THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 15, 2024
Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
Wisconsin Synod
Pastor Rev. Christopher Oehlke Pastor’s Phone: 1-262-909-7827
Organist Mindy Kane, Karen Davis, 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 before Communion
We do not presume to come to your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the Lord who desires always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the body of your dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen.
THE COMMON SERVICE
HYMN (#7) “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: (Sung) Amen.
CONFESSION OF SINS
M: Beloved in the Lord: let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and
actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good.
For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity.
But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior
Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
LORD, HAVE MERCY
C: (Sung) Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
M: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: (Sung) Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLES
M: We light three Advent candles remembering Jesus, the Light of the world. He came to defeat the prince of darkness.
C: We remember Jesus, who came in answer to his people’s prayers. John proclaimed him the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
M: We hear his call to see the light.
C: We light three Advent candles as a sign of our trust and confidence.
M: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.
C: Through your Word and Spirit may our souls be blessed.
Three Advent candles are lit.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: The Lord be with you.
C: (Sung) And also with you.
M: Let us pray: Hear our prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, and come with the good news of your mighty deliverance. Drive the darkness from our hears, and fill us with your light; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: (Sung) Amen.
THE WORD
FIRST LESSON Zephaniah 3:14-17
14 Sing out, daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, you daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you. He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster. 16 In that day Jerusalem will be told, “Do not be afraid, O Zion. Do not give up. 17 The Lord your God is with you as a hero who will save you. He takes great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” (EHV)
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
PSALM OF THE DAY (Sung) Psalm 130 (page 114)
SECOND LESSON Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (EHV)
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
VERSE OF THE DAY
M: Alleluia. I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. Alleluia. (Matthew 11:10)
C: (Sung) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
GOSPEL Luke 3:7-18
After the announcement of the Gospel, the congregation sings:
C: (Sung) Glory be to you, O Lord!
6 There 7 So John kept saying to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruits in keeping with repentance! Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9 Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 The crowds began to ask him, “What should we do then?” 11 He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. They said, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 To them he said, “Collect no more than what you were authorized to.” 14 Soldiers were also asking him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or false accusation. Be satisfied with your wages.” 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 Then with many other words, he appealed to them and was preaching good news to the people. (EHV)
M: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: (Sung) Praise be to you, O Christ!
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and became fully human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
BE SEATED
HYMN (#19) “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You”
SERMON TEXT Philippians 4:4-7
SERMON THEME “Rejoice in the Lord”
After the sermon, the congregation stands and sings:
C: (Sung) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit. Amen.
OFFERING – Please leave offering in the plate as you depart.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Eternal Father, throughout the centuries you repeated and affirmed your promise to send the offspring of the woman to crush the serpent’s head. Through your prophets of old, you continually directed the eyes of your people to the advent of their Savior.
We praise you, O Lord, for keeping your promise and sending your Son to destroy the works of the devil.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King, use your mighty Word to shatter our pride and to rouse us from spiritual slumber and apathy.
Move us to take to heart the words of John: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
You sent your Son to redeem us from sin. Let this good news be our joy and strength. Use it to cheer the lonely, encourage the fearful, and give hope to the despairing. In these days before Christmas, spare us from the stress of deadlines and the frenzy of commercialism.
Fill our lives with the message of your peace and the music of your grace.
Direct our eyes not only to the manger but also to the skies, where we will see your Son coming again, not as a lowly child but as the Lord of lords.
Lift up our hearts in joyful anticipation of that day.
Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.
Silent prayer.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus, in your grace, in your power, and in your glory.
Come, Lord Jesus! 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.
THE SACRAMENT
PREFACE
M: The Lord be with you.
C: (Sung) And also with you.
M: Lift up your hearts.
C: (Sung) We lift them up unto the Lord.
M: Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
C: (Sung) It is good and right so to do.
M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared when he called people to repentance and pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
C: (Sung) Holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly hosts:
heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he, blessed is he, blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: (Sung) Amen
O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD
C: (Sung) O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us your peace. Amen.
DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION HYMN (#11) “Comfort, Comfort All My People” (#15) “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”
THANKSGIVING
SONG OF SIMEON
C: (Sung) Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.
M: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
C: (Sung) And his mercy endures forever.
M: O God the Father, source of all goodness, in your loving kindness you sent your Son to share our humanity. We thank you that through him you have given us pardon and peace in this sacrament. We also pray that you will not forsake us but will rule our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit so that we willingly serve you day after day, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: (Sung) Amen.
M: 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 “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”
1. Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
and triumph evermore:
Lift up your heart,
lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
2. The Lord, our Savior, reigns,
the God of truth and love;
when he had purged our stains,
he took his seat above:
Lift up your heart,
lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
3 His kingdom cannot fail,
he rules o’er earth and heav’n;
the keys of death and hell
are to our Jesus giv’n:
Lift up your heart,
lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
4 Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord and judge shall come
and take his servants up
to their eternal home:
Lift up your heart,
lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 15, 2024
Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
THE SCHEDULE
Tues., Dec. 17 2 p.m., Tuesday Bible Study
7 p.m. Church Council Meeting
Wed., Dec. 18 6:30 p.m., Catechism Class
Thurs., Dec. 19 6 p.m., Fishers Christmas Party
Sat., Dec. 21 9-11 a.m., Children’s Program Practice
Next Sunday, Dec. 22, Greeter: Spike Family
Shut-In Visitors for December:
OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS
WEST CHRISTMAS CONCERT: “Christmas at West” will be at 2 p.m. this afternoon at West Lutheran High School at 3350 Harbor Lane North, Plymouth.
CHRISTMAS CHARITY OPTIONS: Toys-for-Tots continues with the receiving box at the church entrance. Toys should be new, unwrapped and preferably in the $10 or above price range. Books would be great. Homemade toys are also accepted.
CHILDRENS CHRISTMAS PROGRAM PRACTICE continues on Saturday at 9 a.m. with choir members joining for a quick rehearsal at 10:45.
AREA TEEN CHRISTMAS PARTY: If you are in high school, Anchored in Christ (Cross-Rockford campus) is inviting you to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas with food, fun, holiday games and prizes on Sunday, Dec. 22, 6 p.m. Please RSVP to Mr. Heldman at pheldman@anchordmn.org or call 262-995-3515. See west bulletin board for more details.
ENVELOPES: Offering envelopes for 2025 are available in the narthex. If you don’t see yours, ask Julie Gutknecht or Pastor Oehlke.
CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE: The Children’s Christmas Eve Service, “Joy Has Dawned,” will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24; The Christmas Day Worship Service will be at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25.
ADVENT DEVOTIONS entitled “Glory in His Grasp” are available on the table in the narthex. Produced by Martin Luther College, it includes a devotion from December 1st through Christmas Day.
BLOODMOBILE: The Red Cross has given us a date of Friday, March 7, 2025, and are asking for confirmation of 30 appointments, so please spread the word. You will find a new yellow signup sheet on the island in the narthex (Please register even if you had signed up earlier.)
ATTENDANCE AT THE LORD’S HOUSE:
Sunday, Dec. 8 66
FOR THE LORD’S WORK: Dec. 8: General Fund-$1,648; Building-$5; West-$15; Salem-$7; Fishers-$5.
