A Service of Word and Sacrament

[IHS32404]

(I had made a sermon earlier and never posted it, so it's going here even though the readings are different than the lectionary readings for today, my apologies)

Bold are things that are said together or sang
Italics Indicate a song, or instruction
M = Minister
D = Deacon

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Salutation

M: We have gathered to proclaim Christ in Word and Sacrament.

C: And to you also.

Adoration or Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.
For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea,
We thank you, Lord.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
We thank you, Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.
For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.
For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.


Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen


Doxology

The minister of music leads the laity in a song of doxology followed by a short hymn usually just a chorus.

M: Rise laity and sing!

All rise

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Confession

M: Let us confess our sins to God.

I confess to Almighty God,
To Jesus Christ,
And the Holy Spirit,
All of my sins that I have committed,
Against Your Holy Name.
With the blood of Christ I am clean.

Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

The Lord's Prayer

M: Let us recite the prayer of our Lord:

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

The Law of God

Let us recall the Law of God:

God spoke all these words, saying,
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of slavery;

you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol,
whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is on the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,
punishing children for the iniquity of parents,
to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me
and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God;
you shall not do any work—
you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock,
or the alien resident in your towns.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
but rested the seventh day;
therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honor your father and your mother,
so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house;
you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

And the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ:

“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.”
This is the greatest and first commandment.
And a second is like it:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.

The words of King David:

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.


4The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.


6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.


Hymns

M: Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Reading
M: Let us stand and read God's Holy Word:

All Stand

And from the Psalm 14

1 The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.


2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.


4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the LORD?
5There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
6You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the LORD is his refuge.


7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Hymn

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

[IHS32404]

M: Let us stand and read God's Holy Word:

All Stand

M: Let us read from the Gospels:

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the Gospel of Luke where we shall read of our Lord.

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Thanks be to God.

Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy


Blessing

A deacon shall offer blessing to the pastor of the church during the sermon.

D: O Lord our God, Creator of the Universe, bless this Your holy man that You have anointed to teach us of Your love and grace. Let him speak not of his own words but only of Yours Father. And let us Your humble servants receive this grace that You have so freely given us.

[IHS32404]

Homily

GOD'S DIVINE ELECTION AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE ELECT

BY: ARCHBISHOP JORDAN

Turn to the Epistle of Romans, chapter 9, verse 16.

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Romans 9:16

And now verse 18,

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. (Romans 9:18)

The subject of this homily is God's Divine election. What is election? It is NOT referring to democratic selection of a leader or voting of any kind. Even though the word 'election' is not even mentioned in the Scriptural texts for today it is the subject of the verses. The Greek word for election is 'ekloge' which means: 1. the act of picking out, choosing a) of the act of God's free will by which before the foundation of the world he decreed his blessings to certain persons b.) the decree made from choice by which he determined to bless certain persons through Christ by grace alone. There you have it, election is God's divine decree by which He picks who will be saved, this idea is supported in Ephesians 1:4-5, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." You see, God elects certain individuals from the mass of corrupt, evil humans to be saved and to go to heaven.

Alot of people think that election is 'unfair' to the mass of humanity. In reality it is not, what is fair is to let everyone die and go to hell. But God out of mercy and grace decided to save some of us, even though He did not owe it to us. It does not make God a 'meanie' as some would say, instead it shows His true character of love. God created the world knowing that we would sin and that we would have to go to hell because of sin, but God decided out of His own will to save some men.

Does election negate the responsibility of the elect to share the Gospel of Christ? Certainly not! God commanded His elect to share the Gospel of Christ to everyone and that is reason one to share the Gospel. That is what the Great Commision is. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20) We are commanded by Christ to tell everybody. Reason two is, if you have the Holy Spirit in your heart, the natural reaction will be to tell everyone you know about Christ, seeing that could potentially be elect they need to know the Gospel.

How are the elect saved? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) There's the answer. The elect are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. What is faith? First, we should define grace, it is the Greek word "charis" which means: good will, loving-kindness, favour a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. Now then, what is faith? The Greek word is "pistis" which means: a) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it b.) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God. That is faith.

What should the elect do after they are saved? Live holy lives, because it is written, "Be holy because I am holy." We are called to live holy lives for God.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.


The Creed

M: Let us state what we believe:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

Dismissal of the Catechumens

At this time the minister asks the catechumens to leave.

M: We ask kindly of anyone who has not trusted Christ as Savior and Lord, to not participate in the Supper. The Supper is only for baptized Christians.

Invitation

An invitation to receive Christ can be inserted here if the minister wishes. He shall say as follows.

M: Today if you have heard the Spirit’s calling as we have read God’s holy word, and would like to be saved by the grace of God, you can come to the altar. A minister of our church will assist you in gaining salvation.

Kiss of Peace

M: May the Peace of the Lord be with us. Let us greet one another.

Everyone stands and hugs or shakes hands with other members while saying:

Peace be with you

M: Be seated.

[IHS32404]

Offertory

The Common Offering, deacons pass around a plate

M: Saints, give from your hearts as we take offerings.

The eucharistic offering, deacons present the elements

M: Deacons, bring forth the elements of the supper.

Communion Hymn

A hymn is sung in preparation for Communion. After the song, the minister offers a prayer and gives a time of reflection and examination.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Thou the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy - there is none beside Thee
Perfect in pow'r, in love and purity.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!


M: Let us examine ourselves before we take the Supper.

Have mercy upon us, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercies,
blot out our transgressions.
Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity,
and cleanse us from our sin.
For we know our transgressions,
and our sin is ever before us.
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within us.
Cast us not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation,
and uphold us with a willing spirit.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


A period of prayer and examination is offered before Communion.

Holy Communion

M: All who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and who have expressed their love for Jesus
within the fellowship of the church
are welcome at the Lord’s Table.
Come, for all things are now ready.

After the bread is distribute

M: Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

All eat the bread and the cup is distributed

M: This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

All drink of the cup

M: For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

This we have done.

Brothers and sisters,
since the Lord has now fed us at his Table,
let us praise God’s holy name with heartfelt thanksgiving!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him,
who did not spare his own Son,
but gave him up for us all,
and will also give us all things with him.
Therefore shall my mouth and heart show forth the praise of the Lord,
from this time forth forevermore. Amen.

[IHS32404]

Benediction

M: Father God, Almighty creator of Heaven and Earth, we thank you for all that You have given and all that You have provided. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices to You, do with us as You will. We thank You for the gift of salvation that You have provided for us. We thank You for Christ's work at Cavalry.

M: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and give thee peace.

Amen

[leastofthese]

Hey Jordan,
Great sermon. Does your church call it a "homily", like the Catholic church? Oh well, I enjoyed it-- it was deep and thoughtful and intellectual. I'll send you an email with my critique in it. :-)

**Shoutout to all Reformed believers alike!! Hey guys, run the race, fight the good fight, and keep the faith!**

[IHS32404]

nah I just like the word 'homily'