthen us by Your Word and Spirit.
On Your people pour Your pow’r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story;
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
C Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour.
P Bless Your holy Church throughout the world and guide and direct all nations and kingdoms among men.
Lo, the hosts of evil round us
Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
C Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these days.
P In the forgiveness of our sins and as Your own children by our Baptism into Christ, give to all in need healing for the sick, restoration to the broken, confidence to those without hope, and peace to all in trouble, [including…].
Cure Your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to Your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
C Grant us wisdom, grant us courage lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal.
P Remembering all who have gone before us with the sign of faith, especially the prophets and apostles and martyrs of old as well as those nearer to us whom we name before You in our hearts, help us to continue walking in faith to Your glory and our salvation.
Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
C Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving You whom we adore.
P Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. C 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 Spread the Reign of God the Lord LSB 830
1 Spread the reign of God the Lord, Spoken, written, mighty Word;
Ev'rywhere His creatures call To His heav'nly banquet hall.
2 Tell how God the Father's will Made the world, upholds it still,
How His own dear Son He gave Us from sin and death to save.
3 Tell of our Redeemer's grace, Who, to save our human race
And to pay rebellion's price, Gave Himself as sacrifice.
4 Tell of God the Spirit giv'n Now to guide us on to heav'n,
Strong and holy, just and true, Working both to will and do.
5 Enter, mighty Word, the field; Ripe the promise of its yield.
But the reapers, oh, how few For the work there is to do!
6 Lord of harvest, great and kind, Rouse to action heart and mind;
Let the gath'ring nations all See Your light and heed Your call.