19TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST October 8, 2023

Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church

Wisconsin Synod

Pastor Rev. Christopher Oehlke Pastor’s Phone: 1-262-909-7827

Organist Karen Davis, Mindy Kane, Church Telephone 763-682-4573

Lorraine Roush Email pastor@myimmanuel.org

WELCOME, VISITORS:     We are glad you could be with us and we welcome you back any time. Please sign our “Welcome” card found in the pew holders or sign the guest book in the narthex/entry.

Prayer Upon Entering Church

Almighty, ever-living God, grant that I may gladly hear your Word and that all my worship may be acceptable to You; through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

SERVICE OF THE WORD

HYMN (#528) “Christ is Our Cornerstone”

M: The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

CONFESSION OF SINS

M: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. 

In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to  be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away 

my guilt.

M: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

PRAYER AND PRAISE

M: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

C: (Sung) Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed are they who take refuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues forever.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed are they who take refuge in him.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

M: Let us pray. Almighty God, in your bountiful goodness, keep us safe from every evil of body and soul. Make us ready, with cheerful hearts, to do whatever pleases you; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C:     (Sung) Amen.

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON Isaiah 5:1-7

5 Let me sing for my loved one a song about my loved one’s vineyard. My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile ridge. ² He dug it up and gathered the stones out of it. He planted it with the best vines. He built a tower in the middle of it. He also cut a winepress into it. He expected it to produce clusters of sweet grapes, but it produced only sour grapes. ³ So now, you residents of Jerusalem and you men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. ⁴ What more could have been done for my vineyard that I have not already done for it? When I expected it to produce clusters of sweet grapes, why did it produce sour grapes? ⁵ Now, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will become a pasture. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down. ⁶ I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or hoed. So briers and thorns will shoot up. I will also command the clouds not to pour rain on it. ⁷ Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the planting that was pleasing to him. He expected justice, but instead there was oppression. He expected righteousness, but there was an outcry.         (EHV) 

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY (Sung) Psalm 118 (page 108)

SECOND LESSON Philippians 3:4b-21

⁴  If anyone else thinks that he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ in regard to zeal, persecuting the church; in regard to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. ⁷ But, whatever things were a profit for me, these things I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. ⁸ But even more than that, I consider everything to be a loss because of what is worth far more: knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have lost all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, which comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God by faith. ¹⁰ I do this so that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, ¹¹ in the hope that in some way I may arrive at the resurrection from the dead. ¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus also took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet, but there is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Therefore, let all of us who are mature continue to think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you too. ¹⁶ Only let us think the same thing and walk in line with what we already have attained. ¹⁷ Brothers, join together in imitating me and in paying attention to those who are walking according to the pattern we gave you. ¹⁸ To be sure, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. I told you about them often, and now I am saying it while weeping. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, and their glory is in their shame. They are thinking only about earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ By the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body.    EHV)

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY

M: Alleluia. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Alleluia. (Ephesians 2:10)

C: (Sung) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

These words are written that we may believe 

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matthew 21:33-43

³³ “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it out to some tenant farmers and went away on a journey. ³⁴ When the time approached to harvest the fruit, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. ³⁵ The tenant farmers seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Then the landowner sent even more servants than the first time. The tenant farmers treated them the same way. ³⁷ Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. ³⁸ But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’ ³⁹ They took him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ So when the landowner comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?” ⁴¹ They told him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end. Then he will lease out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his fruit when it is due.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? ⁴³ “That is why I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruit.                (EHV)

M: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: (Sung) Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN OF THE DAY (#203) “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”

SERMON TEXT Matthew 21:33-43

SERMON THEME “God’s Persistent Grace”

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. 

From there 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.    

THANKSGIVING

OFFERING – Please leave offering in the plate as you depart.

HYMN (#479) “Jesus, Your Boundless Love to Me”

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

O Lord, You have planted, nurtured and hedged around Your vineyard, the Church. You sent Your dear Son to give His life for her. Inspire her by Your Holy Spirit to yield much fruit for Your kingdom and grant that many find shelter on her holy hill. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, since Your Son has made us His own by His death, grant that we may share in His sufferings with confidence, and that we may also know the power of His resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Divine Vinedresser, You prune those whom You love. Strengthen our hearts to heed Your Law, that we may never presume to sin nor trust in our own deeds but look to the rainfall of Your grace for our source of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, You bring forth from this barren earth a holy people to press forward to Your heavenly goal. Direct our zeal toward Your good and gracious purpose, and prosper the work of the hands that labor in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, You sing the song of Your love over the vineyard of Your Church. Lift her united voice through Your Spirit, that she in turn would freely praise Your lavish grace and proclaim Your salvation beyond her walls; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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.

M: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: (Sung) Amen.

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace. 

C: (Sung) Amen. Amen. Amen.

HYMN (#457) “Fight the Good Fight”

Verse of the Day

During this week memorize and think about this verse of the day:

For we are God’s handiwork, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works. 

(Ephesians 2:10)

19TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST October 8, 2023

Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church

THE SCHEDULE   

Today, Oct. 8 11:30 a.m., Wise Penny Volunteer Appreciation

      Lunch/Voter’s Meeting at West, Plymouth

Noon, LWMS Fall Rally, St. Paul’s, Montrose

7 p.m., West General Board Meeting at West,Plymouth

Mon., Oct. 9 7 p.m., Choir

7 p.m., Church Council Meeting

Tues., Oct. 10 6:30 p.m., Ladies Fellowship
7:30 p.m., Endowment Committee Meeting

Wed., Oct. 11 6:30 p.m., Catechism

Fri., Oct. 13 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Immanuel Volunteer Day at Wise Penny, work as much as you’d like

Next Sun., Oct. 15: Greeters: Mark and Linda Hoffmann

Shut-In Visitors for October: Betty McAlpine

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS

CHOIR:  Choir practice will be on Mondays from 7 to 8 p.m. in preparation for the holiday season. All voices are welcome. 

LWMS:  The LWMS Hannah Circuit Fall Rally is today beginning with a noon luncheon. All are welcome to hear about our synod’s mission work—women, men and teens.

WISE PENNY: The Wise Penny Volunteer Appreciation Lunch & Annual Voter’s Meeting will begin with tours of West at 11:30 a.m. 

ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on  Oct. 10.

WEST FALL CONCERT will be at 2 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 15 featuring music from the Greatest Showman! 

WEST LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL STOCKHOLDER MEETING:  The West Lutheran Board of Regents are inviting all alumni, friends, parents, and called workers to the first annual stakeholder meeting on Sunday, October 8th at 7:00 p.m. They will be sharing an inside look at the wonderful blessings, the abundant opportunities, and the unique set of challenges God has presented to this ministry. Most importantly, WEST wants to hear your input to help shape the vision.

ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE: 

Sunday, Oct. 1 63

FOR THE LORD’S WORK:  Oct. 1: General Fund-$1,833 (Minimum Weekly Amount Needed-$2,375), West-$5; Salem-$7; Building-$5; Youth-$5.

Personal Devotions?

Consider using the prayers and readings from each Sunday’s worship bulletin during your daily personal/family devotions—

–“Prayer of the Day”

–“Prayer of the Church”

–Re-read God’s Word and reflect upon it and how it applies to you.

–Review the sermon theme and text and its applications for you.