ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH THE LUTHERAN CHURCH—MISSOURI SYNOD LITTLETON, COLORADO

August 21, 2016 8:00 am

Jesus is full of surprises. He says and does things differently than we might expect from God. Many will seek to enter the narrow door of the kingdom but will not be able. God’s discipline of His children is an expression of His deep love for us. Some who are last will become first, and some who are first will find themselves last. How strange. The way of Jesus is the way of the cross, of suffering, discipline, and of being last. Divine strength is made perfect in human weakness. Grace unexpected is delivered in Word and Sacrament and through Jesus’ own presence with us in our sufferings. Thank You, God, for grace unexpected and overflowing.

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Divine Service Music for Meditation How Beautiful

Arr. Douglas E. Wagner

Pastoral Greeting

PASTOR LARSON

Tolling of the Bell

Congregation, please stand. Hymn of Worship

Today Your Mercy Calls Us

915

INVOCATION AND OPENING SENTENCES P C P C P C P C

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, so shall our offspring and our name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before the Lord. Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every child whom He receives. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

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Loving Father, we are by nature sinful and unclean. Though we deserve nothing but death for our sins, in Your mercy, You have given Your Son to die for us. For Jesus’ sake, please forgive us. Open our hearts to the freedom of life in Your Holy Spirit. Beloved in the Lord, we are not consumed, because the Lord’s compassion never fails. His mercies are new every morning, and great is God’s faithfulness. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of Jesus 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. Amen.

Kyrie P C P C P C

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on us sinners. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on us sinners. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on us sinners, and grant us Your peace. Amen.

Hymn of Praise

Oh, Worship the King

LSB 804

Oh, worship the King, all glorious above. Oh, gratefully sing, His pow’r and His love; Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Prayer of the Day P C P

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The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. O Lord, You have called us to enter Your kingdom through the narrow door. Guide us by Your Word and Spirit, and lead us now and always into the feast of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

SERVICE OF THE WORD Old Testament: Isaiah 66:18-23 "And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. "I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations--to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD--on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the LORD. "They will bring them, as the

Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels. And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites," says the LORD. "As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. L C

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Epistle: Hebrews 12:4-24 (25-29) In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they

refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire.") L C

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Congregation, please stand. The Alleluia

The Holy Gospel: Luke 13:22-30 P C

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 13th chapter. Glory to You, O Lord.

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, `Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, `I don't know you or where you come from.' "Then you will say, `We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' "But he will reply, `I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in

the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." P C

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ.

Hymn of the Day

Sermon

Seek Ye First

Sex, Everything You Should Know

Apostle’s Creed

LSB 712

PASTOR LARSON Text: Matthew 6:10

LSB (Inside back-cover)

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

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Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. Loving Father, You are always good, and You intend every good for us. Thank You for adopting us as Your own dear children in the waters of Holy Baptism. Thank You for reminding us that our sins are forgiven in Holy Absolution. Thank You for teaching us to recognize Your living voice and to understand Your love through Your Holy Word. Thank You for feeding us with the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. Continue to use these visible Means of Grace, that when we face hard times, we may learn to recognize the unexpected grace of Your loving hand at work through all things for our good. O Lord, hear our prayer. Heavenly Bridegroom, Your Bride, the Church, is buffeted from without and within by the impulses of power, agenda, and control. Grant to Your people faithful pastors, teachers, deaconesses, and other servants who will hold before us the eternal Gospel of Your saving love. Grant us listening ears to hear what You are speaking to us through their ministry. O Lord, hear our prayer.

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Gracious Lord, it is easy to see the problems in the systems of this world. It is even easier to lay blame at the feet of corrupt rulers, military powers, economic forces, and unjust laws. Grant us a different perspective that we may learn to recognize You at work among people who are poor, weak, marginalized, and set -aside in our land. Rather than wasting our energy criticizing what is wrong, grant us strength of purpose to practice a better way—the way of love and service to our neighbor in Jesus’ name. O Lord, hear our prayer. Kind Healer, help those who are sick and people who suffer any affliction of body, mind, or spirit. Help them to reject all notions that their sufferings are a punishment from You. Instead, cause them to know and to believe that You love them and will sustain them through every affliction according to Your gracious will. O Lord, hear our prayer. Powerful Provider, You invite us to dine today at Your Table, where You feed and nourish us with the true body and blood of Jesus, our Savior. Grant that in coming to this Meal, we turn away from the shadows of our own sinfulness and toward the brightness of Your face through faith in Your Son. O Lord, hear our prayer. Father of all, those who have entered Your kingdom through the narrow door are numbered and known only by You. Help us to identify with Jesus who became small for us that we may follow Him through that door that leads to life, where we will experience joy and the fellowship of all Your dear saints who have gone before us. O Lord, hear our prayer. All of these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, dear Father, for the sake of Jesus, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Sharing of the Peace P C

The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you. You may now greet one another in the name of the Lord using ...Peace be with you THE OFFERING

Music for Meditation Jesus Loves Me

arr. Lennart Sjoholm

Offertory Prayer

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Let us pray, Heavenly Father, receive these gifts, symbols of the time, abilities, and resources we place at Your disposal in thanks for Your eternal grace, mercy, and peace. Receive them for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HOLY COMMUNION AT ASCENSION The Lord, our Host, invites to his Supper those who are baptized into the Christian faith, confess him as Savior, have examined themselves, truly repent of sins, believe the Risen Lord is present in the sacrament with his true body and blood, and resolve to live faithfully and obediently. For those with an intolerance to alcohol, the center ring of the tray contains grape juice. Gluten free wafers are available to those with wheat allergies. Children who have not been instructed, yet desire a blessing, are invited to come forward with arms crossed. Come, for the Supper is ready! When receiving the bread and wine, the communicant may respond with “Amen!”, a word of affirmation and belief.

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Preface P C P C P C

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing: Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth an sky and sea. Holy, holy, holy, merciful an mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

The Words of Consecration P

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The 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.

Hymns during the Distribution Lamb of God My Faith Looks Up to Thee Lord of All Hopefulness When Peace Like a River

LSB 550 LSB 702 LSB 738 LSB 763

Communion Benediction

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The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen.

Post Communion Prayer P

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We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Benediction P C

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and † give you peace. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Sent Forth by God’s Blessings

LSB 643

Congregational Concerns P C

Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Postlude

Beautiful One

arr. McDonald and Shackley

Serving in Worship OFFICIANT and CELEBRANT ELDER 8:00 10:00 INSTRUMENTALISTS 8:00 PRAISE TEAM 10:00 LECTOR 8:00 10:00 ACOLYTE 8:00 10:00 USHERS 8:00 10:00 SERVER 10:00 ALTAR GUILD FLOWERS

The Rev. John R. Larson, Pastor Bill Redden Scott Luethy Ann Kaneko and Meg Lewis Youth Band Lynne Hansen Margo Pasha Will Schwerin Tyrus Pierce Larry Nisbet, Members of the Congregation Members of the Congregation May Bible Sally Atchison, Sharon Seible, Deb Shiflet Edna & Linda Achziger, in loving memory of Carla Achziger

CCLI License #1903595

Soli Deo Gloria