Third Sunday of Easter – April 18, 2021

Today’s Theme for Worship: Christ’s work is completed. It is our privilege to share this truth with the world.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

Opening Hymn: 771 I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

1 I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.

God set the stars to give light to the world; The star of my life is Jesus.

Refrain

In him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

2 I want to see the brightness of God; I want to look at Jesus.

Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path And show me the way to the Father.

Refrain

In him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

3 I’m looking for the coming of Christ; I want to be with Jesus.

When we have run with patience the race, We shall know the joy of Jesus.

Refrain

In him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

Used by permission.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

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: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.

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.

Lord, Have Mercy

P: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ.

C: ♬ Christ, have mer-cy.

P: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care:

C: ♬ A-men.

P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise.

♬ O Lord, Our Lord

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

Al-might-y God, mer-ci-ful Father,

you crown our life with your love.

You take a-way our sin; you com-fort our spir-it;

you make us pure and ho-ly in your sight.

You did not spare your on-ly Son, but gave him up for us all.

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

O Son of God, e-ter-nal Word of the Fa-ther,

you came to live with us;

you made your Fa-ther known;

you washed us from our sins in your own blood.

You are the King of glo-ry; you are the Lord!

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

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: ♬ A-men.

First Lesson: Acts 4:8-12

Peter tells the Jewish high council that Jesus lives and reigns as the Savior of all people.

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, ⁹if we are being questioned today for a kind act that was done for the lame man, as to how this man has been healed, ¹⁰let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead! By him this man stands before you healed. ¹¹This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.

¹²“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

Psalm of the Day – Psalm 118

Refrain

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

The LORD is my strength and my song;*

he has become my salvation.

The LORD’S right hand is lifted high;*

the LORD’S right hand has done mighty things!

I will not die but live,*

and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

Refrain

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

I will give you thanks, for you answered me;*

you have become my salvation.

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;*

the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the LORD has made;*

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

Second Lesson: 1 John 1:1 - 2:2
John speaks of the “Word of life,” who showed himself as the light of the world.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have observed and our hands have touched regarding the Word of Life— ²the life appeared, and we have seen it. We testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³We are proclaiming what we have seen and heard also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴We write these things to you so that our joy may be complete.

⁵This is the message we heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light. In him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say we have fellowship with him but still walk in darkness, we are lying and do not put the truth into practice. ⁷But if we walk in the light, just as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. ⁸If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his Word is not in us.

^2:1My children, I write these things to you so that you will not sin. If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate before the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world.

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 Lesson: Luke 24:36-49

Our risen Lord appears to the disciples. He tells them that this suffering and rising from the dead is the fulfillment of God’s plan foretold in the Old Testament scriptures.
³⁶As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

³⁷But they were terrified and frightened and thought they were looking at a ghost.

³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹While they still did not believe it (because of their joy), and while they were still wondering, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. ⁴³He took it and ate in front of them. ⁴⁴He said to them, “These are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”

⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He said to them, “This is what is written and so it must be: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹Look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Hymn of the Day: 145 Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won

1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!

Death no longer can appall me.

Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!

From the grave Christ will recall me.

Brighter scenes will then commence;

This shall be my confidence.

2 Jesus lives! To him the throne

High o’er heav’n and earth is given.

I shall go where he is gone,

Live and reign with him in heaven.

God is faithful; doubtings, hence!

This shall be my confidence.

3 Jesus lives! For me he died;

Hence will I, to Jesus living,

Pure in heart and act abide,

Praise to him and glory giving.

All I need God will dispense;

This shall be my confidence.

4 Jesus lives! I know full well

Nothing me from him shall sever,

Life nor death nor pow’rs of hell

Part me now from Christ forever.

God will be a sure defense;

This shall be my confidence.

5 Jesus lives! And now is death

But the gate to life immortal;

This shall calm my trembling breath

When I pass its gloomy portal.

Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:

“Jesus is my confidence!”

Text: Christian F. Gellert, 1715-69, abr.; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812-97, alt.

Sermon

Offering

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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.

The Sacrament

P: The Lord be with you.

C: ♬ And also with you.

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: ♬ We lift them up to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: ♬ It is right to give him thanks and praise.

P: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms and placed all things under his feet for the benefit of the Church. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever.

♬ Holy, Holy, Holy

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

You are my God, and I will ex-alt you.

I will give you thanks, for you have be-come my sal-va-tion.

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

Words of Institution

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: ♬ A-men.

♬ O Christ, Lamb Of God

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

grant us your peace.

A-men.

Distribution Hymn: 358 How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds In a believer’s ear!

It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, And drives away all fear.

2 It makes the wounded spirit whole And calms the heart’s unrest;

’Tis manna to the hungry soul And to the weary, rest.

3 Dear name! The rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place,

My never-failing treasury filled With boundless stores of grace.

4 By you my prayers acceptance gain Although with sin defiled;

Satan accuses me in vain For God calls me his child.

5 O Jesus, Shepherd, Guardian, Friend, My Prophet, Priest, and King,

My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, Accept the praise I bring.

6 I praise in weakness from afar-How cold my warmest thought!

But when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought.

7 Till then I would your love proclaim With ev’ry fleeting breath;

And may the music of your name Refresh my soul in death.

Text: John Newton, 1725-1807, alt.

Thank the Lord

Thank the Lord and sing his praise.

Tell ev-'ry-one what he has done.

Let all who seek the Lord re-joice

And proud-ly bear his name.

He re-news his prom-is-es and leads his peo-ple forth

in joy with shouts of thanks-giv-ing.

Al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia!

Prayer

P: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: A-men.

Blessing

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

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: (sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.

Closing Hymn: 76 Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love

1 Jesus! Name of wondrous love,

Name all other names above,

Unto which must ev’ry knee

Bow in deep humility.

2 Jesus! Name decreed of old,

To the maiden mother told-

Kneeling in her lowly cell-

By the angel Gabriel.

3 Jesus! Name of priceless worth

To the fallen here on earth

For the promise that it gave,

“Jesus shall his people save.”

4 Jesus! Only name that’s giv’n

Under all the mighty heav’n

Whereby all, to sin enslaved,

Burst their fetters and are saved.

5 Jesus! Name of wondrous love,

Human name of God above;

Pleading only this, we, too,

Flee, O God, in faith to you.

Text: William W. How, 1823-97, abr., alt.