As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:36-38
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds were expecting a king. They lined the streets hoping to see a mighty monarch. They waved palm branches and put their cloaks on the road seeking to honor an approaching regent. They shouted their praises and proclaimed their loyalty wanting to welcome a royal benefactor. But what the people expected and what they eventually saw were two different things. Jesus had not come to conquer. He had come to be crucified.
The people in Jerusalem were disappointed because Jesus wasn’t the king they were expecting. Too often I experience the same feeling. The Bible clearly teaches who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish. Still, I am tempted to make Jesus conform to my expectations. I want him to fulfill my whims and desires. I want him to bend and conform to my will.
Thankfully, that is not who Jesus is nor what he came to do. He came to fight for me when I was powerless against sin. He came to release me when I was bound and imprisoned by sin. He came to die so that I might live. Thank you, Jesus, for being far more than I could have ever expected.
Prayer:
O precious Jesus, as you entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, you established your rule and power. Give me the strength of faith to see you as you are. Free me from my faulty expectations. Fill me with the confidence to acknowledge you as my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer and King. Amen.
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. Luke 20:19
It is strange and sad that the very people who should have rejoiced the most in Jesus’ coming were the ones who became his bitterest enemies. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day sought to silence him. The hardness of their hearts became even more apparent after Jesus used a parable to uncover their unfaithfulness to God. The only thing which prevented them from arresting Jesus was the crowd of people who listened attentively.
Sadly, like those religious leaders, we do not always want to listen to what Jesus has to say. We don’t always appreciate the guilt of our sin being uncovered. There is a part of us that bristles with anger at his accusations. We want to silence Jesus’ criticism and correction.
While we don’t always like the truth, we need to hear it. We need to understand we are sinners and recognize that, without Jesus, we would be under God’s just judgment. Only when we recognize these things are, we ready to hear the good news of his forgiveness.
And when we do, this precious message of God’s undeserved love in Jesus breaks through the hardness of our hearts and brings us to trust in him. This precious message of God’s undeserved love in Jesus leads us to rejoice in his will and follow it in our lives. What a wonderful change of heart!
Prayer:
O gracious Lord, I thank you for breaking through the hardness of my heart and bringing me to the joy of knowing you and your Son. Continue to keep my heart as your dwelling place until I join you in heaven. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
I loved to watch the Summer Olympics when I was growing up. The track and field events were of special interest. I couldn’t wait to see how far Carl Lewis would leap in the long jump and how fast the sprinters would finish the 100-meter dash. It was especially exciting when it was a close race and the sprinters would stretch forward as far as they could, trying to be the first to cross the line.
That’s the picture I have in my mind when I read these verses from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Like a good sprinter, Paul lived his life of faith eagerly stretching for the finish line. He couldn’t wait to finish the race and find eternal life with Jesus.
Do you live your faith with the same kind of eagerness and effort? If you are like me, the answer is: not always. This world has a way of weighing us down. The pressures, worries, and anxieties of this world slow our pace. Temptations trip us up and lead us off track. Our life of faith can be exhausting, especially when we take our eyes off of Jesus.
God’s Word encourages us to focus on the prize—to keep our eyes on the wonderful heaven that Jesus has prepared for us. He promises to give his followers an eternity of perfect peace and rest—a place with no pain, sorrow, or fear, a place full of joy, glory, and praise, a place where we will never grow weary or weighed down. It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
When life gets you down, keep your eyes on Jesus and reach for the finish line.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, life in this sinful world can be so exhausting. Help me to keep my eyes on the heavenly goal. Fill me with your love that I may always stretch for the finish line. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
I loved going to summer camp when I was a kid. We had so much fun outdoors playing all kinds of games and sports. One summer, we spent much of our time playing football. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem was that there were several trees between the cabins where we were playing. During one particular game I ran out for a pass and was looking back at the quarterback. I didn’t turn around quickly enough and I ran smack into a tree. It is not a good idea to look backwards when you are running.
The same holds true in our lives of faith. If we are going to live our lives for Jesus, we can’t be looking back. This can only cause us to lose direction and get us into trouble. However, that is easier said than done. It is so easy for us to look back either in pride or regret. At times we look back in pride and admire all the wonderful things we have done. At other times we look back and despair over how terrible our sins are, and we are filled with guilt and regret. Either way, we are prevented from focusing on the goal.
Rather than look behind, God’s Word encourages us to keep our eyes ahead and focus on our Savior, Jesus. He lived, died, and rose again to take all our sins away and to give us the free gift of eternal life in heaven. Our past accomplishments cannot save us, and our past sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus. So, forget what is behind and focus on the heavenly goal that Jesus has won for you!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for winning heaven for me. Help me to forget what is behind and to look forward to what is ahead. Amen.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10
This digital age we live in has certainly impacted our lives both in positive and negative ways. Nearly every day, it seems, a new article is published about either the benefits or evils of social media and the internet. For example, due to the use of social media, people have fewer good friends than they used to. Instead, they have more people in their lives that might qualify as “acquaintances.” They may know more people but their relationships with people are not as deep as they once were.
Have you noticed a similar trend in your spiritual life? Perhaps we are so busy that our connection to Jesus is not as strong as it once was. We so easily allow other areas of our lives to crowd out our time with Jesus. Or maybe we have convinced ourselves that we only need a casual connection to Jesus. In other words, he’s good to have around in a tight spot, but we don’t need him overly involved in our lives. This is a dangerous approach to take.
St. Paul’s words in Philippians 3:10 encourage us to be more than just acquainted with Jesus. Did you notice Paul’s desire to learn more about and grow closer to Christ? He says: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10). Paul had a desire to continue growing in his faith. He knew that Jesus is the only way to heaven and because he wanted heaven so much, Paul strove to learn more and more about him. Paul’s goal was eternal life.
As you and I get to know Jesus better in his Word, he will help us reach that goal as well.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, so many things in life threaten to get in the way of my relationship to you. Through your Word, help me to know you more and more each day. Amen.
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Philippians 3:8
Garbage day is a good day. Once a week, you get to take a large container and fill it up with all of the worthless and sometimes disgusting stuff that is only cluttering up the house. We can get rid of all that trash and never look back, knowing that it is gone forever.
Paul, the author of this verse, had come to realize the importance of taking out the spiritual trash. He uses the word garbage in describing things that he once viewed as profit. Many in Paul’s day were teaching that a person could be saved by what he did. Paul used to think that way too. But, the more Paul came to know Christ, the more he realized that all of those things he used to take pride in amounted to nothing more than spiritual garbage.
What about you? What kind of garbage do we rely on for the assurance of salvation? Maybe we figure that we are going to heaven because we do more good than bad or because we think we are better than most people. But that’s just it: we aren’t saved because of what we do or how good we think we are.
God’s Word encourages us to, “gain Christ and be found in him.” The only things worth trusting in are Christ and his cross and empty tomb. Only Christ was perfect for us. Only his death on the cross had value before God to pay our sinful debt. Only his empty tomb is powerful enough to open our graves on the last day.
Have you taken out the spiritual trash recently? Have you realized that even your best efforts at providing salvation are nothing more than garbage? Dear friends, it is time to take out the trash. Throw away all the garbage. Make room for what really saves. Like Paul, gain Christ and be found in him.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to get rid of all the spiritual garbage in my life. Forgive me for trusting in my own efforts and goodness. Help me to always be found in You. Amen.
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Philippians 3:8
Several months back my parents were cleaning out their basement. After 30 years of living in the same house, you can imagine how much stuff had accumulated. In the process of going through it all, they found some things that I had received throughout my childhood – things like games, toys, and pictures. I gave them the go ahead to toss many items into the garbage bin.
But there was one box that was hard to let go. It contained old trophies from my years of playing baseball and basketball. I had not seen those trophies in years, yet for some reason I was unwilling to let them go. They were a source of pride. They made me feel good about myself. I didn’t want to throw them in the garbage.
We all want to hang onto things like that. We desperately cling to whatever makes us feel good about ourselves. We want to know how good we are and often want others to know it too.
In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul reminds us that there is something far better to hang onto than reminders of what we have accomplished. Jesus and his work of saving us from sin and death is what we need to hang onto. Knowing Jesus and his love is more valuable than anything else in our lives. Paul says nothing else in our life can begin to compare to “knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.” In him we have forgiveness and are saved from the punishment our sins deserve. In him we are going to heaven—forever. Now THAT…is worth hanging onto.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to cling to you more and more. Amen.
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Philippians 3:8-9
Righteousness—there’s a heavy church word. But what joy and power is in that word when we believe what the Apostle writes in these verses!
In a trial, the judge evaluates the actions of the defendant and compares them to what the law says. Did any of his actions break a law? If so, then he’s not right by the standards of the law. He is unrighteous. Did his actions meet the law’s requirements? Then he’s right, as far as that law goes. He’s righteous.
When it comes to God’s law, St. Paul knew that he could not measure up. Even his best works fell short. So he counted them all as a loss, as rubbish. Outwardly they looked very righteous, but inwardly they did not measure up. You see, God’s law also judges our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. And what does his law require? Nothing short of perfect love for God, trusting him completely and giving him continuous, glad obedience as we love others as ourselves. How could we ever have a righteousness of our own based on our efforts?
But take heart! There is another righteousness from outside ourselves. This isn’t a righteousness based on YOU keeping the law. It’s based on CHRIST keeping it for you. Paul calls this “the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” God credits this righteousness to you freely, at no charge because Jesus Christ kept the law perfectly in your place. You can be sure of it, because God has said it is so.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you alone are my righteousness. May this truth be my comfort this day. Amen.
We prepare ourselves to worship the one Savior God by expressing our humble repentance, offering our fervent prayers and singing our thankful hymns of praise.
OPENING HYMN
Please stand
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION hymnal page 15
When we confess to God that we have failed to live up to the perfect standards in his law, the pastor announces the perfect forgiveness of sins won for us by Jesus.
LORD, HAVE MERCYhymnal page 15
The Church brings her concerns and prayers to a loving Father in heaven, who has shown great mercy to us and promised to hear our ardent cries for help.
GLORY BE TO GOD hymnal page 16
This song of praise reminds us of the wonderful things God has done for us, not the least of which is the salvation he gives through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Eternal God and Father, help us to remember Jesus, who obeyed your will and bore the cross for our salvation that through his anguish, pain and death we may receive forgiveness of sins and inherit eternal life; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♫ Amen.
Please be seated for the day’s Scripture readings
SERVICE OF THE WORD
The Lord Jesus speaks to us in Scripture reading, preaching and song.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSONIsaiah 43:16-21
Summary: In our Lord we can forget the horrors of the past
This is what the LORD says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
PSALM 73 hymnal page 94
Men sing first line, women sing second line, all sing refrains and Gloria
EPISTLE LESSON Philippians 3:8–14
Summary: In Christ we can forget what is behind and press on toward the heavenly goal
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
VERSE OF THE DAYMark 10:45
During the season of Lent, the “Alleluia” is omitted
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Please stand
C:♫ Glory be to you, O Lord!
GOSPEL LESSON(today’s sermon text) Luke 20:9-19
Summary: The parable of the tenant farmers
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!”
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
C:♫ Praise be to you, O Christ!
NICENE CREEDhymnal pages 18, 19
Please be seated
SERMON HYMN528Christ Is Our Cornerstone
SERMONLuke 20: 9-19
“This Cast-off Cornerstone Does Double Duty”
Shattering hardened hearts
Supporting hurting hearts
Please stand
CREATE IN MEhymnal page 20
Please be seated
OFFERING & WELS CONNECTION DVD
During the offering, please turn and greet one another! We also kindly ask that you fill out the red friendship register found at the end of each pew.
Please stand
OFFERING, LENT, & INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
– For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: George Alexander, Gene & Sharon Crook, Harley & Liola Crown & son Terry, Agnes Dassow, Jerre Duerr, Reinold Eckelberg, Elaine Emond (Mark’s mother), Earl Ewert, Marjorie Fabian, Harold Fandrey, Mike Farrell, Kellen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Del Henke, Dawn Hirn (Linda Krause’s niece), Xzander Jahr, Bob Klapper (Sandy’s husband), Arden “Bill” Klimke, Linda Krause, Pete Laun, Debbie Parrish, LuAnn Reber, Mark & Peggy Russell (Elsa’s son & daughter in-law), Al & Darlene Schmidt (Dawn Marcelain & Candace Sonnenberg’s parents), Carol Schumann, Dennis Schwanke (Mary Isberner’s friend), Amanda Stalker, Jennifer Strauss, Dennis & Ramona Wacholtz, Donny Weber (Betty’s son), Larry Wegner (Bob’s brother), Heidi Weishaar (Dennis & Sharon Kekow’s daughter), Karl Whitrock, Millie Wildt (John’s wife) – (added this week: Harold Fandrey, Del Henke)
– For teacher Sara Borck, who accepted the Lord’s call to teach Kindergarten next fall at Good Shepherd in Omaha, NE.
– For Larry & Lynn Sellnow, who accepted the Lord’s call to serve next fall as principal and K4-5 teacher.
– For our communicants at Emmanuel
LORD’S PRAYERhymnal page 20
Please be seated
HYMN 382:1-2My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
Please stand
CLOSING PRAYER & BLESSING hymnal page 25
Please be seated
CLOSING HYMN382:3-4My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
As you leave today’s service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet to an usher or pastor.
Announcements
Activities for the week of April 7-April 13
Sun.
9:00-10:00 A.M. 11:00A.M.- 12:00P.M.
Northwestern Publishing House Bookfair in St. John’s link way
Mon.
4:30 P.M.
St. John’s Softball Game @ Iron Ridge
6:30 P.M.
Choir at St. John’s
7:30 P.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
Tues.
Wed.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School Chapel
10:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
2:30 P.M.-6:30P.M.
Northwestern Publishing House Bookfair in St. John’s link way
3:30 P.M.
Emmanuel Lenten Devotion
3:45 P.M.
Public School Teen Confirmation Class at St. John’s
4:00 P.M.- 6:30 P.M.
Block Party in St. John’s Gym
4:30 P.M.
Lenten Supper at St. John’s
6:30 P.M.
St. John’s Lenten Devotion
Thurs.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School Teen Confirmation
10:00 A.M.
Montello Care Center Devotion
6:00 P.M.
Griefshare (10th of 13 weeks) in St. John’s lower level
6:00 P.M.
St. John’s School Board meeting
Fri.
Sat.
9:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M.
Easter for Kids at St. John’s
Theme for Next Sunday April 14, 2019Palm Sunday: “The King Comes to Us”
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
8:30 A.M.
St. John’s Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
Emmanuel/St. John’s Adult Bible Study
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship with communion
11:15 A.M.
Bible Information Class begins at St. John’s
NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING HOUSE BOOKFAIR
St. John’s is having a NPH Bookfair on the following dates:
Today, April 7: 9:00am-10:00am & 11:00am-12:00pm
Wednesday, April 10: 2:30pm-6:30pm.
On all orders, there is 20% off, free shipping, and no tax! Checks can be made out to St. John’s. Stop on by and see what’s in!
PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL of your fellow worshipers preparing their hearts for worship. If you are visiting with others, please keep your voices down. Thank you!
EMMANUEL EASTER BREAKFAST April 21 following the 8:00 AM Easter service, everyone is invited (members, friends and guests) for pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages, ham and fruit. A Freewill Offering will be taken for Emmanuel’s Education Fund. The breakfast is supported by a Thrivent Action Team Project. Join us for food and fellowship in the Parish Hall.
USHER AND GREETER SCHEDULE If you are signed up to be a St. John’s usher and/or greeter, please pick up your April-May hard copy in St. John’s Information Room. Schedules will be available for pick up every 2 months.
EASTER FLOWERS We are taking orders now through TOMORROW, April 8th! Please use the sign-up sheet located in St. John’s information room.
EASTER CARDS NEW Easter, Confirmation, & Graduation cards have arrived! Come to St. John’s lower level and get them while supplies last.
NEW ACTS BIBLE STUDY After completing our Study of Matthew last week, our Monday 7:30pm & Wednesday 10am Adult Bible Class members & I began our study of the book of Acts making use of the Acts DVD–“the only dramatization using the actual scriptures…word for word from the New International Version.” Join us in the SJ conference room!
WEDNESDAY LENTEN DEVOTIONSJoin us as we gather for Lenten Devotions: 3:30pm at Emmanuel and 6:30pm at St. John’s under this year’s theme: “Three Words of Truth.” A soup supper will also be served from 4:30-6:15pm in the lower level of St. John’s. “Jesus, I will ponder now on your holy passion…” (Hymn 98) APRIL 10 HOST: St. John’s Youth Group WHAT’S ON THE MENU?: Taco bar
NEW MEMBERSHIP CLASS begins Palm Sunday 4/14 11:15am at SJ. Join us in the link-way conference room for an hour or so after the 10am SJ worship service.
EASTER FOR KIDS COORDINATOR I am looking for someone to assist with the planning this year who would be willing to take the lead in the future. If you would be interested in working with me this year, please call me 608-369-2635. Thank you! –Linda Wachholz
LAST MINUTE REGISTRATIONS FOR EASTER FOR KIDS STILL ACCEPTED THIS WEEKYour Easter for Kids staff does not want any child left out of the fun planned for next Saturday, April 13—the Message of Easter is too important for anyone to miss out!
EASTER FOR KIDS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
VOLUNTEER to help pack Easter baskets on Thursday, April 11, time 9:00A.M.. VOLUNTEER to help set up the Bible Giveaway on Friday, April 12, time 9:00 A.M. VOLUNTEER to help at the event on Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m. to Noon. (Grade 7 through Adult – girls-boys-women-men–all welcome! Thrivent T-Shirts for all helpers). VOLUNTEER to assist with snacks and setting up for crafting sessions on the day of the event. NEEDED: a few empty parmesan cheese sprinkle containers (We could return them if you would consider emptying your canister and allowing us to use it.) Contact Linda Wachholz 608-369-2635.
JOIN US FOR THE EASTER FOR KIDS CLOSING PROGRAMParish & community members are cordially invited to attend the closing program “Parade & Praise for the King” in the church next Saturday, April 13, at 11:30 a.m.. A free lunch and Bible giveaway will follow in the church’s lower level.
CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS(from a WELS member): “We don’t change the message. The message changes us.”
OUR SMALL OFFERINGS (from a member)
A young boy elbows his way to the front of the crowd and tugs on a man’s sleeve. Andrew looks down to see the boy holding out an open sack. Inside Andrew sees five small loaves of bread nestled beside two cooked fish. “I heard the rabbi ask for food,” the boy says with a shy shrug. “My mother packed this for me, and—she said I should share with someone who doesn’t have anything.”
Eyebrows raised, Andrew places a hand on the boy’s shoulder and walks him over to Jesus. Jesus turns and twinkles a smile down at the child; Andrew flashes Jesus a sheepish grin. “So…this boy has offered to share his lunch, but” —he casts a glance over his shoulder at the thousands of people milling around behind him, waiting to hear the rabbi’s next words— “how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus tousles the boy’s dark hair and gives him a smile and a wink. “Thank you, son. This is just what I need.” The boy looks down at his sandals, blushing with pride. Rubbing His palms together, Jesus turns to Andrew with an excited—almost mischievous—glint in his eye. Andrew has seen this look before; a tingle of anticipation floods his veins. With barely contained glee, Jesus says, “Have the people sit down.”
He rolls up His sleeves.
We all know the rest of the famous account in John 6—how Jesus goes on to turn a little boy’s lunch into a feast for thousands. He makes so much food that the disciples collect twelve basketfuls of leftovers!
We often look at our gifts—our talents, our possessions, our skills, our wisdom—and think, “They aren’t worth much. How far can they really go?” Let us never underestimate what God can do with our “small” offerings. We don’t have to give Him the biggest thing, the best thing, the shiniest thing—we just have to give Him whatever we have to offer. The smallest gift is still a treasure in His eyes. Our gifts may be small, but our God is big. And His powerful hands can take our small gifts and multiply them. Our mighty God can turn a little into a lot—more than we could ever imagine. What small gift can you offer to Jesus today?
Joint Worship Committee Update
Worship the Lord – the Purpose of Worship
If you ask members about the reason why we worship, the various answers include “praising God, giving thanks, and singing and praying together.” It is true that all these things happen during worship, but are they really the purpose of worship?
As Lutherans, we know that we “cannot by our own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ or come to him.” Faith, forgiveness, and the sacraments are all received. Worship is primarily God serving his people with Word and Sacrament. Simply put, God gives, we receive. Christian worship enables people to receive the riches of Christ.
What does Christian worship look like? Well, that depends! In churches it includes hymns and liturgies, lessons and creeds. In school it can include Bible-based action songs and murals on the walls. Understanding worship’s purpose will help us understand our various worship practices.
“But I want to feel closer to God. I need emotion.” It’s true, we often feel emotion when we worship. (O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder…” CW 256:1) These human emotions, however, are not the purpose of worship. Rather, they spring from the heart of worship: the Gospel.
It is hard to find the right balance of church doctrine and expressive worship. In our defense of solid doctrine, it is easy to forget that God created us with human emotions. If we want more expressive worship, it becomes easy to downplay the importance of correct teaching.
If worship is my primary opportunity to receive the riches of Christ and to proclaim the Gospel to my neighbor, then, in Christian love, I need to put aside my personal preferences and focus on my neighbor’s interests above my own.
Satan knows that if he can confuse the purpose of worship, he will get us to take our focus off of Christ and to place it on our emotion or our reaction to Christ. Instead of a purpose-driven church, or a mission- minded church, let us strive to be a Christ-centered church! Everything else flows from there.
We gather in worship for a very specific purpose; to receive the riches of Christ! To God be the glory!
(Excerpts from “Worship the Lord” No. 36,”Worship is Really Purpose-Driven” by Aaron Christie)
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
3-314-3
72 62
136 74
St. John’s Altar CommitteeApril 2019
Diane Eisermann&Delores Cotte
SJ GREETER SCHEDULE
April 7
Paul & Christa Van Treeck
April 14
Susan Brown & Kathy North
April 21
Kay Maass & LuAnn Zieman
April 28
Ciara Neuhauser & Jennie Utke
May 5
Phyllis Farrell & Pat Henning
May 12
Jim & Diane Eisermann
May 19
Wayne & Marilyn Riemer
May 26
Aaron Kendall & Christopher Smith
April 10 Lent 3:30pm ELent 6:30 pm SJ
Wayne Stelter, Bruce Stelter, Joe HellerJack Yates; Chief, Al Rosenthal, Christopher Smith, Calvin Wojtalewicz, Zeb Zuehls
April 14 E (with communion) SJ
Don Stelter, Warren Buchholz, Brian NinnemannDon Smith; Chief, Mark Emond, Kevin Kaul, Scott Ritz, Ken Borzick
April 18Maundy Thurs.7:00pm E
Darrell Buchholz, Don Stelter, Gary Wegner
April 19Good Friday 1:00pm(with comm.) SJ
Kenon Smith; Chief, Ben Emond, Thomas Wojtalewicz, James Henke, Paul Van Treeck
April 21 Easter ESunrise 6:00am SJ 10:00am SJ
Brian Ninnemann, Bob Ferber, Paul DahlkeCal Kapp; Chief, Martin Schmanke, Lee Ollendorf, Aaron Kendall, Chuck BoetcherJames Wachholz; Chief, Jim Eisermann, Corey Kaul, Jerre Duerr, Robin Smith
April 28 E (with communion) SJ
Darrell Buchholz, Jim Stuempges, Joe HellerJack Yates; Chief, Del Henke, Joe Zauner, Gordon Krause, Richard Freitag
May 5 (with communion) ESJ
DuWayne Sommerfeld, Noah Buchholz, Gary Wegner, Darrell Buchholz (comm. assist.)Don Smith; Chief, Gerhardt Voigt, Mitch Simon, Karl Whitrock, Matt Borzick
May 12 E (with communion) SJ
Wayne Stelter, Bruce Stelter, Brian NinnemannKenon Smith; Chief, Glen Bubolz, Al Rosenthal, Christopher Smith, Calvin Wojtalewicz
May 19 ESJ
Lucas Stelter, Paul Wuerch, Paul DahlkeCal Kapp; Chief, Zeb Zuehls, Mark Emond, Kevin Kaul, Scott Ritz
May 26 E (with communion) SJ
Don Stelter, Glenn Buchholz, Joe HellerJames Wachholz; Chief, Ken Borzick, Ben Emond, Thomas Wojtalewicz, James Henke
Back in the 1800’s, the city of Delhi, in India, had a troublesome problem with the poisonous snake known as the cobra. The problem was that the colonial authorities thought that there were too many of them. And so the government announced what seemed to be a wise solution to the problem. It announced that there would be a bounty paid for each dead cobra that someone brought in. At first it looked as though the solution was a wise one, as people began to bring in dead cobras by the dozens.
Over time, however, the authorities discovered that people had actually begun to breed cobras in order to bring them in for the money. When that happened, the government discontinued the program. When the bounty program stopped, however, people simply released the now-worthless snakes, thus making the cobra population larger than ever. This came to be known as “The Cobra Effect.” The Cobra Effect describes any wise-sounding solution that, in reality, makes matters worse.
Deep within me there is the strong assumption that I am the solution to my problems—that if I can only get the right information or the right tools or the right method, I can create a life that has meaning, purpose, and fills the void in my soul.
Sooner or later, however, the Cobra Effect will kick in. Sooner or later, looking to myself for the solution will only make matters worse.
That’s why the answer is Jesus. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse me from the guilt of my repeated failures. Only the perfect life of Christ can cover me in the blanket of his holiness. Only his Spirit can empower me to see clearly—to see that the real Solution lies outside of myself. The real solution is found in Christ.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by the power of your gospel send me a rich measure of your Spirit. Empower me to see that my solution is you. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
