Worship Service for Midweek of Lent 5
Rev. Gregory Mech | March 24, 2021 | Lenten Worship Service | Immanuel Lutheran Church – Joplin, Missouri | 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.
RETURN TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
In the conclusion of his First Letter to his co-worker Timothy, Paul encourages his young friend with a shared vision of what is to come as God fulfills all things. He writes of “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will display at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:14–15). As Jesus stood before Pilate, who seemed to have the full authority of life and death over Him, our Savior knew who He was and what His kingdom was and is and will be. “My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus stated (John 18:36a). With the psalmist, we affirm, “The Lord will reign forever” (Psalm 146:10). The very best and most blessed time under His gracious kingship is yet to be!
HYMN “Come, Thou Almighty King” 905
Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing, Help us to praise;
Father, all glorious, Over all victorious,
Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.
Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword; Our prayer attend.
Come and Thy people bless, And give Thy Word success,
And let Thy righteousness On us descend.
Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear In this glad hour!
Thou who almighty art, Now rule in every heart,
And never from us depart, Spirit of power.
Stand
To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be Hence evermore!
Thy sovereign majesty May we in glory see,
And to eternity Love and adore.
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Joel 2:13; Psalm 103:10; 79:9
Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins, for Your name’s sake!
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Let us make our confession to our God, seeking His grace and forgiveness. Together we sing the hymn “Lord, to You I Make Confession.”
HYMN “Lord, to You I Make Confession” 608
Lord, to You I make confession:
I have sinned and gone astray,
I have multiplied transgression,
Chosen for myself my way.
Led by You to see my errors,
Lord, I tremble at Your terrors.
Yet, though conscience’ voice appall me,
Father, I will seek Your face;
Though Your child I dare not call me,
Yet receive me in Your grace.
Do not for my sins forsake me;
Let Your wrath not overtake me.
For Your Son has suffered for me,
Given Himself to rescue me,
Died to save me and restore me,
Reconciled and set me free.
Jesus’ cross alone can vanquish
These dark fears and sooth this anguish.
Lord, on You I cast my burden—
Sink it in the deepest sea!
Let me know Your gracious pardon,
Cleanse me from iniquity.
Let Your Spirit leave me never;
Make me only Yours forever.
The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins.
SALUTATION and PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. O God our Father, grant that, despite our failures and sins, we find redemption through our Savior Jesus Christ, and with hopeful hearts await the glory of His kingdom of eternal grace. With boldness and confidence, we ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
FIRST READING Isaiah 53:1–3
A reading from Isaiah, the fifty-third chapter.
Who has believed what they heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He grew up before Him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him,
and no beauty that we should desire Him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 25:1–7
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in You I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for You shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long.
Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to Your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord!
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.
SECOND READING 1 Timothy 2:1–7
A reading from First Timothy, the second chapter.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL John 18:28–38
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighteenth chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered Him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death He was going to die.
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about Me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You over to me. What have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But My kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in Him.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON HYMN “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted”451: 1-3
Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
‘Tis the Christ, by man rejected,
Yes, my soul, ‘tis He, ‘tis He!
‘Tis the long expected Prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it;
‘Tis the true and faithful Word.
Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting His distress;
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would intervene to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that justice gave.
Ye who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
‘Tis the Word, the Lord’s anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.
SERMON
PRESENTATION of the OFFERING
OFFERTORY “Take My Life and Let It Be” 784: 1,6
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
THE LITANY
O Lord,
have mercy.
O Christ,
have mercy.
O Lord,
have mercy.
O Christ,
hear us.
God the Father in heaven,
have mercy.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy.
Be gracious to us.
Spare us, good Lord.
Be gracious to us.
Help us, good Lord.
From all sin, from all error, from all evil;
From the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil death;
From pestilence and famine; from war and bloodshed; from sedition and from rebellion;
From lightning and tempest; from all calamity by fire and water; and from everlasting death:
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity;
By Your Baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial;
By Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter:
Help us, good Lord.
In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the Day of Judgment:
Help us, good Lord.
We poor sinners implore You
to hear us, O Lord.
To rule and govern Your holy Christian Church; to preserve all pastors and ministers of Your Church in the true knowledge and understanding of Your wholesome Word and to sustain them in holy living;
To put an end to all schisms and causes of offense; to bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived;
To beat down Satan under our feet; to send faithful laborers into Your harvest; and to accompany Your Word with Your grace and Spirit:
We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
To raise those who fall and to strengthen those who stand; and to comfort and help the weakhearted and the distressed:
We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
To give to all peoples concord and peace; to preserve our land from discord and strife; to give our country Your protection in every time of need;
To direct and defend our [president/queen/king] and all in authority; to bless and protect our magistrates and all our people;
To watch over and help all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation; to protect and guide all who travel;
To grant all women with child, and all mothers with infant children, increasing happiness in their blessings; to defend all orphans and widows and provide for them;
To strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children; to free those in bondage; and to have mercy on us all:
We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers and to turn their hearts; to give and preserve for our use the kindly fruits of the earth; and graciously to hear our prayers:
We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
we implore You to hear us.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
grant us Your peace.
O Christ,
hear us.
O Lord,
have mercy.
O Christ,
have mercy.
O Lord,
have mercy. 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.
CLOSING COLLECT
Let us pray.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
BLESSING
The blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be and remain with you always.
Amen.
HYMN “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted” 451: 4
Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost:
Christ, the rock of our salvation,
Is the name of which we boast;
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.
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.
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