Cheapening Something That’s Free-3rd Sunday in Lent-LCMS Readings

Description

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 

Just as the Israelites had been given free food throughout their wilderness wanderings, we too have been given the free gift of Jesus and His love.  But how do we treat this free gift?  All too often, when something is free, we don’t treat it with the same honor and respect that we would for something that cost us a lot.  The gift of salvation was free to us but not free to Him who gave His life for us.  How will we treat this free gift?

 

… We Lift Our Hearts in Worship …

[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]

 

Time of Praise and Worship

Beautiful One

Tim Hughes, ©2002 Thankyou Music

Jesus Messiah

Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves, ©2008 Vamos Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)Alletrop Music (Admin. by Music Services)

Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)

Paul Baloche & Brenton Brown, ©2005 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music

 

[Traditional Options]

In The Cross Of Christ I Glory

BH 91 554; CH 328; CW 345; ELW 324; HFG 251; LBW 104; LSB 427; LW 101; NCH 193; PH 84; WC 209

Sing Praise To God, the Highest Good

ELW 871; LBW 542; LSB 819; LW 452

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth   

ELW 340; LBW 105; LSB 438; LW 111

 

Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme 

Pastor:             Almighty God, we prepare our hearts and minds this day to worship Your holy and sacred name. 

ALL:                 Hear us O Lord, our God.

Pastor:             You have provided us with us with gift of salvation, paid through Your only Son’s precious blood, even though we don’t deserve it. 

ALL:                 Hear us O Lord, our God. 

Pastor:             You have invited us to have a seat at Your table, to enjoy the feast of victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. 

ALL:                 Hear us O Lord, our God. 

Pastor:             You have called us to share the good news of Your salvation through Christ with others, so that they can claim seats to Your never-ending celebration.  

ALL:                 Hear us O Lord, our God. 

Pastor             Thanks be to the LORD!  It is good, right, and salutary that we give the LORD praise for His wondrous acts, His everlasting majesty, and His boundless love. He is                                    the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9). He remains                                          faithful to us even when we fall short of His glory. He has demonstrated His love for his people by sending His only begotten Son to be born of a virgin, die an                                           excruciating death, and rise again with glory so that the covenant He established can be restored. Great is the LORD and worthy of glory. His words are better than                                 our words; His deeds are better than our deeds. May His name be lauded and praised now and forever!

  

Time of Greeting

 

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message] 

Pastor:             O most merciful God, we have turned our nose up at the gift You so freely offer us. 

ALL:                 Have mercy on us, Lord. 

Pastor:             We have acted as if we don’t need Your gift of grace. Our sinful nature has led us to act as if the world is all about us. We have reduced You to a God of convenience.  

ALL:                 Have mercy on us Lord.

Pastor:             We have far too often substituted Your command to love one another with a message of self-righteous intolerance and hatred toward our fellow man. 

ALL:                 Have mercy on us Lord. 

Pastor:             Our actions are deplorable. You know all of the ways we have fallen short in thought, word, and deed. We deserve eternal punishment for these dreadful iniquities.                                 We lay these sins at Your feet. 

ALL:                 Have mercy on us, Lord. 

Pastor:             We repent of these iniquities, and cry out for forgiveness that comes from the death and resurrection of Your beloved son Jesus Christ. Renew us this day, O Lord,                                   so we can enjoy a seat at Your holy and everlasting feast. 

                                                                              (pause for silent reflection) 

Pastor:             Almighty God is a God of love. He has heard your cries of mercy. I, as a called and ordained servant of the word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and                                             through  the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, your sins have been forgiven. May this precious gift that comes from the blood of the Lamb                               provide us with comfort and peace, both now and for all time.

 

… We Hear God’s Word …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

 

First Reading:  Ezekiel 33:7-20

Ezekiel is given a message as a watchman for the people to turn from their sin and from their own self-righteousness and return to God for grace and forgiveness. 

 

⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. ⁹ But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved. ¹⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ ¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ ¹³ If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. ¹⁴ And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— ¹⁵ if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. ¹⁶ None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live. ¹⁷ “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. ¹⁸ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil they will die for it. ¹⁹ And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. ²⁰ Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”