The Bulletin is at: 02-12-2017 Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 02-12-2017 Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
or the service is as follows
SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
February 12, 2017
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
AS WE GATHER…………God is here among us, sharing His goodness and mercy. Psalm 119 says, “Blessed are those……….who seek Him with their whole heart” (Psalm 119:2). Today we have the special opportunity in worship to thank God for the continuing growth that He graciously grants to each of us.
A WORD ABOUT OUR WORSHIP TODAY
Pastor: This is the day which the Lord has made;
People: let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
BEING REAL WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER
Pastor: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
People: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Pastor: “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy.” Let us go to Him, confident that He will grant us forgiveness for Jesus’ sake.
Silent Reflection
Pastor: Heavenly Father,
People: we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have failed to exhibit goodness, the fruit of Your Holy Spirit, in our thinking, speaking, and acting. We have not always chosen life, loving the Lord our God, obeyed His voice, and held fast to Him. We have not always sought to be reconciled to our brothers and sisters. Our Lord Jesus revealed His person and ministry through His words and actions. In your great mercy, forgive, renew, and lead us so that we may be revealed as His faith-filled followers to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” 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.
People: Amen.
SONG OF PRAISE “Red Book” 78 “How Great Thou Art”
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim “My God how great thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Pastor: In both the Old and New Testaments, the goodness of God is linked to the life of the believer. The psalmist writes, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Hebrews affirms that those who believe in Christ “have tasted the goodness of the word of God.” Although the words God and good are not linguistically related, God is all about goodness and mercy.
People: Goodness is part of the Christian character and an important fruit of the Spirit. As Paul wrote asking a favor from his friend Philemon, he states, “But I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.”
HEARING FROM GOD’S WORD
Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
The Lord makes a covenant with Moses and His people.
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
New Testament Reading: I Corinthians 3:1-9
As we work in God’s Kingdom, we are reminded that God gives the growth.
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages, according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:21-37
Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
[Jesus said:] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair while or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
SERMON SONG “Green Book” 474 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in his bosom gather,
Nestling bird or star in heaven
Such a refuge ne’er was given.
God his own doth tend and nourish,
In his holy courts they flourish,
From all evil things he spares them,
In his mighty arms he bears them.
Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord his children sever;
From all evil things he spares them,
In his mighty arms he bears them.
Though he giveth or he taketh,
God his children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING (We give our offerings as a sign of our lives offered to God.)
Pastor: Let us pray for God’s people around the world and all who call out to Him in their various needs.
Pastor: Holy Lord, come to the rescue of Your people. Defend Your Church against all errors. Teach us Your truth. Strengthen us and Christians throughout the world to stand firm in times of persecution. Send forth laborers into Your harvest, pastors who faithfully distribute Your forgiveness. And give to Your people everywhere faith that relies completely on Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Holy Lord, bless our country with godly leaders, with unity, with useful education, with helpful businesses and industry, with a conscientious military, with responsible citizens, with justice and peace, and with all we need for life. Overcome evil and violence among us and fill us with gratitude for all your goodness to us. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Holy Lord, we confess that our sinfulness and selfish inclinations have caused divisions among Your people. Help us discern between the divisions that result from upholding Your Word and the divisions that come from our own selfish inclinations. Give us repentance when our sin divides, but give us courage never to compromise Your saving truth. Where there is jealousy and strife, reconcile us to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Holy Lord, heal the sick, preserve the faith of those near death, comfort those who mourn, strengthen those facing surgery, and give endurance to those recovering from disasters and difficulties. [We pray especially for ______________.] Assure them of Your mercy, provide them with patience, and relieve their suffering. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Holy Lord, guide each of us in our daily vocations. Make Your will to be our will. Help us to use our abilities and opportunities so that others may experience Your providing hand through us. Work in
us so that we use Your gifts in ways that honor You and help the people You place in our lives. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
CLOSING SONG “Green Book” 527 “All Creatures of Our God and King”
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice with us and Sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
O burning sun with golden beam
And silver moon with softer gleam;
Oh, praise him! Oh, praise him!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
O ev’ryone of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
Oh, praise him! Alleluia!
All you who pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and lay on him your care,
Oh, praise him! Oh, praise him!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless
And worship God in humbleness.
Oh, praise him! Alleluia!
Oh, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One,
Oh, praise him! Oh, praise him!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL Principal Jonathon Schultz
DISMISSAL
Pastor: Go in Peace. Serve the Lord!
People: Thanks be to God!