Hymn “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates” LSB # 341
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates! Behold, the King of glory waits.
The King of kings is drawing near; The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring; Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
To God the Father raise Your joyful songs of praise.
2 A righteous Helper comes to thee; His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness, His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe He brings; Therefore the earth is glad and sings.
To Christ the Savior raise Your grateful hymns of praise.
3 How blest the land, the city blest, Where Christ the ruler is confessed!
O peaceful hearts and happy homes To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless sun of joy is He Who comes to set His people free.
To God the Spirit raise Your happy shouts of praise.
4 Fling wide the portals of your heart; Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for heav'n's employ, Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sov'reign enter in And new and nobler life begin.
To God alone be praise For word and deed and grace!
5 Redeemer, come and open wide My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
O enter with Thy grace divine; Thy face of mercy on me shine.
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame We offer to Thy name.
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C: who made heaven and earth.
P: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C: But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P: Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C: Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. 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 + Son and of the Holy Spirit
C: Amen.
Hymn “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come” LSB # 350
1 Come, Thou precious Ransom, come, Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world! Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see; Anxiously we wait for Thee.
2 Enter now my waiting heart, Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne'er depart, Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine When Thou art my guest divine!
3 My hosannas and my palms Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can, Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace, Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
4 Hail! Hosanna, David's Son! Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown, Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing: Hail! Hosanna to our King.
(Sung)
Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
Collect for the day:
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Scripture Readings
Old Testament Reading (2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16)
Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (Romans 16:25-27)
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
P: The holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 1st chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
(Luke 1:26-38)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Confession of Faith -- Nicene Creed
C: 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 Spirit 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 sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian 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.
Hymn “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came” LSB # 356
1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came, With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
"All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary, Most highly favored lady." Gloria!
2 "For know a blessed mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold, Most highly favored lady." Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head; "To me be as it pleaseth God," she said.
"My soul shall laud and magnify God's holy name." Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
4 Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say: "Most highly favored lady." Gloria!
Sermon
Offering
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy
C: hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
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 on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C: Amen.
Hymn “Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love” LSB # 900
1 Jesus! Name of wondrous love, Name all other names above,
Unto which must ev'ry knee Bow in deep humility.
2 Jesus! Name decreed of old, To the maiden mother told,
Kneeling in her lowly cell, By the angel Gabriel.
3 Jesus! Name of priceless worth To the fallen sons of earth
For the promise that it gave, "Jesus shall His people save."
4 Jesus! Name of mercy mild, Given to the holy Child
When the cup of human woe First He tasted here below.
5 Jesus! Only name that's giv'n Under all the mighty heav'n
Whereby those to sin enslaved Burst their fetters and are saved.
6 Jesus! Name of wondrous love, Human name of God above;
Pleading only this, we flee Helpless, 0 our God, to Thee.