Watchword

God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5,8

Introit

O Lord, I come before you in prayer. My God, I trust in you.
Please do not let me be humiliated; do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me.
Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.
Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted and humiliated.
Make me understand your ways, O Lord. Teach me your paths.
Guide me into your truth and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me; on you I rely all day long.
Remember your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,
for you have always acted in this manner.

Do not hold against me the sins of my youth or my rebellious acts.
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord.
The Lord is both kind and fair; that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live.
May he show the humble what is right. May he teach the humble his way.

Psalm 25,1-9

Old Testament lesson

I will sing to my love— a song to my lover about his vineyard.
My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead.
So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard!
What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead?
Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture,
I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there.
I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground,
and thorns and briers will grow there.
I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it.
Indeed, Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.
He waited for justice, but look what he got—disobedience!
He waited for fairness, but look what he got—cries for help!

Isaiah 5,1-7

Collect for this 2nd Sunday in Lent (Reminiscere)

O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Paul T. McCain (First Things)

Epistle

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.)

Romans 5,1-5 (6-11)

Gospel

Just asMoses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For this is the wayGod loved the world: He gave his one and onlySon, so that everyone who believes in him will not perishbut have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

John 3,14-21

Christian Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Nicene creed

Hymn of the week

When in the hour of deepest need
We know not where to look for aid;
When days and nights of anxious thought
No help or counsel yet have brought,

Then is our comfort this alone,
That we may meet before Thy throne
And cry, O faithful God, to Thee
For rescue from our misery;

To Thee may raise our hearts and eyes,
Repenting sore with bitter sighs,
And seek Thy pardon for our sin
And respite from our griefs within.

For Thou hast promised graciously
To hear all those who cry to Thee
Through Him whose name alone is great,
Our Savior and our Advocate.

And thus we come, O God, today
And all our woes before Thee lay;
For sorely tried, cast down, we stand,
Perplexed by fears on ev’ry hand.

O from our sins, Lord, turn Thy face;
Absolve us through Thy boundless grace,
Be with us in our anguish still,
Free us at last from ev’ry ill,

That so with all our hearts we may
To Thee our glad thanksgivings pay,
Then walk obedient to Thy Word
And now and ever praise Thee, Lord.

“Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein” (Paul Eber, 1560 tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1858, TLH 522.)

Sermon text

Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, but the peoplebecame impatient along the way.And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and wedetest this worthlessfood.”

So the Lord sent venomous snakesamong the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.Then 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 would take away the snakes from us.”

So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looksat it, he will live.”So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.

Numbers 21, 4-9

Prayer of the church

Lord, You gave Abraham the promise of many descendants. Give us faith, that we may delight in this promise, delivered through the ages and kept in Christ, our Savior. Equip us with Your Spirit to be bold and unwavering witnesses, carrying Your name and Your Gospel to every place and people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, through patriarchs and prophets You spoke Your Word. Bless all pastors, bishops, teachers, evangelists and missionaries, that they may preach and teach faithfully. Raise up many new laborers for church-work vocations, and bless them as they prepare for this service in our colleges and seminaries. Give us ears to hear and hearts to imitate their faith and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God of all nations, the disciples brought the cause of a Gentile woman to Your Son, the King of the Jews. Inspire the people of Your Church, grafted into Your holy people by faith, to bring the needs of the world to Your throne of grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, our Father, You have adopted us into Your heavenly family as brothers of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Teach us, after the example of Jacob and Esau, to overcome brotherly strife in persistent prayer and with humility. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, give steadfastness and wisdom to our leaders, especially Olaf, our chancellor; Reiner, our minister president; and all elected representatives, judges and civil servants. Grant peace between nations and a spirit of humility and concord to our citizens. We pray for peace in Ukraine and Israel. Grant fortitude to the defenders of innocent inhabitants and hinder the work of aggressors, terrorists and lawless tyrants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, You sent forth Your own Son to heal and give everlasting life. By Your Word and Spirit, lift up Your people from their sorrows and deliver them according to Your gracious will. Hear us, we pray, especially for Bernd, Annette, Markus, Ingrid and Karin. Sustain them in their afflictions, comfort them in the hour of death and raise up the dead according to Your gracious promise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, Your Son has set His table among us. Here He gives His flesh as food and His blood as drink to forgive our sins and to nourish our faith. Give us Your Spirit, that we may approach this Sacrament with faith and receive with repentant hearts the benefits of His Holy Communion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we implore You by Your Holy Spirit to strengthen our hearts and confirm our faith and hope in Your grace and mercy. Although we have reason to fear for the sake of our conscience, our sin and our unworthiness, let us nevertheless hold fast, like the woman of Canaan, to Your grace. In every trial and temptation, let us find You a present help and refuge; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

LCMS One-Year-Series

+ Dominum vobiscum +

The Lord bless Thee, and keep Thee;

The Lord make His face shine upon Thee, and be gracious unto Thee;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon Thee + give Thee peace.

Numbers 6,24-27

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the triune God give you joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight, that You preach His holy will faithfully and His gracious promises invitingly. His most precious Gospel is “the power of God to save all who believe.” (Rom 1:16) and His good Word remains forever – just as His one, holy Christian Church + Amen.