Trinity 1, 2023

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory Jackson

The Hymn #93              O Lord, We Welcome Thee

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

O Lord, I have trusted in Thy mercy: 

my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.

I will sing unto the Lord: 

because He hath dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm. How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord? 

How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

O God, the Strength of all them that put their trust in Thee, mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do nothing without Thee, grant us the help of Thy grace that in keeping Thy commandments we may please Thee both in will and deed; 

through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual    

Gradual

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: 

heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.

V. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: 

the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Give ear to my words, O Lord: consider my meditation. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #429              Lord, Thee I Love   - Winkworth translation

 Division - One or the Other

The Communion Hymn #342  Chief of Sinners

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #658             Onward Christian Soldiers          

Prayers and Announcements         

• Those continuing in treatment and therapy - Kermit and Maria Way, Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris,  Dr. Cruz Family, Sarah Buck, Ivy Anderson's mother.
• We have a number of Biblical resource books and KJVs, concordances for those who want them.

KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

First Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Thy word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with surfeiting and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Thy fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Luther’s Sermon on the Rich Man and Lazarus

Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abram's bosom bear me home, 

That I may die unfearing; And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep 

Until Thy reappearing. 

And then from death awaken me That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace, 

Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429

 We Are Lazarus

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

The woven narrative of the Four Gospels

People express frustration when the Gospel stories are unique, when they overlap, and when they are almost the same. The truly dense persons (the professors and sceptics) find fault with one thing or another, but consider this - the Four Gospels are unified and beautified by providing a complete portrait of Jesus Christ with details and with unique stories like this one. For example, Luke has unique sections that we would never want to see missing, such as this parable, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan. Nor would we want to edit - in the Gospel of John - the I AM sermons, the emphasis on His divinity and on the work of the Holy Spirit. Consider this especially - the names of people suggest that these were known to the first generation of Christians. I see group pictures of classmates from 50 years ago and think, "There's the future bird colonel. There's the future wife of the Police Chief in Boston. She went to Broadway!" Similar captions are throughout the New Testament, including Paul's letters.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

This is a parable, not a personal story, but a universal story about mankind. In only a few words Jesus contrasts the believer (Lazarus) with the rich man (no name). The theme of this parable is faith, because Lazarus had faith - taken up into heaven by the angels, to the bosom of Abraham (another way of saying heaven, used in Judaism). The rich man was buried - big funeral - and went to Hell.

The contrasting details are memorable. The rich man clothed himself in purple and fine linen and ate like a king every single day. Neither one was necessary every day, but he clearly enjoyed showing off and attracting a large crowd admiring him. But there was a beggar named Lazarus (God's help) who was left at his entrance to get food, so diseased that he had open wounds.

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

He could have been fed by the servants. The scraps alone would have been enjoyed by beggars. But he did not exist in the eyes of that crowd, who were beggars in their own way. His lowliness is described by the street dogs coming to him and licking his wounds. Lazarus could not have been anymore downtrodden than being tended by stray dogs, and hearing noise of the constant banquets every day.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 

The beggar died and carried by the angels to be in heaven with Abraham, close to him (in his bosom). A funeral is not mentioned. But the rich man had a funeral and was buried. Often the most notorious are prepared for a grand exit. 

Lazarus is symbolic of all those who have nothing but rely on Jesus Christ, because this is a parable about faith - those who have none and those who trust in the mercy of God. In addition, it points out how some mistakenly look down on those with so little because they trust in finery, possessions, and those people who admire the same things. They want to sit near the rich man and laugh with him, but they loathe and avoid the weak, sickly, aging, and imprisoned. 

It does not take long to figure out who is avoiding Lazarus these days. Child not perfect? - how terrible! Have you tried these vitamins? Is it in the family? Elderly people? - they are honored as elderly in Asia and ignored here. 

Small church? - you should see how big ours is! What are you doing wrong? Our neighbor asked me, "How large is your church?" I said, "We are world wide, in the Philippines, Australia, with connections in Canada... but still a small group." No one will put a small church on a magazine cover, but large ones are often treated with awe until they blow up for various reasons, not for their faith but for coveting wealth, property, limousines, private jets, and worse.

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

In the afterlife there are only two states. One is enjoying the peace and joy of eternal life. The other is the torment of eternal death and agony. The worst torture could be knowing the majesty and mercy of God but now out of reach and untouchable.

The rich man now wants to enjoy the state of Lazarus, just a little, but that is impossible.

Luther:

4. For this rich man is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes; since many saints, kings and queens in ancient times wore costly apparel, as Solomon, Esther, David, Daniel and others; but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols. This Christ indicates by the words “every day,” that he lived thus sumptuously daily, continuously. From this is seen that he diligently sought and chose such a life, was not forced to it nor was he in it by accident, or because of his office or to serve his neighbor; but he only thereby gratified his own lust, and lived to himself and served only himself.

5. Here one traces the secret sins of his heart as the evil fruit. For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting, yea, there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone; it is the same to him whether his food be dainty or plain, whether his clothing be fine or homespun. For although they even do wear costly clothes, possess great influence and honor, yet they esteem none of these things; but are forced to them, or come to them by accident, or they are compelled to use them in the service of others.

My Old Testament students often land on King David, for his combination of infidelity and proxy murder. However, in faith, David repented of his sins and did not spare himself in confessing them to God and leaving an inspired record. He became Lazarus in that regard, because none of his power and wealth meant anything but his Psalms of contrition remain the standard of sorrow for sins and complete forgiveness. They are certainly the work of the Holy Spirit, but they are spoken through a man saying "Create in me a clean heart, O God."

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

This is a good example of those who have hardened their hearts against the Word and then find terror at the reality of God's Word. Like their behavior in life, they want to cut a deal appealing to them but it is not possible. Most importantly, the real treasure is spiritual and it cannot be taken away from believers.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Efficacy of God's Word

This part of the parable can be summarized as the efficacy of God's Word. As I have said many times before, efficacy when changed to English letters is energy. That is not simply a word or word group in the Bible but a basic truth illustrated by the Holy Spirit working through the Word, always having an effect.

We had rain recently, then a real sod-soaker, and today a sprinkle more so far. Does anyone need to ask how long the grass and weeds are, how lush the flowers are, how tall the Joe Pye is? The greening and the growth come from rainfall. Rain and snow prove efficacy - water from the faucet is bleached and not the same.

The rich man ignored the plight of Lazarus, which is described clearly in the Scriptures, helping the poor. Now he wanted to save their proud necks. The brothers hardened themselves against the Word, so even if someone came to them from the dead, they would not listen.

So in telling this great parable, Jesus teaches us two things. One is that we should care for the weakest of the weak, the poorest of the poor - the unborn. Starting from there, we should respond to our neighbor's needs as if to Lazarus. Jesus said in the Judgment Parable - I was naked and you clothed Me, I was hungry and you fed me, thirst and you gave Me to drink, in prison and you visited Me. We are visiting several prisons in this area with the KJV Bible. The needs increase, so now I get orders for the small (for children) the medium (women's and men's prisons) and extra large print (geezers like me). What we can do is very little, but what God can do is endless.

 

The Feast of Holy Trinity

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH Lyrics and artwork are here.

The Hymn # 476                              Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand              

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: 

of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

Psalm. O Lord, our Lord: 

how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity, we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst lump us steadfast in this faith and evermore defend us from all adversities; who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual   

Gradual

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who beholdest the deep; 

and who dwellest between the cherubim.

V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven: 

and greatly to be praised forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers: 

and greatly to be praised and glorified forever. Hallelujah!

   

The Gospel               

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed             p. 53
The Hymn # 246                              Holy, Holy, Holy       

How Excellent Is Thy Name

The Hymn #250                  Holy God We Praise Thy Name

The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #657                                  Beautiful Savior            

Prayers and Announcements

• Diagnosis and treatment - Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit Way; those with emotional and metabolic distress.
• More KJVs have been ordered for women's prison ministries, for a total of 30 copies. The supplier is providing some good discounts in addition to low costs. We now give them in tiny (children), normal (prison ministries), and Super Giant Print sizes (Silver Sneaker qualified).

     

KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Pentecost Monday Gospel:

KJV John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

How Excellent Is Thy Name

KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

This famous passage in John begins with a detail - Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. He was intrigued but also timid. As a leader among the Jews, he was risking his life and reputation. No decent person would go out at night, with only the stars and perhaps the moon to guide him. Simply being out at night made him an object of suspicious. So Nicodemus had enough faith to risk everything. 

Nicodemus began with the obvious - Jesus was a miracle-worker, with the power of God. Strangely, today's clergy and the scholars want to eliminate the miracles of Jesus, but they want miracles for themselves. These charlatans turn the Scriptures inside out and declare, "Now you can understand what the Bible is all about." Paul Tillich, who was on the cover of Time magazine for The Courage To Be, was afraid to die - a great irony given the title of his opaque best-seller. 

Nicodemus knew enough to acknowledge Jesus had special power, but he did not go beyond the realm of flattery. All this is significant because Nicodemus risked his life when Jesus was crucified. He is described twice more in John's Gospel.

KJV John 7:50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 53 And every man went unto his own house.

KJV John 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. 

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The primary meaning of born again is born from above in Common Greek, but many have translated it as "making a decision for Christ." It is important to recognize that this great scholar have lived his entire life with the Old Testament and commentaries but did not understand this.

This Sunday and this season emphasize the Holy Trinity - the Spirit taking from the Father and the Son and teaching us through the Scriptures. The Trinity is revealed in Genesis 1 and explained in John 1, so we have a clear understanding through faith in the Word of God.

Being born from above means - Through the Word, God initiates the relationship between God and the individual. Nicodemus knows a lot but he cannot see Jesus yet and cannot comprehend the majesty of the Savior before him.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Nicodemus is the example of the great and wise, who do not grasp the truth and conjure up some fantasy or ridicule. That is why it is so important for individuals to humble themselves and receive what God teaches through the Scriptures. Nicodemus had two alternatives with Jesus' brief introduction and seized on the ridiculous alternative. This shows that he has nothing sensible at the moment, which is often the case when someone starts with the Scriptures and discovers a problem. The so-called Hard Sayings of Jesus are only difficult when faith is lacking or the individual has not sought the Scriptures explaining the matter. 

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

This literally means "water-Spirit born," that is - someone must be baptized, receiving the Holy Spirit, in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

Pentecostals have separated the two, saying, "I was baptized in the church but I never received the Spirit until I was baptized by the Spirit." That second baptism used to be confirmed, so they thought, by speaking in tongues, but that is fading away among Pentecostals. 

Baptists and similar groups emphasize having faith before they are baptized, often a spoken confession of faith. 

The real meaning of this passage is that the Holy Spirit, always at work in the Word, is like the wind (same word, Spirit and wind, in both Hebrew and Greek). I was at Lowe's and looked at a rather fragile shade contraption. I asked them, "How far will this fly if we get that windstorm today?" They said, "Pretty far" and laughed. "So they should not tie the dog to one of the legs?" We had a big rain and windstorm a few hours later.

Wind and Spirit are equally powerful and invisible. We can hear the wind howling and making a ruckus but we cannot see it. We can see it powering generators and ships and no one knows where it comes from and where it is going.

A believer is someone born of the Spirit/Word. That power can never be defined by man, limited or manufactured.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Nicodemus came to Jesus as a great scholar, a person respected by everyone, the source of wisdom and knowledge, but Jesus said, "If you cannot grasp this little lesson, how can you teach Israel?" 

Here is the great puzzle - God has given us everything in the Scriptures and kept it concise and easy to understand - if we trust in the Word and abide in what is taught. Everyone wants to trademark their version when they do not even know the content of the Bible. The Gospel of John is so clear and basic that anyone can learn a new language simply by reading and comparing the Fourth Gospel in that language. I studied The Little Prince and the Gospel of John in French to take the French language test at Notre Dame. I passed.

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The ending of this selection is especially strange, unless we  look at the context and study more. Here is a reference to the Torah which leader of the Pharisees would know. It may sail right by us, but not if we look up the original verses.

KJV Numbers 21:6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Jesus predicted His crucifixion for Nicodemus, based upon a passage from the time of Moses. The foreshadowing of the Messiah's death was parallel to many other references to the Son of God during the Exodus. How could that be known so early?

As the children explain to me when I ask, "Jesus is God. He can do anything."

So the Little Gospel, John 3:16, completes the Nicodemus story in the Fourth Gospel, and explains why Nicodemus risked his life following Jesus. Nicodemus participated in the burial of Jesus at a time when death was hovering over all those who believed in Him.

The Day of Pentecost 2023.

  

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Day of Pentecost, 2023

The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH Lyrics are linked on the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog

The Hymn #1         Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty    
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: Hallelujah!

Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Psalm. Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

O God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people by sending to them the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created: 

and Thou renewest the face of the earth. Hallelujah!

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful: 

and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

The Gospel 
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 224   Luther - Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord 

The Holy Spirit Takes 

From the Father and Son, Teaching Us

The Communion Hymn #227       Come, Holy Ghost, in Love 
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #309       Kingo - O Jesus Blessed Lord

In Our Prayers

• Sarah Buck is undergoing diagnostic tests and treatment. 
• The flowers are in honor and in memory of our soldiers who gave their lives for our country.
• Prayers continue for the Way, Shrader and Cruz families, and for those with metabolic and stress disorders.
• Ten Super Large and ten large KJVs were delivered Saturday to be distributed.

KJV Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

 From Norma A. Boeckler

KJV John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Pentecost Monday Text
KJV John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The Holy Spirit Takes 

From the Father and Son, Teaching Us

KJV John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Before His death, Jesus predicted that He would leave them and give them unlimited expansion of His Kingdom. Because Christianity is world-wide, we take for granted its spread, but this started from the Apostles taking Jesus' Gospel method plus the groups and individual converts from Jesus' own ministry. The wording of many healing miracles suggest to me that those individuals were well known to the early Church.

One trouble people have with early Christian history is the lack of details and history of what the Apostles did. One cause is the ancient artifacts crumbling and disappearing. The other cause is the emphasis upon Jesus' work and teaching, which is so important that our normal concept of the news - even when honestly reported - is overshadowed, as it should be. People become acquainted with the verses and overlook how important a few words can be. 

If there are difficulties, the rationalists dismiss the story. If the story is well known, the rationalists dismiss the story for being too good to be true. 

The Trinity (which the rationalists refuse to acknowledge) is clearly found in this one paragraph. The Father and Son will abide in the believer, because the Spirit has brought the Father and Son to the individual. This explains several things to use, which are vital for the Christian believer.

People know the Father and Son, their true characteristics through the Spirit. That is very concise - this happens through the baptism of babies, plus teaching and preaching to those who are older and already baptized. Every Christian believer has the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is always active in the Word of God, so we learn about the Father and Son.

Westcott and Hort proved how dangerous it was for them to dabble with the Greek New Testament text. Wescott believed that the whole world would eventually absorb Christ and make everyone part of a universal truth. That is clearly against the Scriptures, which he had a major role in corrupting. Hort, an active fanatic and self-made expert, favored Mary over Jesus and said so. That is a good example of "the Spirit without the Word," someone making "christian" claims without the Scriptures backing up the claims. Tischendorf, Westcott, and Hort gave the world the utterly corrupt Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament of today. All your modern New Testaments are based on the denial of the miraculous, the divine, and faith in Jesus - yea even the Beck Bible and the "Brug" Bible. Everyone who buys an RSV, ESV, or NRSV is paying money to the Drag-Marxist National Council of Churches. So, yes, it does matter.

God promised that He would always preserve His Word, so those who think otherwise despise the Word, no matter how many titles of dignities they have, including the Fuller DMin.

Most importantly, The Father and Son abide in the believer through the work of the Holy Spirit. The simple, basic word "abide" means to remain, not just to stop by. Those who lose their trust and become apathetic about Jesus Christ no longer abide. Because we are fickle and easily distracted, we need to continue in the Word and give God's Word due honor in giving us truth and guiding our way.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 

There is a direct relationship between loving Jesus Christ and keeping (guarding) His sayings. The word for keeping is also used for guarding a prison or guarding a treasure. It is not casual and flippant, temporary and used only when convenient.

Everything from Jesus is from the Father as well. They teach and act in harmony, the Spirit teaching us about this Father/Son relationship.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The great puzzle is solved. How can the Fourth Gospels be in harmony with each other. People cannot get a small book done without errors and contradictions. And how can hundreds of predictions in the Old Testament come true in the New Testament? 

The answer has been given time after time, but ignored by the "great and wise." The Spirit helped the Apostles and Paul with the divine message. The Spirit also inspired all other writers of the Bible. Many struggle to make their rationalistic notions fit the Bible, or make the Bible's new editions fit their notions. The Scriptures are eternal. Reliable Bibles give us the confidence to say, "This is the Word  of God."

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 

Peace is not the cause but the result of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith gives us access to God's grace through His Son, and that is the source of peace - God's absolving of our sins because Jesus atoned for them. We strangely turn that around and yell, "Calm down!" at people - which is not calming. Or - "Stop being so nervous" which is equally ineffective. A lot of things make us anxious and worried; dwelling on them does not help. Starting with these Promises from Jesus Christ is always good. What God promises is always good in the long run, even when it looks hopeless at first. 

Loving the Savior is a sure way of leveraging blessings, the ones which really matter. I arranged for 10 more Super Giant KJVs. While I was telling Big John that, he said, "I met a lady..." She has a prison ministry for women? "Yes, I need medium KJVs for her two groups." I said, tentatively, "Two groups?

He tells me the stories of people finally having Bibles they can read with the Large Print. "Now I can read a Bible," he quotes one person saying, his face beaming. 

How can there not be blessings from that?