St. John’s Evangelical

Lutheran Church

Welcome to our visitors!

It is our hope and prayer that the message you hear today from God’s Word will fill

your heart with the peace that only God can offer and the joy we have in knowing that

Jesus Christ is our Savior from sin.

Restrooms are located at the far end of the entry area.

Large print service folders, assisted listening devices, children’s bulletins, and

children’s worship notes are available from the ushers.

Parents may take small children into the entry area, mother’s room (at the back of the

church), or nursery (lower level of church) as needed and follow the worship service

on the TV monitor. Changing tables are available in the mother’s room and in the

room adjacent to the nursery.

As the offering is received, members and guests are asked to sign the Friendship

Register. Please pass the register to your neighbor and then return it to the center aisle.

Visitors are also asked to fill out a guest card and give it to an usher.

The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated in our worship today. Scripture tells us that the

Lord’s Supper is an expression of unity in God’s Word and a privilege reserved for

those who have publicly confessed their oneness in faith. Therefore, we ask guests

who are not members of WELS or ELS congregations to refrain from communion

until such oneness can be established. We do not intend to be exclusive and unloving.

Rather, we desire to faithfully carry out the teaching of Scripture and further explore

God’s Word with you in the hope that we may eventually enjoy such “communion

fellowship” together. For more information, please speak with one of our pastors.

Please join us for Bible class at 9:15 AM on Sunday.

The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Fellowship Hall, lower level of church

Bible Information Class: St. Matthew’s Room, lower level of church

The Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost

October 15 & 16, 2016

Rooted and Growing: the believer prays persistently.

Prelude

Opening Hymn Almighty Father, Strong to Save

Please stand to sing the final stanza Christian Worship 517

M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

CONFESSION OF SINS

M: Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name

of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.

Please kneel

C: Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish

pride, for sins of habit and sins of choice, for the evil I have done and the good I have

failed to do, you should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for

my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.

M: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in

Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant:

I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

Please stand

pg. 4

PRAYER AND PRAISE

M: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

For the well-being of all people everywhere, that they may receive from you all they need to

sustain body and life, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: Lord, have mercy.

M: For the spread of your life-giving gospel throughout the world, that all who are lost in sin may

be brought to faith in you, hear our prayer, O Christ.

C: Christ, have mercy.

M: For patience and perseverence in this life, that we may not lose the hope of heaven as we await

your return, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: Lord, have mercy.

M: Lord of life, live in us that we may live for you.

C: Amen.

pg. 5

Prayer of the Day

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

M: Let us pray.

Lord, keep your household, the Church, in continual godliness and set us free from all

adversities that, under your protection, we may serve you with true devotion and holy deeds;

through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Be seated

THE WORD

First Lesson Genesis 32:22-30

Jacob persistently wrestled with God.

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and

crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not

overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with

the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

pg. 6

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with

God and with men and have overcome.”

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was

spared.”

Psalm of the Day Psalm 40

The LORD hears the prayers of his people..

I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;

may your love and your truth always protect me.

For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;

O LORD, come quickly to help me. Refrain

I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

pg. 7

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust,

who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be too many to declare.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be forever. Amen. Refrain

Second Lesson 1 John 5:13-15

Pray persistently that God’s will be done..

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that

you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything

according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we

have what we asked of him.

Verse of the Day

M: Alleluia, alleluia. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

Alleluia.

1 John: This letter was written by the apostle John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” John does not

specifically identify himself as the author in the letter, but the style, content, and phrasing of this letter

are all very similar to the Gospel of John. Its date of writing is uncertain, but John’s use of “children” for

his readers suggests that he wrote this letter later in his life, likely between A.D. 85 and 95 – after the

writing of his Gospel but before his exile to Patmos. No specific recipients are identified, suggesting that

the letter may have been intended for circulation among a number of churches in the province of Asia.

One particular heresy in the early Church was Gnosticism. “Its central teaching was that spirit is entirely

good and matter is entirely evil.” As a consequence of this central teaching, Gnostics taught that

salvation was achieved not through faith in Jesus, but through a special knowledge that man needed to

attain. Although John does not specifically address Gnosticism in this letter, he decries false teachers

and assures the believers of their salvation through Christ.

pg. 8

Please stand

Gospel Lesson Luke 18:1-8a

The widow received justice because of her persistence.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there

was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my

adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care

about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t

eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for

his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see

that they get justice, and quickly.”

M: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ.

Be seated

Response to the Word (Sunday) Come, My Soul, With Every Care

Grades 3 & 4 arranged by Mandy Treder

Come, my soul, with ev’ry care;

Jesus loves to answer prayer.

He himself bids you to pray

And will never turn away.

You are coming to a king –

Large petitions with you bring,

For his grace and pow’r are such,

None can ever ask too much.

Show me what I am to do;

Ev’ry hour my strength renew.

Let me live a life of faith;

Let me die your people’s death.

pg. 9

Hymn of the Day In You, O Lord, I Put My Trust

Christian Worship 448

Sermon 1 John 5:13-15

Written for Confidence

Please stand

Nicene Creed

C: 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.

Be seated

Offering

The members of St. John’s have joined together to do the Lord’s work in our community

and around the world, and our offerings are a joyful response of our faith. If you are a

visitor today, you are welcome but not obligated to give an offering.

pg. 10

Please stand

Prayer of the Church

The minister says the Prayer of the Church.

THE SACRAMENT

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

M: Lift up your hearts.

C: We lift them up to the Lord.

M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: It is good and right so to do.

M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O

Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has

called us to be his own so that we may live under him in his kingdom and serve him in

everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Therefore with all the saints on earth and

hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

pg. 11

Prayer of Thanksgiving

M: Blessed are you, O Lord of heaven and earth. We praise and thank you for sending your Son,

Jesus Christ, and we remember the great acts of love through which he has ransomed us from

sin, death, and the devil’s power. By his incarnation, he became one with us. By his perfect life,

he fulfilled your holy will. By his innocent death, he overcame hell. By his rising from the

grave, he opened heaven.

Invited by your grace and instructed by your Word, we approach your table with repentant and

joyful hearts. Strengthen us through Christ’s body and blood, and preserve us in the true faith

until we feast with him and all his ransomed people in glory everlasting.

C: Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on

earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those

who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom,

the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Words of Institution

M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given

thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body, which is

given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this

is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do

this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

pg. 12

M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: Amen.

Be seated

To receive communion, please proceed down the center aisle and exit via the side aisles.

Grape juice is available in the center of the individual cup tray for those unable to receive wine.

Personal prayers for communion can be found on pg. 14 of the bulletin.

pg. 13

Distribution Hymns What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Christian Worship 411

When Peace Like a River (see pg. 15)

Christian Worship Supplement 760

Sent Forth by God’s Blessing

Christian Worship 318

Please stand

M: We give you thanks, O Lord, for the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that you have given us to

eat and to drink in this sacrament. Through this gift you have fed our faith, nourished our hope,

and strengthened our love. By your Spirit help us to live as your holy people until that day

when you will receive us as your guests at the wedding supper of the Lamb, who lives and

reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

pg. 14

M: 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.

C: Amen.

Be seated

Closing Hymn Abide, O Dearest Jesus (stanzas 1 & 2)

Christian Worship 333

Announcements

Postlude

If you do not wish to take your service folder home, please place it in the basket so it can be reused.

Personal Prayer for Before Communion

Merciful Lord, I come here to your table trusting in your measureless grace and not in my own

goodness. Even though I am not worthy to eat the crumbs under your table, you are always rich in

mercy. Gracious Lord, grant pardon and peace through the body and blood of this sacrament. Amen.

Personal Prayer for After Communion

Loving Father, I thank you for feeding me at the supper of your Son. Sustain me

with your Spirit, that I may serve you here on earth until my joy is complete in heaven

and I share with all the saints in the wedding supper of the Lamb. Amen.

pg. 15

pg. 16

Serving at Worship

Preacher Pastor Kyle Bitter

Presiding Minister Pastor Eric Schroeder

Musicians Carmen Rupprecht, piano (Saturday)

Eric Sipe, organ (Sunday)

Communion Assistants Kerry Kuehn, Dave Leyrer, Greg Martin (8:00 AM)

Jeff Sitz, Mike Swenson, Brian Treichel (10:30 AM)

Head Ushers Mark Naumann (Saturday)

Kerry Kuehn (8:00 AM)

Rick Yahn (10:30 AM)

Greeters Deb Fitzsimmons & Kathryn Hendee and John Frailing & Susan Freedlund (8:00 AM)

Ron & Judy Felsing and Jessica Gromacki & Becky Rehborg (10:30 AM)

Worship Notes

The altar flowers are placed by Jason and Denise Gantner in celebration of their 19th wedding

anniversary and in thanks for blessings received.

The standard flowers are placed by John and Julie Rader in celebration of their 15th wedding

anniversary and in thanks for God’s blessings.

In Our Prayers

Family and friends of Robert Bahr, who went to be with his Lord on Saturday, October 8th and

whose Christian Victory service will be held on Tuesday, October 18th at 11:00 AM.

Brianna Kluge and Dan Hansen were united in marriage on Saturday, October 15th. May our

gracious Lord bless their new life together.

Sawyer Sweet, hospitalized at Children’s hospital.

pg. 17

Acknowledgements (reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-709971, all rights reserved)

Divine Service II. Text © 2008 Northwestern Publishing House.

“Glory Be To God” Text © 2006 Concordia/Starke. Tune public domain.

“Psalm 40” Tune David Cherwien © 2005 Northwestern Publishing House.

“Come, My Soul, With Every Care” Text public domain.

“Holy, Holy, Holy” Text: Stephen P. Starke © 2006 Northwestern Publishing House. Tune public

domain.

“Lamb of God” Text public domain. Tune: Dale Witte © 2005 Northwestern Publishing House.

“Song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis)” Text: Stephen P. Starke © 2006 Concordia/Starke. Tune public

domain.

“When Peace Like a River” Text and tune public domain.

“Glory to God” from Jesus, the Compassion of God © 1999 GIA Publications, Inc.

Readings for the Week of Pentecost 22

M 1 Corinthians 9:24-27………………………………………. Matthew 10:34-39

T 2 Timothy 2:1-5…………………………………………….. 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

W Romans 14:4-12…………………………………………….. Romans 14:13-21

TH 1 Corinthians 9:13-18………………………………………. Titus 2:1-10

F Luke 22:31-38……………………………………………… 2 Timothy 4:5-8

S 1 Corinthians 7:29-31………………………………………. 1 John 2:15-17

pg. 18

Parents’ Preview for October 23

The Parents’ Preview highlights an aspect of next week’s service: a liturgical song, a Psalm refrain,

or a hymn stanza. Our hope and prayer is that parents will teach this portion of the service to their

children at home during the week so that children can participate more fully in the worship service.

“Glory to God”

After receiving forgiveness in the absolution, the congregation responds by praising

the goodness of God and his eternal Word in the Gloria. This refrain is based on

the song of the angels on the night of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2:14.