1st Sunday in Advent

 

Today's Service Leader and Speaker - Rev. G. Robert Heimgartner, Emeritus

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting Three, LSB pages 184ff.

 

350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come

Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Tune: Neu-verfertigtes Darmstädtisches Gesang-Buch, 1699, Darmstadt
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

 

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Exhortation LSB 184

P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

P Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C who made heaven and earth.

P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,

C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

 

 

Confession of Sins LSB 184

P O almighty God, merciful Father,

C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

 

Absolution LSB 185

P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

 

Introit Psalm 25:4–5, 21–22; antiphon: vv. 1–3a

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame.
Let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame.
Let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.

 

Gloria Patri LSB 186

 

 

Kyrie LSB 186

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

P Let us pray.

Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

Catechesis - Apostles' Creed - Second Article (Part 1)

P Today's catechetical reading is the first portion Second Article of the Apostles' Creed and first portion its meaning. What is the Second Article of the Creed?

C 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… (2)

[Remainder of article to be learned next week.]

What does this mean?

C I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord,

who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,… (3)

[Remainder of meaning to be learned next week.]

P What passages of Holy Scripture inform us and convince us of this truth?

C [W]e know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.–John 4:42b (K)

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.–1 Corinthians 15:3b (1)

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.–Isaiah 53:3 (4)

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.–Philippians 2:5-8 (5)

 

 

Choir - The King of Glory

 

 

Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 23:5–8

⁵“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

⁷“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ ⁸but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

 

Gradual Psalm 25:3–4

None who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.

 

Epistle Romans 13:11–14

¹¹Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Stand

 

 

Alleluia and Verse

LSB 190

Psalm 85:7

Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.

LSB 190

 

Holy Gospel Matthew 21:1–9

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-first chapter.

¹When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ⁸Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

Nicene Creed

C I believe in one God,

     the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth

          and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

     the only-begotten Son of God,

     begotten of His Father before all worlds,

     God of God, Light of Light,

     very God of very God,

     begotten, not made,

     being of one substance with the Father,

     by whom all things were made;

     who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

     and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

     and was made man;

     and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

     He suffered and was buried.

     And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

          and ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of the Father.

     And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

     whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the Lord and giver of life,

     who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

     who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

     who spoke by the prophets.

     And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

     I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

     and I look for the resurrection of the dead

     and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

 

Sit

 

 

332 Savior of the Nations, Come

 

5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.

 

6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.

 

7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.

 

D 8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.

Text: attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340–397; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (sts. 1–2): tr. William M. Reynolds, 1812–76; (sts. 3, 6): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006; (sts. 4–5, 8): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001; (st. 7): tr. Gifford A. Grobien, 1973
Tune: Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524, Wittenberg, ed. Johann Walter
Text (sts. 3, 6–7): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 4–5, 8): © 1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Text (sts. 1–2) and tune: Public domain

 

 

Sermon - Rev. G. Robert Heimgartner, Emeritus

 

 

Stand

 

Offertory LSB 192

 

Prayer of the Church

P In peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For unashamed hope in the Lord’s return, that sustained by His Holy Spirit, we may have joy at the advent of Christ, our Savior, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the Holy Church, that God would preserve her against all enemies and lead His people to walk in His ways and follow His paths, so that when Jesus returns in His glory we may welcome Him with glad hosannas, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For Christian homes, that God would defend husbands, wives and children from the temptation to walk in the works of darkness, clothing them with the armor of light, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For our nation, its leaders and our armed forces, that God would take them under His care and let His blessing rest upon them, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the sick, the suffering and those in need, [especially _____________,] that our Father in heaven would ease their pain, increase their faith, and grant them healing and peace in accordance with His own wisdom and will, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all who commune, that the Lord, who humbly rode into Jerusalem for our salvation, would give to us hearts that confess our sin and rejoice in His presence in the Holy Communion for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P Holy God, You declared that the days were coming when You would accomplish our salvation, and in Your time You caused Your Son, the righteous Branch, to spring up for David. By Your grace, keep us joined as branches to Christ, that we might bear fruit until the day He returns in glory; for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

The offering is gathered.

 

Stand

 

Preface LSB 194

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 unto the Lord, our God.

C It is meet and right so to do.

 

Proper Preface

P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

 

Sanctus LSB 195

 

 

Lord's Prayer

C 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 Words of Our Lord LSB 197

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

Pax Domini LSB 197

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

 

Agnus Dei LSB 198

 

Sit

 

 

Distribution

 

341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Tune: August Lemke, 1820–1913
Text and tune: Public domain

 

334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

 

5 Sin’s debt, that fearful burden,
    Cannot His love erase;
Your guilt the Lord will pardon
    And cover by His grace.
He comes, for you procuring
    The peace of sin forgiv’n,
His children thus securing
    Eternal life in heav’n.

 

6 He comes to judge the nations,
    A terror to His foes,
A light of consolations
    And blessèd hope to those
Who love the Lord’s appearing.
    O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Your beams so cheering,
    And guide us safely home.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text and tune: Public domain

 

349 Hark the Glad Sound

Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702–51
Tune: Thomas Haweis, 1734–1820
Text and tune: Public domain

 

343 Prepare the Royal Highway

Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772–1847; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Tune: Swedish, 17th cent.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Nunc Dimittis LSB 199

 

Thanksgiving LSB 200

A O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,

C and His mercy endureth forever.

 

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

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.

C Amen.

 

Salutation 201

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

 

Benedicamus LSB 202

A Bless we the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Benediction LSB 202

 

 

331 The Advent of Our King

 

5 Before the dawning day
    Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,
The sinful self be put away,
    The new self now put on.

 

D 6 All glory to the Son,
    Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever one
    Through all eternity.

Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, alt.
Tune: Aaron Williams, 1731–76
Text and tune: Public domain

 

 

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2022 Concordia Publishing House.