To view the sermon message from Pastor Wright please click the link below.
Third Sunday of Easter – April 26, 2020
LSB Divine Service Setting One LSB pg. 151-166
*Announcements
Hymn of Invocation – Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds…… LSB 465
Please rise for verse 4 in Honor of the Triune God
1 Now all the vault of heav’n resounds
In praise of love that still abounds:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat their song of glory here:
“Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 Eternal is the gift He brings,
Therefore our heart with rapture sings:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Now still He comes to give us life
And by His presence stills all strife.
Christ has triumphed! He is living!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
That we conquer through Your triumph;
Grant grace sufficient for life’s day
That by our lives we truly say:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heav’nly blessèd sing:
“Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!”
Be to the Father and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003661
Confession and Absolution
Stand – The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Invocation & Exhortation………………. LSB 151
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession of Sins…………………. LSB 151
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Absolution……………………………………. LSB 151
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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Kyrie………………………………………. LSB 152
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Gloria in Excelsis……………………. LSB 154
P Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
C Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship You, we give You thanks, we praise You for Your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:
You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Salutation and Collect of the Day – Easter 3
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading……………. Acts 2:14a, 36–41
14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle………………………. 1 Peter 1:17–25
17If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse…………… LSB 156
C Alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel…………… Luke 24:13–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Children’s Message
Hymn of the Day – 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.
Text: Public domain
Sermon Message……………………………………………………………………………………. “Exile Fear” 1 Peter 1:17
The text for our message this morning is the Epistle Reading from 1st Peter chapter 1, starting with verse 17. I encourage you to open your Bibles to that reading, or to follow along where the readings are printed in your worship folder. St Peter writes: (1 Peter 1:17–25) 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,This is our text.
Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. What are you afraid of? It’s a heavy question, especially in these peculiarly heavy times.
And while it can be difficult to talk about our fears, it is precisely the heaviness of our times that make this a perfect opportunity to talk about them, the time when those fears are right in front of us and we have no choice but to face them. So… What are you afraid of?
2. I suppose the answer to that question depends a lot on the timing. If you asked me that
question 40 years ago, when as a child I lived a very protected and comfortable life, my answer may have been pretty mundane. I might have feared whether or not the new kid in the neighborhood liked me, whether or not I might pass my math test, or whether Mom was going through with her annual attempt at making acorn squash palatable for dinner that night. Pretty mundane fears compared to the challenges of adulthood, where careers, families, and even our own health might hang in the balance of a single decision. And yet, the intensity of fear is not just a matter of age. Even though my childhood was a safe, comfortable one, a child the same age as I, in a different environment, may encounter fears of the same kind of intensity that we sense all around us today. Fear of an unstable family, fear of losing a parent to illness or other circumstances, fear of bullying from that new kid in the neighborhood, or fear over where their next meal might come from, where the thought of even acorn squash might be for them, an answer to prayer. Even in the life of a child, these can be real, palpable, crippling fears. It seems then, that fear, is not limited by age, era, gender, economic status, or anything else in this world. Fear just IS. Fear exists. Fear is REAL. We all know, and experience fear in our own ways and in our own circumstances in life. It is part of the human condition. In a world effected by sin, we all know FEAR.
3. In our Epistle reading for today in 1st Peter, and in fact throughout the Bible, both the
Old and the New Testaments, our God had a lot to say about fear. There are countless examples of people suffering from fear in the midst of their circumstances in the Scriptures. Isaac, the promised child of Abraham bound at the hands of his own father on a stone being prepared for sacrifice. Isaac knew fear. Young David being hunted throughout the land by King Saul who was possessed by the singular thought of taking David’s life. David knew fear. Or just last week, as the disciples were huddled together in that locked room following Jesus’ crucifixion, sensing their whole world had just fallen apart, even Jesus’ own disciples knew fear. Biblically, it seems, we are in good company, as we too encounter our own fears. We too, know fear, especially now in the midst of our exile of isolation, in the wake of this viral pandemic, facing the common threat to our very survival, we are not immune to fear. But like Jesus in that locked room with His frightened disciples announcing, “Peace be to you,” our God speaks to us in the midst of our exile with a word of peace from the pen of St. Peter.
4. It may not sound at first like a message of peace, with talk of God’s judgement, and a
call to conduct ourselves in reverent fear of the Lord throughout our time of exile, but in actuality, what St. Peter is giving us is a roadmap to peace, available to everyone, in all circumstances, but only understandable to those covered in the sacrificial blood of Jesus. Peter recognizes the reality of suffering, trauma and pain in this world, from the miniscule inconveniences of everyday life, to the monumental threats to even our very lives. Peter knew fear, and Peter knew the reality of fear in everyone’s life in this world. But what God is telling us through Peter is the only answer to the fears of this world, comes from the only one who has overcome the world, the Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke about the common exile we all face in this world until the day of His return, in John’s gospel, chapter 16, declaring, “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in ME you may have PEACE. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
5. You see, in all the examples of fear in the scriptures, from Isaac, to David, from the
disciples and apostles, and even to you and me today, fear was and is indeed real, but the only answer that brings true peace in all of that is not our overcoming the threats in our lives, or even believing that just because we call ourselves believers, that God will magically remove those obstacles and threats from our lives. The only answer that brings sure, lasting, even eternal peace in the face of this world’s fears, is to turn our eyes to the Father, trusting in His love for us, demonstrated in Jesus, and knowing that for His sake, even if the threats of this world were to take our very lives, Jesus has overcome the death sentence of this world, and promises eternal life for ALL who turn from their fear of the world, and trust reverently in the eternal grace of God in Jesus Christ. The world can be a very scary place, but fear not, for Jesus Christ has overcome the world. Alleluia!
AMEN!
May the PEACE of God, which passes all worldly understanding guard and protect your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen!
Stand
Apostles’ 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 thence 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 T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P You have heard our pleas for mercy, O Lord, and given up Your Son to be our Savior. Hear us now as we come to You on behalf of ourselves and all people according to their needs.
Brief silence
Our hearts have burned in us, O Lord, as Your Word has been read and preached. Keep our faith from growing cold and grant us grace, that we may not waver in faith or succumb to temptation. Give to us and to our children receptive hearts, that we may hear and, hearing, believe and, believing, be steadfast in this faith and hope all our days. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P You have cleansed us, O Lord, with water and the Word in Baptism, and You have marked us as Your own people. Give to us grace, that we may live out this faith in holy lives, lifting up Your name in word and works for as long as we live. Guide us, that we may purify our souls by living in obedience to Your Word and in brotherly love for one another. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Bless Your Church, O Lord, that she may welcome the stranger in Christ’s name and manifest the unity of the faith in the bonds of love. Bless Matthew, presiding in our Synod; _____________, our district president; _____________, our circuit visitor; and _____________, our pastor(s). Bless those training for church-work vocations. Bless each of us as we live out our baptismal vocation of worship, witness, prayer and service. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Guard our nation, O Lord, that we may enjoy peace and security in the face of threat and danger. Bless Donald, our president; the Congress of the United States; _____________, our governor; and all state and local officials, that they may fulfill their offices faithfully. Bless the members of the armed forces who protect us, and teach the nations the ways of peace. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Deliver us from all our afflictions, and grant us strength to bear all our burdens, O Lord. Hear us in particular for _____________ and those whom we name in our hearts. According to Your gracious will, heal the sick, relieve those who suffer, comfort the grieving and give peace to the dying. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Stay with us, O Lord, and be our strength in weakness and our hope in time of despair. Your gracious will once kept the saints in faith even unto death. Keep us, we pray, with them in Your faith and fear, that we may be found faithful when Christ comes again in His glory to bring to fulfillment all things, once and forevermore. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P And with our song of praise, accept our tithes and offerings, that Your Church may have the resources to proclaim Your Gospel and care for the poor and those in need. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P These and whatever other things we need, O Lord, we pray You to grant us in the name of and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose death has made full atonement for our sin and whose resurrection has granted to us the promise of our own joyful resurrection to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray.
C Amen.
Sit
Offering – Church donations may be given through Pathway Bank Drive-up window, thank you to everyone who has donated during these trying times.
Stand
Offertory
C What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?
I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Lord’s Prayer…………………. LSB 162
P Lord, 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 on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Hymn to Depart – Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer….LSB 918
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: Public domain
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.
Christ Lutheran Church
Cairo, NE
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
