Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany January 30, 2022

Today's Theme for Worship: Agenda Uncovered: What must Be Said, Not What Others Want to Hear. There is a temptation to alter the message we proclaim because of apparent success. The gospel of forgiveness is to be the center of all our preaching and teaching.

Opening Hymn: 874 Preserve Your Word, O Savior

1 Preserve your Word, O Savior, to us this latter day,
and let your kingdom flourish; enlarge your Church, we pray.
O keep our faith from failing, keep hope’s bright star aglow;
let nothing turn us from you while wand’ring here below.

2 Preserve your Word and preaching, the truth that makes us whole,
the mirror of your glory, the pow’r that saves the soul.
Oh, may this living water, this spring of heav’nly grace,
sustain us while here living until we see your face.

3 Preserve in wave and tempest your storm-tossed little flock;
assailed by wind and weather, may it endure each shock.
Come take the helm, our pilot, and set the course aright;
then we will reach the harbor in your eternal light.

Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

Order of Service: Service Setting One p. 154

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, look with mercy on our weaknesses, and in all our dangers and needs stretch out the right hand of your majesty to help and defend us; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

First Reading Jeremiah 1:4–10

⁴The word of the Lord came to me.

⁵Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,

and before you were born, I set you apart.

I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.

⁶But I said, “Ah, Lord God! I really do not know how to speak! I am only a child!”

⁷The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. ⁸Do not be afraid of them, because I am with you, and I will rescue you, declares the Lord.”

⁹Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. The Lord said to me:

There! I have now placed my words in your mouth.

¹⁰Look, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms

to uproot and to tear down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant.

Psalm of the Day: 71B LORD, in Your Mercy, Hear My Prayer

Refrain: LORD, in your mercy, hear my prayer. LORD, hear my prayer.

1 LORD, as I age, as foes conspire,
I beg you, in distress,
O Holy One of Israel,
respond in righteousness.

Refrain: LORD, in your mercy, hear my prayer. LORD, hear my prayer.

2 For since you took me from the womb,
through many bitter days,
my teacher you have always been,
my hope, my constant praise.

Refrain: LORD, in your mercy, hear my prayer. LORD, hear my prayer.

3 O throw me not aside, my God,
when I am old and gray.
I must declare your mighty acts
to this and ev’ry age.

Refrain: LORD, in your mercy, hear my prayer. LORD, hear my prayer.

4 Your righteousness transcends the skies,
your splendor I adore.
I’ll hope in you each day you grant
and praise you more and more.

Refrain: LORD, in your mercy, hear my prayer. LORD, hear my prayer.

Text: © 2021 Northwestern Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

Second Reading 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5

¹⁴As for you, continue in the things you have learned and about which you have become convinced. You know from whom you learned them ¹⁵and that from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be complete, well equipped for every good work.

4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom: ²Preach the word. Be ready whether it is convenient or not. Correct, rebuke, and encourage, with all patience and teaching. ³For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires. ⁴They will also turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
⁵As for you, keep a clear head in every situation. Bear hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus is the light of the world;

in him we have the light of life.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 4:38–44

³⁸Jesus got up, left the synagogue, and went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. They asked him to help her. ³⁹He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. ⁴⁰As the sun was setting, they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases. He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. ⁴¹Demons also came out of many people, crying out, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

⁴²When it was day, he went out to a deserted place. The crowds were looking for him. They went up to him and were trying to prevent him from leaving them. ⁴³But he told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴And he continued to preach in the synagogues in the land of the Jews.

Hymn of the Day: 901 O Christians, Haste

1 O Christians, haste, your mission high fulfilling,
to tell to all the world that God is light,
that he who made all nations is not willing one soul should perish, lost in shades of night.

Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace,

tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.

2 Behold how many thousands still are lying bound in the dreary prison-house of sin
with none to tell them of the Savior’s dying or of the life he died for them to win.
Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace,

tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.

3 Proclaim to ev’ry people, tongue, and nation that God,
in whom they live and move, is love;
tell how he stooped to save his lost creation and died on earth that they might live above.
Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace,

tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.

4 Send heralds forth to bear the message glorious,
give of your wealth to speed them on their way;
pour out your soul for them in prayer victorious;
O Christians, haste to bring the brighter day!

Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace,

tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.

Text: Public domain

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.

Prayer of the Church

Offering Prayer

Offering

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Hymn: 533 Jesus, Lover of My Soul

1 Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly
while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide. O receive my soul at last!

2 Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on thee.
Leave, ah, leave me not alone; still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed; all my help from thee I bring.
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.

3 Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in thee I find.
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name; I am all unrighteousness.
False and full of sin I am; thou art full of truth and grace.

4 Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin.
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art; freely let me take of thee.
Spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity.
Text: Public domain

Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name,

 your kingdom come,

 your will be done

  on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

 as we forgive those

 who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

 and the glory are yours

 now and forever. Amen.

Blessing

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 T give you peace.

Amen.

Closing Hymn: 925 On What Has Now Been Sown

1 On what has now been sown your blessing, Lord, bestow;
the pow’r is yours alone to make it spring and grow.
O Lord, in grace the harvest raise and you alone shall have the praise!

2 To you our wants are known; from you are all our pow’rs.
Accept what is your own and pardon what is ours.
Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive and to your Word a blessing give.

3 O grant that each of us now met before you here
may meet together thus when you and yours appear
and follow you to heav’n, our home. E’en so, Amen! Lord Jesus, come!

Text: Public domain

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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