Third Sunday of Easter — April 26, 2020

Today’s Theme for Worship: The Old Testament testifies to Christ’s resurrection as does the New Testament.

Opening Hymn: 492 Son of God, Eternal Savior

1 Son of God, eternal Savior, Source of life and truth and grace,

Word made flesh, whose birth among us, Honors all our human race,

You our head, who, throned in glory, For your own will ever plead:

Fill us with your love and pity; Heal our wrongs and help our need.

2 Come, O Christ, and reign among us, King of love and Prince of Peace;

Hush the storm of strife and passion; Bid its cruel discords cease.

By your patient years of toiling, By your silent hours of pain,

Quench our fevered thirst for pleasure; Stem our selfish greed for gain.

3 Bind us all as one together In your Church’s sacred fold,

Weak and healthy, poor and wealthy, Sad and joyful, young and old.

Is there want or pain or sorrow? Make us all the burden share.

Are there spirits crushed and broken? Teach us, Lord, to soothe their care.

4 As you, Lord, have lived for others, So may we for others live.

Freely have your gifts been granted; Freely may your servants give.

Yours the gold and yours the silver, Yours the wealth of land and sea;

We but stewards of your bounty Held in solemn trust will be.

Text: Somerset T. C. Lowry, 1855-1932, abr., alt.

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

♬ Oh Taste And See

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is e-ter-nal;

it stands firm in the heav-ens.

Your faith-ful-ness con-tin-ues for-ev-er.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

O God, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world from the despair of death. By his resurrection to life, grant your faithful people gladness of heart and the hope of eternal joys; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ Amen.

The Lessons are printed on the back of this service folder.

First Lesson: Acts 2:14a, 36-47

The early Christian’s daily worship, sincerity, and concern for one another had an impact on the people of Jerusalem, as Jesus said, “All will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them:

³⁶“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Gentlemen, brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

⁴¹Those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.

⁴²They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. ⁴³Awe came over every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵They were selling their possessions and property and were distributing the proceeds according to what anyone needed.

⁴⁶Day after day, with one mind, they were devoted to meeting in the temple area, as they continued to break bread in their homes. They shared their food with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷as they continued praising God and being viewed favorably by all the people. Day after day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 89a
“I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever.”

Refrain

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever!

Refrain

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever!

You, O LORD, are mighty and your faithfulness surrounds you;

I will make your faithfulness known throughout all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever;

Love and faithfulness go before you.

Who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?

You founded the world and all that is in it.

The heavens and earth are yours, O LORD, forever;

Righteousness and justice are your throne.

Blessed are those who acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence.

They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.

For you are their glory and strength and by your favor you exalt them.

Refrain

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever!

The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, forever;

You have established your faithfulness in heaven.

Refrain

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever!

Refrain

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever!

Second Lesson: 1 Peter 1:17-21

Christ Jesus was chosen, killed, resurrected, glorified, and revealed to the world. Those who believe in him share in his victory and hope of glory.

¹⁷If you call on the Father who judges impartially, according to the work of each person, conduct yourselves during the time of your pilgrimage in reverence, ¹⁸because you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, not with things that pass away, such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰He was chosen before the foundation of the world but revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹Through him you are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Verse:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

The Emmaus disciples forgot the testimony of the angels, women and disciples, Jesus’ predictions, and Moses and the prophets. Jesus gently rebuked them and taught them again that the Christ had to die and rise

¹³Now, on that same day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴They were talking with each other about all of these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing this, Jesus himself approached and began to walk along with them. ¹⁶But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk along?” Saddened, they stopped.

¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹“What things?” he asked them.

They replied, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him. ²¹But we were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel. Not only that, but besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²²Also some women of our group amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning. ²³When they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb. They found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

²⁵He said to them, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸As they approached the village where they were going, he acted as if he were going to travel farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, since it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.”

So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and began giving it to them. ³¹Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. Then he vanished from their sight. ³²They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us along the road and while he was explaining the Scriptures to us?” ³³They got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those who were with them assembled together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord really has been raised! He has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵They themselves described what had happened along the road, and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 346 In You Is Gladness

1 In you is gladness Amid all sadness,

Jesus, Sunshine of my heart.

By you are given The gifts of heaven;

You the true Redeemer are.

Our souls are waking; Our bonds are breaking.

Who trusts you surely Has built securely

And stands forever. Alleluia!

Our hearts are pining To see your shining,

Dying or living To you are clinging

Now and forever. Alleluia!

2 If he is ours, We fear no powers,

Not of earth or sin or death.

He sees and blesses In worst distresses;

He can change them with a breath.

Wherefore the story Tell of his glory

With hearts and voices; All heav’n rejoices

In him forever. Alleluia!

We shout for gladness, Win over sadness,

Love him and praise him And still shall raise him

Glad hymns forever. Alleluia!

Text: Johann Lindemann, 1549-1631; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.

Sermon 1 Peter 1:17-21

Apostles’ Creed, Hymnal, p. 41

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.

Offering Prayer

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

Prayer of the Church

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

Hymn: 281 God Has Spoken by His Prophets

1 God has spoken by his prophets, Spoken his unchanging Word,

Each from age to age proclaiming God the one, the righteous Lord.

In the world’s despair and turmoil One firm anchor holds us fast:

God is king, his throne eternal, God the first and God the last.

2 God has spoken by Christ Jesus, Christ, the everlasting Son,

Brightness of the Father’s glory, With the Father ever one,

Spoken by the Word incarnate, God from God, before time was,

Light from Light, to earth descending-He reveals our God to us.

3 God is speaking by his Spirit, Speaking to the hearts of all,

In the ageless Word expounding His own message for us all.

Through the rise and fall of nations One sure faith is standing fast.

God abides, his Word unchanging, God the first and God the last.

Prayer

P: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

P: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ A-men.

Blessing (Special Music)

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face shine upon you.

May the Lord show you his favor and give you peace and give you peace.

Closing Hymn: 752 In Christ Alone

1. In Christ alone my hope is found.

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my all in all,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

2. In Christ alone who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones he came to save.

Till on that cross, as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied;

For ev'ry sin on him was laid.

Here in the death of Christ I live.

3. There in the ground his body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain;

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as he stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.

For I am his and he is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

4. No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the pow'r of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from his hand;

Till he returns or calls me home,

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Today’s Organist: Mrs. Jodi Grant