The Twentieth Sunday of the Pentecost Season
Also known as the Eighteenth Sunday after
the Festival of the Holy Trinity – October 04, 2026
A Summer/Fall Study of Philippians:
The Grace of God in Christ is THE Source of our Joy
How Am I Saved? ….By My Faith and Works
….or By God’s Grace Alone?
Imagine if there was a new law in our land, one that was a nation-binding amendment to our Constitution of our United States. This new law would declare that every person in our country who has a job would receive the exact same paycheck. From top to bottom, from the corporate executives to the lowest level responsibility employee, from superstar athletes to water boys, from team owners to peanut vendors, from Wall Street brokers and lawyers to all the gophers on their staff, from supervisors to assembly line workers, from teachers to janitors, from farmers to check-out clerks to hamburger flippers–you name it– all employees would get exactly the same paycheck…with no deviations whatsoever. It doesn’t matter how many hours a person would put in on the job, or how long that person would have worked in a particular place — every paycheck for everybody would be precisely the same.
I can imagine that a law like that would cause quite a stir, wouldn’t you? After all, because of the influence of the labor movement in our country important safeguards such as equal pay for equal work, bonus clauses, overtime pay, pension plans, vacation time, and personal days based upon years served have been part of our nation’s employee
compensation regulations for years. So have privileges like profit sharing, collective bargaining, labor grievances, salary arbitration, and medical plans. If workers aren’t compensated the way they feel they deserve to be, they ought to have the right to negotiate new compensation, or even to go out on strike in an effort to secure compensation satisfaction. Sometimes that works; sometimes it doesn’t.
But – again – just imagine if everyone received the very same paycheck, regardless of the type of work they did, regardless of their experience and seniority, their education, or how long they worked at a particular business. My guess is that, at least initially, people “on the bottom rungs of the work ladder” would be overjoyed. However, other employees, from those in the middle, certainly to those on the higher rungs (in terms of responsibility, hours on the job, and training/skills required) would be more than just a little bit upset, wouldn’t they? They’d probably be apoplectic. Why would the latter be so upset? You know the reason as well as I do. Because it wouldn’t be fair. Because it would inevitably promote laziness and indifference in the workplace. Because a minority of employees would end up doing most of the work, while the majority “rode the real workers’ coattails.” And, finally, because it just wouldn’t be right.
But that’s is precisely what God’s grace in Christ to us is…..Grace doesn’t make sense. It isn’t fair. It can’t be earned by us. But it is real and true, and an incomprehensible blessing for us, through faith. God’s grace is His undeserved love for us and everything that flows from that love: forgiveness, His gift of eternal salvation in heaven apart from our being able to earn it (which we can’t do), and our being enabled to believe through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This morning God’s grace, as embodied in the Gospel of Christ, our Savior, will be on display in all our Scripture lessons and our hymns, but it will be on display particularly in our Gospel Lesson from Matthew 20. Jesus told this parable very shortly before He entered Jerusalem to begin Holy Week….which, of course, culminated in His gracious crucifixion and resurrection for our forgiveness and salvation. Christ’s parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard is not only very familiar to us, it is often – unfortunately – misunderstood and mis-applied by many people….from theologians to pastors, to teachers to daily Bible readers…..perhaps even you and I occasionally fail to properly understand its chief message.
Basically the story is about a man needing workers in His vineyard. He begins the day by hiring some men who agree with him on a specific – and fair – salary for the day’s work. Later that day, the owner returns to town to hire more men – promising them that he will pay them an undefined wage, but one that is fair. Some workers labor part of the day. A few only work one hour. At the day’s end, he pays the last-hired first. They get the wage he promised the first ones hired….who had worked the entire day. No doubt those first-hired workers assumed the owner was an extremely generous man. And no doubt they anticipated that he was going to pay them much more than the last-hired. They were wrong. Everyone received exactly the same pay. Then the first-hired workers complained that it wasn’t fair….that they had worked all day and deserved to be paid more than the others. The vineyard owner came to them and calmly said that they, the first-hired, had agreed to a certain amount of compensation (a denarius….the Jewish equivalent of a fair, full day’s pay) for their services…and that he had – fairly – paid them that. If he wanted to be generous with the other men hired later, who had worked less hours, that was his business as the owner. End of discussion. End of story.
Except for how to interpret it. As I noted earlier, not everyone gets the true point of this parable. This is not a lesson about socialism and equality when it comes to God’s blessings, nor does it center on the false idea that in order to be saved a person has to accept the Lord’s invitation to believe in Him (since only the Holy Spirit can work faith in our hearts). This also isn’t a lesson about the importance of being generous with others, valuable Christian character trait that generosity is. Nor is this a parable about finding joy in serving our Lord in this life – regardless of how much work we do compared to others. The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard is all about the generosity (namely, the grace) of the vineyard owner (the LORD). The denarius/ day’s wage represents God’s mercy to undeserving sinners like us. Because of His mercy God forgives us all our sins, empowers us by His Spirit to believe, and gives us eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus. We don’t (and can’t) earn those blessings. Instead, our God gives them to us solely because He is “generous”/ gracious. And THAT should be a tremendous comfort and encouragement to us all. In spite of our sins, God loves us and has saved us for heaven through Christ’s redeeming work. We don’t have to earn it by our efforts and good behavior. He simply gives us salvation because He is gracious. All we do is to believe in and gratefully accept His gracious gift to us.
In addition to our Gospel Lesson, through our First lesson this morning (from Acts 15), we will see that the Word of God had been spreading beyond the Christian Church’s first Jewish converts into the Gentile world. And those Gentiles responded enthusiastically to the Gospel message of salvation from sin by God’s grace alone, through faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. In Antioch, Syria these new converts were in love with God and filled with joy because their sins were forgiven and their salvation was assured. They enjoyed their association with their fellow Christians and were growing in their faith in Christ. Even in the face of persecution, they didn’t falter in following Jesus. But then something happened for which they were not prepared.
A small group of zealous, formerly Jewish people, who had converted to Christianity, came from Jerusalem to pay a visit. Born into Judaism, these people had for years rigorously followed the Jewish faith, observing all the laws of Moses as well as the added traditions of Judaism. Prior to their conversion they were sure they were going to heaven because of their obedience, as well as their Jewish bloodline (since they were “God’s chosen people.”) Even when they became Christians, acknowledging Jesus as their Promised Messiah, apparently they assumed that they still needed to continue to follow all the Jewish laws and traditions. Now, to some extent they were right, at least concerning the Moral Law (that is, the Ten Commandments, to which we should all always be faithful), but Judaism by then had gone far beyond the words God gave Moses. In fact it had added to God’s Word considerably.
What’s more, those former Jews didn’t realize that much of the Old Testament “Mosaic” Law (especially what we refer to as the “Ceremonial Law” [pertaining to Jewish worship matters] and the “Civil Law” [Israel’s governmental regulations] had been given exclusively to the people of Israel…..and not to everyone, everywhere, over all time. In fact, in the case of the Ceremonial Law, its primary purpose had been to focus God’s Old Testament people’s attention on their sinfulness and their desperate need for the Coming Savior.
Anyway, when those Jewish Christians (Paul would eventually refer to them as “Judaizers”) arrived in Antioch, they tried to impose all their Jewish rules and customs on the Gentiles there who had become Christians. They thought they were “enhancing” the Gentiles’ faith. But, of course, they weren’t….they were harming them. One of the worst things they told those Christian Gentiles was: “Unless you are circumcised, and follow the other rules of Moses, you can’t be sure you’ll be saved. Faith in Jesus does matter, but salvation also involves obedience.” They made it sound like a person is saved by faith in Christ, plus by personally keeping God’s law…..and not that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and what He accomplished for us through His sinless life lived for us, His sacrificial death for our sins, and His resurrection three days later as the proof of our salvation.
What those Judaizers taught was something we refer to as “Legalism,” which sees the Christian life (and so, ones salvation) as involving faith in Christ, but also involving a list of things to do and to avoid. Legalism teaches that a person contributes to salvation by his/her own obedience, rather than through faith alone in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Judaism was then (and still is) based on legalism – the idea that salvation is earned (and so God’s blessings and eternal life in heaven are a reward for ones goodness). Those Judaizers compromised the truth of the Gospel (salvation by grace alone) and endangered the souls of those Gentile believers. Sadly, legalism is still a threat to the church today, since it exists to varying degrees in the hearts and minds of all of us. In fact, it is man’s “natural religion.” But it’s a religion that can never save a single soul, since no one can ever be good enough (perfect) to please our holy God….after all, it’s personal goodness that legalism emphasizes is necessary for salvation.
Why is legalism such a problem in the church, as well as for you and me personally? Well, essentially Legalism turns a relationship of faith in God and love for Him – based on His grace to us in Christ – into a religion of laws/rules. Of course we want to recognize that the Law of God is good and important for us. In fact, the purposes of God’s Law are to benefit us: 1) by showing us (as a mirror) the extent of our sinfulness and our need for our Savior, 2) by curbing/controlling, through its threats, the worst outbreaks of sin in our lives; and 3) by showing us (as a guide) how we can serve and please God by teaching us what God’s will for us is. But if you or I rely on our obedience to God’s Law as the surety for our salvation, we are dreadfully – even damnably – mistaken.
We dare not ever make the mistake of thinking that we can become acceptable to God by obeying His laws, let alone by following any man-made regulations. We aren’t saved by not sinning as much as others, or by behaving properly, or following a certain set of religious traditions and customs. Rather, we have been made right with God SOLELY through the perfect obedience of Christ that He credits to us, and through the innocent sufferings, sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of Jesus for us. It’s entirely – and only – Christ’s obedience, death and resurrection that saves us. And, through faith that God the Holy Spirit gives us, we make Christ’s redeeming work our own. As the early Christians heard and believed the Gospel, and as we hear and believe the Gospel today, a love for God grows in the hearts of all believers because we know for certain, as Jesus put it so succinctly in John 3:16, that….”God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The Jewish religious sect known as the Pharisees – to which Paul (as Saul) originally belonged before his conversion – were the perfect example of Legalism. They were zealously committed to keeping God’s Law to the minutest detail. But to be “extra faithful,” the Pharisees added their own, extra “finer points” and “subdivisions” to the Law of God. Those additions emphasized rigorous obedience, as well as Jewish heritage, as their surety for receiving God’s favor and earning a place in heaven. In our Sermon Text for today, which speaks about his life prior to his conversion to Christianity, the Apostle Paul talks about how he was not only a member of the Pharisee sect, but an exemplary “Pharisee of Pharisees.” As far as he was concerned, his familial “pedigree” as a member of the tribe of Benjamin was an added “feather in his cap” of his legalistic faithfulness. During that period of his life, Paul was even proud that he persecuted Christians and tried to exterminate the followers of Jesus. He was so “pro-Pharisee/pro-Legalism” that he despised the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
…..UNTIL God miraculously converted him to faith in Christ outside the city of Damascus, Syria (Acts 9). Then everything changed for him and Paul saw his faith in a whole different light. By God’s grace, he was brought to the realization that he could not save himself from hell, but that Jesus had lived, died and risen to earn his place in heaven for him. Paul had been brought to the conviction that his former way of life as a legalistic Pharisee was actually the path to eternal death in hell. How did that happen? Because God the Holy Spirit had convinced him that it was impossible for him or anyone else to earn heaven by being good and obeying God’s Law….but that, instead, heaven comes as God’s gracious gift to us through faith alone in Jesus’ redeeming work.
In our Epistle Lesson Paul expresses his strong concern for the Spiritual well-being of the church in Galatia. False teachers (Judiazers) were trying to introduce a counterfeit Gospel in their midst. Their message was one of salvation through faith in Christ, PLUS obedience to OT Jewish laws (particularly circumcision, cleansing and dietary laws). Paul urges them to hold on firmly instead to the true Gospel he had taught them. He says anyone who teaches any Gospel other than the true Gospel should be eternally condemned, since adherence to a Gospel of works can only condemn a soul to hell….not save it for heaven. Paul makes it clear that obedience to the Law cannot save us….since we cannot keep it flawlessly. Only the true Gospel of God’s grace to us in Christ alone can save anyone.
Today’s Children’s Lesson is Jesus’ short parable about the “pearl of great price.” In it, an expert in pearls finds a perfect pearl unlike anything he’s ever seen. He immediately sells everything he has to buy it. That “perfect pearl,” figuratively speaking,” is the Gospel of God’s saving grace to us in Christ, our Savior. The Gospel guarantees us, through faith in Christ, God’s forgiveness of all our sins and eternal life in heaven. We don’t – and can’t earn it. Instead God gives it to us in His grace/love, for Jesus’ sake. And THAT is worth more than everything else in this life.
It is very hard for us sinful humans to get into our heads the fact that we cannot become right with God by being “good people.” If we could do that, we wouldn’t need Jesus as our Savior; we could save ourselves. Instead, we have been made right with God through the righteousness, the atoning death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ for us….and nothing else. It’s just as a very familiar hymn (Rock of Ages) says, “Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling.” The Bible puts it this way: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Finally, Paul shared this truth with Titus in these words: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). And so – as God’s Word clearly teaches – the Grace of God for us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all that we need to believe and be saved.
Prayer Upon Entering Church – Heavenly Father, You showed Your grace by bringing me to faith in Christ through the work of Your Holy Spirit, and then by giving me the blessing of being called Your child. Though what I offer You today is so small, compared to all You have done for me, please accept my humble offerings of praise and thanksgiving, as well as my gifts. Also, Lord, help me gladly hear and take to heart the Good News of salvation from sin for me and all people through faith in Your Son, my Savior. Renew and invigorate me with Your Holy Spirit today and every day, that I might live a confident life of faith and love to Your glory, and that I might share, by all possible means, at every opportunity, the same Good News of salvation through Christ which has filled my life with peace and purpose. Amen.
The portions of God’s that are 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
The Service Introduction and Invitation to Worship
Let Us Praise The Lord
The Opening Hymn: Hymn 391 “God Loved The World, So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that he gave His only Son the lost to save
That all who would in him believe Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ is the solid rock of faith, Who was made flesh and suffered death.
All who confide in him alone Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die– His Son with saving grace is nigh.
His Spirit in the Word does teach How we the blessed goal may reach.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son Forgives the sins that you have done.
You’re justified by Jesus’ blood; Baptized, you are a child of God.
5 When you are sick, when death draws near, This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves my soul from death– This is the anchor of my faith!
6 Glory to God the Father, Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To you, O blessed Trinity, Be praise now and eternally!
The Congregation will be asked to rise for
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Confession of Sins
Pastor God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation Holy and merciful Father, + I confess that I am by nature sinful + and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; + I have done what is evil in Your sight + and have failed to do what is good. + For this I know that I deserve Your punishment, + both now and for eternity. + But I am truly sorry for all my sins, + and trusting in the perfect life + and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, + I plead: + God have mercy on me, a sinner.
Pastor Our gracious Lord and Master has shown us His mercy: He has given His one and only Son to save us from all our sins. And now, carrying out my office as a called servant of Christ, and according to His command and authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God rest upon all of you.
Congregation Amen.
Lord Have Mercy (Christian Worship, pages 27-29)
P: For all that we need in life, and for the wisdom to use all Your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.
C: (sung) Lord have mercy
P: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from Your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ:
C: (Sung) Christ have mercy.
P: For the well-being of Your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord
C: (Sung) Lord have mercy.
P: Merciful God, Maker and Preserver of life, uphold us by Your power, and keep us in Your tender care:
C: (sung) Amen.
P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; His name is worthy of praise.
(Sung) O Lord, our Lord,
How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
Almighty God, merciful Father, Your crown our life with Your love.
You take away our sin; You comfort our spirit;
You make us pure and holy in Your sight.
You did not spare Your only Son, but gave Him up for us all.
O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
O Son of God, eternal Word of the Father,
You came to live with us; You made Your Father known;
You washed us from our sins in Your own blood.
You are the King of glory; You are the Lord!
O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
after which the Congregation may be seated for
We Give Our Attention to God’s Word
The First Lesson Acts 15:1-21
Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the law handed down by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Because this brought about a serious argument and debate between Paul and Barnabas and these men, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some other men from the church to go up to Jerusalem, to see the apostles and the elders concerning this controversy.
3 After they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they described in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything God had done through them.
5 But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders gathered together to look into this matter. 7 After there had been much discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, “Gentlemen, brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you, that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, Who knows the heart, testified on their behalf by giving them the Holy Spirit, exactly as He gave Him to us. 9 He also showed that there is no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary! We believe that we are saved in the same way they are—through the grace of our Lord Jesus.”
12 The whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul, who reported all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13 After they finished speaking, James responded, “Gentlemen, brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon has reported how God for the first time has visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for His name. 15 The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16 After these things I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord—
even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
says the Lord Who does these things.
18 “Long ago He made these things known. 19 So it is my judgment that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient times Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, since he is being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
The Epistle Lesson Galatians 1:3-10
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 He gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— 5 to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ, for a different Gospel, 7 which is really not another Gospel at all. There are, however, some who are trying to disturb you by perverting the Gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven would preach any Gospel other than the one we preached to you—a curse on him! 9 As we have said before, so I now say again: If anyone preaches to you any Gospel other than the one you received—a curse on him!
10 Am I now seeking the favor of people or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to gain the approval of people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Gospel Lesson Matthew 20:1-16
“Indeed the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing to pay the workers a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 He also went out about the third hour[a] and saw others standing unemployed in the marketplace. 4 To these he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 When he went out about the eleventh hour, he found others standing unemployed. He said to them, ‘Why have you stood here all day unemployed?’ 7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’
He told them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When it was evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group and ending with the first.’ 9 “When those who were hired around the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10 When those who were hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But they each received a denarius too. 11 After they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner: 12 ‘Those who were last worked one hour, and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’ 3 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not make an agreement with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last one hired the same as I also gave to you. 15 Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 In the same way, the last will be first, and the first, last.”
The Public Confession of our Christian Faith
according to the words of the Nicene Creed
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 Ghost 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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe 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.
After which the Congregation may be seated for
The Children’s Lesson Matthew 13:45
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. 46 When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Real Salvation? …… or Fake Salvation?
The Sermon Hymn: Hymn 384 “By Grace I’m Saved”
1 By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why waver at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
So then this word must true remain:
By grace you, too, shall heav’n obtain.
2 By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died, your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought him from his heav’nly throne.
3 By grace! Oh, mark this word of promise
When you are by your sins oppressed,
When Satan plagues your troubled conscience,
And when your heart is seeking rest.
What reason cannot comprehend
God by his grace to you did send.
4 By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried —
By grace, despite all fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?
5 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice.
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad; all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.
The Sermon Text Philippians 3:1-11
3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things again to you, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs. Beware of the evildoers. Beware of the mutilation. 3 For we are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who are confident in Christ Jesus, and who place no confidence in the flesh, 4 even though I have grounds for confidence also in the flesh. If anyone else thinks that he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 in regard to zeal, persecuting the church; in regard to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.
7 But, whatever things were a profit for me, these things I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. 8 But even more than that, I consider everything to be a loss because of what is worth far more: knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For His sake, I have lost all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, which comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God by faith. 10 I do this so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 in the hope that in some way I may arrive at the resurrection from the dead.
Your Works….or Christ’s Work?
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May the God of peace, Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, now equip you with everything good for doing His will! Amen.
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
We offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) Those in the chapel can place their offerings in the offering plates
2) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
3) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
after the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation will rise for
Today’s Prayers
Included in our prayers is a Prayer of Thanksgiving for
Rachel and Micah Galvan, whose wedding anniversary is this Thursday.
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
P: The Lord be with you.
C: (sung) And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: (sung) We lift them up to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
C: (sung) It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: 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. He sends the Holy Spirit to testify that we are His children, and to strengthen Spiritually when we are weak. Therefore with angel and archangel, and all the company of heaven, we praise Your holy name and join their glorious song:
(Sung) Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of Your glory
You are my God and I will exalt You.
I will lift You up for You have become my salvation.
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of Your glory
The Words of Institution
P: “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”
C: (sung) Amen.
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,
Have mercy on us.
O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
Grant us Your peace. Amen.
After which the Congregation may be seated.
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper
The Distribution of the Sacramental Elements
(Please read the following if you have not spoken with
our Pastor about taking communion. Thank you.)
TO OUR GUESTS AND FRIENDS
We offer the Lord’s Supper this morning only to those individuals who are confirmed, communicant members of Grace Lutheran congregation, or of a member congregation of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. To our Guests this morning, we appreciate your presence among us and celebrate the faith in Christ which we share with you. However, we ask that you will please respect our communion practice (see above). A brochure further explaining the Biblical basis for our Communion practice is available on the tract rack in our front entryway. We encourage you both to examine it – especially the Biblical references within it, and also to speak with our Pastor after the service (at your convenience) so that you might better understand and appreciate our Biblically-based “Close Communion” practice. Thank you for your understanding, your patience, and for your presence here among us this morning.
First Communion Hymn: Hymn 390 “Salvation Unto Us Has Come”
1 Salvation unto us has come
By God’s free grace and favor.
Good works cannot avert our doom;
They help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is the one Redeemer.
2 What God does in his law demand
And none to him can render
Brings wrath and woe on ev’ry hand
For man, the vile offender.
Our flesh has not those pure desires
The spirit of the law requires,
And lost is our condition.
3 It is a false, misleading dream
That God his law has given
That sinners can themselves redeem
And by their works gain heaven.
The law is but a mirror bright
To bring the inbred sin to light
That lurks within our nature.
4 Yet as the law must be fulfilled
Or we must die despairing,
Christ came and has God’s anger stilled,
Our human nature sharing.
He has for us the law obeyed
And thus the Father’s vengeance stayed
Which over us impended.
5 Since Christ has full atonement made
And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad
And build on this foundation.
Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead;
Your death is now my life indeed,
For you have paid my ransom.
6 All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God who saved us by his grace–
All glory to his merit!
O Triune God in heav’n above,
You have revealed your saving love;
Your blessed name be hallowed!
Second Hymn: Hymn 315 “Here, O My Lord, I See You Face To Face”
1 Here, O my Lord, I see you face to face;
Here would I touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon you lean.
2 This is the hour of banquet and of song;
Here is the heav’nly table spread anew.
Here let me feast and, feasting, still prolong
The brief bright hour of fellowship with you.
3 I have no help but yours nor do I need
Another arm but yours to lean upon.
It is enough, O Lord, enough indeed;
My strength is in your might, your might alone.
4 Mine is the sin but yours the righteousness;
Mine is the guilt but yours the cleansing blood.
Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace:
Your blood, your righteousness, O Lord, my God.
5 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear.
The feast, though not the love, is past and gone.
The bread and wine remove, but you are here,
Nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.
6 Feast after feast thus comes and passes by,
Yet, passing, points to that glad feast above,
Giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,
The Lamb’s great marriage feast of bliss and love.
The Thanksgiving
(Sung) Thank the Lord and sing His praise.
Tell everyone what He has done.
Let all who seek the Lord rejoice,
and proudly bear His name.
He renews His promises and leads His people forth in joy,
With shouts of thanksgiving, Alleluia! Alleluia!
We Leave with the Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
Hear the prayer of Your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised You here may glorify You in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of Your Son may long for His coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of Your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: (sung) Amen.
The Benediction
P: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord in gladness.
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you.
The Lord look upon you with favor, and grant you His peace.
C: (sung) Amen. Amen. Amen.
The Closing Hymn: Hymn 323 “Almighty Father, Bless The Word”
1 Almighty Father, bless the word
Which through your grace we now have heard.
Oh, may the precious seed take root,
Spring up, and bear abundant fruit.
2 We praise you for the means of grace
As homeward now our steps we trace.
Grant, Lord, that we who worshiped here
May all at last in heav’n appear.
Silent Prayer, Announcements,
Post-service music