01/26/25

As We Gather

When Jesus unrolled the scroll, the people might have been expecting words from His mouth, but what they got was the Word made flesh, the Word that endures forever. It did not take long before they found reason to wonder. “Is this not Joseph’s son?” The reality is that there are always those who look for reason to doubt or to reject but the Word is given to bring forth faith. The Word is given that by hearing we might believe, but wherever God’s Word is spoken it is also a scandal and offense to the way we see ourselves and our salvation. Jesus has come to address us with the Word of Life so that by hearing we may believe and by believing we may see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The best appreciation for God’s Word is faith.

Activity Bags We value children in our worship services. If needed, there is a family room available for families with children. The family room has a diaper changing table, a closed-circuit TV to watch the worship service, toys and books for children. The family room is located across from the kitchen in the long hallway, the first door on the right, just past the bathrooms. There are “King’s Kids” bags with activities for children to help them worship. They are near the usher’s station on a small rack. Please return the bag to the rack after the service.

Holy Communion The Scripture teaches the Lord’s Supper is a precious gift of God in which Christ gives us His true body and blood (in a miraculous way), together with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Because the Bible teaches that this Sacrament may also be spiritually harmful if misused (1 Cor: 11:27), and that participation in the Lord’s Supper is an act of confession of faith, we ordinarily commune those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. If you have a question, please speak to Pastor Ralph before the service. For those who prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, there is grape juice at the center of each tray. Those not receiving the Sacrament, including children, are invited to come to the altar, cross their arms over their chest, and receive a special blessing.
 The Peace That Sustains in Life and in Death “The Word makes fine, gentle people and quiet, cheerful hearts, which do not despair and become impatient in troubles, but let everything pass over them and take comfort in the knowledge that through Christ they have a gracious Father in heaven. This they learn in the Word; otherwise they, too, would not know it. But tell me, should we not – if only for the sake of our daily troubles and disagreeable experiences – run to the end of the world in pursuit of that comfort which the world shows us, that we may have a quiet heart? But all this is still nothing compared with that last and greatest calamity: death. There no doctor, no council or assistance can help – only our dear Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us such medicine that we are willing to sacrifice everything rather than be without it.”  What Luther Says # 3289

Third Sunday after Epiphany

January 26, 2025

Welcome 

Opening Hymn               God Has Spoken by His Prophets                         LSB 583

Invocation, Confession and Absolution (Psalm 19: 7-14)

P:   We gather in the name and at the invitation of our great and gracious triune God:

C:   In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

P:   The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 

C:   The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 

P:   The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. 

C:   The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 

P:   The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. 

C:   The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. 

P:   They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; 

C:   they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 

P:   By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 

C:   Who can discern his errors? 

P:   Forgive my hidden faults. 

C:   Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. 

P:   Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 

All:   May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, 

         O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

(Silence is kept for meditation and reflection)

P:   Almighty God has had mercy upon you and has given His only Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Jesus Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:   Amen.

Hymn of Praise                Christ, the Word of God Incarnate                 LSB 540  vs 1-2, 5

Prayer of the Day

All:  Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

O T Lesson    (The Word was taught so that the people understand.)     Nehemiah 7:73b-8: 12

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8 ¹ all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. ² So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. ⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ⁷ The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. ⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. ¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.” ¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

NT Lesson              (We are all one Body in Christ.)        1 Corinthians 12:12–14; 27-31a  

¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  … Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But eagerly desire the greater gifts. 

Holy Gospel               (Jesus opens a scroll to read and fulfills its words.)       Luke 4:16–30
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹ and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. ²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ”²⁴ “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Message Song                            What a Beautiful Name                       Fielding/Ligertwood

You were the Word at the beginning,    One with God the Lord Most High

Your hidden glory in creation,    now revealed in You, our Christ.

Chorus 1      What a beautiful name it is,    What a beautiful name it is,

The name of Jesus Christ, my King.   What a beautiful name it is,

Nothing compares to this.   What a beautiful name it is,    the Name of Jesus.

You didn’t want heaven without us,    so Jesus You brought heaven down.

My sin was great, Your love was greater;    What could separate us now?

Chorus 2         What a wonderful name it is,    What a wonderful Name it is,

The Name of Jesus Christ, my King.     What a wonderful Name it is,

Nothing compares to this.   What a wonderful name it is,

The name of Jesus.   What a wonderful name it is,    the Name of Jesus

Bridge one and two

Death could not hold You,   the veil tore before You.    You silence the boast of sin and grave. 

The heavens are roaring     the praise of Your glory    for You are raised to life again.

You have no rival,   You have no equal.     Now and forever God, You reign.

Yours is the kingdom,   Yours is the glory,   Yours is the name above all names…

Chorus 3     What a powerful name it is, What a powerful name it is,

The name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a powerful name it is,  Nothing can stand against.

What a powerful name it is, The name of Jesus

What a powerful name it is, the Name of Jesus. 

What a powerful name it is, the Name of Jesus.  

CCLI Song # 7068424 © 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia

All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 1139077                                  

Message                                                     The Word of God

1. God’s Word of _________________________________      for Man.      2 Timothy 3: 16-17; 1 John 2

2. Reveals the hidden ______________________________________________ of the human heart.  

                                                                                   Neh. 8: 9-10; Heb. 4:13-14; Psalm 139

3.  Reveals our Lord Jesus as ___________________ and ______________________________.

Notes:

The Apostles Creed

All Scripture from The New International Version ©1984 IBS

Offering 

Offertory                                               We Praise You, O God                        LSB 785   vs 1-3  

Prayers of the Church  

After each petition:

 P:  Lord, in your mercy,

 C:  hear our prayer.   

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

The Lord’s Supper

Preface                                                                      page 194 in the hymnal

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  ♪ And with thy spirit.

P:  Lift up your hearts.

C:  ♪ We lift them up unto the Lord.

P:  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C:  ♪ It is meet and right so to do.

P:  It is truly good, right, and salutary …. And with the host of heaven we sing:

Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy                                          page 195 in the hymnal

P:  ♪ Ho -ly, ho-ly, ho-ly Lord God of Sa – ba – oth. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.   

          Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is

          He who cometh in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

The Words of Institution (Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper)

Pax Domini—The Peace of the Lord                    page 197 in the hymnal

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always.C:  ♪ Amen.

Agnus Dei – Lamb of God                                                             page 198 in the hymnal                                      

C:  ♪ O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.

         O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.

         O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world; 

         grant us Thy peace.  A – men.

Distribution Hymn                             Great is Thy Faithfulness                                LSB 809

Nunc Dimittis                                                                                   page 199 in the hymnal        

C: ♪ Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy Word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.                                                                                                                                          

Post Communion Collect                                                                                 Psalm 118:1

All:   We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benedicamus

P:   Let us bless the Lord.

C:   Thanks be to God.

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.
Sending Hymn                              O Word of God Incarnate           LSB 523

Announcements

Dismissal 

P:   Go in peace as you serve the Lord.

C:   Thanks be to God.

Postlude