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End Times - Reformation Oct. 31, Nov. 1, 2, 2020

WORSHIP FOCUS The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church emphasizes

the true Church’s unfailing reliance on the Word of God and unflinching

testimony to it in the face of persecution. Today the Church prays that

the Lord give us the strength to be faithful and the peace of knowing

our lives are safe in his hands.

SERVICE FOR TODAY

DIVINE SERVICE 1

Opening Hymn – 349 v.1-3, 5 Jesus, Priceless Treasure Jesus, priceless treasure, Fount of purest pleasure, Truest friend to me. Ah, how long in anguish Shall my spirit languish, Yearning, Lord, for thee? Thou art mine, O Lamb divine! I will suffer naught to hide thee, Naught I ask beside thee.

In thine arms I rest me; Foes who would molest me Cannot reach me here. Though the earth be shaking, Ev’ry heart be quaking, Jesus calms my fear. Lightnings flash And thunders crash; Yet, tho’ sin and hell assail me, Jesus will not fail me.

Satan, I defy thee; Death, I now decry thee; Fear, I bid thee cease. World, thou shalt not harm me Nor thy threats alarm me While I sing of peace. God’s great pow’r Guards ev’ry hour; Earth and all its depths adore him, Silent bow before him.

Hence, all fear and sadness! For the Lord of gladness, Jesus, enters in. Those who love the Father, Though the storms may gather, Still have peace within. Yea, whate’er I here must bear, Thou art still my purest pleasure, Jesus, priceless treasure!

Text: Johann Franck, 1618-77, abr.; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, st. 1-2, 4-5, alt.; The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis, 1941, st. 3.

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P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit C: Amen. Confession of Sins P: 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.

P: 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: Amen. Prayer and Praise P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord!

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P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray . . .

PRAYER OF THE DAY (Spoken together) 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.

Ring Praise Handbells (Sun.) Our Vision, Our Fortress First Lesson Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23

10Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God. He continued to do that just as he had been doing before this. 11Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.

12Then they went and said to the king concerning the decree, “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?”

The king answered, “Indeed I did. The command is like the law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”

16Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit and the king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation. 18Then the king went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him, and he could not sleep.

19Then at dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den. 20As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice. The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve continually: Was he able to rescue you from the lions’ den?”

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21Then Daniel spoke with the king, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! 22My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions, and they have not hurt me because he found me innocent before him. Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”

23Then the king was very glad, and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.

Psalm 46 (Sing the refrains, speak the verses responsively)

God is our refuge and strength,* an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way* and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam* and the mountains quake with their surging.

Refrain

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.

“Be still, and know that I am God;* I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son* and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,* is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

Refrain Tune: Dale Wood. From Seasonal Psalms. © 1978 Augsburg Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress.

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Second Lesson 2 Timothy 4:9-18 9Make every effort to come to me quickly, 10for Demas, because he

loved this present world, has forsaken me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me for ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments.

14Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will pay him back for what he did. 15You be on your guard against him also, because he vehemently opposed our message.

16At my first hearing, no one came to my defense, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. 17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles would hear it, and I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Verse of the Day Alleluia. If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Alleluia. (John 8:31,32)

Gospel Matthew 10:16-23

16“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. 18You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. 20In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

21“Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by all people because of my name, but

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whoever endures to the end will be saved. 23And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Amen, I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was

conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Hymn of the Day – 201 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon; He helps us free from ev’ry need That has us now o’ertaken. The old evil foe Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done; Soon were our loss effected. But for us fights the valiant one Whom God himself elected. You ask, “Who is this?” Jesus Christ it is, The almighty Lord. And there’s no other God; He holds the field forever.

Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us, We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us. This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done! One little word can fell him.

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The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it; He’s by our side upon the plain With his good gifts and Spirit. And do what they will-Hate, steal, hurt, or kill- Though all may be gone, Our victory is won; The kingdom’s ours forever!

Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr. composite.

Sermon Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who can always be found in times of trouble. 2 That is why we will not fear when the earth dissolves and when the mountains tumble into the heart of the sea. 3 Its waters roar and foam. The mountains quake when it rises. 4 There is a river—its streams bring joy to the city of God, to the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 God is in her. She will not fall. God will help her at daybreak. 6 Nations are in turmoil. Kingdoms fall. God raises his voice. The earth melts. 7 The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us. 8 Come, look at the works of the LORD. What a wasteland he has made of the earth! 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He shatters the bow. He cuts up the spear. He burns the carts with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth.” 11 The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us.

Be Still and Know That I Am God!

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Responsive Prayer for Reformation P: Almighty and eternal God, when the time had fully come, you sent

your Son to take our place under the demands of the law and to endure the just punishment for our sins. For our sake you accepted his sacrifice on the cross and raised him from death to glorious splendor.

C: Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. P: When the time had fully come, you bestowed your Spirit on your

people as a testimony that you had called them to proclaim the gospel to every creature. Equipped and encouraged, they carried the Word of salvation into all the world.

C: The Lord reigns. Let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

P: When the time had fully come, you raised up your servant Martin Luther to restore the pure and right teaching of the Scriptures to a troubled Church. You renewed your people with the light of your love, and your holy church grew and prospered throughout the world.

C: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

P: When the time had fully come, you made our forefathers bold to take their stand on the truth of your Word. You have blessed their sons and daughters and have enabled us to preserve and proclaim the saving gospel.

C: Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

P: Let this be a time, O Lord, when you renew us again by Word and sacrament, when you reform our hearts and minds, and when you restore to us the joy of fellowship and service. Grant to us in this age and in this place the courage of the apostles, the steadfastness of the reformers, and the dedication of those who have gone before us.

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C: May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.

P: May this be a time, O Lord, for confession and repentance. Forgive us for the apathy that harms our faith and hinders our works. Forgive us for boasting of our past achievements and for blaming others for our present problems. Rid us of indifference to public worship and Bible study. Destroy the distrust that plagues us, and shatter every thought and word that harms the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.

C: Create in us pure hearts, O God, and renew steadfast spirits within us.

P: Let this be a time, O Lord, when we recommit and reconsecrate ourselves to the ministry of the gospel. Let us find joy in our unity, zeal for our work, and success in our labor.

C: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us, that his ways may be known on earth, his salvation among all nations. Amen.

© 1999 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted by permission.

Prayers & Lord’s Prayer 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. Closing Hymn – 419 v. 1-2, 6-7 If God Himself Be for Me If God himself be for me, I may a host defy; For when I pray, before me My foes, confounded, fly. If Christ, my head and master, Befriend me from above, What foe or what disaster Can drive me from his love?

This I believe, yea rather, Of this I make my boast, That God is my dear Father, My friend who loves me most, And that, whate’er betide me, My Savior is at hand Through stormy seas to guide me And bring me safe to land.

No danger, thirst, or hunger, No pain or poverty, No earthly tyrant’s anger Shall ever vanquish me. Though earth should break asunder, You are my Savior true; No fire or sword or thunder Shall sever me from you.

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My heart for joy is springing And can no more be sad, ’Tis full of joy and singing, Sees only sunshine glad. The sun that cheers my spirit Is Jesus Christ, my King; The heav’n I shall inherit Makes me rejoice and sing.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76, abr.; tr. Richard Massie, 1800-87, st. 1-3, 6-7, alt.; unknown, st. 4-5, alt.

P: Blessed Lord, you have given us your Holy Scriptures for our

learning. May we so hear them, read, learn, and take them to heart, that being strengthened and comforted by your Holy Word, we may cling to the blessed hope of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen. P: 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.

Serving Us Today: Preacher: Pastor Thomas W. Kneser Organist: Dee Ann Techlin

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