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

Collect

O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that my 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.

LSB Altar Book, Pg. 871.

Old Testament

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

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)

Holy Gospel (Sermon)

Just as Moses 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 way God loved the world: He gave his one and onlySon, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but 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.

The 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

Lutheran Hymn for the week

1. 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,
2. 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;
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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,
7. 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.

Catherine Winkworth´s translation (1858) of Paul Eber´s German rendition (1566) of “In tenebris nostrae” by Joachim Camerarius (1500-1574)

Prayer of the Church

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Shepherd of Israel, our Lord and Master, remember Your tender mercies and loving kindness of old. Do not let our enemies triumph over us, and do not depart from us until You have blessed us. As You strove for Jacob, so strive now for Your faithful people who put their trust in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, You have knit Jew and Gentile — and all the nations of the world — into Your one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Lead us ever more deeply into the unity You desire for Your people, that we may bear one another’s burdens in prayer and in works of mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, preserve all catechumens and their teachers, all children and their parents, and every Christian home from the assaults of the evil one. As You have called us in holiness, so sanctify us to walk as we ought and to please You through the Lord Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, You have established rulers and earthly authorities to protect us. Bless Ursula, Cyrill and Rainer our presidents; Olaf our chancellor, Thorsten, our lord mayor, and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Help us to preserve our liberty and use its gift wisely in the pursuit of justice and for the welfare of all people in the EU – on our borders and beyond – Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, You hear the cries of the severely oppressed and bless them with healing in Your appointed season. Comfort those who wait on You especially Thomas, Helmut, Annette, Paulina, Ruth, Christoph, June, Ingrid, Karin, Michaela, Sylvia, Götz u. Vivian, Ulrich & Erika, Mark & Mindy, Matt & Cathy, Scott & Maryann, Lothar & Eia, Manfred und Marlene, Dieter u.Hanna, Dietmar u.Angela, Christoph, Oli, Friederike, Isabel, Elle, Max, Louis, Detlev, Biljana, Matthias, Timo, Dieter, Mechthild, Hans, Renate, Walter, Ruth, Gerry, Carmela, Peter, Simone, Christoph, Sigrid, Eliot, David, Lucy, Mamamhau, Xhotso, Lene, Kurt, Robert, Johannes, Thomas, Berno, Karin, Michaela, Matthias, Daniel,u.a. Increase their faith, and bring them through their trials. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Shepherd of Israel, though it is not right to give the children’s bread to dogs or to cast pearls before swine, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table. Receive us in Your mercy and enable all who commune to make the good confession, both of our sin and of You, our only Savior, that we may receive Your true body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. 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 You, and keep You; The Lord make His face shine upon You, and be gracious unto You; The Lord lift up His countenance upon You + give You peace.

Numbers 6,24-26

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the holy, triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the one true and only God give You His rich measure of faith, hope, love, joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight, clarity of speech, that You preach His holy Will faithfully and His gracious Promises invitingly and faithfully according to His biblical Word recorded by apostles and prophets. His most precious Gospel grants saving grace. It is His “power to save.” (Rom 1:16 cf. 2.Corinthians 12,9). 

God´s Word and Luther´s teaching remain forever.  + Amen +