Fourth Sunday in Lent                                                                March 14, 2021

 

Today’s Theme for Worship: Only faith in Christ crucified saves. We receive God’s unde­served love through faith in Jesus’ work.

 

Opening Hymn: 384 By Grace I’m Saved
1  By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless; My soul, believe and doubt it not.

Why waver at this word of promise? Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?

So then this word must true remain: By grace you, too, shall heav’n obtain.

 

2  By grace God’s Son, our only Savior, Came down to earth to bear our sin.

Was it because of your own merit That Jesus died your soul to win?

No, it was grace, and grace alone, That brought him from his heav’nly throne.

 

3  By grace! Oh, mark this word of promise When you are by your sins oppressed,

When Satan plagues your troubled conscience, And when your heart is seeking rest.

What reason cannot comprehend God by his grace to you did send.

 

4  By grace to timid hearts that tremble, In tribulation’s furnace tried-

By grace, despite all fear and trouble, The Father’s heart is open wide.

Where could I help and strength secure If grace were not my anchor sure?

 

5  By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying; In Jesus’ promise I rejoice.

For though I know my heart’s condition, I also know my Savior’s voice.

My heart is glad; all grief has flown Since I am saved by grace alone.

 

Text: Christian L. Scheidt, 1709-61, abr.; tr. composite.

 

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.

 

 

Lord Have Mercy

 

Kyrie

C: (sung) Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

 

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.

 

Song of Praise: Hymn 391 vv 1-4  God Loved the World So That He Gave

 

1  God loved the world so that he gave His only Son the lost to save

That all who would in him believe Should everlasting life receive.

 

2  Christ is the solid rock of faith, Who was made flesh and suffered death.

All who confide in him alone Are built on this chief cornerstone.

 

3  God would not have the sinner die-His Son with saving grace is nigh.

His Spirit in the Word does teach How we the blessed goal may reach.

 

4  Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son Forgives the sins that you have done.

You’re justified by Jesus’ blood; Baptized, you are a child of God.

 

Text: Heiliges Lippen . . . Gesangbuch, Stettin, c. 1778; tr. August Crull, 1845-1923, alt.

 

Prayer of the Day

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

 

P: Let us Pray.

P: Almighty God, we confess that we deserve to be punished for our evil deeds. But we ask you graciously to cleanse us from all sin and to comfort us with your salvation; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  C:(sung) Amen.

 

FIRST LESSON: Numbers 21:4-9
This lesson is the account of the Israelites’ rebellion and the bronze snake Moses made

4They set out from Mount Hor along the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom, but the people became very impatient along the way. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Look, there is no food! There is no water! And we are disgusted by this worthless food!”

6The Lord sent venomous snakes among the people, and the snakes bit the people. As a result many people from Israel died. 7The people went to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord to take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed on behalf of the people.

8The Lord said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake and put it on a pole. If anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 9Moses made a bronze snake and put it on the pole. If a snake had bitten anyone, if that person looked at the bronze snake, he lived.  

 

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 38

 

Refrain

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger*

or discipline me in your wrath.

 

For your arrows have pierced me,*

and your hand has come down upon me.

 

My guilt has overwhelmed me*

like a burden too heavy to bear.

 

Refrain

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

All my longings lie open before you, O LORD;*

my sighing is not hidden from you.

 

I wait for you, O LORD;*

you will answer, O Lord my God.

 

Come quickly to help me,*

O Lord my Savior.

 

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

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

Refrain Tune: Patricia Craig. © 1986 GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago, IL, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Psalm Tone: Paul Bunjes. © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

 

Second Lesson: Ephesian 2:4-10

Even when we were dead in transgressions, God made us alive with Christ.

4But God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6He also raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 7He did this so that, in the coming ages, he might demonstrate the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.

Verse: John 3:16
M: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

GOSPEL: John 3:14-21
Jesus compares himself to the bronze snake. He was lifted up to pay for the sins of the world.

C: ♬ Glory be to you, O Lord!

14“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18The one who believes in him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. 19This is the basis for the judgment: The light has come into the world, yet people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20In fact, everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, or else his deeds would be exposed. 21But the one who does what is true comes toward the light, in order that his deeds may be seen as having been done in connection with God.” P: This is the gospel of our Lord.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

 

 

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: 98 vv 1-4 Jesus, I will Ponder Now

 

1  Jesus, I will ponder now On your holy passion;

With your Spirit me endow For such meditation.

Grant that I in love and faith May the image cherish

Of your suff’ring, pain, and death That I may not perish.

 

2  Make me see your great distress, Anguish, and affliction,

Bonds and stripes and wretchedness And your crucifixion;

Make me see how scourge and rod, Spear and nails did wound you,

How for them you died, O God, Who with thorns had crowned you.

 

3  Yet, O Lord, not thus alone Make me see your passion,

But its cause to me make known And its termination.

Ah! I also and my sin Wrought your deep affliction;

This indeed the cause has been Of your crucifixion.

 

4  If my sins give me alarm And my conscience grieve me,

Let your cross my fear disarm; Peace of conscience give me.

Help me see forgiveness won By your holy passion.

If for me he slays his Son, God must have compassion!

 

Text: Sigmund von Birken, 1626-81; tr. August Crull, 1845-1923, alt.

 

Sermon     

 

Cre-ate in me a clean heart, O God,

and re-new a right spir-it with-in me.

 

Cast me not a-way from your pres-ence,

and take not your Ho-ly Spir-it from me.

 

Re-store un-to me the joy of your sal-va-tion,

     and up-hold me with your free Spir-it. A-men.

 

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: 98 vv 5&6

5  Grant that I your passion view With repentant grieving.

Let me not bring shame to you By unholy living.

How could I refuse to shun Ev’ry sinful pleasure

Since for me God’s only Son Suffered without measure?

 

6  Graciously my faith renew; Help me bear my crosses,

Learning humbleness from you, Peace mid pain and losses.

May I give you love for love! Hear me, O my Savior,

That I may in heav’n above Sing your praise forever.

 

Text: Sigmund von Birken, 1626-81; tr. August Crull, 1845-1923, alt.

 

Prayer and Blessing

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.

 

OR

 

P: Almighty god, grant to your Church the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes from above. Let nothing hinder your Word from being freely proclaimed to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, so that we may serve you in steadfast faith and confess your name as long as we live, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: A-men.

 

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.

 

C: A-men. A-men. A-men.

 

 

Closing Hymn 345 In the Cross of Christ I Glory

1  In the cross of Christ I glory, Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.

All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime.

 

2  When the woes of life o’ertake me, Hopes deceive and fears annoy,

Never shall the cross forsake me; Lo, it glows with peace and joy.

 

3  When the sun of bliss is beaming Light and love upon my way,

From the cross the radiance streaming Adds more luster to the day.

 

4  Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure By the cross are sanctified;

Peace is there that knows no measure, Joys that through all time abide.

 

Text: John Bowring, 1792-1872.