FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH (MISSOURI SYNOD) -- 1 Corinthians 9.24-10.5 Gerhard P. Grabenhofer Organist: Marianne Grabenhofer 71 W. First St. Corning, NY Phone 962-4970 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the 25 [email protected] www.faithlutherancorning.org prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who Septuagesima [about 70 days until Easter] 01 February 2015 competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.26 Therefore I run thus: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.27 But I prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. (1 Cor. 9.24) discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached ORDER OF SERVICE—Order of Holy Communion—hymnal pg. 15 to others, I myself should become disqualified. THE PREPARATION Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers Pre-service prayers (hymnal pg. 4; 102-109; 118; 170) were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,2 all were baptized into #37 Lord, ‘Tis Not that I did Choose Thee Moses in the cloud and in the sea,3 all ate the same spiritual food,4 and all At the final stanza, the congregation turns facing the drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that Invocation hymnal pg. 15 followed them, and that Rock was Christ.5 But with most of them was Confession/ Absolution pg. 15-16 not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. THE SERVICE OF THE WORD : (Psalm 18.4a, 5a, 6a; 18.1-2, 27, 30, 35) : (Psalm 9.9,10,18,19a; 130.1-4) P: The pangs of death encompassed me, the sorrows of hell surrounded me. C: In my distress I called upon the Lord, He heard my voice from His P: The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. temple. C: And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You P: I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress have not forsaken those who seek you. and my deliverer. P: For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor C: My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of shall not perish forever. my salvation, my stronghold. C: Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail. P: For You will save the humble people, and will bring down haughty looks. P: Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! C: As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is proven; He is a C: Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. shield to all who trust in Him. P: If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? P: You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has C: But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. Triple Hallelujah omitted until Easter Gloria Patri [Glory to the Father] pg. 16 : Matthew 20. 1-16 pg. 21 [Lord] pg. 17 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the 2 Gloria in Excelsis [Glory in the highest] omitted until Easter morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with 3 the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he Salutation/ pg. 19 went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,4 and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and P: O Lord, we implore You favorably to hear the prayers of Your people that whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.5 Again he went out about we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.6 And about the eleventh by Your goodness, for the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, ever one have you been standing here idle all day?'7 They said to him, 'Because no God, world without end. C: Amen [sung] one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' 8 So when evening had come, the owner For godly schools, especially our Synod’s day schools, colleges, universities and of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their seminaries, that those who study and those who serve in them may drink from the wages, beginning with the last to the first.'9 And when those came who spiritual rock of Jesus Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.10 But For the people of the world, especially the people of our country; for those who when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and serve in our government; for our armed forces at home and abroad; and for those who work to bring peace among the nations, that warfare would cease and peace they likewise received each a denarius.11 And when they had received it, abound among mankind, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. 12 they began murmuring against the landowner, saying, 'These last men For the sick and suffering, those who are hospitalized, homebound or hurting in have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have every physical or mental illness that Christ, the Great Physician, would bring them borne the burden and the heat of the day.'13 But he answered one of them healing, hope and peace at the last, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a For those receiving the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, that their denarius?14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last participation in the Sacrament of the would bestow on them forgiveness of man the same as to you.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my sins and everlasting life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. own things? Or are you jealous because I am generous?'16 So the last will For those who have gone before us in the faith, especially those in our families, be first, and the first last. that we would rejoice with them in the final harvest of souls on Judgment Day and have a blessed reunion in heaven, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your The Nicene pg. 22 mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: #373 (1-5) By Grace I’m Saved, Grace Free and Boundless THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT pg. 24-25 — I Corinthians 9.24-10.5 (Holy) pg. 26 God’s Grace Is Worth Fighting For The Lord’s Prayer and pg. 27 1. It is freely given [10.1-4] () pg. 28 2. Strive to remain in it [9.24-27] The Distribution of our Lord’s true body and blood for the forgiveness [Silence for meditation] of sin and the strengthening of faith pg. 22 (Now You dismiss) and Thanksgiving pg. 29 Offering Hymn #373 [6-7] By Grace I’m Saved, Grace Free and Boundless The Prayer of the Church Salutation/ Benedicamus/ pg. 31 Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according The congregation faces the processional cross as it leaves to their needs. Silent Prayer Brief silence TELL THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS For the Church, that all who labor in her vineyard, whether for a moment or for a ANNOUNCEMENTS lifetime, may receive the reward prepared for her, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. Today—Pre-Voters’ Informational meeting after service For those who labor in the Church as leaders, especially our Synod president and Tuesday—Bible Study (Revelation) 6 pm our district president, all , all deaconesses, teachers and other servants, Thursday—Bible Study (Revelation) 9.30 am that they may remain faithful to the Holy Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions in Sunday— Voters’ Meeting after service all they say and do, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. PLEASE PRAY FOR: Virginia Butler, Dan Fraser, Jonna Holden, Tom Pawlak, For all of our congregations, especially this congregation, that we would repent of Walt and Karen Weiner; Mary Ellen Carl, Danielle Hebert, Sarah Stebbins, quarreling and testing the Lord’s bountiful goodness and receive from Him all good Donald Zaun. things that He gives us, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. Welcome to Faith! God’s House is your home. The members of Faith : Exodus 17. 1-7 “Is the Lord among us or not?” So that Lutheran are glad to have you join us as we gather around the Word and had been their real transgression: the doubts as to the presence of the Lord Sacraments of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is where we find our source of with their army, the pillar of cloud and fire apparently not being sufficient forgiveness and life before God. It is our prayer that you also may rejoice any more to uphold their faith. The events here narrated were considered in the precious message of the Gospel of our Lord: “But God, Who is rich in an example of warning throughout the time of the Old Testament as well mercy, loved us with such a great love. He made us who were dead in sins as the New, Ps. 95.8; Heb. 4.9. And it was Christ who journeyed with His alive with Christ. You have been saved by grace” (Eph. 2. 4, 5). Visitors, people at that time and strengthened the faith of those who noted His please be sure to sign the Guest Book in the entry. Pastor Grabenhofer presence in the miracle, so it is He who gives us at all times the true stands ready to serve you in any way consistent with his office. spiritual water to quench the thirst of our souls. [Kretzmann]  TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION: EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 9. 24-10.5 Just as many Israelites were disqualified Scripture tells us: For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you because of their unfaithfulness and false worship, Christians, too, face the proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Cor. 11.26). According to God’s danger of being disqualified from salvation if they engage in false worship Word, the entire congregation declares a mighty sermon when it receives and fail to remain in repentance and faith worked by the Holy Spirit. the Lord’s Supper. It declares the central truth of our faith, that Christ gave In its attitude toward the sacraments, the church faces two equal and His body and blood for our forgiveness. Since doctrinal unity is central to opposite temptations. One is…the adoption of a complacent, “magical” this common proclamation, the congregations of the Lutheran Church- view, that there is spiritual benefit in simply “going through the motions,” Missouri Synod have promised to practice closed communion. Therefore taking the sacraments for granted and forgetting that their purpose is to we invite to this holy Sacrament members in good standing of this or engender and strengthen faith. Faith should lead to godly lives and another congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. appropriate works…. The other danger is for the church to detract from the reality and power of the sacraments as true spiritual food and drink, and  reduce them to mere symbols. This happens when Christians consider CHURCH YEAR NOTES: Before the 40 days of , which is a time of self- Baptism to be merely a human action—a demonstration of our faith, rather examination and penitence, is the short, three Sunday season of Pre-Lent than an action of God which confers the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, which begins today. These weeks serve as a countdown to Easter. This is life, and salvation….Regarding the Lord’s Supper, this second danger occurs seen in the names of these Sundays. Today is called Septuagesima, which when Christians fail to discern the Lord’s body and blood in the Sacrament, is a Latin word telling us there are about 70 days until Easter. As we look which give to the communicant the benefits earned by Christ when He ahead to Easter’s joy we are seeking to strengthen our faith. God’s gave His body and shed His blood on the cross. [Lockwood] unconditional love for us in Christ gives us strength to examine ourselves honestly during Lent. Today we learn of God’s grace, lest we fear examining GOSPEL: Matthew 20. 1-16 How the Lord deals with His workers is our hearts and lives this Lent. Whatever sins we recognize in ourselves different than how the employers of this world deal with their hired help, cannot separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. who receive recognition and wages according to the services rendered. There is a different principle in effect in the Church where grace alone  decides towards those who wish to become righteous before God and be PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, by Your precious Word You have saved. God distributes His blessings in his Church to whom He wills and is called us into Your vineyard. We pray, give Your Holy Spirit into our hearts not persuaded by the worthiness or unworthiness of those who receive it. so that we may faithfully work in that vineyard, keep ourselves from sin God is good and gracious beyond human measure and in His kingdom deals and every offense, be diligent in Your Word and will and set all hope alone with his workers, not according to what is right, but according to His grace, on Your grace, which You have so richly showed us through Your Son, because His Church is the Kingdom of Grace, and a sinful person can never Christ Jesus, and so be eternally saved. Amen. earn favor by God through his works. [Stoeckhardt]