The Observation of
The Reformation of the Church
Sunday, October 25, 2020
The Tri-Parish
Bethel Lutheran Church, Glenshaw, PA
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Millvale, PA
Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, PA
Congregations of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
LSB 578 Thy Strong Word
Invocation
A: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Psalm 32:1-5
A: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
C: Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
A: For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
C: For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
A: I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity;
C: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Confession and Forgiveness
Kneel. Silence for reflection.
A: Almighty God, our maker and redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto you that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You by thought, word, and deed. Wherefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C: O most merciful God, who has given Your only-begotten Son to die for us, have mercy upon us and for His sake grant us remission of all our sins; and by Your Holy Spirit increase in us true knowledge of You and of Your will and true obedience to Your Word, to the end that by Your grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name He gives power to become the children of God and has promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Grant this, Lord, unto us all.
Stand.
Psalm 103:8-13
A: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
C: He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever.
A: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
C: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;
A: as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.
C: As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.
Kyrie
A: Lord have mercy upon us.
C: Christ have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us.
Gloria in Excelsis (p. 154)
A: ♫ Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
C: ♫ Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father: We worship You, we give You thanks, we praise You for Your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God: You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer. For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Salutation & Collect
A: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
C: Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The First Lesson Revelation 14:6–7
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
The Gradual
A: Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts.
C: Go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. Psalm 48:1a, 12–14a
The Epistle Romans 3:19–28
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Alleluia
♫ Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Holy Gospel Matthew 11:12-19
A: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eleventh chapter.
C: ♫ Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus said:] “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
A: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: ♫ Praise to You, O Christ.
Confession of Faith
A: We confess our faith in words from the Smalcald Articles, prepared by Dr. Marin Luther in 1537. These articles are included in the Lutheran Confessions which our congregation accepts without reservation.
C: The first and chief article is this:
Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:24-25)
He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works or merits by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood. (Romans 3:23-25)
This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law, or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us as St. Paul says:
“For we hold that one is justified by faith, apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:28)
That He might be just, and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)
Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth, and everything else falls. (Mark 13:31)
For there is no other name under heaven, given among men by we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
And with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
Upon this article everything that we teach and practice depends, in opposition to the pope, the devil, and the whole world. Therefore, we must be certain and not doubt this doctrine. Otherwise all is lost, and the pope, and devil, and all adversaries win the victory and right over us.
LSB 655 Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
The Sermon SOLA FIDE + SOLA GRATIA + SOLA SCRIPTURA
The Prayer of the Church
THE SERICE OF THE HOLY SUPPER
Preface
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.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus (p. 161)
♫ Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow'r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Words of Institution
The Pax Domini
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
Agnus Dei (p. 163)
♫ Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.
Hymn for the Distribution LSB 629 What Is This Bread?
Post-Communion Collect
Benediction
LSB 656 A Mighty Fortress