Easter 4

The King of Love My Shepherd Is LSB #709

 

5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
    Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
    From Thy pure chalice floweth!

 

6 And so through all the length of days
    Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
    Within Thy house forever!

Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77

Tune: Irish, c. 18th cent.

Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

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

 

Invocation LSB p. 151

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

C Amen.

 

Exhortation LSB p. 151

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

Confession of Sins LSB p. 151

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

 

Absolution LSB p. 151

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore 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 23

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.

¹The Lord is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
³He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for- | ever.
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.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.

 

Kyrie LSB p. 152

 

This Is the Feast LSB p. 155

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day Easter 4 (Three-Year Lectionary)

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Sit

 

Catechesis - Sacrament of the Altar (Part 4)

P Today's catechetical reading is the fourth portion under the Sacrament of the Altar.

Who receives this sacrament worthily?

C Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training.  But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words:  “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”  But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe. (3)

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

C I believe; help my unbelief! –Mark 9:24b (K)

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. –Revelation 2:10c (1)

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. –1 Corinthians 11:28 (2)

No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. –1 Corinthians 10:20-21 (4)

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites... –Romans 16:17-18a (5)

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. –1 Corinthians 10:17 (5)

 

Mixed Choir - God Loves Me Dearly

 

New Testament Reading Acts 20:17–35

¹⁷Now from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸And when they came to him, he said to them:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, ²¹testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²²And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. ²⁴But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, ²⁷for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. ²⁹I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; ³⁰and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. ³²And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. ³⁵In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual adapt. from Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:6

C Christ has risen  | from the dead.*
[God the Father] has crowned him with glory and  | honor.
He has given him dominion over the works  | of his hands;*
he has put all things un- | der his feet.

 

Epistle Revelation 7:9–17

⁹After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Stand

 

Common Alleluia and Verse LSB p. 156

 

Holy Gospel John 10:22–30

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

²²At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” ²⁵Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, ²⁶but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one.”

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

 

Thou Who the Night in Prayer Didst Spend TLH #493

Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1862, cento, alt.

Tune: Dimitri S. Bortniansky, 1822

Text and tune: Public domain

 

Sermon - Care of the Flock - Acts 20:17-35

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Offertory LSB p. 159

 

Prayer of the Church

 

The offering is presented.

 

Preface LSB p. 160

 

Proper Preface

P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, 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 p. 161

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB p. 161

P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. 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 LSB p. 162

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:

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

 

Pax Domini LSB p. 163

 

Agnus Dei LSB p. 163

 

Sit

 

Distribution

 

You Satisfy the Hungry Heart LSB #641

Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97

Tune: Robert E. Kreutz, 1922–96

Text and tune: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518

 

I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb LSB #740

Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941

Tune: Choral-Buch . . . Brüder-Gemeinen, 1784, Leipzig

Text and tune: Public domain

 

The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want LSB #710

Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh

Tune: William Gardiner, 1770–1853

Text and tune: Public domain

 

Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit LSB #681

Text: Lieder-Perlen, 1905, St. Louis; tr. Frederick W. Herzberger, 1859–1930, alt.

Tune: Johann Schop, c. 1590–1667

Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Thank the Lord LSB p. 164

 

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.

 

Benediction LSB p. 166

 

Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us LSB #711

Text: Hymns for the Young, 1836, 4th ed., London, alt.

Tune: William B. Bradbury, 1816–68

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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