Worship: Lent 1B (February 18, 2018)

Green Pastures with Jesus - Shepherd of the Lakes

Worship audio from February 18, 2018 - Lent 1B. Warmly referred to as "Festival of the Means of Grace Sunday." Bulletin pasted in below.

Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.

Find us online:

www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes

Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.

Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.

323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MN

[e-mail] or [phone]

iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2

Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stpr

Or simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.

Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.

Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.

Bulletin PDF here - or below.

Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!

For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns.

Lord Jesus, you took on our humanity and fought temptation. You were victorious! All praise to you for your perfect obedience! And miracle of miracles . . . you have credited this perfection to me. Thank you! AMEN.

Christ’s Kingdom Grow through the Means of Grace:

Christ’s kingdom exists only with the Word and Sacraments. Therefore, it is necessary to baptize little children, that the promise of salvation may be applied to them, according to Christ’s command to baptize all nations (Matthew 28:19). Just as in this passage salvation is offered to all, so Baptism is offered to all, to men, women, children, infants. It clearly follows, therefore, that infants are to be baptized, because salvation is offered with Baptism. Second, it is clear that God approves of the Baptism of little children. God’s approval of the Baptism of little children is shown by this: He gives the Holy Spirit to those baptized [Acts 2:38–39].
Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 9 (Concordia p. 153)

Because He Knew: He Would Died – He Would Live

Why did Jesus keep moving toward the cross? Surely, he should have known this was coming. Surely, he could have avoided the pain, the suffering, the death. But that’s the point, Jesus knew all along he was going to die. That was the eternal plan of the Father, that the holy Son of God would suffer and die for a world of sinners. However, Jesus also knew that death would not be the end. The payment for sin would be accepted and he would rise to life again and defeat death itself, for us.
How does the Temptation of Jesus solidify our Christian hope today?

OPENING HYMN: 224 – God Himself is Present

LITURGY: Holy Baptism, CW p. 12
Please rise.

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

M: Lord our strength, the battle of good and evil rages within and around us, and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises. Keep us steadfast in your Word, and when we fall, raise us up again and restore us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

The Word

FIRST READING: Genesis 22:1-18

What do you love so much that it would be impossible to willingly and gladly give up if the Lord required it? The time of Lent is a call to serious struggle against sin, including the idolatry of loving anyone or anything more than God:

Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, “Abraham!” Abraham answered, “I am here.”

2God said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.”

3Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together. ( . . . continued . . . )

7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father?” He said, “I am here, my son.” He said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. 9They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11The Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”

Abraham said, “I am here.”

12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

13Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD Will Provide.” So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

15The Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. 18In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

PSALM: CWS 3 (Bulletin p. 6)

SECOND READING: Romans 8:31-39

Lent proves the love of God: God gave his own Son for us all. With this truth planted into our hearts, God gives us perseverance in all things:

31What then will we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also graciously give us all things along with him?

33Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies! 34Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us! 35What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36Just as it is written:

For your sake we are being put to death all day long.
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THEME VERSE: Matthew 4:10

It is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL READING: Mark 1:12-15

In his grace, God leads Gentiles to worship Christ:

12The Spirit immediately sent Jesus out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels were serving him.

14After John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. 15“The time is fulfilled,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near! Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN OF THE DAY: 201 – A Mighty Fortress is Our God

SERMON based on Mark 1: Only a Victorious Christ could Preach the Gospel

CONFESSION OF FAITH: Luther’s Explanation of Holy Baptism, from the Small Catechism (1529)

M: What is Baptism?

C: Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water used by God's command and connected with God's Word.

M: Which is that Word of God?

C: Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

M: What does Baptism do for us?

C: Baptism works forgiveness of sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

M: What are these words and promises of God?

C: Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

M: How can water do such great things?

C: It is certainly not the water that does such things, but God's Word which is in and with the water, and faith which trusts this Word used with the water. For without God's Word the water is just plain water and not baptism. But with this Word it is baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of rebirth by the Holy Spirit.

M: Where is this written?

C: Saint Paul says in Titus, chapter three, “God saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.”
( . . . continued . . . )

M: What does baptizing with water mean?

C: Baptism means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

M: Where is this written?

C: Saint Paul says in Romans, chapter six, “We were buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

OFFERING

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH & LORD’S PRAYER: p. 32

The sacrament

For our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.

COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33

DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 737 – God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It

SONG OF THANKS: CW 316 (Purple sheet or hymnal)

CLOSING HYMN: 752 – In Christ Alone

NOTES

All are invited to celebrate Gideon’s baptism at noon at the Pizza Ranch.
See the sign-up at the back of church for next week’s congregational bowling.

Midweek Lenten worship continues with a 6 PM meal & 7 PM worship.

THIS WEEK

Today 1 Samuel 19

9:30 - Lent 1 Worship with Holy Communion & Baptismal Affirmation of Gideon Johanson

10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class (The Flood)

12:01 PM - Baptismal celebration at the Pizza Ranch

Monday 1 Samuel 20

Tuesday 1 Samuel 21

7 PM - CAP class: The Start of Unit 2!

Wednesday 1 Samuel 22

NO CATECHISM CLASS

6 PM - Lenten Meal

7 PM - Midweek Lenten Worship

Thursday 1 Samuel 23

Friday 1 Samuel 24

Saturday 1 Samuel 25

Sunday 1 Samuel 26

9:30 - Lent 2 Worship

10:45 - Sunday School & Bible Class (The Flood)

Membership at Shepherd of the Lakes means more than a person’s name on a church roster. Membership is about belonging to Christ, growing in faith, and sharing the joy of salvation together.

We enjoy life together with a merciful God through faith, growing together as lifelong learners of Jesus, spending time together with one another in Christian friendship and support, and going out together into our communities and circles of friends to make a meaningful difference.

Our new member process aims at nurturing those relationships, which includes but is not limited to an agreement together on the truths of the Bible. Unity of belief is the building block for life together with Christ, growing in faith together, and sharing in the joy of salvation together.

Those who want to join Shepherd of the Lakes coming from other WELS or ELS churches will be familiar with our beliefs. Others experienced in another church, or who have little or no religious background at all, become members through participation in a Bible information class taught by Pastor Hagen. Many of our members have taken this class numerous times, as a reminder and refresher on the different teachings in God’s Word.

Togetherness in beliefs then leads to a new member process that nurtures togetherness in relationships with God, church and community.

Speak to Pastor Hagen if you’re interested. There is no charge. Even if you’re just curious, come check it out!