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July 12, 2020 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL
July 12, 2020 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL
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Welcome Thank you for joining us for worship this morning, whether in-person or online. In our service we gather before our almighty God to offer him our worship and praise. We also gather to strengthen ourselves through the study of God’s holy and powerful Word. Pastor’s Office Hours If you would like to meet with Pastor Koepke, please contact him to make an appointment. Our pastor is here to serve both Lamb of God members and our community. The Lord’s Supper Communicant members of Lamb of God as well as those visiting us from other WELS or ELS congregations are invited to partake in the Lord's Supper with us. If you have never communed with us before, we ask that you first speak with the pastor to learn how you can establish a communing fellowship with us. We are eager to help anyone to take this step.
Communion today will be offered immediately after the service. If you wish to have private communion at another time, please contact Pastor Koepke. He is happy to arrange that for you.
[email protected] MyLambofGod.org
599 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048
Pastor Michael Koepke Church Phone: 480-283-8329
Cell Phone: 623-419-4303
Lamb of God Lutheran Church
COUNCIL MEMBER EMAIL PHONE
Scott Arthur, Treasurer [email protected] 480-695-1612
Chad Chadderton [email protected] 602-369-4134
Dave Hackett [email protected] 480-200-3265
Chris Muller, Secretary [email protected] 425-681-7235
Brian Welch, President [email protected] 309-212-3626
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The Gathering
OPENING HYMN: Let All Things Now Living (CW 260)
1. Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving To God the Creator triumphantly raise, Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, Who still guides us on to the end of our days. God's banners are o'er us; his light goes before us, A pillar of fire shining forth in the night, Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished, As forward we travel from light into light.
2. His law he enforces; the stars in their courses And sun in its orbit obediently shine. The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains, The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine. We, too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing. With glad adoration a song let us raise Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving: "To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!"
INVOCATION M: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. PRAYER M: God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to
live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
SERVICE OF THE WORD This service offers the congregation a form of worship that focuses on the proclamation of God’s Word. Believers respond to this divine gift with praise, thanksgiving, and prayer.
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CONFESSION OF SINS M: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another. Most merciful God, C: we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. 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 neighbors as ourselves. 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. M: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives
us all our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
SONG OF PRAISE: You Are My All in All
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The Word
PRAYER OF THE DAY M: O God, you have prepared joys beyond understanding for those who love you. Pour into our
hearts such love for you that, loving you above all things, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen. FIRST LESSON: Exodus 32:15-29
In the aftermath of the golden calf incident at Mt. Sinai, we learn that loving God above all may create intense conflict with unbelieving family members. Yet God blessed the Levites who loved him above their families, and set them apart for positions of special service.
15 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”
18 Moses replied:
“It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.”
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19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.
21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”
22 “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”
25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
HYMN: Take My Life and Let It Be (CW 469:1, 2)
1. Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.
SECOND LESSON: 1 John 2:15-17
Those who set their heart on loving the things of this world will crumble when the world passes away, but those who set their heart on loving God above all receive a life that lasts forever.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
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HYMN: Take My Life and Let It Be (CW 469:3-6)
3. Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart—it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.
SERMON: Loving God Will Move You, Matthew 10:34-42
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
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CONFESSION OF FAITH: The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Prayers and petitions are made on behalf of the Church
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M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer M: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who taught us to pray: THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
THE LORD’S BLESSING
M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen.
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CLOSING SONG: My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness
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ANNOUNCEMENTS COMMUNION Today the Lord’s Supper will be offered to small groups immediately after the service. If any of our members would like to receive the Lord's Supper at another time, please contact Pastor Koepke. He is happy to offer you communion privately. 25th ANNIVERSARY PLANS There will be a kickoff meeting today after Communion (in place of our Bible study at about 10:45am). We’ll start planning Lamb of God’s 25th Anniversary celebration. We are looking for individuals willing to help us plan/coordinate that event. The tentative date for the event is Sunday, October 18. If you are interested in being involved in some way, please plan to attend today’s meeting. WEDNESDAY ZOOM BIBLE STUDY The book of Romans was so important to Martin Luther that he once said, "Every Christian should know it word for word, by heart." So do you have Romans memorized? Me neither! But since it's such an important book, let's spend some time in it together. We'll meet on Zoom Wednesday evenings from 7:00-7:30, July 22 to September 16 (except August 12). All you'll need is your Bible. If you would like to join, email Pastor Koepke at [email protected] so I can send you the Zoom invitation. Hope you can join us! MID-YEAR COLLECTION Over the next several weeks, we will be collecting items for Arizona Sunshine Angels, a non-profit organization that provides support for foster children living in group homes within Phoenix.
There is a box in the church fellowship area. Items will be delivered to the general collection center in Glendale at the end of July. See the Needs/Wishes list below for ideas.
If you have any questions, call Tirsa Nel at 480-648-6115. Thank you!
NEEDS & WISHES - These are all on-going for the children. • backpacks & school supplies • journals & photo albums (small) • toys like Legos, Matchbox cars, decks of cards • bath scrubbies & body wash, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, shampoo & conditioner,
toothbrushes & toothpaste • chapstick, hand & body lotion (small size) • brushes, combs, hair accessories (girls) • clothing (summer/winter), socks & shoes (boys & girls) • gift cards (places to eat, movies)
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Let All Things Now Living, Text: © 1939 renewed 1966 by E. C. Schirmer Music Company. Tune: public domain. Setting: ©1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Reprinted by permission of Augsburg Fortress.
You Are My All in All, by Dennis L. Jernigan,
© 1990, Shepherd's Heart Music, Inc. (admin. PraiseCharts.com)
Take My Life and Let It Be, Text and tune: public domain
My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness, Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend © 2003 Getty Music, ThankYou Music, Used by permission. All rights reserved.
OneLicense.net A-730121 & CCLI #1941416
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
