JUBILATE-THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
The people of God are pilgrims and sojourners in this world, looking ahead to a destination yet to come. (1 Peter 2:11-20) Though we are now children of God, the fullness of what we shall be has not yet been revealed. (1 Jn 3:1-3) We are those who wait on the Lord. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” (Lam 3:22-33) Jesus tells us that the wait is just a little while. “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”(Jn 16:16-22) Though you must experience sorrow for a time, though you must live as strangers in a world that is at enmity with Christ, yet your sorrow will be turned to joy when He returns. “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” (Is 40:25-31) The little while of weeping shall be replaced with an eternity of rejoicing in the presence of Christ the crucified and risen Savior. “And your joy no one will take from you.”
INTROIT:( Psalm 66:1-3.)
Pastor: Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Alleluia!
Congregation: Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the
greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.”
P: Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
C: Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
P: Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
Gloria Patri
+Isaiah 40:25-31+
“”To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. {26} Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. {27} Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? {28} Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. {29} He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. {30} Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, {31} But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
+1 Peter 2:11-20+
“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, {12} having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. {13} Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, {14} or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. {15} For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; {16} as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. {17} Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. {18} Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. {19} For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. {20} For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”
The Lutheran Confessions Responsive Reading: The Augsburg Confession
P: What do we believe, teach, and confess Of Civil Affairs? (Article XVI)
C: Of Civil Affairs they teach that lawful civil ordinances are good works of God, and that it is right for Christians to bear civil office, to sit as judges, to judge matters by the Imperial and other existing laws, to award just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to make oath when required by the magistrates, to marry a wife, to be given in marriage.
P:They condemn the Anabaptists who forbid these civil offices to Christians. They condemn also those who do not place evangelical perfection in the fear of God and in faith, but in forsaking civil offices, for the Gospel teaches an eternal righteousness of the heart.
C: Meanwhile, it does not destroy the State or the family, but very much requires that they be preserved as ordinances of God, and that charity be practiced in such ordinances. Therefore, Christians are necessarily bound to obey their own magistrates and laws save only when commanded to sin; for then they ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29.
Verse:(Psalm 111:9a; Luke 24:46b.)
P: Alleluia! Alleluia!
C: The Lord has sent redemption to His people; Alleluia!
P: It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
C: And thus to enter into His glory. Alleluia!
+John 16:16-22+
“”A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.” {17} Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” {18} They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.” {19} Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? {20} “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. {21} “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. {22} “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.