Good morning and welcome to the broadcast of the Divine Service at Zion Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.
To help you follow along, the Order of Worship for today's service is available under the radio tab on our website, ZionLCMSCF.org.
The Lord bless you today through the hearing of His word.
end of the Son, end of the Holy Spirit.
Beloved in the Lord, let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord.
Oh, Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities, with which I have ever offended you, and justly deserved your temporal and eternal punishment.
But I am heartily sorry for them, and sincerely repent of them.
And I pray you of your boundless mercy.
And for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved Son Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, the poor sinful being.
Upon this, your confession, I by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the word, announce the grace of God unto all of you.
And in this stead, and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ,
and forgive you all your sins.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Give to him glorious praise.
Hallelujah.
So great is your power that your enemies come bringing to you.
Who has kept our soul
now.
Glory be to God.
Almighty
God, you show those in error the light of your truth so that they may return to the way of righteousness.
Grant faithfulness to all who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's church, that they may avoid whatever is contrary to their confession, and follow all such things as are pleasing to you.
Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The Old Testament reading for this Fourth Sunday of Easter is
from Isaiah chapter 40.
To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him?
Says the holy one lift up your eyes on high and see who created these?
He who brings out their host by number calling them all by name by the greatness of his might and because he is strong and power not one is missing Why do you say oh Jacob and speak of Israel?
My way is hidden from the Lord and my right is disregarded by my God Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted.
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, and they shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Understanding is beyond measure.
Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God.
For it is pleasant and a song of praises fitting.
The Lord builds up church.
The epistle reading is from 1 Peter chapter 2.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution.
Whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
For this is the will of God.
That by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Honor everyone.
Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.
Honor the emperor.
Servants.
be subject to your masters with all respect not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust for this is a gracious thing when mindful of God one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly for what credit is it if when you sin are beaten for it you endure but if when you do good and suffer for it you endure this is a gracious thing in the sight of God this is the word of the Lord
The Holy Gospel according to Saint John the 16th chapter.
Jesus said, a little while and you will see me no longer and again a little while and you will see me.
So some of his disciples said to one another, what is this that he says to us a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me.
And because I'm going to the Father.
So they were saying, what does he mean by a little while?
We do not know what he was talking about.
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him.
So he said to them, is this what you are asking yourselves?
What I meant by saying a little while and you will not see me.
And again, a little while and you will see me.
Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.
You will be sorrowful.
but your sorrow will turn into joy.
When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come.
But when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
So also, you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you.
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Amen.
So as Jesus is preparing his disciples for his death, he said, a little while and you'll see me no longer.
And again, a little while and you will see me.
Although he's speaking plainly, the disciples don't understand that Jesus is telling them about his death and his resurrection.
And how could they really understand what they are about to observe?
their Lord, their beloved Jesus, is going to experience the mocking and the scourging and the agonizing death, even separation from God as he cried out, why has thou forsaken me?
Jesus would experience great anguish, even in anticipation of the suffering that he knew he was about to go through.
anticipating the time that he would be cut off from God, the Father, and the pain, the anguish of hell, and yet for the joy that was set before him, Jesus endured the cross, and it's shame.
This is called jubilate Sunday because there's joy picked up from the psalm we chanted, but there's mixed
kind of attention with the sorrow, this joy and the sorrow.
With his joy that was set before Christ includes the joy of knowing that what he was going to endure, the suffering, the death would satisfy the demands of justice for the sins of man.
And that his bride, the church, would be washed and made holy by his blood.
And the certainty of this joy
That would come at the end of the age when all the world passes away and his bride is with him in eternity This joy was before Christ He faced the cross And on the night of his arrest as he prepared to endure the cross Jesus prayed to the father for his disciples But now I'm coming to you and these things I speak to the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves
Jesus prayed for his disciples that they might have his joy fulfilled in them and he continued I've given them your word the world has hated them because they are not of the world Just as I am not of the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world But that you keep them from the evil one They are not of the world just as I am not of the world sanctify them the truth Your word is truth as you sent me into the world.
So I have sent them into the world
And for their sake, I consecrate myself that they may also be sanctified in the truth.
Jesus prays that his disciples have this joy fulfilled in themselves and are sanctified in the truth of God's word while they endure the hatred of the world.
In a little while, the disciples would suffer anguish, the anguish of watching Jesus suffer and die.
And at that same time, the world is rejoicing.
They would weep and lament that their Lord was dead and the world was glad.
But in a little while their sorrow would turn into joy when the resurrected Christ would be there with them in their presence with the assurance that he was victorious over sin, death, the devil, that their hope in Jesus was not misplaced.
And yet in a little while,
Still Jesus would ascend to heaven From that point on they would only see him with eyes of faith They would live with the hope and the joy Anticipating his return as he said he would But while they waited they would suffer the ridicule the mockery of the world and Jesus was getting them ready for this
both for his crucifixion and the time that they would remain in the world after his ascension.
And when the sorrow came at the time of his crucifixion and after his ascension, they had Christ's word, this word to hold on to.
These were necessary, his crucifixion and his ascension were necessary, and their sorrow was expected.
This was no surprise.
So rather than doubt God while going through their sorrow,
and the ridicule of the world, their faith was strengthened because his words were true.
But Jesus wants them to do more than endure.
He wants them to have joy in anticipation of what would happen.
He tells them, truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world rejoice.
You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.
And then he suggests,
a mother giving birth.
A mother knows that she's going to suffer pain and anguish while delivering her baby.
But she also knows there will be joy when a human being is born into the world.
And the joy will be so great that she'll no longer remember the anguish of childbirth.
Jesus observes the disciples anticipatory sorrow.
They have no reason to be sad except to anticipate what's going to happen.
He says, you have sorrow now.
But he wants them to have anticipatory joy.
But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from me.
This joy will never be removed.
It will last forever.
And that they have now.
These words were for the disciples who Jesus would see again after his resurrection, but also for them to hold on to after he ascended They were going out in his name They would follow the path of Christ declaring his kingdom had begun calling people to repentance And they would be mocked and ridiculed just like Jesus They would suffer pain and anguish for the sake of their Lord and for his kingdom and they would have to endure until he returned
but it would only be for a little while.
A little while seems like a long time when you're in the middle of suffering.
The temptation is to give in to despair, but there's no reason to despair.
He says, I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
So the disciples would experience that joy.
Jesus was with them after his resurrection in the flesh.
And after his ascension, the disciples had the certainty of his word confirmed by that resurrection.
They would experience joy when he'd come for them in the Eucharist, the meal that he instituted.
They could believe those words that he in fact would continue to come to them.
with words of forgiveness, life, and salvation whenever they gathered and broke the bread as he commanded.
So no matter what they suffered, no matter what their failures and sorrow as they were out representing him, combat with the world, Jesus came to his disciples with his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
a reminder that this is only for a little while.
And he still does this for his disciples today.
All mankind suffers the effects of the fall.
Childbirth is painful, work is hard, whether you're Christian or not.
The Christians have the added burden of the cross placed on them, dying to self and living for others.
Christians
have been called out of this world.
Christians are not of this world, but remain here for the sake of others.
You, dear Christian, do not belong to this world.
Your citizenship is in heaven.
As Peter says in his epistle, you are sojourners in exiles and you are at war.
You bear the cross that God sent you as you go out.
into this world as Christ's ambassador.
You bring Christ to the world through your words and deeds, and the world is hostile toward God, his commands, and his representatives.
The world doesn't want anyone to tell them whom to worship or how to live.
It refuses to acknowledge the need of a savior and mocks the crucifixion of Christ as foolish.
But that's how we were.
before the Lord called us out of the world.
Going through catechesis, Reagan and I discussed how in baptism God called her out of the world to be his own and promised that he'll never leave her nor forsake her.
He's claimed her for eternity.
Her citizenship is in heaven, but while she's in this world, she's to serve as Christ's representative.
following the commands, receiving His gifts, and so forth.
And this is true for all of you baptized Christians called out of the world.
You have God's word, His promise.
It's for a little while.
Now people who don't know the Lord are watching how you conduct yourself.
So you must conduct yourself in a way that represents and honors your Lord.
This includes conduct yourself honorably.
when they speak against you.
Because you're not of this world, you're following the commands of God.
People who don't know the Lord will speak against you.
But we don't conduct ourselves in a way that honors the Lord for His sake.
He doesn't need our deeds or our words.
We do this for the sake of those whom the Lord has put in your life.
So we learn to live according to His commands.
Other people may not appreciate it at the time.
They even make your life miserable because your conduct is honorable.
But someday, they too may receive the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
They too may be called out of darkness into His marvelous light.
They too may receive mercy and be made God's people.
So do good deeds that they may glorify God on the day of visitation, the visitation of His grace to them.
Peter writes a little later in the...
the letter we heard today, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed.
Have no fear of them nor be troubled.
But in your hearts, honor Christ, the Lord is holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you.
Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience so that they, when they, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
So living honorably in this fallen world among those who are hostile toward Christ makes life as a Christian more difficult than those who live however they want.
But the Lord says to you a little while.
A little while until he calls you home through death.
Your time of suffering in this world ends a little while until he returns in glory, raising.
the living and the dead, and he welcomes all of his own into his eternal dwelling that he has already gone ahead to prepare for us.
You can anticipate that with great joy.
You can also anticipate joy now when he comes to you with his gifts, the divine service.
Every time he restores, he refreshes you, your failings from the weak, he forgives.
He forgives you failure to live honorably among the non-Christians in your life.
He says, do this in remembrance of me so that you keep in mind what he has done and is doing for you.
So that you have joy even now.
He visits our failures with his victory and that's what brings us joy.
He wants you to know his joy now even while you wait for his return.
He who ascended to the father not only took away your sins by his suffering But he intercedes for us and it's pleading for us even as we struggle with our sins and our faith and our troubles here Christ's cross is how he gained joy for us in our crosses where he brings joy to us It's in our pain.
It's in our spiritual pain where we suffer for our sins and sorrow and regret
that God brings us His joy.
It's in our helplessness where He comes.
He forgives us our doubts, our failures, and by forgiving takes away the sorrow that has hold on us.
He declares us righteous by His own righteousness.
And this is all hidden under Christ's cross and our cross, but it is ours by faith, and we see Jesus with the eyes of faith.
His words, His washing,
His body and blood, they come to us in our sorrow.
Our sorrow does not completely disappear while we live in these bodies in this world, but it is only for a little while.
As Saint Paul wrote, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
And as Jesus said, you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice.
and no one will take your joy from you.
Amen.
May the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Please stand for the offertory.
Jesus Christ said to his apostles all authority has been given to me and heaven and on earth Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and though I'm with you always even to the end of the age You have been baptized and catechized in the Christian faith according to our Lord's bidding Jesus said whoever confesses me before men I will also
and fast before my Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny it before my Father who is in heaven.
Lift up your hearts therefore to God, the God of all grace, and joyfully give answer to what I now ask you in the name of the Lord.
Reagan, due to this day and the presence of God and of this congregation, acknowledge the gifts that God gave you in your baptism.
Do you renounce the devil?
Do you renounce all his works?
Do you renounce all his ways?
Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord?
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
Do you hold all the prophetic and apostolic scriptures to be the inspired word of God?
You confess the doctrine of the evangelical Lutheran church drawn from the scriptures as you have learned to know it from the small catechism to be faithful and true.
Do you intend to hear the word of God and receive the Lord's supper faithfully?
Do you intend to live according to the word of God and in faith, word, and deed, to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?
Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?
We rejoice.
with thankful hearts that you have been baptized and have received the teaching of the Lord.
You have confessed the faith and been absolved of your sins.
As you continue to hear the Lord's word and receive his blessed sacrament, he who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Reagan Elizabeth Myers, the authority.
The Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthened you with this grace to life everlasting.
And Reagan chose for her confirmation verse Matthew 1926, but Jesus looked at them and said, with man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
Christ assuring us that what we cannot do to have life in him to bring us from dad in our trespasses He says it's possible and he assures you it's true in baptism and the word said he promises to you This is true for Reagan and all you dear baptized children of God.
Amen Please stand as we continue with prayer
Let us pray.
Lord God Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you that for your great goodness in bringing this, your daughter, to the knowledge of your son, our Savior Jesus Christ, and enabling her both with the heart to believe and with the mouth to confess his saving name.
Grant that bringing forth the fruits of faith, she may continue steadfast and victorious to the day when all who have fought the good fight of faith shall receive the crown of righteousness.
Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.
Amen.
Almighty and most merciful Father, in the waters of holy baptism, you have united your children in the suffering and death of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, cleansing them by his blood, renewing them the gift of your Holy Spirit that they may live in daily contrition and repentance.
with the faith that ever clings to their Savior, deliver them from the power of Satan and preserve them from false and dangerous doctrines, that they may remain faithful in hearing Christ's word and receiving his body and blood.
May the Lord's Supper strengthen them to believe that no one can make satisfaction for sin, but Christ alone.
Enable them to find joy and comfort only in him, learning from this sacrament to love you and their neighbor.
and to bear the cross with patience and joy until the day of the resurrection of their bodies to life immortal.
Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Peace be with you.
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Merciful Lord, you have shown us a generous heart and taught us it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Accept our gratitudes for your mercies and tender care and time of need.
Receive now the gifts of our hands with the voices raised in thanksgiving and praise.
Lord, in your mercy, you're our prayer.
Preserve your church, O Lord.
from every sorrow and mockery of the enemy.
In this little while, between Christ's resurrection and our own, do not let the threats of persecution, loss or discomfort turn us from the joy and confidence of his redemption.
Sustain all preachers faithful to their calling, all confessors steadfast in their trials, and all Christians firm in the faith for life.
Lord, in your mercy.
God of comfort, give hope to your people in the midst of this world of death and despair.
Put your spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to your promises and commands.
Lead our homes to confess our confidence in your power to raise the dead, now and at the last day.
Lord, in your mercy.
Amen.
Almighty God, it is your will that every human institution exercise the authority you give from above to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good.
Give us good government under which we may honor everyone, love the brotherhood and fear God.
Above all, let our subjection be offered always for your sake as sojourners and exiles in this world.
And if we must endure suffering, let it be born mindful of you, Lord, in your mercy.
Heavenly Father, on the day when this little while ends, we will ask nothing.
Now and every need,
We are bold to ask everything in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, our mediator.
Here are supplications and intercessions for every need, especially Vicki, Lynn, Anita, Lois, Larry, Lewis, Chuck, Marlis, Tim, Greg, Grant, Doris, Matthew, Megan, Mark, Ethel, Bob, Peter, Fred, Harold, Joan, Greg, Linda, Jaden, Rick, Thorfinn, Lacey, Marilyn, Marlene,
George, Ann, Dawn, Florence, and Zoe.
Lord, in your mercy.
Lord, God grant grace to all who approach your holy altar today that they would receive this sacramental mystery worthily, the New Testament of our Divine Redeemer, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Lord, in your mercy.
Lord, you have heard the cries of your people.
You have delivered the martyr from defeat in the saints to everlasting life.
Wipe away the tears of your grieving people.
Raise us to joy in the promise of the resurrection and the life death cannot steal.
We acknowledge before you the saints who love you and serve you faithfully.
We pray that you would bring us with them into your joy, the joy of your presence forevermore.
Lord in your mercy.
Graciously receive our prayers.
and deliver and preserve us, for to you alone we give all glory, honor, and worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The Lord be with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
Let us give thanks unto the Lord.
It is truly meat, right, and salutary that we should at all times and at all places give thanks to you, Holy Lord, Almighty Father, everlasting God.
And most especially, are we bound to praise you on this day for the glorious resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ, the very paschal lamb, who has sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world.
By his dying, he has destroyed death.
And by his rising again, he has restored to us everlasting life.
Therefore, with Mary, Magdalene, Peter, and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, ever more praising you and saying.
Arts 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.
our Lord Jesus Christ on the night when he was betrayed took bread and When he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat This is my body which is given for you this do and remembrance of me
In the same way also, he took the cup after supper.
And when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, drink of it all of you.
This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
This too as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
The peace of the Lord be with you always
Thank you for tuning in to the Divine Service at Zion Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.
May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
If you have any prayer requests, please let us know.
You may call us at 715-723-6380 or stop by and visit 110 East Grand Avenue in Chippewa Falls.
If you're looking for a church home, we'll gladly tell you more about Zion or help you find a congregation near you.
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Zion is a member of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Syn...