1st Sunday In Lent ~ 2025

 

Today's Service Leader Rev. Brett Cornelius, Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church

 

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting Five, LSB pages 213ff.

 

418 O Lord, throughout These Forty Days

Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838–98; para. Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024
Tune: The Psalmes of David in Prose and Meeter, 1635, Edinburgh
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
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 213

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.

 

Kneel/Stand

 

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

 

Confession of Sins LSB 213

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 213

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.

 

Stand

 

Introit Psalm 91:1–2, 9–10, 13; antiphon: vv. 15a, c, 16

When he calls to me, I will | answer him;*
I will rescue him and | honor him.
With long life I will sat- | isfy him*
and show him my sal- | vation.
He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High*
will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my | fortress,*
my God, in | whom I trust.”
Because you have made the Lord your | dwelling place—*
the Most High, who is my | refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to be- | fall you,*
no plague come | near your tent.
You will tread on the lion and the | adder;*
the young lion and the serpent you will trample | underfoot.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
When he calls to me, I will | answer him;*
I will rescue him and | honor him.
With long life I will sat- | isfy him*
and show him my sal- | vation.

 

942 Kyrie! God, Father

Text: German version, Ordenung der ceremonien, 1537/38, Naumburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text and tune: Latin, 9th cent.
Tune: adapt. Kirchen ampt Deutsch, 1525, Erfurt
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

Old Testament Reading Genesis 3:1–21

¹Now 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’?” ²And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³but 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.’” ⁴But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶So 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. ⁷Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

⁸And 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. ⁹But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹²The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴The 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.
¹⁵I 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.”

¹⁶To 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.”

¹⁷And 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;
¹⁸thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹By 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.”

²⁰The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. ²¹And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Psalm 91:11–12

He will command his angels con- | cerning you*
to guard you in | all your ways.
On their hands they will | bear you up,*
lest you strike your foot a- | gainst a stone.

 

Epistle Hebrews 4:14–16

¹⁴Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Hymn of the Day

 

657 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978
Text and tune: Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Holy Gospel Matthew 4:1–11

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fourth chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

¹Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple ⁶and 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.’”

⁷Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

¹¹Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

 

Creed - Hymn 954

 

954 We All Believe in One True God

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Latin, 14th cent., adapt.
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Sit

 

Sermon ~ "It is Written" - Matthew 4:1-11 ~ Rev. Brett Cornelius

 

Stand

 

Prayer of the Church

P Friends in Christ, I urge you all to lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ our Lord has taught us and freely promised to hear us.

God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P May Your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Strengthen us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we commend [name(s)] and all who are in need, praying for them at all times: Thy will be done. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

Offering

 

Offering Hymn

 

421 Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing

Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. composite, alt.
Tune: Johann Balthasar König, 1691–1758
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Preface LSB 216

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 that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Grant us Your Spirit, gracious Father, that we may give heed to the testament of Your Son in true faith and, above all, firmly take to heart the words with which Christ gives to us His body and blood for our forgiveness. By Your grace, lead us to remember and give thanks for the boundless love which He manifested to us when, by pouring out His precious blood, He saved us from Your righteous wrath and from sin, death, and hell. Grant that we may receive the bread and wine, that is, His body and blood, as a gift, guarantee, and pledge of His salvation. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

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.

 

Introduction to The Words of Our Lord

P In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at His command, and with His own words, we receive His testament:

 

The Words of Our Lord LSB 217

 

Sanctus

 

960 Isaiah, Mighty Seer in Days of Old

Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text and tune: Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

Pax Domini

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

 

Agnus Dei (DVS 3-page 198) 198

 

Sit

 

Distribution Hymns

 

618 I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table

Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Tune: Emskirchner Choral-Buch, 1756, Leipzig
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

435 Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain

Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Tune: Ludvig M. Lindeman, 1812–87
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Post-Communion Hymn

 

617 O Lord, We Praise Thee

Text: German, 14th cent.; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524, Wittenberg, ed. Johann Walter
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

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.

 

Benedicamus LSB 218

A 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 T give you peace.

C Amen.

 

Closing Hymn

 

659 Lord of Our Life

Text: Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, 1594–1648; tr. Philip Pusey, 1799–1855, alt.
Tune: Antiphoner, 1746, Poitiers
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.

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