Everything you need for December 5 online worship.
Preparations for Worship:
- Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
- Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
- This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
- Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
- Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
“Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
CONFESSION OF SINS AND FORGIVENESS
God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.
Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son. By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
LESSON – MALACHI 3:1-7B
Look! I am sending my messenger! He will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord, whom you are seeking, will come to his temple! The Messenger of the Covenant, in whom you delight, will surely come, says the Lord of Armies. 2But who can endure the day when he comes? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like launderers bleach! 3He will be seated like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver. They will belong to the Lord and bring him an offering in righteousness. 4Judah and Jerusalem’s offerings will be pleasing to the Lord as they were in the days of old, in years long ago. 5I will approach you to judge you. I will be quick to give testimony against those who practice occult arts, those who commit adultery, those who swear false oaths, those who cheat workers out of their wages, those who wrong a widow and a fatherless child, those who turn away a resident alien—all those who do not fear me, says the Lord of Armies. 6Certainly I, the Lord, do not change. That is why you, sons of Jacob, have not come to an end. 7Since the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.
LESSON – PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4Every time I pray for all of you, I always pray with joy, 5because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. 6I am convinced of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7I am equally convinced that it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, for both in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all share in this grace with me. 8Yes, God is my witness of how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And I pray that your love may still increase more and more in knowledge and every insight. 10This will result in your approval of the things that really matter, so that you will be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
DEVOTION – LUKE 3:1-6
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.
Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O Lord, our God, You declared Israel to be Your people and brought them out of Egypt.
Since You have called and gathered us also to be Your people, open our hearts to listen and gladly submit to Your Word.
Almighty God, You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord, as prophesied by Isaiah who foretold the Christ. You desired the world’s salvation even when we would not listen to Your voice.
Give us wisdom and courage by Your Word, that Your saints might be prepared for Christ’s coming again in glory.
Heavenly Father, You gather Your people together in Christ and make them partakers of Your grace. Strengthen the faith of those You have gathered into this congregation, that their love may abound more and more with all knowledge and discernment.
Lead us to approve what is excellent and be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
Gracious Lord, as You call and gather us into Your family, so bless the households of this congregation. Bless husbands and wives with strong marriages. Let love abound more and more, especially for Moritz Schweim and Lauren Beavers as they get married this week.
Fill their home with righteousness that comes through Christ Jesus.
Almighty God, Your forerunner prepared the way for Your Son, Jesus. For his sake, we entrust to You those in need of healing, comfort and rescue especially DeLorna Marti’s family after the death of her sister, and Julie Baur’s dad and family after he went into the hospital, and Denise Falewitch’s mom who needed surgery on her broken hip.
Have mercy upon them, deliver them according to Your will and strengthen them in faith, that they might be assured of Your faithfulness.
Lord God, we praise you that throughout history you have used different means to grow your Church no matter the resistance. We thank you that the Internet has allowed us to reach people in virtually any country. We pray you continue to bless our online gospel outreach and discipleship efforts in different languages.
We praise you for every lost soul that you bring to the joy of knowing you.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ who taught us to pray…
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.
THE LORD’S BLESSING
Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Amen.