Worship Service for Pentecost 23
Rev. Gregory Mech | November 8, 2020 | SERMON: Ready to Meet the Lord | Divine Service Setting One | Immanuel Lutheran Church ONLINE and IN-PERSON – Joplin, Missouri | 8:00 and 10:30 am
Use these Easy Devotions and Daily Scripture Readings with your family! Taking Faith Home.
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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.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise…
The words of Jesus from “The Parable of the Ten Virgins,” found in Matthew 25:1-13, one of the readings assigned for The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost. “Ready to Meet the Lord” is the title of Pastor Mech’s sermon today. May God richly bless you as you hear His Words of the Bridegroom of the Church, Jesus Christ! Welcome to Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Ready to Meet the Lord
Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost
November 8, 2020 — Divine Service, Setting One
♫ HYMN 663 “Rise, My Soul to Watch and Pray” vs. 1, 5
Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;
From your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o’ertaken;
For the foe, Well we know
Is a harvest reaping
While the saints are sleeping.
But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
God protects you, day by day,
Strength and faith increasing.
So that still Mind and will
Shall unite to serve Him
And forever love Him.
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
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 neighbor 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.
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 Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
♫ KYRIE “Lord, Have Mercy” page 152
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.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.
♫ HYMN OF PRAISE “This Is the Feast” page 155
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood sets us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor and blessing and glory are His.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all creation:
“Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.”
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
SALUTATION and COLLECT OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
KIDS TALK
OLD TESTAMENT Amos 5:18-24 Let Justice Roll Down
Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, and not light,
as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL Psalm 70:1, 4
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
May those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You!
May those who love Your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
EPISTLE 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The Coming of the Lord
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
♫ ALLELUIA and VERSE
Alleluia. Lord, the whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 25: 1-13The Parable of the Ten Virgins
The Holy Gospel according to St Matthew, the twenty-fifth chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
♫ HYMN 514 “The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us”
The Bridegroom soon will call us,
“Come to the wedding feast.”
May slumber not befall us
Nor watchfulness decrease.
May all our lamps be burning
With oil enough and more
That we, with Him returning,
May find an open door.
There shall we see in glory
Our dear Redeemer’s face;
The long-awaited story
Of heav’nly joy takes place:
The patriarchs shall meet us,
The prophets’ holy band;
Apostles, martyrs greet us
In that celestial land.
There God shall from all evil
Forever make us free,
From sin and from the devil,
From all adversity,
From sickness, pain, and sadness,
From troubles, cares, and fears,
And grant us heavenly gladness
And wipe away our tears.
In that fair home shall never
Be silent music’s voice;
With hearts and lips forever
We shall in God rejoice,
While angel hosts are raising
With saints from great to least
A mighty hymn for praising
The Giver of the feast.
SERMON “Ready to Meet the Lord”
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
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. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
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.
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Amen.
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