Worship Service for Midweek of Advent 3
Rev. Gregory Mech | December 16, 2020 | Midweek of Advent 3 | Immanuel Lutheran Church ONLINE and IN-PERSON – Joplin, Missouri | Wednesday at 7:00 pm
Thank you for supporting Immanuel Lutheran financially. Learn more at immanueljoplin.com/GIVE.
Special thanks to all who helped to make this broadcast possible today:
Rev. Gregory Mech, DCE Jason Glaskey, organist Betty Lingenfelter, the COVID Committee and Board of Elders.
AS WE GATHER
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This beautiful proclamation from the Father leaves no doubt—Jesus is more than meets the eye—more than a mere man. He is the Son of God. Yet, His identity will be challenged. Immediately following His Baptism, Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. He tempts, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread” (Luke 4:3). But Jesus remains faithful and does not sin. Then, at the cross, we hear a similar temptation from those gathered, “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). But again, Jesus remains faithful, doing the will of His Father. Rejoice that for Jesus’ sake, God looks at you as His baptized child and says, “This is My beloved son, my beloved daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” What a beautiful proclamation from our heavenly Father!
Midweek of Advent 3
Jesus, the Life of Jesse’s Tree
December 16, 2020
HYMN 357 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” vs. 1,4,5
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty power to save
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Isaiah 11:1; Romans 6:4; Matthew 3:17
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death,
in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we too might walk in newness of life.
Behold, a voice from heaven said,
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
SERVICE OF LIGHT
The Spirit and the Church cry out:
Come, Lord Jesus.
All those who await His appearance pray:
Come, Lord Jesus.
The whole creation pleads:
Come, Lord Jesus.
Awaiting the shoot from the stump of Jesse, we implore:
Come, Lord Jesus.
HYMN 914 “Light of Light, O Sole Begotten”
Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten,
Radiance of the Father’s face,
Word made flesh, who lived among us,
Full of truth and full of grace,
Shine upon our human darkness;
Pierce the night that shrouds our race.
Word eternal, through Your being
God created all we see,
When the empty spaces echoed
With the Father’s, “Let there be …”
Light and life burst from the glorious
Power of Your majesty!
Still Your brooding Spirit hovers
Over chaos, dark and deep
Calling out with invitation:
“Rise, awaken from your sleep,
Christ the Lord will shine upon you,
And from death your soul shall keep.”
Come, Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit
In our hearts Your work begin.
Bring the healing restoration
Of Your image lost by sin;
From Your fulness all receiving
Grace on grace, new life within!
Copyright © 1992 Stephen P. Starke; admin. Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who revealed who Jesus truly is, bringing to light His identity as You proclaimed, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and light to our path; for You are merciful, and You love Your whole creation and we, Your creatures, glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
PSALM
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to You; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to You.
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to You, O God; in You I take refuge.
Strip me not of my life.
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.
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
FIRST READING Romans 6:1–11
A reading from Romans, the sixth chapter.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6 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. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9 We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING Matthew 3:13–17
A reading from Matthew, the third chapter.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
In many and various ways, God spoke to His people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.
THE LITANY
In peace let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For [names of synodical and district presidents], for all pastors in Christ, for all servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For [name of president or monarch], for all public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who bring offerings, those who do good works in this congregation, those who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the faithful who have gone before us and are with Christ, let us give thanks to the Lord:
Alleluia.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Silence for individual prayer may follow.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ, our Lord:
To You, O Lord.
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
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.
SERMON HYMN “Let Our Gladness Have No End” LSB 381
Let our gladness have no end, alleluia!
For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!
On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.
Prophesied in days of old, alleluia!
God has sent Him as foretold, alleluia!
On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.
See, the loveliest blooming rose, alleluia!
From the stem of Jesse grows, alleluia!
On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.
Into flesh is made the Word, alleluia!
He, our refuge and our Lord, alleluia!
On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.
SERMON “Jesus, the Life of Jesse’s Tree”
PRAYER
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
BLESSING
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless you and keep you.
Amen.
IMMANUEL’S MISSION PRAYER
Heavenly Father, We pray to see the future as You see it, so we may live the present as You will it. We pray we may be grounded in Christ as a Lutheran congregation, and guided by Your grace as we walk in forgiveness. We pray we are growing continually in faith as servants in Christ’s Kingdom proclaiming the Gospel. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Acknowledgments
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.
0 Comments