Scripture Lesson: Mark 2:18-28

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. 22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

One of the greatest tensions in the spiritual life is the friction between a living faith anchored in grace and a rigid, dead religion anchored in human performance. In Mark chapter 2, Jesus directly confronts the religious establishment of His day. The Pharisees had built an elaborate fortress of man-made rules and traditions designed to secure their own righteousness, but in doing so, they completely blinded themselves to the Savior standing right in front of them.

Read Mark 2:18-28. As we look at this passage today, Jesus challenges both individual believers and the modern church to examine where we are clinging to “old wineskins” — trusting in our own religious merit, rites, and traditions — at the expense of a total, naked reliance on His free grace and mercy.

1. New Wine Demands New Containers

“And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” (Mark 2:22)

The religious leaders approached Jesus, bewildered as to why His disciples didn’t fast according to their established traditions. Jesus responded with the imagery of wineskins (translated as “bottles” in the KJV). In the ancient world, new wine was put into fresh, pliable goatskins. As the wine fermented, the skin stretched. If you put new, expanding wine into an old, brittle skin, the skin would burst, destroying both the container and the wine.

Jesus’ message of absolute grace — the truth that righteousness is a gift received through faith alone — cannot be patched onto a system of human works. It cannot be contained within the rigid boundaries of man-made rites, cultural traditions, or self-justifying behavior.

Grace is completely incompatible with legalism. To mix the two destroys both. If salvation requires even a fraction of human tradition or ritual performance, grace is no longer grace. A rigid system demanding human works must be completely abandoned if we are to receive the free gift of God’s mercy in Christ Jesus.

How easily our churches fall into the trap of trusting in “the way we’ve always done it” as a metric for spiritual security! Tradition becomes a dangerous idol when we subconsciously believe that our specific liturgy, our cultural heritage, or our external religious rights make us more acceptable to God.

When we elevate human traditions to the level of divine necessity, we block the true work of the Holy Spirit and undermine the clarity of the Gospel. The Gospel declares that we are saved through faith alone in Christ’s shed blood, not by our ecclesiastical preferences. We must remain spiritually pliable, constantly dismantling any traditional high places that tempt people to trust in their church attendance, worship forms, or cultural practices rather than in the cross of Christ alone.

2. Mercy Over Legalism

“And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?” (Mark 2:23-24)

The Pharisees weren’t upset that the disciples were eating grain; the law of Moses explicitly allowed the hungry to do so (Deut. 23:25). They were furious because it was the Sabbath. In their exhaustive traditions, plucking grain was categorized as “harvesting” — a human work forbidden on the holy day. They had elevated their application of God’s laws above the very character of God.

Jesus answers their accusation by pointing to King David, who ate the holy showbread while fleeing for his life (1 Sam. 21:3-6). Jesus exposes the core flaw of legalism: it values outward, ceremonial perfection over divine mercy. Legalism trusts in strict adherence to rights and regulations to maintain standing before God, entirely missing the heart of a God who desires mercy rather than humanly manufactured sacrifice (cf. Hos. 6:6).

Modern Application for Believers

It is tragically easy to slip into a “Pharisee mindset,” where we trust our own outward metrics and use them to judge others. We do this whenever we evaluate our standing with God — or someone else’s — by superficial standards: behavioral conformity, or adherence to manmade traditions.

Do we harbor a subtle, self-righteous pride because we think we “keep the rules” better than the struggling believer next to us? When we focus on human performance, we create an environment of fear in which people feel they must “fix themselves” through works before they can approach God’s altar. Legalism kills assurance because it points us inward to our flawed performance rather than outward to Christ’s perfect performance on our behalf.

3. Spiritual Rest is a Gift, Not a Work

“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28)

The Pharisees had taken the Sabbath — a day intended to be a beautiful, liberating shadow of the ultimate spiritual rest found in God’s mercy — and turned it into an exhausting, anxiety-inducing checklist of performance. They made mankind slaves to a religious system of works, rather than seeing that God’s provisions are meant to point man to his dependency on divine grace (cf. Isa. 58:13-14; Heb. 4:3-10).

When Jesus declares that He is the “Lord of the Sabbath,” He is asserting that He is the fulfillment of everything the day signified. True rest for the human soul is not achieved by completing a checklist of spiritual duties or relying on heritage and traditions. True rest is found exclusively in a faith-relationship with Jesus. He is our Sabbath. Our souls find rest in Him (cf. Matt. 11:28-30).

Application for the Individual

Jesus invites you to stop the exhausting cycle of self-justification. If you are trying to earn God’s favor through your moral track record, your service, or your religious zeal and traditions, you are carrying a burden you were never meant to bear. Legalism will only leave you either proud and self-deceived or despairing and burnt out. Step away from your own works, renounce your self-righteousness, and place your total trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He has done it all!

Application for the Church

Our church ministries should not heap on the heavily-laden burdens of guilt about man-made laws and traditions. Nor should they offer false hope and comfort by means of our own works and efforts. We must reject any teaching that complicates the simplicity of the Gospel. Our supreme calling is to be a beacon of divine liberty, creating a space where weary, sin-burdened people can strip away the heavy armor of human performance and find immediate, lasting peace through the Gospel of free justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, forgive us for the deep-seated pride that makes us want to contribute to our own salvation through our traditions, our works, and our religious rights. Break our stubborn attachment to our own merits, and shatter our rigid, self-righteous wineskins. Guard our hearts against the subtle poison of legalism, which leads us to trust in our performance and look down on others. Pour your Holy Spirit into us, that we might collapse entirely upon the green pastures of Your grace. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that Your blood is enough, Your righteousness is perfect, and that You are our ultimate rest. May our lives loudly proclaim Your free mercy to a world dying under the weight of human religion. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And he went forth again by the seaside; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:13-17

If Jesus were to come today and call as one of His apostles and teachers someone who collected taxes for a foreign dictator and became rich at our expense, would we be pleased? If Jesus then spent time and even ate together with such tax collectors and other known sinners rather than separating Himself from such and associating only with good church-going citizens, what would we say of Him? Consider God’s Word, Mark 2:13-17.

“And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him…” (Mark 2:13-14)

It is easy to filter our lives so we only interact with people who make us feel comfortable, safe, and validated. In the ancient world, religious leaders took this to an extreme. They drew hard, visual lines between the “righteous” and the “sinful and unclean.”

But when Jesus walked up to the customs booth and called Levi (Matthew) — a tax collector viewed as a traitor to his people — He broke the mold. What happened next at Levi’s house reveals the beating heart of Christ’s mission.

Feast of the Unwelcome

Imagine the scene inside the house. Levi is overjoyed by his new calling, so he throws a feast to introduce his friends to Jesus:

“And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.” (Mark 2:15)

In that culture, sharing a meal wasn’t just about refueling; it was an act of deep fellowship, acceptance, and intimacy. Jesus didn’t just tolerate these people; He sat at meat with them. He reclined at their table.

Predictably, the religious elite were scandalized. They stayed outside, looking in with critical eyes:

“And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?” (Mark 2:16)

The Pharisees saw a contamination of holiness. They wondered how a man claiming to be from God could rub shoulders with the spiritually compromised.

Warning for Self-Righteousness

Jesus overheard their murmuring and responded with a profound medical analogy that exposes the core of human pride and divine mercy:

“When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

Consider what a doctor does. A physician doesn’t spend his day hanging out in wellness clinics surrounded only by perfectly healthy people. If he did, he wouldn’t be fulfilling his purpose. A doctor goes where the disease is. He goes to the hurting, the broken, and the dying.

Jesus’ words carry a gentle but piercing irony:

• The “Publicans and Sinners” knew they were sick. They knew their lives were broken, and they flocked to the one Man who offered true healing.
• The Scribes and Pharisees were just as sick with the terminal disease of sin, but their pride blinded them. Because they thought they were “whole” and “righteous,” they refused the only Doctor who could save them.

The dangerous trap for many believers today is to act more like the Pharisees than the Physician. We can easily find ourselves looking down on the world’s brokenness, retreating into holy huddles, and asking, “How can they live like that?”

But if we are honest, every single one of us is a patient of Jesus. We all suffer from spiritual sickness. He did not call us because we were good; He called us because we needed a Savior.

If you feel broken, unworthy, or heavily burdened by your sinfulness and past misdeeds, take heart. You are exactly the kind of person Jesus came to find. And if you have already partaken of His healing grace, ask Him to give you His heart for the hurting. May we be willing to step out of our comfort zones, pull up a chair, and invite the “sick” to meet the Great Physician of our souls.

Lord, forgive me for the times I have looked at others with judgment instead of compassion. Thank You for being the Great Physician who looked past my uncleanness and sin and called me to repentance and faith. Give me a heart like Yours — willing to go to the broken and share the healing power of Your gospel. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5

When tempted in the wilderness and urged to worship Satan rather than the true God, Jesus, making reference to Deuteronomy 6:13, said: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10).

But who is the LORD God whom we are to worship and serve? Who is each of us to love with all his heart, soul, and might? Who are we to trust for our eternal salvation?

In Deuteronomy 6:4, God reveals the fact that the LORD God (Jehovah Elohim) is one Jehovah. But the very name of God, Jehovah (singular) and Elohim (plural), indicates that God is one God and yet more than one Person. Consider the plurality of persons and the oneness of God revealed in passages like Genesis 1:2; 1:26-27; 3:22-24; Psalm 2; Numbers 6:22-27; Isaiah 48:16-17.

And, in Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands baptism in the name of the true God with the words: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost….” We, therefore, learn that the three persons of the Godhead are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Consider other passages speaking of the Trinity, such as 1 John 5:7; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Isaiah 48:16-17.

Therefore, we believe and teach that the true God, who has revealed Himself to us in the Bible, is one God and three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There are not three Gods, but one God, and yet each Person is fully God and equal in divine attributes, such as being eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing.

The Father begets the Son from all eternity, the Son is begotten of the Father from all eternity, and the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son from all eternity (cf. Psalm 2:7; John 1:18; 3:16; 14:15-26; John 16:7-16).

To worship and serve the true God, we must worship and serve the Triune (three/one) God who is one God and yet three Persons. Those who deny the Son do not know or worship the Father (cf. John 14:6-7; 1 John 2:23; 2 John 9), and apart from the Spirit, we cannot know or trust in the Father or the Son (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3).

Jesus said, in John 5:23: “All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

Christians worship the one true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — through faith in Jesus Christ, who is God the Son and true man, who went to the cross to redeem us.

We thank Thee, O gracious Holy Spirit, for revealing to us the Father and the Son and making known to us the salvation provided for us through the atoning sacrifice of God the Son for the sins of all people. Keep us in the one true faith that we might worship and glorify You, with the Father and the Son, ever one God for all eternity. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:36-42 (Read Acts 2)

A piercing truth often comes with a painful sting. We tend to trust those in authority, particularly in matters of faith. We rely on our religious leaders, our church bodies, and the traditions we’ve inherited, often without questioning whether they align with divine truth revealed in the Bible. Yet, the story of Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2, serves as a powerful reminder that even deeply religious people, led by their trusted guides, can tragically miss God’s clearest revelation. It also shows us the path back to Him when that painful truth is revealed.

Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, stood before a crowd of devout Jews gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. He didn’t mince words. He declared that the very Jesus, whom they and their religious leaders had rejected and crucified, God had made “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

This was a gut-wrenching revelation. Imagine the guilt, the shame, the profound realization that they had participated, however unknowingly, in the rejection and murder of their long-awaited Messiah. Their hearts were “pricked,” pierced by the weight of their grave error. Their immediate, desperate cry was, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

Peter’s answer was direct and to the point. He didn’t offer complicated rituals or lengthy penance. He laid out a clear path to reconciliation with God and new life: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39). Furthermore, he exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40).

This ancient account remains profoundly relevant to us today. Just as those in Peter’s audience, we too can find ourselves blindly following our church bodies and religious leaders, even when they lead us astray. History is replete with examples of religious institutions falling into error, embracing doctrines or practices that deviate from God’s Word. Our comfort in tradition or our loyalty to a particular denomination can sometimes overshadow our personal responsibility to discern truth. When we encounter a truth that challenges our long-held beliefs or exposes an error within our spiritual landscape, the question that should echo in our hearts is the same as that of Peter’s hearers: “What shall we do?”

Peter’s words offer the timeless answer. First, repent. This is not merely feeling sorry for ourselves; it’s acknowledging our error, turning from it, and looking to God in faith for mercy and forgiveness in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Second, we are to be baptized, every one of us, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (cf. Matt. 28:18-20). Baptism signifies our union with Jesus Christ and our participation by faith in the new covenant He established through the shedding of His holy and precious blood on the cross (cf. Col. 2:11-15; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:6ff.; 9:11ff.; Mark 16:16; John 3:14-18). It signifies our union with Christ in His death for our sins, that, as Christ was raised from the dead, we should be raised up in newness of life, alive to God through faith in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-29). It signifies the washing away of our sins and guilt and a new identification in Christ (cf. Acts 22:16).

Third, Peter promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would indwell believers and guide them into all truth by giving them a right understanding of the Scriptures. This promise, Peter emphatically stated, “is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” It’s a universal invitation, extending to every generation and every person God draws to Himself.

Finally, the call to “save yourselves from this untoward generation” is a summons to separate ourselves from the prevailing attitudes, values, and errors of the world around us — even from religious distortions — and to turn to Jesus, the Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

The immediate response of three thousand souls on that day was a testament to the power of God’s truth. They “gladly received his word” and were baptized (Acts 2:41). Their conversion was not a superficial experience; they “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Their lives were profoundly reshaped by their encounter with the resurrected Lord and the truth of God’s Word made known to them through the preaching of Peter.

Let us, then, examine our own hearts and the spiritual paths we walk. Are we diligently seeking God’s truth, even if it challenges our comfort zones or familiar traditions? Are we willing to repent when the Holy Spirit convicts us of error, regardless of how deeply ingrained it may be within our religious upbringing? The path Peter laid out is not just for a crowd in Jerusalem two millennia ago; it is God’s enduring invitation to us. It is the way to reconciliation, forgiveness, the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, and true fellowship with Christ. May we respond with the same earnestness as those on Pentecost, and find our salvation in Christ Jesus alone!

Have mercy upon me, O God, and forgive my sins, which caused the innocent sufferings and death of Christ Jesus, Your Son, and my Savior. Join me to Christ Jesus in my baptism and make the forgiveness and life He won for me on the cross my own through faith in His name. And grant me Your Holy Spirit and teach and guide me with Your Word, keeping me in the true faith unto life everlasting. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Pentecost Worship

LSB #500 “Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid”

Invocation
 (Congregation Stands)
O almighty God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we come into Your presence to seek Your mercy, to hear Your Word, and to offer up to You our prayers and praises. Hear us for the sake of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Amen.

Psalm 32 A Psalm of David, Maschil.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Confession of Sins
P: Let us confess our sins unto the Lord our God and look to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the plenteous redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us from all our iniquities.
C: Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess to You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We, therefore, flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
P: For the sake of Jesus’ holy life, His atoning sacrifice on the cross, and His glorious resurrection and ascension, I announce unto you the grace and mercy of God and proclaim to you forgiveness for all your sins through faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed (inside back cover of LSB)

LSB #497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”

Scripture Lesson: Acts 2:1-47

Prayer (Congregation Stands)
Merciful Father, for the sake of the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, forgive us for failing to walk by faith in the promises of Your Word. Move us to read and study our Bibles regularly and to come before You with our petitions and praises. Keep us from being overcome by our sinful inclinations and preserve us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Christ Jesus, eternal Son of God and our Savior, You gave Your life for ours when You died on the cross and made atonement for our sins. Bless the work of our pastor and congregation — and of faithful pastors, missionaries, and congregations everywhere — so that Your life-giving Word might be proclaimed among us and among the peoples of the world, and those who hear might repent of their sins and look to You and Your cross for pardon and forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Holy Spirit, do not forsake us because of our weakness and disobedience to Your Word. Be patient with us and move us to continually repent of our sins and look in faith to our Savior for mercy. Teach us from Your Word. Strengthen and keep us in the true and saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O loving and merciful God, our nation and people are living in darkness and are under Your wrath and judgment. Open the eyes and ears of our people and rulers that they might see and hear the truth of Your Word, repent of their evil deeds, and fall down at the feet of Jesus, pleading for pardon and forgiveness and then seeking to walk in Your ways, that Your judgment may be turned away and Your wrath against us be averted. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Healer and Preserver of our bodies and souls, as You have promised, we ask You to provide for all our needs and to preserve us from all harm and danger and all evil. We lift up to You those among us who are afflicted. We especially remember Harley, Connie, and Rozella. Have mercy on us, grant healing to the sick, comfort to the oppressed, and strength for all to endure the troubles and afflictions of this life in the hope of everlasting glory for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matt. 6:9-13)

LSB #637 “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”

Lord’s Supper (Words of Institution)
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also, he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Congregation Stands)
O LORD Jesus Christ, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, we thank You for fulfilling all righteousness in our stead and then taking upon Yourself the guilt and punishment for all our sins and making full atonement for us by Your perfect sacrifice on the cross. And we thank and praise You for giving us to partake of Your one holy sacrifice so that we might also partake of the blessings that You won for us by Your death and have made sure to us by Your glorious resurrection. Strengthen and keep us in the true and saving faith, and move us to live our lives for You while we await Your glorious return and the joys of Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

Benediction (Num. 6:24-26)
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

LSB #498 “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest”

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

LSB #493 “A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing”

Invocation
 (Congregation Stands)

O almighty God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we come into Your presence to seek Your mercy, to hear Your Word, and to offer up to You our prayers and praises. Hear us for the sake of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Amen.

Psalm 130 A song of degrees.

1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Confession of Sins

P: Let us confess our sins unto the Lord our God and look to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the plenteous redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us from all our iniquities.

C: Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess to You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We, therefore, flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

P: For the sake of Jesus’ holy life, His atoning sacrifice on the cross, and His glorious resurrection and ascension, I announce unto you the grace and mercy of God and proclaim to you forgiveness for all your sins through faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed (inside back cover of LSB)

LSB #490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”

Scripture: Acts 1:1-1 (Congregation Stands)

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

As Jesus ascended into heaven, so He will return

Thursday was Ascension Day, a Christian festival that is often overlooked by churches today. It is a day to remember Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the fact that He now rules over and fills all things (Eph. 1:15-23) and will soon return to judge the living and the dead and establish His everlasting kingdom. Today, we consider the words of the angels to Jesus’ disciples when Jesus was taken up into heaven.

This Word of God teaches us that Jesus Christ will return visibly in the clouds of glory on the Last Day. The Bible also says this in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

As Jesus ascended into heaven, so He shall return on the Last Day, the Day of Judgment. He will come again in clouds of glory. Every eye will see Him! His return will be no secret rapture — both the believer and the unbeliever will see Him coming in glory!

In Matthew 24:29-31, we read: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Note that the angels will come with a great sound of a trumpet and gather the elect from the four winds at the same time that Jesus returns, and the unbelieving people of this world mourn His coming.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, verses often used as a proof passage for a secret rapture, God’s Word says that “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” And the next verses (in chapter 5) make clear that Jesus’ coming will be unexpected, like a thief in the night, for the unbelievers, but expected by those of us who believe and are awaiting His return.

Are you ready for His return and judgment? Are you prepared to meet Him?

Those who do not trust in Him for salvation will wail in sorrow at His return because they stand condemned for not trusting in the only begotten Son of God. In John 3:18, we read: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Mark 16:16 says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

And, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, God’s Word says that “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”

But those who do believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior — trusting in God’s promise to pardon and forgive their sins for the sake of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death in their stead — will rejoice at His return because He comes to take them to be with Him forever in heaven.

In John 14:1-3, Jesus says: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (Cf. Luke 21:25-28; Heb. 9:27-28; 1 Thess. 4:13-18.)

Do you acknowledge your sins and look to Christ and His cross for mercy and forgiveness? If not, the day of His return will be for you a day of sorrow and mourning as you face His eternal judgment and condemnation!

But, if you agree with God about your sins and trust in Christ and the atonement He made for the sins of the world when He died on the cross, that day will be a day of joy and gladness for you as you receive His mercy, His pardon, and life eternal in His glorious kingdom!

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, as You have ascended up into heaven to the right hand of God the Father, so come again and take us to be with You forever. Graciously keep us in the true faith so that, on that Day, we may greet You with joy and not with sorrow. Grant this to us for the sake of Your holy life and Your bitter sufferings and death on the cross in our stead. Amen.

Offering

Prayer (Congregation Stands)

Merciful Father, for the sake of the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, forgive us for failing to walk by faith in the promises of Your Word. Move us to read and study our Bibles regularly and to come before You with our petitions and praises. Keep us from being overcome by our sinful inclinations and preserve us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Christ Jesus, eternal Son of God and our Savior, You gave Your life for ours when You died on the cross and made atonement for our sins. Bless the work of our pastor and congregation — and of faithful pastors, missionaries, and congregations everywhere — so that Your life-giving Word might be proclaimed among us and among the peoples of the world, and those who hear might repent of their sins and look to You and Your cross for pardon and forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Holy Spirit, do not forsake us because of our weakness and disobedience to Your Word. Be patient with us and move us to continually repent of our sins and look in faith to our Savior for mercy. Teach us from Your Word. Strengthen and keep us in the true and saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O loving and merciful God, our nation and people are living in darkness and are under Your wrath and judgment. Open the eyes and ears of our people and rulers that they might see and hear the truth of Your Word, repent of their evil deeds, and fall down at the feet of Jesus, pleading for pardon and forgiveness and then seeking to walk in Your ways, that Your judgment may be turned away and Your wrath against us be averted. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Healer and Preserver of our bodies and souls, as You have promised, we ask You to provide for all our needs and to preserve us from all harm and danger and all evil. We lift up to You those among us who are afflicted. We especially remember Harley, Connie, and Rozella. Have mercy on us, grant healing to the sick, comfort to the oppressed, and strength for all to endure the troubles and afflictions of this life in the hope of everlasting glory for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matt. 6:9-13)

LSB #627 (1-4) “Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior”

Lord’s Supper (Words of Institution)

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Distribution

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Congregation Stands)

O LORD Jesus Christ, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, we thank You for fulfilling all righteousness in our stead and then taking upon Yourself the guilt and punishment for all our sins and making full atonement for us by Your perfect sacrifice on the cross. And we thank and praise You for giving us to partake of Your one holy sacrifice so that we might also partake of the blessings that You won for us by Your death and have made sure to us by Your glorious resurrection. Strengthen and keep us in the true and saving faith, and move us to live our lives for You while we await Your glorious return and the joys of Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

Benediction (Num. 6:24-26)

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

LSB #492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

For Pastoral Care, please call Pastor Moll at 479-310-5501 or email him at randy@mercifulsavior.net.