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Sunday Worship Services are held at 10:00 A.M.
"Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."
(Luke 11:28)
Holy Communion is celebrated the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the
month.
In keeping with His teaching that whoever takes the body and
blood "unworthily" (that is, in unbelief) receives it to his harm rather than to
his good, Jesus of Nazareth invites to the Sacrament all who:
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believe they are a sinner, are repentant of their sin, and
desire power to live a more Godly life; and |
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confess that with the bread and the wine, they receive His
true body and true blood for the forgiveness of sin, power for the new life,
and the gift of eternal salvation. |
PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP, February 26,
2012
First Sunday in Lent
The Scriptures are filled with images of Christ long before
we get to His incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection. Think of the
image of Abraham and his son, Isaac. The father is ready to give up his one and
only son - the son of promise. But which father - are we talking about Abraham
or the heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus? Today, we begin with one story of
temptation that has become the prelude to another story - the story of Jesus.
The Gospel lesson tells us how our Lord Jesus was Himself tempted like we are,
in every way, and yet is found faithful. We do not face temptation alone but in
Christ whose strength is made perfect in our weakness and whose grace is our
courage under duress. Today, we pray that God may find us faithful when we are
put to the test and that God will rescue us with His forgiveness when we fail.
OLD TESTAMENT:
Genesis 22:1-18 (The Lord asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his only son,
and Abraham shows his trust in God.)
22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
EPISTLE: James 1:12-18
(God indeed tempts no one but we are tempted by our own desires, soiled and
tainted with sin.)
12
Blessed is the man who
remains steadfast under trial,
for when he has stood the test
he will receive
the crown of life,
which God has promised to
those who love him.
13 Let
no one say when he is tempted,
“I am being tempted by God,” for
God cannot be tempted with evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
14 But
each person is tempted when he
is lured and enticed by his own
desire.
15 Then
desire
when it has conceived
gives birth to sin, and
sin when it is fully grown
brings forth death.
16 Do
not be deceived, my beloved
brothers.
17
Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above,
coming down from
the Father of lights
with whom there is no
variation or shadow due to
change.
18
Of his own will he
brought us forth by the
word of truth,
that we should be a kind
of
firstfruits of his
creatures.
HOLY GOSPEL: Mark
1:9-15 (Jesus is driven into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan and
the time is fulfilled for the Kingdom of God to be at hand.)
The
Baptism of Jesus
9
In those days Jesus
came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan.
10 And when he came up out
of the water, immediately he
saw
the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 And
a voice came from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well
pleased.”
The
Temptation of Jesus
12
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the
wilderness.
13
And he was in the wilderness forty days, being
tempted by
Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and
the angels were ministering to him.
Jesus
Begins His Ministry
14
Now after John was arrested, Jesus
came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
15 and saying,
“The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel.”

Altar at Easter, 2011
If you are unable to attend worship
services, you may wish to hear our sermons on-line
and/or worship services at other LCMS Churches across the country.
www.lutherandevotionalcorner.info contains a compilation of those.
Background music is "Beautiful Savior", presented by
the Christ Lutheran Church Choir, January 29, 2012
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