12/04/22

Who is the son of Adam? When Adam and Eve held their firstborn son, Cain, in their arms for the first time, perhaps they wondered, “Who is this son?” After all, following their sin, the Lord God promised salvation from Eve’s offspring (Genesis 3:15). Could this baby boy be that Savior from sin and death? Not yet. Instead, Cain becomes the first murderer and spills the blood of his brother, Abel. Thankfully, a greater Son of Adam would fulfill the promise of a Savior. This Son would be held in the arms of another couple—Mary and Joseph. This Son would allow His very own blood to be shed for the salvation of Adam, Eve, and all their descendants.

Family Room & Children Activity Bags- Children 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 the LCMS ordinarily communes only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. Please speak to Pastor Ralph before the service if you have a question about this. 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.

Conciliatory Talk is a False Front “Let us, then, learn clearly to know a Cain and to be most carefully on our guard against him when he speaks in a friendly manner and as a brother to a brother. In this way our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, are speaking with us today, while they pretend to have a zeal for harmony and seek to restore agreement in doctrines. But if the opportunity of seizing us and venting their rage on us should offer itself, you would hear very different language from them. “There is death in the pot” (2 Kings 4:40), and deadly poison lies concealed under the best and smoothest words.  What Luther Says # 3226

Advent 2

       December 4, 2022

Welcome

Opening Hymn                      What Hope! An Eden Prophesied                                LSB 342

Invocation, Confession and Absolution     (Psalm 146:3–5)

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

C: Amen.

P: Put not your trust in princes,

C: in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

P: When his breath departs he returns to the earth;

C: on that very day his plans perish.

P: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

C: whose hope is in the Lord his God.

P: The Sprit and the Church cry out:

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

P: All those who await His appearance pray:

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

P: The whole creation pleads:

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

P: Awaiting the Son of Man and the Son of God, we implore:

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

ALL:   Indeed, we all pray for You to come and help us long for the day of Your return. We fall short of living Your commands in order to hasten the day of Your arrival. We act as if earth was our true home and not heaven, our true abode. Forgive us for our short sightedness and point our feet in the right direction of Your mercy and grace. Strengthen our hearts, hands, and mind for greater service in Your Kingdom. Amen.

P:   In the light of God’s goodness and grace, He sent His Son Jesus to suffer, die and rise again for our salvation. Know and be assured of this: Your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the ✠Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:   Amen.

Hymn of Light                         Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten                  LSB 914  vs 1, 4

(Advent 2 Candle is lit)

Prayer of the Day

All:  Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sent Your only begotten Son not to shed another’s blood out of anger or jealously, but for His own blood to be shed out of compassion and love. Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for You are merciful, and You love Your whole creation.  We, Your creatures, glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

O T Lesson                           Genesis 4:1–16

¹Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” ²And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. ³In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, ⁴and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. ⁶The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? ⁷If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” ⁸Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. ¹¹And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹²When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” ¹³Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴Behold, You have driven me today away from the ground, and from Your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. ¹⁶Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

N T Lesson        Romans 5:12–17

¹²Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴Yet 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. ¹⁵But 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. ¹⁶And 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. ¹⁷If, 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.

Gospel Lesson                                                                                    Matthew 5:17–26
¹⁷“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.²⁰“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.²¹“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²²But 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. ²³So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.²⁵Come 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. ²⁶Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Message Song                                 Mary Did You Know

Mary did you know that your baby boy    Would one day walk on water

Mary did you know that your baby boy    Would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy    Has come to make you new;

This child that you delivered    Will soon deliver you?

Mary did you know that your baby boy    Will give sight to the blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy   Will calm the waters with His hand

Did you know that your baby boy   Has walked where angels trod,    

And when you kiss your baby    You’ve kissed the face of God     

Oh Mary did you know…

The blind will see,    The deaf will hear     The dead will live again.

The lame will leap,    The dumb will speak     The praises of the Lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy   Is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy   Will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that you baby boy   Was heaven’s perfect Lamb,

And the sleeping child you’re holding   Is the Great I Am?

CCLI Song # 839225 1991, 1993 Rufus Music/Curb Word Music

CCLI License # 11390779

Message                                                     This is My Son – Cain

Notes:

The Apostle’s 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 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.

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 160 in the hymnal

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  ♪ And also with you.

P:   Lift up your hearts.

C:  ♪ We lift them to the Lord.

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

C:   ♪ It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P:   It is truly good, right, and salutary …. And ever more praising You and singing:

Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy                                         page 161 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow’r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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

Pax Domini—The Peace of the Lord                                            page 163 in the hymnal

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

 Agnus Dei – Lamb of God                                                             page 163 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

         Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

         Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.

Distribution of Communion

Distribution Hymn                        What Child is This                                                        LSB 370

                                                                 Breath of Heaven                           (Choir)      10:30am          

Post Communion Canticle                                                  page 164 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Thank the Lord and sing His praise; tell ev’ryone what He has done.  Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name.  He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Post Communion Thanksgiving

All: Almighty God, from the very beginning, You promised to send a Savior from sin and death into the world, to redeem us all to be Your true children. Direct the eyes of our faith away from all false hopes and fix them on Your true and only Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. May the Sacrament we have received today continue its saving power of keeping us in the one true faith now and forever through Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction                                                                                                        Psalm 146:5                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

P: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

C: whose hope is in the Lord his God.

P: The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the ✠ Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.

C: Amen.Offering                          (Please place offering in plate in Narthex.  Thank you!)

 Natural and Eternal Life “There is no denying the fact that even natural life comes from God, which unbelievers, too, have from Him, as St Paul says, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) In Fact, natural life is part of eternal life. It is a beginning, but it is ended by death because it does not recognize and honor Him from whom it comes. This same sin cuts it off. Therefore it must die eternally. On the other hand, those who believe and recognize Him through whom they live never die; but their natural life will be extended into eternal life, as Christ says in John 8: 51, “He who keeps my word will never taste death;” and John 11: 25: “He who believes in Me will live though he dies.”     What Luther Says # 2439   

Faith and Unbelief are Springs of Action     No work is so evil that it can damn a man, and no work is so good that it can save a man; but faith alone saves us, and unbelief damns us.  The fact that someone falls into adultery does not damn him.  Rather the adultery indicates that he has fallen from faith.  This damns him; otherwise adultery would be impossible for him.  So, then, nothing makes a good tree except faith.  For this is what the Lord says (Luke 3:9):  The tree should be cut down.   He does not say that the fruits are to be knocked off.  This is why works of love do not make me good; but faith alone does, faith in which I do these works and bear this fruit.  This is the reason why we must begin with faith.  What Luther Says # 1403