The Bulletin is at: 03-05-2017 BULLETIN
The Service in PDF format is at: 03-05-2017 First Sunday in Lent
or the service is as follows:
FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
March 5, 2017
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
AS WE GATHER…………Jesus does it all for us! The Sundays in Lent, the most reflective and penitential season of the Church Year, still reflect the glory and truth of the resurrection promise of Easter. Jesus has overcome sin, death and the devil. He successfully dealt with the temptations of Satan—a major accomplishment that signals greater things yet to come. We joyfully celebrate our Lord’s victory.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Amen.
Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection
Pastor: Most merciful God,
People: we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. 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. 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.
Pastor: Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING HYMN Green Book 229 (vs. 1, 4 only) “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
A mighty fortress is our God, A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe Has sworn to work us woe!
With craft and dreadful might He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
God’s Word forever shall abide, No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house, Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Almighty God, Your Son was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. Come quickly to help us who, because of our weaknesses, are assaulted by many temptations. Give each one of us strength and victory through Jesus Christ the Conqueror, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Old Testament: Genesis 3:1-21 The disastrous fall of mankind into sin
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But he Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
The Lord God said to the serpent,”
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
New Testament: Romans 5:12-19 The life-giving work of Christ is for our justification.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s obedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“’You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
CHOIR ANTHEM “God Gives Us Love” By Don Besig
SERMON “Overcoming Temptation”
HYMN Red Book 66 “Great Is the Lord”
Great is the Lord, He is holy and just, By His power we trust In His love.
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true, By His mercy He proves He is love.
Great is the Lord, And worthy of glory, Great is the Lord, And worthy of praise.
Great is the Lord, Now lift up your voice, Now lift up your voice:Great is the Lord Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord, He is holy and just, By His power we trust In His love.
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true, By His mercy He proves He is love
Great are you Lord, And worthy of glory Great are you Lord, and worthy of praise.
Great are you Lord, I lift up my voice, I lift up my voice: Great are you Lord! Great are you Lord!
People: 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 + everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
(We offer our thanksgiving for what God has first given us—ourselves, our time, and our possessions.)
OFFERTORY
After each portion of the prayers, these words are spoken:
Pastor: Lord, in your mercy
People: hear our prayer
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
DISTRIBUTION
Red Book 114 “Jesus Loves Me”
Jesus loves me—this I know, For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong—They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me—loves me still, Though I’m very weak and ill;
That I might from sin be free, Bled and died upon the tree.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me—He who died, Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me—He will stay Close beside me all the way,
Though hast bled and died for me, I will henceforth live for the.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Red Book 181 “Rock of Ages”
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me
Hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed, be of
Sin the double cure, save me from its guilt and pow’r.
Not the labor of my hands, can fulfill
Thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow, all for
Sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hands I bring, simply
To Thy cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless look to Thee for grace; foul, I
To the fountain fly, wash me. Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, when my
Eyes shall close in death, which I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of
Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.
Red Book 16 “Blessed Assurance”
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, This is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, This is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, This is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.
Pastor: 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.
People: Amen.
CLOSING HYMN Green Book 554 “This Is My Father’s World”
This is my Father’s world, And to my list’ning ears
All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world; I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world; the birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white, Declare their maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world; He shines in all that’s fair.
In the rustling grass I hear him pass; He speaks to me ev’ry where.
This is my Father’s world; Oh, let me not forget
That, though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world, why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is king, let the heavens ring; God reigns, let the earth be glad!
Pastor: Go in Peace. Serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.