Fourth Sunday in Lent | March 14, 2021

Fourth Sunday in Lent | March 14, 2021

Worship Service for Lent 4

Rev. Gregory Mech | March 14, 2021 | Fourth Sunday in Lent | Divine Service Setting One | Immanuel Lutheran Church – Joplin, Missouri | 8:00 or 10:30 am

Still Wearing Face Masks, Some Classes and On-Campus Activities Have Returned | In-Person Services and Holy Communion are back! Limited Seating. Learn more.

Lent 2021 is here. Join us for our 7:00 Wednesday Midweek Services leading up to Holy Week and Easter. Find devotions and resources too. Return To The Lord!

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Martin Luther School is Joplin’s Lutheran School, serving children from age 2 through 8th grade. Learn more and receive a FREE Educational Success Consultation! Call 417-624-1403.


Special thanks to all who helped to make this broadcast possible today:
Rev. Gregory Mech, DCE Jason Glaskey, organist Betty Lingenfelter,
the COVID Committee and Board of Elders.


Fourth Sunday in Lent Bulletin Cover. Immanuel Lutheran Church LCMS. Joplin Missouri.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

A portion of the Holy Gospel from John 3, one of the readings assigned for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. May God richly bless you as you hear His Word! Welcome to Immanuel Lutheran Church.


The Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 14, 2021 — Divine Service, Setting One

HYMN “God Loved the World So that He Gave” 571: 1,2,4

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.

Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.

Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins that you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.

INVOCATION, CONFESSION and DECLARATION OF GRACE

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. Matthew 28:19

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination

Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for His sake God forgives us all our sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ He gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit. May the Lord, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:1-2; Philippians 1:6
Amen.

KYRIE “Lord, Have Mercy”        

In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy. 

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy. 

For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy. 

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.

SALUTATION and COLLECT OF THE DAY

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

KIDS TALK 

Numbers 21:4-9

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 107:1-9 (antiphon – verse 19)

They cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
They cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Return to the Lord, your God, for He is Gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and abounding in steadfast love.  Joel 2:13

John 3:14-21

The Holy Gospel according to St John, the third chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN “Lift High the Cross”837: 1,3,4,5

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim 
Till all the world adore His sacred name.

Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod,
Our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim 
Till all the world adore His sacred name.

All newborn soldiers of the Crucified
Bear on their brows the seal of Him who died.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim 
Till all the world adore His sacred name.

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw us all to Thee.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim 
Till all the world adore His sacred name.

Let every race and every language tell
Of Him who saves our lives from death and hell.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim 
Till all the world adore His sacred name.

SERMON

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 Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRESENTATION OF THE OFFERING and OFFERTORY

What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me? I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the LORD. I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD now in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.  Psalm 116:12-13, 17-19

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

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.

BENEDICTION

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.
Amen.

IMMANUEL’S MISSION PRAYER

Heavenly Father, We pray to see the future as You see it, so we may live the present as You will it. We pray we may be grounded in Christ as a Lutheran congregation, and guided by Your grace as we walk in forgiveness. We pray we are growing continually in faith as servants in Christ’s Kingdom proclaiming the Gospel. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

COMMON DOXOLOGY

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.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. From Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

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