4th Sunday In Lent (Laetare)

 

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

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting Four, LSB pages 205ff.

 

642 O Living Bread from Heaven

Text: Johann Rist, 1607–67; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Tune: Musae Sioniae, 1609, vol. 7, Wolfenbüttel, ed. Michael Praetorius
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 203

P Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C who made heaven and earth.

P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.

P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

 

Confession of Sins LSB 203

C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.

 

Prayer for Forgiveness

P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

 

 

Kyrie LSB 204

 

The "Gloria in Excelsis" is omitted during the Gesimatide and Lent.

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; 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

 

Catechesis - Holy Baptism (Part 3)

P Today's catechetical reading is the third portion under the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

How can water do such great things?

C Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water.  For without God’s word the water is just plain water and no baptism.  But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, (3)

as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three:  “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.  This is a trustworthy saying.”  (Titus 3:5-8) (4)

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

C Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. –Mark 16:16a (NIV) (K)

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, –Ephesians 5:25-26 (1)

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you… through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 3:21 (2)

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. –Romans 6:6-7 (5)

 

Choir - "Deep were His Wounds"

 

 

Old Testament Reading Exodus 16:2–21

²And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, ³and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. ⁵On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” ⁶So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” ⁸And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

⁹Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” ¹⁰And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. ¹¹And the Lord said to Moses, ¹²“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. ¹⁴And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. ¹⁵When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” ¹⁷And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. ¹⁸But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. ¹⁹And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” ²⁰But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. ²¹Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

 

Gradual Psalm 122:1, 7

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!

 

Second Reading Acts 2:41–47

⁴¹So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴²And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Stand

 

 

Alleluias being omitted during the Gesimas and Lent, the Tract is used in place of the Verse.

 

 

Tract Psalm 125:1–2, 5b

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore. Peace be upon Israel!

 

 

Holy Gospel John 6:22–35

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

²²On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. ²³Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” ²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” ²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” ³⁰So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? ³¹Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³²Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

 

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

 

 

743 Jesus, Priceless Treasure

 

5 Evil world, I leave thee;
Thou canst not deceive me,
    Thine appeal is vain.
Sin that once did blind me,
Get thee far behind me,
    Come not forth again.
        Past thy hour,
        O pride and pow’r;
Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
Leave thee now forever.

 

6 Hence, all fear and sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
    Jesus, enters in.
Those who love the Father,
Though the storms may gather,
    Still have peace within.
        Yea, whate’er
        I here must bear,
Thou art still my purest pleasure,
Jesus, priceless treasure!

Text: Johann Franck, 1618–77; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text and tune: Public domain

 

 

Sermon - "The Food We Need" - Rev. G. Robert Heimgartner, Emeritus

 

 

Stand

 

Offertory

 

Prayer of the Church

P In peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For confidence in the gift of Baptism, that it would unite us evermore in the death and resurrection of Christ; and that we would continue together in its comfort and power, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all pastors, that they would serve their people devoutly and feed them with the bread of life; and for all congregations in their care, that they would receive this faithful service with thankful hearts, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the families of the Church, those blessed with children and those yet without, that they may treasure together their heavenly inheritance, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all authorities, especially parents and the civil servants of our nation, that God would strengthen homes and keep families firm in the Christian faith; and that He would preserve our nation from wickedness and uphold order and justice for a peaceful life, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That God’s heavenly care would extend to each of His children, [and especially to _____________,] that they may rejoice in this sustaining and healing grace, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the bread of heaven, which does not decay after one day but abides with us forever; and that Christ would sustain us through the wilderness of this world to life everlasting, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P Heavenly Father, Your Son multiplied bread and fish for thousands, showing Himself to be the Creator and Giver of every good gift. Multiply the gifts of body and soul You provide from Your gracious hand, and cause us to receive Your benefits with thanksgiving; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

The offering is gathered.

 

Stand

 

Preface LSB 208

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, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. 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 208

Text: Stephen P. Starke

 

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving

P Blessed are 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.

At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.

As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:

 

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

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

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

 

Agnus Dei LSB 210

Text: Stephen P. Starke

 

Sit

 

 

Distribution

 

566 By Grace I’m Saved

 

5 By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
    In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
    The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?

 

6 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
    In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
    I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.

Text: Christian Ludwig Scheidt, 1709–61; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel, 1697–1775
Text and tune: Public domain

 

711 Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us

Text: Hymns for the Young, 1836, 4th ed., London, alt.
Tune: William B. Bradbury, 1816–68
Text and tune: Public domain

 

594 God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It

Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. Robert E. Voelker, 1957
Tune: Johann Caspar Bachofen, 1695–1755, alt.
Text: © 1991 Robert E. Voelker. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

423 Jesus, Refuge of the Weary

Text: Girolamo Savonarola, 1452–98; tr. Jane F. Wilde, 1826–96, alt.
Tune: Erbaulicher Musicalischer Christen-Schatz, 1745, Basel
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Nunc Dimittis LSB 211

 

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 212

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.

 

 

849 Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

Text: Rusty Edwards, 1955
Tune: The Sacred Harp, 1844, Philadelphia
Text: © 1987 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.