Ninth Sunday after Pentecost August 7, 2022

Today’s Theme for Worship: Focused living properly values heavenly treasure. Jesus warns against undervaluing heavenly treasure. Worry, even when faced with the prospect of having a shortage of earthly wealth, is folly. We can pursue heavenly treasure wholeheartedly, confident that our Father knows all we need.

Hymn: 828 Where Your Treasure Is

Ref Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.

1     What do you gain from all your worry,
    what you should eat or what to wear?
There is no peace in stress or hurry.
    Do you not know that you are held within God’s care? (Refrain)

2     Look at the ravens high above you.
    They do not work their whole life through,
and yet God feeds them and protects them.
    So how much more will God protect and care for you? (Refrain)

3     Behold the lilies in their splendor.
    In grace and beauty are they dressed,
and yet so soon their bloom is faded.
    So how much more will those who look to God be blessed? (Refrain)

4     O little flock, do not be frightened;
    yours is the kingdom of the Lord.
Give your possessions to the needy;
    obtain a treasure in God’s heaven safely stored. (Refrain)

Text (st. 4): Michael D. Schultz, b. 1963; (sts. Ref–3): Marty Haugen, b. 1950
Text (st. 4): © 2006 Michael D. Schultz, admin. Northwestern Publishing House; (sts. Ref–3): © 2000 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Confession

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.

Holy God, gracious Father,
    I am sinful by nature
        and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
    I have not loved you with my whole heart;
    I have not loved others as I should.
        I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
    But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
        with his innocent suffering and death.
    Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. 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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Lord, Have Mercy

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

Amen.

Glory Be to God

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

We praise you, we bless you, we worship you,

we glorify you, we give thanks to you, for your great glory,

O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

You take away the sin of the world; receive our prayer.

You sit at the right hand of God the Father; have mercy on us.

For you only are holy; you only are the Lord.

You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Word

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and willing to give far more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask except through the merits and mediation of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

First Reading: Genesis 15:1–6

After these events the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. He said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

²Abram said, “Lord God what can you give me, since I remain childless, and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³Abram also said, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a servant born in my house will be my heir.”

⁴Just then, the word of the Lord came to him. God said, “This man will not be your heir, but instead one who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” ⁵The Lord then brought him outside and said, “Now look toward the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “This is what your descendants will be like.” ⁶Abram believed in the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.

Psalm of the Day: 121A I Lift Up My Eyes to the Mountains

Refrain

I lift up my eyes to the mountains,

from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the One who has made

the heavens and the earth,

the maker of heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes to the / mountains—
    where does my help / come from?
My help comes / from the Lord,
    the maker of / heaven and earth.
He will not let your / foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not / slumber;
indeed, he who watches over / Israel
    will neither / slumber nor sleep.   Refrain

The Lord watches / over you—
    the Lord is your shade / at your right hand.
The Lord will keep you / from all harm—
    he will watch / over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and / going
    both now and for- / evermore.
Glory be to the Father and / to the Son
    and to the Holy / Spirit,
as it was in the be- / ginning,
    is now, and will be forever. / Amen.   Refrain

Text: Public domain

Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1–3,8–16

¹Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see. ²For by this faith the ancients were commended in Scripture.

³By faith we know that the universe was created by God’s word, so that what is seen did not come from visible things.

⁸By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance, and he left without knowing where he was going.

⁹By faith he lived as a stranger in the Promised Land, as if it did not belong to him, dwelling in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹By faith Abraham also received the ability to conceive children, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was past the normal age, because he considered him faithful who made the promise. ¹²And so from one man, and he as good as dead, descendants were born as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand along the seashore.

¹³One by one, all of these died in faith, without having received the things that were promised, but they saw and welcomed them from a distance. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴Indeed, people who say things like that make it clear that they are looking for a land of their own. ¹⁵And if they were remembering the land they had come from, they would have had an opportunity to return. ¹⁶Instead, they were longing for a better land—a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Do not be afraid, little flock,

for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 12:22–34

²²Jesus said to his disciples, “For that reason I tell you, stop worrying about your life, about what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. ²³Certainly life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no warehouse or barn; and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds! ²⁵And who of you by worrying can add a single moment to his lifespan? ²⁶Since you are not able to do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest? ²⁷Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith? ²⁹Do not constantly chase after what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be worried about it. ³⁰To be sure, the nations of the world chase after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need them. ³¹Instead, continue to seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. ³²Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not become old, a treasure in the heavens that will not fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Hymn of the Day: 800 How Firm a Foundation

1 How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

2 “Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed,
for I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

3 “When through the deep waters I call you to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
for I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
and sanctify to you your deepest distress.

4 “When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
my grace all-sufficient shall be your supply;
the flames will not hurt you; I only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

5 “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”

Text: A Selection of Hymns, London, 1787, ed. John Rippon, alt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is,

seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven,

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who in unity with the Father and the Son
is worshiped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of the Church

Offering

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The Sacrament

Preface

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who promised that wherever two or three come together in his name, there he is with them to shepherd his flock until he comes again in glory. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly hosts: heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he, blessed is he, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We give thanks to you, O God, through your dear Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent to be our Savior, our Redeemer, and the messenger of your grace. Through him you made all things; in him you are well pleased. He is the incarnate Word, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. To fulfill your promises, he stretched out his hands on the cross and released from eternal death all who believe in you.

As we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection, we thank you that you have gathered us together to receive your Son’s body and blood. Send us your Spirit, unite us as one, and strengthen our faith so that we may praise you in your Son, Jesus Christ. Through him, we glorify and honor you, O God our Father, with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

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.

Words of Institution

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 T 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 T 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.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Amen.

O Christ, Lamb of God

O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace. Amen.

Distribution

Take and eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.

Take and drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.

The true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you to life everlasting. Go T in peace.

Amen.

Distribution Hymn: 868 By Faith

1 By faith we see the hand of God
in the light of creation’s grand design,
in the lives of those who prove his faithfulness,
who walk by faith and not by sight. (v. 2)

2 By faith our fathers roamed the earth
with the pow’r of his promise in their hearts,
of a holy city built by God’s own hand,
a place where peace and justice reign. (Refrain)

Ref We will stand as children of the promise;
we will fix our eyes on him, our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
we’ll walk by faith and not by sight.

3 By faith the prophets saw a day
when the longed-for Messiah would appear
with the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death
and rise triumphant from the grave. (v. 4)

4 By faith the church was called to go
in the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost
to deliver captives and to preach good news
in ev’ry corner of the earth. (Refrain)

5 By faith this mountain shall be moved
and the pow’r of the gospel shall prevail,
for we know in Christ all things are possible
for all who call upon his name. (Refrain)

Text: Stuart Townend, b. 1963; Kristyn Getty, b. 1980; Keith Getty, b. 1974
Text: © 2009 Thankyou Music (PRS), admin. CapitolCMGPublishing,com; © Getty Music Publishing (ASCAP), admin. Music Services . Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his mercy endures forever.

Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup,

we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

We give thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us with this saving gift. We pray that through it you will strengthen our faith in you and increase our love for one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, 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.

Hymn: 835 Precious Lord, Take My Hand

1 Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand;

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.

Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light.

Take my hand, precious Lord; Lead me home.

2 When my way grows drear, Precious Lord, linger near,

When my life is almost gone,

Hear my cry, hear my call; Hold my hand lest I fall.

Take my hand, precious Lord; Lead me home.

3 When the darkness appears And the night draws near

And the day is almost gone,

At the river I stand; Guide my feet, hold my hand,

Take my hand, precious Lord; Lead me home.

Acknowledgments

Setting One from Christian Worship

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.

Software distributed in partnership with Northwestern Publishing House.