THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

January 13, 2019

AS WE GATHER

Voices are in our heads nearly every moment. Even when we don't realize it, we are listening to the sounds of life that surround us. What do those voices say? What choruses do they sing? What refrains do they repeat? The voice we gather to hear this day stands in stark contrast to the multitude of others in our world. "The voice of the Lord is over the waters," we read in Psalm 29:3. As He did for ancient Israel-and as He did for His only-begotten Son-our Father does for us today: He speaks over us words of life! Connected to Christ by water and Spirit-redeemed and called by His name-the Father makes us His own. Are we listening? Can we hear Him? He is speaking. Let's open our ears to hear.

† PREPARATION †

OPENING SONG " The Only Name (Yours Will Be) " Benji Cowart

INVOCATION

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

OPENING SENTENCES Romans 6:3-4

Pastor: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

People: We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life .

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Pastor: Since we are gathered to hear the Word of God, which speaks over us in the waters of Baptism, to call upon our God in prayer and praise, which is the response of those who have been made His own, and to receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who comes to us in the fellowship of this altar, let us first confess before our God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We cannot set ourselves free from the entanglement of our sinful condition. Therefore, together as one people, united to Christ's death and resurrection, let us take refuge in the faithfulness of our God, seeking His forgiveness and grace, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

People: Almighty God, have mercy upon us. Speak over us words of life. Forgive us our sins and lead us with Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.

Pastor: Almighty God, your merciful Father, has declared you in Holy Baptism to be His child and has gathered you into the family of His Church, in which He daily and richly forgives all your sins and grants you new life through His Spirit. In the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

† WORD †

PSALM Psalm 29; antiphon: v. 3

Pastor: Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

People: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

Pastor: The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

People: the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.

Pastor: The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

People: The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

Pastor: He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

People: The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

Pastor: The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

People: the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.

Pastor: The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

People: The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in His temple all cry, "Glory!"

Pastor: The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

People: May the Lord give strength to His people! May the Lord bless His people with peace!
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.

Pastor: The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

People: the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.

SONG of PRAISE "Mighty to Save" Reuben Morgan & Ben Fielding

(As we sing the song of praise, please pass your attendance / prayer card to the ushers. If you are a first-time guest, please provide your contact information so that we can respond to your visit this week.)

SALUTATION

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor: Let us pray.

Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River Your voice proclaimed Him to be Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Lead all who are baptized in His name to be faithful in the hearing of Your Word and in the living out of their callings as Your children; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 43:1-7 ESV (The Lord calls His own by name.)

Israel's Only Savior

43 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
⁴ Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
⁵ Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
⁶ I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE Romans 6:1-11 ESV (We are baptized into Christ.)

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

VERSE Mark 1:11b

People: Alleluia. You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased. Alleluia.

HOLY GOSPEL Luke 3:15-22 ESV (Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River.)

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.

People: Glory to You, O Lord.

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

¹⁸ So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."^[

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to You, O Christ.

SONG OF THE DAY "On Jordan's Banks, the Baptist's Cry"

SERMON

CREED Nicene Creed

People: I believe in one God,

the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth

and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of His Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light,

very God of very God,

begotten, not made,

being of one substance with the Father,

by whom all things were made;

who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

and was made man;

and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried.

And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

and ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of the Father.

And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

and I look for the resurrection of the dead

and the life † of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

For the calling of all people to faith, that the souls for whom Jesus Christ gave His life would be brought to repentance and saving faith through the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Living Father, speak Your words of life!

Pastor: For all those who are united to Jesus' death and resurrection in the waters of their Baptism, that the life of God's people would be marked by the Spirit's fruit of faith, hope, and love, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Cleansing Father, speak Your words of life!

Pastor: For all pastors, teachers, and other servant leaders in Christ's Church, that their lives be shaped by the One who laid down His life in selfless sacrifice for others, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Serving Father, speak Your words of life!

Pastor: For all who hear God's Word, receive His Sacrament, and live out their vocations in the church, home, workplace, and society, that their witness to Christ in word and action may touch countless hearts and lives, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Loving Father, speak Your words of life!

Pastor: For all who labor in positions of leadership in our government, along with all who serve in the armed forces and other public safety professions, that the living voice of our God speak over land, over water, and over all who trust in Him, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Protecting Father, speak Your words of life!

Pastor: For all who are ailing in body, mind, and spirit, [ especially . . .], that the Lord would speak words and work wonders to deliver His healing and peace, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Healing Father, speak Your words of life!

Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

People: Amen.

SONG of RESPONSE / OFFERING

" Sanctuary "

(In response to His gracious, daily provision, as an act of adoration and praise, we joyfully give back a portion of what our Lord has entrusted to us. If you are a first time guest please do not feel obligated to contribute but you may do so as the Holy Spirit leads. May God bless every sacrifice we bring!)

† SACRAMENT †

PREFACE

Pastor: The Lord be with you. 2 Timothy 4:22

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Lift up your hearts. Colossians 3:1

People: We lift them to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Psalm 136

People: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

PROPER PREFACE

Pastor: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Grant us Your Spirit, gracious Father, that we may give heed to the testament of Your Son in true faith and, above all, firmly take to heart the words with which Christ gives to us His body and blood for our forgiveness. By Your grace, lead us to remember and give thanks for the boundless love which He manifested to us when, by pouring out His precious blood, He saved us from Your righteous wrath and from sin, death, and hell. Grant that we may receive the bread and wine, that is, His body and blood, as a gift, guarantee, and pledge of His salvation. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Pastor: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by the Second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Through Him, the very Word made flesh, You continue to speak over the waters of our lives and draw us close to You. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.

Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:

LORD'S PRAYER Matthew 6:9-13

THE WORDS OF OUR LORD Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

PAX DOMINI

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

People: Amen.

DISTRIBUTION SONGS DVD

"You Are My King (Amazing Love)" Billy Foote

"Above All" Lenny LeBlanc and Paul Baloche

POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING

Pastor: Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through the gifts of Your Word and Sacrament, and we now ask that You would strengthen us by Your grace in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

BENEDICTION Romans 6:3-4

Pastor: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

People: We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Pastor: Walk in the newness of life you have been given by the Father, who has called you by name and made you His own in Jesus Christ!

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. Numbers 6:24-26

People: Amen.

CLOSING SONG "Christ Is Our Rock" Brad Henderson