Concordia Lutheran Church & School
836 Park Ave. · Sikeston, MO
MIDWEEK LENT WORSHIP #4
22 March 2017 · 7P
Rev. Alan J. Wollenburg, Pastor
Stand
Psalmody
Psalm
Psalm 95:1–9 (antiphon: v. 6)
come, let us sing | to the LORD;*
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our sal- | vation!
2Let us come into his presence with thanks- | giving;*
let us make a joyful noise to him with | songs of praise!
1Oh
3For
the LORD is a | great God,*
and a great King a- | bove all gods.
4In his hand are the depths | of the earth;*
the heights of the mountains are his | also.
5
The sea is his, for he | made it,*
and his hands formed the | dry land.
6Oh come, let us worship and | bow down;*
let us kneel before the LORD, our | Maker!
7For he | is our God,*
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep | of his hand.
Today, if you | hear his voice,*
8do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the | wilderness,
9when your fathers put me | to the test*
and put me to the proof, though they had | seen my work.
Sit
439 O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken
1 O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken
That such sharp sentence should on Thee be spoken?
Of what great crime hast Thou to make confession,
What dark transgression?
LSB 439 sts. 1–7
2
They crown Thy head with thorns, they smite, they scourge Thee;
With cruel mockings to the cross they urge Thee;
They give Thee gall to drink, they still decry Thee;
They crucify Thee.
3
Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish?
It is my sins for which Thou, Lord, must languish;
Yea, all the wrath, the woe, Thou dost inherit,
This I do merit.
4
What punishment so strange is suffered yonder!
The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander;
The Master pays the debt His servants owe Him,
Who would not know Him.
5
The sinless Son of God must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man may live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life and is acquitted;
God is committed.
6
There was no spot in me by sin untainted;
Sick with sin’s poison, all my heart had fainted;
My heavy guilt to hell had well-nigh brought me,
Such woe it wrought me.
7
O wondrous love, whose depth no heart hath sounded,
That brought Thee here, by foes and thieves surrounded!
All worldly pleasures, heedless, I was trying
While Thou wert dying.
Public domain
A READING FROM THE HARMONIZATION OF THE GOSPELS ABOUT
THE PASSION OF OUR LORD . . . continuing our series . . .
Responsory
Lent
LSB 231
The Third Petition – LSB p. 324
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean?
The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer,
but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.
How is God's will done? God's will is done when He breaks and
hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our
sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His
kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His
Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will.
“It was God’s will.” – be careful about where & when you say that b/c you
might thus end up as a false teacher who inadvertently leads others
astray.
 E.G., rebellious young man. Trouble w/ the law. They told him that the
next time he got in trouble, he’d go to jail. He got in trouble.
Before they came to arrest him, he murdered himself. A
paramedic on the scene said that he’d comforted the kid’s
parents with “It was God’s will.” WHAT?!
 Preachers at suicides.
 People who slander & defame others say that “Well, God must’ve
wanted it that way.” No!
God does NOT want us to throw His name about willy nilly.
Luther’s 3 emphases:
1. God’s will will get done even without our cooperation BUT He
wants us on His “side.” (And those on the “other side” will
certainly lose.)
2. God will wants to break & hinder every evil plan & purpose of: the
devil, the world, and our sinful nature – for none of these WANT
us to hallow God’s Name or let His Kingdom come.
3. God’s will is to strengthen & keep us steadfasst in Hi Word & faith
‘til we die.
I.
NOT SURE ABOUT HOW MUCH needs to be said about this.
A) That person is a fool who says that s/he is going to outsmart or
outmaneuver or just plain outstubborn God!
B) God’s great acts are easy to enumerate:
i. creation
ii. Flood
iii. Tower of Babel
iv. Exodus
v. Raising the dead
vi. turning time backwards or making it stand still
vii. greatest: your salvation!!
C) 1 Cor. 1 – the “foolishness” of God is greater than all of man’s
accumulated wisdom – so also the “weakness” of God is
greater than all of man’s accumulated strengthen
D) Romans 11 – “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom of God,
and how unscrutable are His ways. For who has EVER given to
God that God should owe him back or who has EVER given
such counsel to God owes him an explanation. For from Him
and through Him and to Him are ALL things. To Him be the
glory forever. Amen.”
E) O.T. esp. is filled with examples of the awesome might of God!!
How do YOU think things will go with those who decide to
stand against Him?
II. God will wants to break & hinder every evil plan & purpose of: the
devil, the world, and our sinful nature – be certain of this!
A) THE DEVIL is depicted in Scripture as a roaring lion roaming
back & forth, seeking whom he might devour. Also seen as an
awful dragon who wants to destroy the children of God. Is also
shown to be a great liar and the father of lies.
1. He will NEVER EVER have your best interests at heart.
2. He will lie and deceive in any way he can – even as he flat
out told Eve that if she ate of the forbidden fruit she surely
would NOT DIE!
3. Another place in the NT the devil is shown to be capable of
even disguising himself as a holy angel – talk about a wolf
in sheep’s clothing!
4. BE CERTAIN OF THIS: HE LONGS TO SEE YOU FOR ALL OF
ETERNITY IN HELL.
B) NEITHER IS THE WORLD YOUR FRIEND! I know that you want
to think that it is b/c, after all, the world is the only thing you
think you know (though you also know the love of God in
Christ)
1. dog eat dog
2. constantly evaluated per what people can get from you:
$$, sex, favors of some sort
3. BUT the world offers you no security

cf. Jesus’ parable re the man with the great harvest
who built a great big barn to store it all, and then to
relax and be merry = died that night

how many people are remembered more than a couple
of generations down the road (at best!)?!

AND when was the last time the world EVER forgave
you your sins? It ALWAYS holds your past against you.
C) Your own sinful flesh. Again, it’s what you know, but can you
truly depend upon it? Sometimes you can’t watch a
commercial on TV without sinning. Sometimes you can’t have
a dream at night without sinning
1. Without thinking you sin – you judge – gossip – become
jealous of others – slander – defame – covet – murder –
commit adultery
2. The addict or the alcoholic has a body which keeps
demanding its newest and latest “fix.”
3. Finally, when you think you have conquered your sinful
flesh and brought it into line, just about then your body
becomes sick unto death.
III. It is certainly Go’s will to break & hinder all of the evil plans of the
devil, the world, and our flesh!! BUT WAY BETTER BY FAR IS THAT
HE STRENGTHENS & KEEPS US FIRM IN HIS WORD & FAITH UNTIL
WE DIE – THIS IS HIS MOST GOOD AND GRACIOUS WILL!
A) Some: “God doesn’t want me to have any fun! I hate His
commandments.” shows that they do not yet know God in a
saving way!
B) God loves you and gives you everything! He cherishes you as
even a grandparent cherishes his/her grandchildren.
C) Like a younger person in love will give his/her fiancee literally
anything in the world, so God loves and cares for every one of
you but WITHOUT ANY LIMITS on what He can give you!
D) He gave you His Word. He sent you His Son! He built His holy
Church! He called you to faith. He gave you faith! He pours out
His Word and Sacraments upon you! When it comes to
anything which is truly good in your life, God is the subject of
the sentence and the author of that good!
E) HE WANTS TO BRING YOU SAFELY THROUGH THIS VALE OF
TEARS – HE IS YOUR MIGHTY FORTRESS – TO BE WITH HIM
SAFELY AT HOME IN HEAVEN!!
SO . . . when Jesus Himself prayed for the Father to forgive those who
persecuted Him, and when He assured the repentant dying thief of the
gift of eternal life, when He endured God’s wrath and judgment in our
place, when He instructed John to care for His mother, when He declared
that His work of salvation was finished, and when He commended
Himself into the Father’s care, and when He died – – ALL OF THAT WAS
GOD’S WILL which was most certainly done!
When you learn to pray “Thy will be done,” you are doing nothing else
than praying for you to have the same mindset as Jesus does: the defeat
of all things Satanic, and the salvation of immortal souls – including yours!
In the Name of the Father and of T the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Canticle
Stand
Antiphon (Common)
LSB 231
L Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
C and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Magnificat
LSB 231
Sit
Offering
Prayer – Kneel/Stand
Kyrie
LSB 233
Lord's Prayer
LSB 233
C
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Collects
Collect of the Day – O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be
gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again
with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the
unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our
Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
Collect – Heavenly Father, shed the light of Your mercy upon the family
and loved ones of [name], and dispel the dark night of [his/her] addiction.
Turn sorrow into joy, pain into gladness, and worry and anxiety into a
confident hope in You and in Your gracious promises. Bring healing to this
family and to [name] that [his/her] dependency may be given over to You.
Grant that [his/her] sin be forgiven and that a renewal of love and unity
take place; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Collect – Lord Jesus Christ, Your precious blood washes away our sins and
revives our spirits. Look with compassion on [name], and restore hope
and well-bring to [him/her]. Banish the spirit of depression, strengthen
[his/her] faith, disperse the cloud of despair that covers [him/her], and
grant [him/her] the comfort of Your Holy Spirit and the joy of Your
salvation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever.
Collect – Merciful God, graciously take into Your fatherly care the sick
and needy, those who are widowed and orphaned, the homeless and
homebound, the lonely and forgotten, and all who are in any trouble,
temptation, anguish of labor, peril of death, or any other adversity
(especially [name(s)]). Comfort them, O God, with Your Holy Spirit that
they may patiently endure their afflictions and acknowledge them as a
manifestation of Your fatherly will. Preserve them from faintheartedness
and despondency, and help them to seek You, the great physician of their
souls. If any pass through the valley of the shadow of death, do not allow
them in the last hour, for any pain or fear of death, to fall away from You,
but let Your everlasting arms be underneath them, and grant them a
peaceful departure and a joyful entrance into Your eternal kingdom in the
resurrection of all flesh; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Collect – We praise and thank You, O God, for You are without beginning
and without end. Through Christ You are the creator and preserver of the
whole world; but above all, You are His God and Father, the giver of the
Spirit, and the ruler of all that is, seen and unseen. You made the day for
the works of light and the night for the refreshment of our weakness. O
loving Lord and source of all that is good, mercifully accept our evening
sacrifice of praise. As You have conducted us through the day and brought
us to night's beginning, keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening
and a night free from sin; and at the end bring us to everlasting life
through Christ, our Lord; through Him be glory, honor, and power to You
in the Holy Spirit now and always forever and ever.
Collect for Peace
L O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all
just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot
give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also
that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace
and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and
reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C
Amen. Stand
Benedicamus
LSB 234
L
Let us bless the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Benediction
LSB 234
P
The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C
Amen.
Acknowledgments
Vespers from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a
division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
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