December 15, 2024 The Third Sunday in Advent
God Became Human For Us
(“The Word Became Flesh”)
Most of us aren’t all that familiar with the island of Molokai. It’s located in the state of Hawaii, and it has
quite a history. You have to go way back to the late 1800’s to understand some of its significance. You see, back then, there was no cure for the highly contagious and hideous disease called leprosy….A disease that would attack the extremities of the body, the ears, the toes, the nose, the fingers…..A horrible dreadful disease which today is curable, but, it wasn’t back then.
In order to keep the disease at bay, to keep it from spreading and creating an epidemic throughout the islands, the Hawaiian government sent anyone with leprosy to a colony on the island of Molakai where they would be isolated from those who were not infected with the disease.
In 1873, a young, brave Catholic priest named Father Damien volunteered to spend his life serving the people secluded on the island of Molokai. When he arrived, he was startled to see people who were not only suffering physically, but socially, and emotionally, and Spiritually as well. Throughout that leper colony he saw extreme drunkenness, immorality, abuse, and an overall sense of hopelessness. What he also saw were people who desperately needed to know the answer to a question many people ask… “where is God?” They needed God’s presence in their lives, but they weren’t sure He was there – so deep was the spirit of hopelessness in them.
Father Damien chose to live among the 700 lepers, knowing the dangers, realizing the inevitable results of so much personal contact with a highly contagious disease. He built hospitals, clinics, and churches and some 600 coffins.
And whenever a church service was held. He would stand up in front of the lepers, and he would warmly, lovingly address them as “my dear brethren.” Then one morning in 1885, at the age of 45, in a calm clear voice, instead of “my dear brethren,” he began with, “My fellow lepers, I am one of you now.”
Out of love for those lepers that humble priest became one of the them. Out of love he brought them a gift that would change their lives for all of eternity. He shared with them the love of God in Christ Jesus, helping them answer… “Where is God?” And, in addition, he lived the answer to that question because of his love for them, by becoming one of them.
To a much greater extent, and for a much greater purpose, THAT is what the Second Person of the Trinity did for us. As the God-Man, Jesus became one of us not only to show us His love, but also – because of His love for us – to be our Substitute both in righteousness and in death through His self-sacrifice for us on the cross, thereby earning forgiveness and salvation for us all.
Our Salvation Depends on Christ
being both Divine and Human
We regularly confess this truth in both the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds: that our Savior, Jesus Christ, Who is the God-Man (Colossians 2:9), took upon Himself our human flesh and nature through the miracle of being conceived by the Holy Spirit and being born to the Virgin Mary. The world’s Savior from sin had to be “human” to sinlessly (Hebrews 4:15) live under the law as our real Substitute (Galatians 4:4,5; Romans 5:19) and to die (Hebrews 2:14) for all our sin as our physical Substitute in death (Mark 10:45) Yet He also had to be truly God, so that His sacrificial death (Hebrews 7:26,27) could be supremely sufficient enough (Psalm 49:7,8) to pay for all mankind’s sins (John 1:29; I John 2:2). This was made possible through the Virgin Birth, with God becoming incarnate (the Word becoming Flesh) to be our Savior and them Promised Messiah. This we believe on the basis of God’s Word ….because it offers us the truth upon which our salvation depends.
The Focus of our Worship Today
That the Second Person of the Trinity (God the Son, Jesus Christ) became fully human in order to save sinful humans for heaven is a truth that is expressed in all of today’s Scripture Lessons.
Our Old Testament Lesson was penned under inspiration 700 years before Jesus’ first coming. Wicked king Ahaz was ruling Judah at a time when the nation was gravely threatened by its enemies. In spite of his unbelief, God wanted to assure Ahaz that Judah could be victorious, and told the king – through Isaiah – to ask for a “sign” from the Lord as a proof of the Lord’s faithfulness. Ahaz refused to ask. And so the Lord promised a sign for his deliverance not only of Judah but for all mankind – not one Ahaz would live to see – but one that would be fulfilled centuries later through the miraculous virgin birth of the Messiah, also known as Immanuel (God with us). The Hebrew word for “virgin” here is Almah, which is always used in the OT to refer to a young woman of marriageable age, but one who has not had sexual relations. In the Greek Old Testament (called the Septuagint) as well as in the Greek New Testament (specifically our Gospel Lesson and Children’s Lesson) the word used to describe Mary is “parthenos” – translated “virgin.” In our Children’s Lesson the Angel Gabriel explains to Mary how it is possible for this miracle of God becoming human to take place in her. He says the “power of the most High” God would overshadow her, and that the Lord would work the humanly impossible in her (since all things are possible for God). Gabriel explained the same to Jesus’ earthly step-father, Joseph, in our Gospel Lesson. Joseph was ready to divorce Mary (engagement was considered “marriage” in those days – even though the engaged couple stayed celibate until the wedding ceremony) because he naturally assumed she had behaved adulterously in becoming pregnant. Gabriel sets him straight by saying that she was still a virgin and that the Child in her was conceived through the miraculous intervention of God the Holy Spirit. This would take place to fulfill the Messianic prophesy given through Isaiah (7:14) years earlier……”The Virgin would be with Child” and give birth to the “Immanuel, God with Us.” In our Epistle Lesson Paul affirms the “two natures” of Christ (His truly human and thoroughly divine natures) – which was the product of the incarnation through the Virgin Birth. Today’s Sermon is based on the opening verses of John’s Gospel, where he identifies Jesus as “The Word” Who is eternal, and by Whose power the world was created. The Word also became “flesh”/human and came to earth to live among us and be our Savior. Finally, an added feature on today’s and all our Sunday morning Advent services, is our “liturgical use” of one of our Lutheran Church’s traditional Advent hymns “Lift Up Your Heads You Mighty Gates” in place of the traditional hymn “Gloria in Excelsis” (“Glory be to God on High”). It is based on Psalm 24, a Messianic Psalm (a psalm which points ahead to an aspect of the work of the Messiah – in this case Christ’s reigning over all things through His Kingly “office,” or role).
Pre-Service Prayer: Heavenly Father, please guide me in wisdom and truth through Your Holy Spirit, as I spend this hour meditating on Your Word and rejoicing in Your limitless love for me. Assist me in being attentive in heart and mind to Your Word, as well as to the hymns of praise, the various petitions, and the prayers of thanksgiving my voice directs toward You. Use this worship service, O Lord, to deepen my love for You, to strengthen my trust in You, and to renew my commitment to You. All this I ask for the sake of and in the name of Your One and only Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
The portions of God’s Word used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Pre-service prayer Pre-worship music
We Praise Our God
Greeting and Introduction to Worship
after the greeting, the Congregation will rise
The Invocation
We make our beginning
In the name…. of the Father,
Who created and preserves this world and every one of us,
and Who gave His Son into death for us
and raised Him in glory on the third day;
And of the Son,
Who became fully human in order to be our Savior-Substitute,
Who laid down His life only to take it up again on the third day,
Who rules over all things from heaven for the good of His Church,
and Who will return in glory on the Last Day to deliver that Church;
And of the Holy Spirit
through Whom Christ was made alive,
Who has worked and sustains saving faith in our hearts,
Who lives in us now through the Word,
and Who will one day give life to our mortal bodies.
Amen.
Our Psalm for Today Psalm 8
P: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.
C: Set this glory of Yours above the heavens. + From the lips of little children and nursing babies + You have established strength because of Your foes, + to put a stop to the enemy and the avenger
P: Whenever I look up at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
C: What is man that You remember Him, + the Son of Man that You pay attention to Him?
P: Nevertheless, You make Him suffer need apart from God for a while, but You crown Him with glory and honor.
C: You make Him the Ruler over the works of Your hands; + You put everything under His feet: + all flocks and cattle,
P: and even the wild animals, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, which pass through the currents of the seas.
C: O LORD, our Lord, + how majestic is Your name in all the earth.
after which the Congregation will be seated for
Choral/Congregational Selection O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide
(Choir) O Savior, rend the heavens wide;
Come down, come down with mighty stride;
Unlock the gates, the doors break down;
Unbar the way to heaven’s crown.
(Choir) O Morning Star, O radiant Dawn,
When will we sing Your morning song?
Come, Son of God! Without Your light
We grope in dread and gloom of night.
(Choir) Sin’s dreadful doom upon us lies;
Grim death looms fierce before our eyes.
Come, lead us with Your mighty hand
From exile to our promised land.
(Congregation – Stand)
There shall we all our praises bring
And sing to You, our Savior-King;
There shall we laud You and adore
Forever and forevermore.
We Make Confession of Our Sins To God
Pastor Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking Him, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant us the forgiveness of all our sins. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Congregation (Sung) Who made heaven and earth.
Pastor – I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord.
Congregation – (Sung) And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Congregation O Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor miserable sinner confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am truly sorry for them, and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You, in Your boundless mercy, and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.
Pastor Upon this, your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto you all, and in the place of and according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We Respond To God’s Forgiveness
Pastor – Behold, people of God! Your King comes to you;
Congregation – He is just and brings salvation!
Pastor – Rejoice people of God! Your Lord Jesus Christ has appeared and fulfilled God’s promises of old for your comfort and salvation.”
Congregation – The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord. O my God, You are my Help and my Deliverer; do not delay.
1 Lift up your heads, you mighty gates!
Behold, the King of glory waits.
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He will bring;
Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
To God the Father raise
Your joyful songs of praise.
2 The King is born in poverty,
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe He brings;
Therefore the earth is glad and sings.
To Christ the Savior raise
Your grateful hymns of praise.
5 Redeemer, come! I open wide
My heart to You; here, Lord, abide!
Let me Your inner presence feel,
Your grace and love in me reveal;
Your Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Your name. Amen.
The Prayer For The Third Sunday in Advent
O Almighty God, Father in heaven, + mercifully hear our prayers, as we are Your people, + so that, as we rejoice in the celebration + of Your only-begotten Son’s first coming + to dwell among us as one of us + and to give His life for us, + may we also joyfully receive Jesus Son without fear + when He comes again in all His glory + to redeem His Church and to judge the world. + All this we ask + in the name of Jesus Christ, + Your Son our Lord + Who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit + As the One true God, + forever and ever. + Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
The First Lesson Isaiah 7:1-14
This took place in the days when Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah. Rezin king of Aram, and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, marched up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not capture it.
2 The house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim.” The heart of Ahaz trembled, and the heart of his people trembled as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah: “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear Jashub. Meet him at the end of the water channel from the upper pool, on the road that goes to the launderers field.
4 Tell Ahaz, “Get control of yourself, and remain calm. Do not be afraid. Do not lose your courage because of these two stubs of smoldering torches. Do not be afraid because of the fierce anger of Rezin, Aram, and the son of Remaliah, 5 even though Aram, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you and said, 6 ‘Let’s go up against Judah and tear it apart. Let’s divide it among ourselves and set up a king over it, namely, this son of Tabe’el.’”
7 This is what the Lord God says. “ Their plan shall not succeed. It shall not take place. 8 Yes, the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin, but within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken into pieces, so that it will no longer be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is only Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in faith, you will not stand at all.
10 The Lord spoke to Ahaz again. He said, 11 “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God. Ask for it either in the depths below or in the heights above.”
12 But Ahaz responded, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”
13 So Isaiah said: “Listen now, you house of David. Is it not enough for you to test the patience of men? Will you test the patience of my God as well? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give a sign for all of you. Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son and name Him Immanuel.
The Second Lesson Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised in advance through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 3 This gospel is about His Son—Who in the flesh was born a descendant of David, 4 Who in the Spirit of holiness was declared to be God’s powerful Son by His resurrection from the dead—Jesus Christ, our Lord. 5 Through Him we received grace and the call to be an apostle on behalf of His name, to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, 6 including you, who were called by Jesus Christ. 7 To all those loved by God who are in Rome, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then the Congregation will rise for
The Gospel Lesson Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with Child by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20 But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the Child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
22 All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Look, the virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son. And they will name Him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.”
24 When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25 but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn Son. And he named Him Jesus.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; Born of the virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
after which the Congregation will be seated for
The Children’s Lesson Luke 1:26-37
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”
29 But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31 Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible for God.”
“There’s Nothing Our God Can’t Do!”
The Sermon Hymn Hymn 23 “Oh Come, Oh Come, Immanuel”
1 Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
2 Oh, come, O Root of Jesse, free
Your own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell your people save,
And bring them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
3 Oh, come, O Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
4 Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Greeting
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, our Lord. May the God of peace fill you with all joy in believing! Amen.
Today’s Sermon Text John 1:1-4, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him everything was made, and without Him not one thing was made that has been made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. …..14 The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen His glory, the glory He has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word Became Flesh
following the Sermon, the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for
The Post-Sermon Blessing
Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, to Him to glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen!
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
Offerings will be received this morning through offering plates passed among those who have gathered here for worship. However, for those viewing this service online, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can mail a check (no cash, please) to our church address
(415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); or
2) You can donate through our website: www.gracelutherannwa.com
As the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation rises for prayer
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Our Prayers for Each Other
Included in our prayers this morning:
A Prayer of Intercession on behalf of Tim Pfortmiller, who
is looking ahead to surgery to remove the cancer afflicting his body;
The Prayer of the Church
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.
We Celebrate the Lord’s Supper
Pastor – The Lord be with you.
Congregation (sung) And also with you
Pastor – Lift up your hearts.
Congregation (sung) We lift them up unto the Lord,
Pastor – Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
Congregation (sung) It is good and right so to do.
Pastor – It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Whose way John the Baptist prepared when he called people to repentance and pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Therefore with angel and archangel, and all the company of heaven, we praise Your holy name and join their glorious song:
Congregation
(Sung) Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of heav’nly hosts
Heaven 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
Consecration of the Communion Elements (Pastor)
Pastor – The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation – (Sung) Amen.
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper (Pastor)
(Please read the following if you have not spoken with
our Pastor about taking communion. Thank you.)
To our Guests this morning, we appreciate your presence among us. It is an honor to have you join with us as we worship our Lord and listen to His Word. We truly consider it a privilege to spend this time with you! It is our hope that you will both return in the future to worship with us again, and – perhaps – that You will even choose to become part of our congregation’s membership and our Synodical (WELS) fellowship, so that you might become even more involved in worship, study of God’s Word, and in Christian ministry and fellowship with us.
In connection with our worship as Christians, we regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. But, as a key part of our church’s Biblically-based communion practice, before we can ask anyone to commune with us, we are compelled to first sit down with that individual and establish (upon a comprehensive study of the teachings of Scripture) that we are united in full doctrinal/ teaching fellowship…….which Scripture requires of any and all Christians before they can commune together.
Accordingly, we can offer the Lord’s Supper this morning only to those individuals who have completed that course of study, and who have chosen to become confirmed, communicant members of Grace Lutheran congregation or from one of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) or Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) congregations.
For some guests, this Biblical practice of “Close Communion“ is both unfamiliar and (quite possibly) uncomfortable. We realize that, unfortunately, few churches today continue to follow this approach to communion…..though, in the past (when many churches were more concerned about following all of God’s Word than is the case today) nearly all did. We understand that it is not necessarily easy to watch others receiving the Lord’s Supper, while being asked – respectfully — to refrain from receiving it. Many of us who are communing today once also watched others receive the Lord’s Supper, as you are asked to do this morning, while waiting for the privilege of one day being an active partner in this “Close Communion.” We want to assure you that we are not judging your faith in Christ today. Nor it is our desire to offend you. But it also is not our desire to offend or disobey our Lord’s expectations for the proper use of His Supper. Indeed, we must all obey Him above all others, and we want to obey Him.
Consequently, if you have any questions or concerns about our use/practice of the Lord’s Supper (and we invite you to ask or express them — if you do), please feel free to speak with our Pastor after the service, or at your convenience. He considers it a privilege to share with you and others the Biblical reasons for our approach to receiving and offering the Lord’s Supper. In addition, you can also find a brochure in our tract/brochure rack in the entryway; it is entitled “Our Communion Practice.” This brochure also provides our guests and friends with the Scripture-based explanation for our understanding of and use of the Lord’s Supper.
Finally, please know that we truly are grateful for your participation – as a fellow Christian – in this morning’s worship service. We also thank you for your patience and understanding, and for respecting this Biblical approach we must take as we endeavor to faithful make us of our Lord’s Supper. We hope and pray that you will come back to worship with us again — often. And that one day you might become a part of this Christian fellowship, not only as we worship and hear God’s Word from these pews, but as we receive the Lord’s Supper together. May God bless and keep you always!
The Distribution Hymn Hymn 310 “I Come, O Savior, To Your Table”
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look with favor upon you, and give you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn “Come, O Long-Expected Jesus”
to the tune hyfrydol
Come, O long-expected Jesus, Born to set Your people free;
From our fears and sins release us, By Your death on Calvary.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation, Hope to all the earth impart,
Dear Desire of ev’ry nation, Joy of ev’ry longing heart.
Born Your people to deliver, Born a Child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever, Now Your gracious kingdom bring.
By Your own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Your all-sufficient merit Raise us to Your glorious throne. Amen
Silent Prayer, Announcements, Post service music
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