Fourth Sunday in Lent March 27, 2022

Today’s Theme for Worship: Our Condemnation Is Crushed by God’s Grace. We assume people get what they deserve. We assume what goes around comes around. We assume God helps those who helps themselves. All those assumptions must be crushed. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. The heart of the gospel is God’s undeserved love for all.

Opening Hymn 916 Today Your Mercy Calls Us

1 Today your mercy calls us
to wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
whatever we have been,
however long from mercy
our hearts have turned away,
your precious blood can wash us
and make us clean today.

2 Today your gate is open,
and all who enter in
shall find a Father’s welcome
and pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
a present joy be giv’n,
a future grace be promised,
a glorious crown in heav’n.

3 Today our Father calls us,
his Holy Spirit waits;
his blessèd angels gather
around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
how often we have come;
although we oft have wandered,
it is our Father’s home.

4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
what should we do without you
when heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
to drive us to despair,
we know one gate is open,
one ear will hear our prayer.

Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–1878, alt.

Text: Public domain

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.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, you receive us as your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge your merciful goodness, give thanks for all your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ Amen

First Lesson: Isaiah 12:1-6

In that day you will say:

I will give thanks to you, Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away,

and you comfort me.

²Surely God is my salvation.

I will trust him and will not be afraid,

because Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song,

and he has become my salvation.

³Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

⁴In that day you will say:

Give thanks to the Lord! Proclaim his name.

Declare among the peoples what he has done.

Proclaim that his name is exalted!

⁵Sing to the Lord, for he has done amazing things!

Let this be known in all the earth!

⁶Shout aloud and sing for joy, daughter of Zion,

for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!

Psalm of the Day 32 B How Blest Are Those

1 How blest are those the LORD forgives;
how glad they are to hear
their sin is gone, their guilt atoned,
their record clean and clear.

2 I silently concealed my guilt,
but then I groaned all day:
your heavy hand, like summer heat,
took all my strength away.

3 I then confessed my sin to you,
my grievous guilt and shame,
and you forgave my wickedness
by your most gracious name.

4 Let all the faithful pray to you
while you may still be found;
you place them safe above the flood,
secure on higher ground.

5 You hide me, LORD; you hold me fast
in all adversity,
surrounding me with faithful love
and songs of victory.

Text: Michael D. Schultz

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

Second Lesson: Romans 8:1-10

8 So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ²For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³Indeed, what the law was unable to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did, when he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin. God condemned sin in his flesh, ⁴so that the righteous decree of the law would be fully satisfied in us who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

⁵To be sure, those who are in harmony with the sinful flesh think about things the way the sinful flesh does, and those in harmony with the spirit think about things the way the spirit does. ⁶Now, the way the sinful flesh thinks results in death, but the way the spirit thinks results in life and peace. ⁷For the mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot. ⁸Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God.

⁹But you are not in the sinful flesh but in the spirit, if indeed God’s Spirit lives in you. And if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Verse: Luke 15:10
P: There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear him. ²But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³He told them this parable:

“A certain man had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all that he had and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted his wealth with reckless living. ¹⁴After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He would have liked to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, and I am dying from hunger! ¹⁸I will get up, go to my father, and tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰“He got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, hugged his son, and kissed him. ²¹The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²²“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate, ²⁴because this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵“His older son was in the field. As he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. ²⁷The servant told him, ‘Your brother is here! Your father killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸The older brother was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.

²⁹He answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I’ve been serving you, and I never disobeyed your command, but you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours arrived after wasting your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

³¹“The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³²But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’”

P: This the gospel of our Lord.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 576 Amazing Grace

1 Amazing grace—how sweet the sound—
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
was blind but now I see.

2 The Lord has promised good to me,
his Word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.

3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

4 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
than when we’d first begun.

Text (sts. 1–3): John Newton, 1725–1807, alt.; (st. 4): A Collection of Sacred Ballads, Richmond, 1790

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.

Offering

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Prayer of the Church

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.

Hymn: 657 Baptismal Waters Cover Me

1 Baptismal waters cover me
as I approach on bended knee;
my Father’s mercy here I plead,
for grievous sins of thought and deed.

2 I look to Christ upon the tree,
his body broken there for me;
I lay before him all my sin,
my darkest secrets from within.

3 Lord, may your wounded hand impart
your healing to my broken heart;
your love alone can form in me
a heart that serves you joyfully.

4 From your own mouth comes forth a word;
your shepherd speaks, but you are heard;
through him your hand now stretches out,
forgiving sin, destroying doubt.

5 Baptismal waters cover me;
Christ’s wounded hand has set me free.
Held in my Father’s strong embrace,
with joy I praise him for his grace.

Text: Kurt E. Reinhardt, b. 1969

Text: © 2003 Kurt E. Reinhardt. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

Prayer and Blessing

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.

P: 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: ♬ A-men, A-men, A-men

Closing Hymn: 654 Jesus Sinners Does Receive

1 Jesus sinners does receive;
oh, may all this saying ponder
who in sin’s delusions live
and from God and heaven wander.
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners does receive.

3 Sheep that from the fold did stray
are not by the Lord forsaken;
weary souls who lost their way
are by Christ, the Shepherd, taken
in his arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners does receive.

7 Jesus sinners does receive,
even I have been forgiven.
And when I this earth must leave,
I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to him I cleave:
Jesus sinners does receive.

Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756, abr.

Text: Public domain