Reformation Sunday
October 27, 2024
“Stand Firm”
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:4-7
REFORMATION SUNDAY
October 27, 2024
TODAY’S SERVICE: Today we celebrate the festival of Reformation. On this festival, we thank the Lord for the wonderful truth that we
are saved by grace through faith without any works required by us.
We also thank God for preserving the truths of His Word and ask him
to keep us faithful to his Word. In our service today, we will see that
the Lord has special things to tell us in his Word. In his Word he tells
us all that we need for salvation. The Lord wants us to both preserve
his Word in its truth and purity and also share it with the world.
OPENING PRAYER: Luther’s Morning Prayer
ALL: I thank you, my heavenly Father,
through Jesus Christ, your dear Son,
that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger.
Keep me this day also from sin and every evil,
that all my doings and life may please you.
Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things.
Let your holy angel be with me,
that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.
HYMN (#384) “By Grace I’m Saved”
THE INVOCATION
M: In the name of God the Father:
C: Who has created us, preserves us, and sent his Son
to suffer and die in order to redeem a world fallen from his grace;
M: In the name of God the Son:
C: Who gave his life on the cross to save us from our sins
and rose from the grave to give victory over death;
M: In the name of God the Holy Spirit:
C: Who works through the Word and Sacraments
to create and strengthen saving faith in our hearts. Amen.
THE CONFESSION OF SINS
M: As we approach our holy God to worship, let us draw near to him in
humility, and confess our sins to him:
C: Lord God, my heavenly Father, I confess that I have been
sinful from the instant my life started. I know that sin has
infected me completely, and I admit that all my thoughts,
desires, words, and actions are corrupted by sin. I confess that I
have angered you time and again with my many sins. I admit
that I could never earn your love or forgiveness with my own
works. I admit that I deserve only your curse and everlasting
punishment in hell.
M: Have mercy on me, O God:
C: According to your unfailing love;
M: According to your great compassion:
C: Blot out my transgressions.
M: Wash away all my iniquity:
C: And cleanse me from my sin.
Silence for private confession
M: Hear us, Lord, as we cry to you for mercy:
ALL (sung) (#303—v.1-2)
With broken hearts and contrite sigh
A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry.
Your pard’ning grace is rich and free—
O God be merciful to me!
I smite upon my troubled breast,
With deep and conscious guilt oppressed,
Christ and his cross my only plea—
O God be merciful to me!
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF FORGIVENESS
M: Take heart, you who sorrow over sin. God demonstrates his own
love for us in this:
C: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
M: The blood of Jesus, his Son,
C: Purifies us from all sins.
M: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not
from yourselves,
C: It is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
M: There is now no condemnation:
C: For those who are in Christ Jesus.
M: Be of good cheer, the Lord Jesus has shed his blood for the sins of
the whole world. Because of Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death,
our God has declared us to be righteous in his sight and forgiven for
all. Through Jesus you are God’s dear child and he will always love
you, care for you, and bless you. He will not treat you as your sins
deserve. You will not be lost forever in hell. Through the Lord Jesus,
eternal life is yours as a free gift. This is the gospel message. Do you
believe this?
C: Yes, I believe.
M: Praise be to our loving God for working in your heart to lead you to
believe this good news. Through faith these wonderful blessings are
yours personally to enjoy. Through faith in Jesus, you are God’s dear
child, and you shall live with him forever in heaven.
C: May the Lord be praised for his wonderful mercy and his
amazing grace.
All (sung) (#376—verse 6)
Jesus be worshiped endlessly!
Your boundless mercy has for me,
For me, and all your hands have made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Gracious Lord, our refuge and strength, pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your word, protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the church your saving peace; 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.
BE SEATED
THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Daniel 3:16-28
16 Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you about this matter. 17 Since our God, whom we serve, does exist, he is able to save us from the blazing fiery furnace. So, he may save us from your hand, Your Majesty. 18 But if he does not, you should know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden statue that you set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed against Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. He said to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was usually heated. 20 He ordered some men, who were soldiers from his army, to bind Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego in order to throw them into the blazing fiery furnace. 21 So these men were bound in their coats, their pants, their turbans, and their other clothing, and they were thrown into the middle of the blazing fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, those men who carried Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego were killed by the intense heat of the fire. 23 But these three men, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, who had been tied up, fell into the blazing fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and immediately stood up. He said to his advisors, “Didn’t we throw three men, who had been tied up, into the middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men, who are untied and walking around in the middle of the fire, unharmed. What is more, the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace. He said, “Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” Then Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego came out from the middle of the furnace. 27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the royal advisors gathered together and looked at these men. The fire had no power over their bodies. Not a hair on their head was singed, their robes were not damaged, and the smell of fire had not stuck to them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, who sent his angel and saved his servants, who trusted in God and ignored the king’s command. They gave up their bodies and did not pay homage or worship any god except their God. (EHV)
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
PSALM OF THE DAY Sunday School Students (Psalm 31)
THE EPISTLE LESSON Revelation 14:6-7
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the middle of the sky. He had the everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He said with a loud voice: Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.
(EHV)
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
VERSE OF THE DAY
M: Alleluia. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Alleluia. (Luke 12:32)
THE GOSPEL LESSON Mark 13:5-11
5 Jesus began by telling them, “Be careful that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 “Whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 In fact, nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. 9 But be on your guard! People will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand in the presence of rulers and kings for my sake as a witness to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 Whenever they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what you should say. Say whatever is given to you in that hour, because you will not be the ones speaking; instead it will be the Holy Spirit. (EHV)
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH
M: O Heavenly Father, you have created us and continually shower us
with blessings:
C: “I believe that God made me and every creature, and that he
gave me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my
mind and all my abilities.”
M: O Jesus, our Savior, you have redeemed us with your precious blood:
C: “I believe that Christ has redeemed me, a lost and condemned
creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and
from the power of the devil, not with gold and silver but with his
holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death.”
M: O Holy Spirit, you have created faith in our hearts which clings to
the Word and Promises of the Bible.
C: “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe
in Jesus Christ my Lord nor come to him; but the Holy Spirit
has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts,
sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”
HYMN OF THE DAY (#201) “A Mighty Fortress”
SERMON TEXT Mark 13:5-11
SERMON THEME “Stand Firm in the Word of God”
RESPONSE—HYMN (#289) “Preserve Your Word, O Savior”
OFFERING – Please leave offering in the basket as you depart.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
M: Lord God, our Father, you have told us wonderful things in your
Word:
C: In your Word you tell us the truths we need to know for our
salvation. You give us your promises to sustain and nourish our
faith. You give us guidance on how to live in joyful response to
your love.
M: In your grace you have sent gospel messengers to share with us your
life-giving Word of salvation. Your Spirit has worked through the
good news about Jesus to bring us to saving faith. Now we are your
dear children and are heirs of salvation. For this we say:
C: Praise be to you, O Lord.
M: With your Word you have sustained and nourished our faith, you
have calmed our fears and comforted our consciences, you have
given us guidance and strength for life. For this we say:
C: Praise be to you, O Lord.
M: The good news of full and free salvation by grace through faith was
all but lost for a time in our world’s history.
C: We thank you for working through the reformers of the past to
rediscover, defend and proclaim this precious truth.
M: Lord, we ask that you would help us to carry on the work of the
Reformation which Martin Luther started so long ago.
C: Please help us also to preserve and defend all the words of the
Scriptures, especially the message of salvation by grace through
faith without works. Help us to pass this message on to our
children and grandchildren. Help us also to work together to
share this good news with the whole world.
M: May this also inspire a zeal in us to give ourselves completely to
the work of the kingdom, always remembering that the work of
your kingdom is the most important work there is.
Special Prayers
M: Hear us as we bring you our private petitions.
Silent Prayer
M: We bring these requests before you, our loving heavenly Father.
We trust that you will hear us for the sake of Jesus our Savior who
has also taught us to pray:
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.
THE BENEDICTION
M: Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth.
C: And the truth will set you free.”
M: Brothers and sisters, may God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit keep
us always faithful to him and to all of his Word.
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.
CLOSING HYMN (#203) “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”
Luther Rose
Luther explained that the red heart with the black cross at the center should remind us that the righteous live by faith in Christ the Crucified. The heart rests on a white rose to show that faith gives joy, comfort and peace. The white rose stands in a field of blue, the color of heaven, to show that joy in the spirit and in faith in this life is only the beginning of future heavenly joy. Surrounding the sky-blue field is a gold ring to show that happiness and joy in heaven has no end but lasts forever.
REEFORMATION SUNDAY October 27, 2024
Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
THE SCHEDULE
Tues., Oct. 29 7 p.m., Sunday School Teacher’s Meeting
Wed., Oct. 30 6:30 p.m., Catechism Class
Next Sun., Nov. 3: Greeters: Kowalke Family
Shut-In Visitors for November: Donna Frank & Darlene Weese
OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS
FUNERAL SERVICE for Albert Nowack was Thursday, Oct.. 24, with Pastor Oehlke’s words of comfort being from Luke 2:29-30. Albert was called to heaven on Oct. 17, 2024. His time of grace on this earth was 94 years, 11 months, 1 day. His Confirmation verse was Phillipians 1:2 “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
CEMETERY FALL CLEAN-UP: Please remove all flowers and other items from the cemetery by Oct. 31. Thank you.
QUARTERLY VOTERS MEETING is scheduled for after the worship service this morning.
BLOODMOBILE POSSIBILITY: We’re considering hosting a Red Cross Bloodmobile at Immanuel and would like to determine if there would be enough interest. We need 30 potential donors to proceed with setting a date—so please ask your friends, relatives, co-workers if they’d like to participate (realizing the date has not yet been set) and indicate as such on the sheet in the narthex.
WEST FALL EVENTS: The Fall Concert “Across the Lands” at West Lutheran High School in Plymouth will be at 2 p.m. on Oct. 27. Their fall play, “Deadline A—a murder mystery comedy, will be Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE:
Sunday, Oct. 13 69
THE SILENT PRAYER
(Words to consider from Martin Luther)
The world is not so hostile to any vice, to any wickedness, as it is to the name of Christ and to his Gospel. Here the ranting and raving which the hatred and the enmity of the devil inspire are boundless, for he will absolutely not tolerate this name and this faith.
(What Luther Says #1722)
Merciful God! Thou hast made it possible for me to stay a Christian; help me to stay a Christian and to increase in faith from day to day. Even if the entire world fell away, and everybody joined the sects, and the devil broke all vessels, I would pay no attention to it, but with Thy divine help I would abide by the gospel.
(What Luther Says #1511)
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