Hymn “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” LSB # 791
1 All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with mirth, His praise forthtell; Come ye before Him and rejoice.
2 Know that the Lord is God indeed; Without our aid He did us make.
We are His folk, He doth us feed, And for His sheep He doth us take.
3 O enter then His gates with praise; Approach with joy His courts unto.
Praise, laud, and bless His name always, For it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? the Lord our God is good: His mercy is for ever sure.
His truth at all times firmly stood And shall from age to age endure.
5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, The God whom heav'n and earth adore,
From us and from the angel host Be praise and glory evermore.
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 “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” LSB #655
1 Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word; Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son And bring to naught all He has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow'r make known, For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we May sing your praise eternally.
3 O Comforter of priceless worth, Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife And lead us out of death to life.
(Sung)
Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
To God on high be glory and peace to all the earth;
Good will from God in heaven proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father; Your holy name, we sing,
Our thanks for Your great glory, Lord God, our heav’nly King.
To You, O sole-begotten, the Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior, You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus; Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated at God’s right hand on high.
For You alone are holy; You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever, be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory. “Amen!” our glad reply.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
Collect for the day:
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Scripture Readings
First Reading (Acts 10:34-48)
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (1 John 5:1-8)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
P: The holy Gospel according to St. John the 15th chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
(John 15:9-17)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
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 “Water, Blood and Spirit Crying” LSB # 597
1. Water, blood, and Spirit crying, By their witness testifying
To the One whose death-defying Life has come, with life for all.
2. In a wat’ry grave are buried All our sins that Jesus carried;
Christ, the Ark of Life, has ferried Us across death’s raging flood.
3. Dark the way, yet Christ precedes us, Past the scowl of death He leads us’
Spreads a table where He feed us With His body and His blood.
4. Though around us death is seething, God, His two-edged sword unsheathing,
By His Spirit life is breathing Through the living, active Word.
5. Spirit, water, blood entreating, Working faith and its completing
In the One whose death-defeating Life has come, with life for all.
Sermon
Offering/Offertory
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 “The Day of Resurrection” # 478
1 The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad,
The passover of gladness, The passover of God.
From death to life eternal, From sin's dominion free,
Our Christ has brought us over With hymns of victory.
2 Let hearts be purged of evil That we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal Of resurrection light
And, list'ning to His accents, May hear, so calm and plain,
His own "All hail!" and, hearing, May raise the victor strain.
3 Now let the heav'ns be joyful, Let earth its song begin,
Let all the world keep triumph And all that is therein.
Let all things, seen and unseen, Their notes of gladness blend;
For Christ the Lord has risen, Our joy that has no end!
4 All praise to God the Father, All praise to God the Son,
All praise to God the Spirit, Eternal Three in One!
Let all the ransomed number Fall down before the throne
And honor, pow'r, and glory Ascribe to God alone!