Last Sunday of End Time – Christ the King November 22, 2020

Today’s Theme for Worship: Christ is the King of heaven and earth. Sometimes he displays his kingship in ways we don’t expect.

Opening Hymn: 227 Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs

1 Come, let us join our cheerful songs

With angels round the throne.

Ten thousand thousand are their tongues,

But all their joys are one.

2 “Worthy the Lamb that died,” they cry,

“To be exalted thus.”

“Worthy the Lamb,” our lips reply,

“For he was slain for us.”

3 Jesus is worthy to receive

Honor and pow’r divine;

And blessings more than we can give

Be, Lord, forever thine.

4 Let all creation join in one

To bless the sacred name

Of him that sits upon the throne

And to adore the Lamb.

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, 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.

Lord Jesus Christ, by your victory you have broken the power of the evil one. Fill our hearts with joy and peace as we look with hope to that day when every creature in heaven and earth will acclaim you King of kings and Lord of lords to your unending praise and glory; for you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ Amen.

First Lesson: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-24

Ezekiel prophesies about the people returning to the promised land, and about their Shepherd, the Lord’s Servant, a second David.

¹¹For this is what the Lord God says. Here I am. I myself will seek the welfare of my flock and carefully search for them. ¹²As a shepherd searches for his flock when his sheep that were with him have been scattered, so I will search for my flock and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own soil. I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all the settlements of the land. ¹⁴I will lead them into good pasture, and their grazing land will be on the high mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and they will pasture on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I myself will shepherd my flock. I myself will let them lie down, declares the Lord God. ¹⁶I will seek the lost. I will bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured. I will strengthen the weak. I will destroy the fat and the strong, and I will shepherd them with justice.

²³Then I will raise up over them one shepherd, and he will tend them. My servant David will tend them, and he will be their shepherd. ²⁴I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be the prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Psalm of the Day - Psalm 47

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

Refrain

Let the people praise you, O God. Let all the people praise you.

Clap your hands, all you nations;*

shout to God with cries of joy.

How awesome is the LORD Most High,*

the great King over all the earth!

God reigns over the nations;*

God is seated on his holy throne.

Refrain

Let the people praise you, O God. Let all the people praise you.

God has ascended amid shouts of joy,*

the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;*

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;*

sing to him a psalm of praise.

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

Let the people praise you, O God. Let all the people praise you.

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

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

The shepherd of Ezekiel’s prophecy is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” and the one who reigns and will destroy all enemies of his Church.

²⁰But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. ²²For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own order: Christ as the firstfruits and then Christ’s people, at his coming. ²⁴Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has done away with every other ruler and every other authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” ²⁶Death is the last enemy to be done away with. ²⁷Certainly, “he has put all things in subjection under his feet.” Now when it says that all things have been put in subjection, obviously that does not include the one who subjected all things to him. ²⁸But when all things have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

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

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: Matthew 27:27-31

Pontius Pilate’s soldiers mock Jesus, spit on him and shout “Hail, king of the Jews!” They don’t know the truth of what they say, for the one they mockingly call “king” is the King of all.
²⁷Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort of soldiers around him. ²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, knelt in front of him, and mocked him by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰They spit on him, took the staff, and hit him repeatedly on his head.

³¹After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 217 The Head that Once Was Crowned

1 The head that once was crowned with thorns Is crowned with glory now;

A royal diadem adorns The mighty victor’s brow.

2 The highest place that heav’n affords Is his, is his by right,

The King of kings and Lord of lords And heav’n’s eternal light,

3 The joy of all who dwell above, The joy of all below

To whom he manifests his love And grants his name to know.

4 To them the cross, with all its shame, With all its grace, is giv’n;

Their name, an everlasting name; Their joy, the joy of heav’n.

5 They suffer with their Lord below; They reign with him above,

Their profit and their joy, to know The myst’ry of his love.

6 The cross he bore is life and health, Though shame and death to him;

His people’s hope, his people’s wealth, Their everlasting theme.

Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769-1855.

Sermon

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.

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: 351 Hail, O Once-Despised Jesus

1 Hail, O once-despised Jesus! Hail, O Galilean King!

You have suffered to release us, Hope to give and peace to bring.

Hail, O universal Savior, Bearer of our sin and shame;

By your merits we find favor; Life is given through your name.

2 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, All our sins on you were laid;

By almighty love anointed, You have full atonement made.

Ev’ry sin has been forgiven Through the power of your blood;

Open is the gate of heaven; We are reconciled to God.

3 Jesus, heav’nly hosts adore you, Seated at your Father’s side.

Crucified this world once saw you; Now in glory you abide.

There for sinners you are pleading, And our place you now prepare,

Ever for us interceding Till in glory we appear.

4 Worship, honor, pow’r, and blessing You are worthy to receive;

Loudest praises, without ceasing, Right it is for us to give.

Help, O bright angelic spirits, All your noblest anthems raise;

Help to sing our Savior’s merits; Help to chant Immanuel’s praise.

Text: A Collection of Hymns, London, c. 1757, alt.

Prayer and Blessing

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.

or

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 Glorify Your Name

1. Father, we love you; we worship and adore you,
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Glorify your name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

2. Jesus, we love you; we worship and adore you,
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Glorify your name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

3. Spirit, we love you; we worship and adore you,
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Glorify your name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

4. (congregation hums the tune while the pastor speaks the benediction through the first two lines, then sings:

Glorify your name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

Closing Hymn: 341 Crown Him with Many Crowns

1 Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne;

Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns All music but its own.

Awake, my soul, and sing Of him who died for thee,

And hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

2 Crown him the Lord of love-Behold his hands and side,

Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified.

No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight,

But downward bends his wond’ring eye At mysteries so bright.

3 Crown him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o’er the grave

And rose victorious in the strife For those he came to save.

His glories now we sing Who died and rose on high,

Who died eternal life to bring And lives that death may die.

4 Crown him the Lord of heav’n, Enthroned in worlds above;

Crown him the King to whom is giv’n The wondrous name of Love.

Crown him with many crowns As thrones before him fall;

Crown him, ye kings, with many crowns For he is King of all.

Text: Matthew Bridges, 1800-94, st. 1-2, 4, abr., alt.; Godfrey Thring, 1823-1903, st. 3.