9th and 12th of November in the year of our Lord 2017 23rd Sunday ...

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Thousands and thousands served Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand were stationed in front of Him. The court convened,
“Jesus destroyed death and in brought andofimmortality to light 9thChrist and has 12th of November the life year our Lord 2017 through the gospel.” Timothy 1

23rd Sunday of Pentecost

GOOD SHEPHERD Evangelical Lutheran Church and School 10611 Hwy 13 South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA 54494-957 Ph: 715.325.3355 | 715.325.6812 WEB: WWW.1 G O O D S H E P H E R D . O R G

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Jesus Christ has destroy ed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

We extend a hearty welcome in the name of Jesus whether you have been with us for years, or if this is your first time visiting. May the Lord richly bless our time together. May He send us from this place renewed by His Word.

GOOD SHEPHERD EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL

10611 Hwy 13 South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA 54494 www.1 G O O D S H E P H E R D . O R G

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

A Word To Our Visitors We are so happy you are with us today! If you have any questions about Good Shepherd and our ministries, please don ’t hesitate to ask any of us. Come again to worship any time!

Today’s Focus: God’s Church Endures as He Promised! Not even the great trials and fears that mark the end times will prevent our faithful God and Father from extending, protecting and preserving His family of faith, His Church.

Welcoming Song: We Bow In Your Presence

“Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

We Bow in Your Presence 1. We bow in Your Presence, O God, mighty L o r d , We treasure each moment that You share Your Word. We tremble in joy at Your bright shining Light We know You by faith yet we long for Your sight. Refrain: We lift You up! Alleluia! Lift you up! Alleluia! All glory and honor and praise be to You. You found us; You saved us! Created us new! Let all the redeemed of the L o r d sing His praise! For New Life is in Jesus forever, always! Sing praise! 2. “ F e a r n o t I a m w i t h y o u ! M y p r o m i s e r e m a i n s . “Be strong and courageous and lift up My Name. “For I am your Helper, your Savior and Friend; “My life guarantees your new life without end! ” Refrain: ( Le a de r f rom a l ta r a re a ) Leader: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: We have been gathered together by the LORD God to worship and honor, to listen, to learn and to follow our Savior! Leader: Heavenly Father, we come before You and ask for forgiveness. We have not lived or loved as You desire. Have mercy on us! People: Merciful Father, I am altogether sinful from birth. In ways that are too many to count I have sinned against You. I do not deserve to be called Your child. But I trust in Jesus, my Savior. Therefore I pray: have mercy on me according to Your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin and take away my guilt.

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Jesus Christ has destroy ed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

God gathered us together to restore, refresh, and support us with His Word and Sacrament.

Leader: The L o r d does not delight in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn back to Him. The good news is that whoever believes in Jesus Christ and is baptized will be saved. God our heavenly Father has put away all your sins. God saves us through the washing of water and the Word. The Holy Spirit promises that whoever believes in the Son has life and has crossed over from death to life. Even how our church building is laid out helps parents teach this truth to their families. We sit together as believers in God’s family. The Word in Holy Baptism is what God used to create faith, to bring us into His family. By the perfect life and innocent death of our LORD Jesus Christ, God has removed your guilt forever. Be at peace. Your sins are forgiven. You are God’s own dear child. Go in peace and sin no more.

Thursday: We continue by singing the response on page 7 Sunday: Leader: I ask you now to rise and look back to the reminder of your baptism, to the baptismal font that you walked past on your way into God’s presence today. (at the Baptismal Font with parents & sponsors/ witnesses)

Leader: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear Parents, Baptism is the Lord’s gracious way of creating faith. Through the waters of holy Baptism, the Lord washes away all sin, gives new life and salvation. Jesus urges us: Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God be-

“Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

longs to such as these. You have brought your baby girl to be baptized, adopted into God’s family of faith. This is the beginning of a life-long journey of blessings that the Lord has planned for Alivia Rose. God bless you for seeing to it that she is washed clean of all sin. For here at baptism she receives the robe of Jesus Christ’s righteousness and in baptism God gives rebirth, a new life. Alivia, receive the sign of the cross over your head and your heart to mark you as a redeemed child of the living God. By Baptism, God promises to create and sustain your faith in Jesus the Savior. With Baptism, you also daily confess faith in the Triune God and Jesus Christ, the world’s only Savior. By the power of God’s Word, the gracious waters holy Baptism wash away sin, deliver you from death and the devil and give eternal salvation to you and all who believe. Therefore, , I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The almighty God –Father, Son and Holy Spirit– has forgiven you all your sins. By your baptism, you are born again. Our heavenly Father has adopted you as His dear child. God strengthen you to live in your baptismal grace all the days of your life. Enter into His peace now and forever. Amen. Dear friends, in the presence of the Triune God and this Christian fellowship of Good Shepherd: Do you promise to make use of every opportunity to remind Alivia of her baptism? Will you assure Alivia that water was applied in the name of the Triune God? Will you assist Alivia Rose to mark this day one of special joy and freedom purchased for her through Jesus

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Jesus Christ has destroy ed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

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Christ? If you do so willingly, then declare it by saying: Yes, we will. Yes, we will. God give you many such opportunities to do this special favor for her and her family during your time of grace. Dear members of Good Shepherd, Christ our Lord commands that we care for souls He entrusts to our congregation. We are to carefully and faithfully teach His precious Word to all who are baptized, young and old. Christ's love urges you and me to assist our families in whatever ways we can. We do this so that Alivia’s faith, which the Holy Spirit began with Baptism, may grow strong in God’s Word until the Day of the Lord. Therefore I ask you, will you do this? Will you pray for Alivia and her family, encourage them, build them up in the one true faith as God provides you opportunity? Will you keep our the Sunday School staff, our councilmen, our Christian Day school teachers and our pastors in your prayers? Will you continue to offer your spiritual guidance and wisdom freely in love as God desires? If so, then in confident joy declare: By the grace of the living God, we do so promise. By the grace of the living God, we do so promise. Leader: As an under-shepherd of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, I charge you to keep your solemn oath made in the presence of the living God and His people gathered here. May the Holy Spirit continue to move you to do God’s will for His glory. As the family is seated, let us turn again towards the Lord’s altar and sing our praise to Jesus!

“Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

R e s po n s e: 1. Filled with the Spirit let us sing! Let praise on praise keep echoing! Christ Jesus died, now lives, for me; My sins are gone; I’m free! I’m free! 4. Filled with the Spirit, let us sing! Let praise on praise keep echoing! Let every home and every tongue proclaim the Wonder God has done: 5. God loved the world so that He gave His only Son the lost to save That all who would in Him believe shall everlasting life receive.

Fi r s t B i b l e R e a d in g : 1

Tune #376cw

Leviticus 19:1–2, 15-18

The Lord told Moses 2 to speak to the whole community of the Israelites and tell them these things: You shall be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 15 You shall not act unjustly in court cases. Do not show favoritism to a poor person, and do not show undue honor to an important person. You must judge your fellow citizens with justice. 16 You shall not go around spreading slander among your people. You shall not testify falsely against your neighbor in a capital case. I am the Lord. 17 You shall not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.

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Jesus Christ has destroy ed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

B IBLE R EADING:

2 John 1–6

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The Elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth— not only I, but also everyone who knows the truth— 2because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love. 4 I was overjoyed to find out that some of your children are walking in the truth, in keeping with the command we received from the Father. 5And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing a new command to you, but the one we have had from the beginning—let us love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command: Just as you have heard from the beginning, keep on walking in it. A D U L T C H O I R — D O N O T B E A FR A ID Do not be afraid for I am with you. I have called you by name. When you walk though the storm, when you walk through the fire, do not be afraid for you are Mine. Do not be afraid for I am with you. Come to me you are My child. Through the waters deep or the valley steep, do not be afraid for you are Mine. Cast your fears on the Lord each day for He cares for you. Place your trust in

the Lord today. God will take care of you. Be not dismayed whatever betide. God will take care of you. Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, o ’er all the way; He will take care of you. God will take care, God will take care, God will take care, God will take care of you. Do not be afraid for you are Mine.

“Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

Confession of Faith

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there, He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church —the com-munion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Victory Song of the Day :

#29cw Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending

S e rm on Te x t:

Daniel 7:9, 10

I watched until thrones were set up and the Ancient One, who has lived for endless years, sat down. His clothes were as white as snow and the hair on His head was like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A river of fire flowed. It came from Him. Thousands and thousands served Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand were stationed in front of Him. The court convened, and the books were opened.

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Jesus Christ has destroy ed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

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Of f e rin g s Gat h e re d

The Lord’s People Can’t Help But Give Thanks “All the church wants is my money.” “Church doesn’t play my songs, so I’m not going to give.” “My money is mine.” “What has church done for me so that I gotta give?” “If church wants my money so bad, they better shape up and do things I want.” “I’ve been giving to church my whole life, it’s about time some other folks stepped up and started giving.” — These are some of the selfcentered attitudes the devil is nurturing in our culture. Evil is trying to slither into the hearts of God’s people. God f reel y gi ves; God’s people f reel y gi ve; God’s Gospel spreads freely.

So let’s remember: F r e e l y a n d g e n e r o u s l y w e h a v e received mercy upon mercy and every good gift from our G o d a n d S a v i o r . The money we have from our jobs? We worked with minds and bodies God formed, strength and wisdom He gave us, on a planet He created. BUT we do not give out of trembling fear. AND we do NOT GIVE out of cold-hearted duty. We give because as Christians we just can’t help ourselves. The living God keeps blessing us in so many ways! We freely and generously return thank -offerings to Him.

God does not want His people to force or bully people into giving. So if you are visiting and decide to give a gift, thank you. At Good Shepherd our gifts are used to start and support God ’s Gospel ministries worldwide as well as serving souls right here. It i s i n j o yful con fi dence we l i ve, we gi v e, w e serv e a n d en co u r a ge o n e an o t h er — fo r J esu s sak e.

“Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

B e ne d i ct i o n a n d Pa r t i ng S o n g :

tune: #486cw

Lord of glory, You have bought us with Your lifeblood as the price, never grudging for the lost ones that tremendous sacrifice. Give us faith to trust You boldly, Hope, to stay our souls on You; but, oh, best of all Your graces, with Your love our love renew.

Thanks to God is the heart and soul of the Christian life: Thanks to God for His forgiveness of all our sin; Thanks to God for His good gifts – all from our Father; Thanks to God for all His people gathered by God to be with us.

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Jesus Christ has destroy ed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Timothy 1

We welcome all who have worshiped the living God today!

A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS Scripture from Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) copyright © 2016 The Wartburg Project. Publisher | S O NGS : W E B OW I N Y O UR P RESE NCE | F IL LE D WI TH THE S P I RI T | I N C E LEB RA TI O N © 1981-2017 Paul A. Tullberg