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
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS
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 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 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?
SALUTATION & COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
All: Merciful Lord, in darkness You shine Your light and send forth Your Word that those who hear may believe and believing may live by Your gracious favor. As once You renewed a people lost in error and without the comfort of Your Gospel, so bring this renewal to our own time, that sin may be forgiven, death overcome, and faith may cling to Christ alone; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DAY
P Today we commemorate the great Reformation and lay claim to this legacy of pure doctrine and the zeal for the proclamation of this Gospel that grew out of this movement. We give thanks to God for His Gospel, for the doctrine that flows from that Gospel, and for Martin Luther, who recalled the Church to its truth with such clarity and conviction. In the First Reading from Revelation, we hear the message the Church is given to proclaim until Christ comes again. In Romans, Paul gives clear explanation of what it means to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John, we are taught that we are His disciples and free because we abide in His life-giving Word.
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.”
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
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.
P 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 A Mighty Fortress 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
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 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 worshipped 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.
OFFERING
OFFERTORY / CHORAL ANTHEM “I Am Forever Who I Am”
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P Friends in Christ, I urge you all to lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ our Lord has taught us and freely promised to hear us. God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P May Your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Strengthen us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we commend all who are in need, praying for them at all times, [especially….]. Thy will be done. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
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 The Church’s One Foundation LSB 644
1 The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation By water and the Word.
From heav'n He came and sought her To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev'ry nation, Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation: One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses With ev'ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won.
O blessed heav'nly chorus! Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us, May see You face to face.