The First Sunday in Lent
March 6, 2022
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
WELCOME
We extend the hand of fellowship to all who worship here this morning. May all present grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in a love and desire to serve Him. Guests and visitors, please honor us by signing our Guest Book in the entrance hall of the church as you leave. If you have no church home of your own in the area, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. Come to worship with us again and often!
JESUS IS TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL
AS WE GATHER
The First Sunday in Lent begins with the temptation of Jesus. Alone in the wilderness, Jesus faces the temptations of the devil, who tries to use God’s own Word to entrap Jesus. The collect reminds us that we are also walking through the wilderness of this
world, taunted and tempted by the devil, who still uses God’s Word to entrap us. Jesus does not simply show us how to resist but reveals that our strength lies in the same
Word of God. In Christ, we stand strong against the wiles of the devil and, when and if we fall, we find refuge in Christ to be forgiven and restored.
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
Lord, God, it is through our lives that your love touches others. Stir us by your Spirit to serve all people with willing hearts and bring them the message of your love. We ask this in the Name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ A SERVICE of PRAYER & PRAISE +
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
WELCOME
PRELUDE When I Survey the Wondrous Cross — By Sam Ellson
Tatsiana Asheichyk, Organ
657 A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
P Forgiven and reconciled by God, let us be reconciled with one another and share The peace of our Lord as we greet each other.
PASSING of PEACE
[The congregation is encouraged to share the peace of Christ and greet one another with the words: “The Lord’s peace be with you.” The response: “And also with you.”]
APOSTOLIC GREETING
P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
KYRIE LSB 204
PRAYER OF THE DAY
C O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING Deuteronomy 26:1–11
[The spring harvest festival, called the Feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In this text, worshipers announce God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel.]
1“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.
5“And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE Romans 10:8b–13
[Paul reminds the Christians in Rome of the foundation of their creed, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.]
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
SPECIAL MUSIC In the Cross of Christ in Glory — By Sam Ellson Tatsiana Asheichyk, Organ
HOLY GOSPLE Luke 4:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
[After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led into the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil, he defines what it means to be called “the Son of God.”]
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”
9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
655 LORD, KEEP US STEADFAST IN YOUR WORD
SERMON “Temptation and Testing” Luke 4:1–13
THE FIRST ARTICLE
Creation
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.
He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.
He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.
This is most certainly true.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
OFFERING
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, we bring before you a portion of what you first gave us and with these gifts our very lives. Teach us patience and hope as we care for all those in need until the coming of your Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
PREFACE LSB 208
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
P 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.
At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.
As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
LORD’S PRAYER
C 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.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
PAX DOMINI
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
DISTRIBUTION
The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
Amen.
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen.
In dismissing the communicants, the following is said:
P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart + in peace.
C Amen.
571 GOD LOVED THE WORLD SO THAT HE GAVE
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
C O God the Father, the fountain and source of all goodness, who in loving-kindness sent Your only-begotten Son into the flesh, we thank You that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament, and we ask You not to forsake Your children but always to rule our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may be enabled constantly to serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS LSB 212
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P 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 and may you be a blessing to others!
C Amen.
JESUS, REFUGE OF THE WEARY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
P Go in peace as you serve the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
+ The Worship Is Over … Let the Service Begin! +
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2022 Concordia Publishing House
Grace Notes
THIS WEEK AT GRACE
TUESDAY: Council ZOOM Meeting 6:30 pm
WEDNESDAY: Women’s Bible Study 10:00 am
Lenten Service 12:00 noon
Choir Practice 7:00 pm
SATURDAY: NewMen’s Breakfast Study 8:30 am
Set your clocks ahead tonight. Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday
SUNDAY: Bible Study 9:00 am
Worship 10:00 am
STUDY OPPORTUNITIES at Grace: During the season of Lent, the Tuesday morning Women’s Study will be meeting on Wednesdays at 10:00 am in the Library/Conference Room. Next NewMen’s Coffee Study is scheduled for Saturday morning, March 12th, beginning at 8:30 am. Set these times aside now for a good discussion and fellowship.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
Email: gracelutheranashland@gmail.com
Visit our website: gracelutheranashland.org
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Grace Lutheran Church
660 Frances Lane
Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-1661
Pastor Joshua Heimbuck - heimbuck@me.com