Hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” LSB #469
1 "Christ the Lord is ris'n today!" Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing, ye heav'ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love's redeeming work is done, Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun's eclipse is o'er; Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal; Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise; Christ has opened Paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King! Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save; Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led; Foll'wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise; Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav'n! Praise to Thee by both be giv'n!
Thee we greet triumphant now: Hail, the Resurrection Thou!
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 “Jerusalem the Golden” LSB #672
1 Jerusalem the golden, With milk and honey blest--
The promise of salvation, The place of peace and rest--
We know not, oh, we know not What joys await us there;
The radiancy of glory, The bliss beyond compare!
2 Within those halls of Zion Sounds forth the joyful song,
As saints join with the angels and all the martyr throng.
The Prince is ever with them; The daylight is serene;
The city of the blessed Shines bright with glorious sheen.
3 Around the throne of David, The saints, from care released,
Raise loud their songs of triumph To celebrate the feast.
They sing to Christ their leader, Who conquered in the fight,
Who won for them forever Their gleaming robes of white.
4 O sweet and blessèd country, The home of God's elect!
O sweet and blessed country That faithful hearts expect!
In mercy, Jesus, bring us To that eternal rest
With You and God the Father And Spirit, ever blest.
(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:
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same 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 20:17-35)
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (Revelation 7:9-17)
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
P: The holy Gospel according to St. John the 10th chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
(John 10:22-30)
At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
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 “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” LSB #711
1 Savior, like a shepherd lead us; Much we need Your tender care.
In Your pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Your fold prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have bought us; we are Yours.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have bought us; we are Yours.
2 We are Yours; in love befriend us, Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Your flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray.
3 You have promised to receive us, Poor and sinful though we be;
You have mercy to relieve us, Grace to cleanse, and pow'r to free.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to You.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to You.
4 Early let us seek Your favor, Early let us do Your will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior, With Your love our spirits fill.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have loved us, love us still.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have loved us, love us still.
Sermon
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.
Closing Hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory” LSB # 850
1 God of grace and God of glory, On Your people pour Your pow'r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story; Bring its bud to glorious flow'r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
2 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.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
3 Cure Your children’s warring madness; Bend our pride to Your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, Serving You whom we adore,
Serving You whom we adore.