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Pentecost 7

I Will Give You Rest

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PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH July 19, 2020

WELCOME!

We love that you are here today! Our service is printed for you in its entirety in this worship folder. Or you can follow along as the service is projected on the front wall.

Restrooms are located in the hallways to the right as you exit the worship space, as well as across the hallway as you enter into the school hall.

Quiet room If you have a young child or nursing infant and are in need of a quiet place which still allows you to see/hear the service you may use the library in the back of this worship space.

TODAY’S FOCUS

The last two Sundays have focused on Christian suffering - suffering for the truth and suffering from loss for the sake of Jesus. But Jesus promises the weary Christian rest! He may bless us with physical rest – thank you, Lord! He may bless us at times with psychological or emotional peace – praise to you, dear Father! But above all, He blesses souls burdened by guilt with the rest of forgiveness and souls troubled by suffering with the rest of His salvation promises.

PLEASE RESPECT OUR PRACTICE OF “CLOSE COMMUNION”

Christ says the Sacrament is an expression of unity (1 Co 10:16-17). We WANT to be unified with you on the basis of Christ and His doctrine! Honesty compels us to ask you to WAIT before communing with us: 1) until you’ve had a chance to find out what we teach; 2) until you make your unity with us evident by membership at Peace. Regular classes are conducted for this purpose (837-5346). WELS & ELS guests please sign a Connection Card and give it to an usher before communing. Thank you.COME UNTO ME, YE WEARY

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The man who wrote the words to this hymn, William Chatterton Dix, wrote in a letter to a friend: “I was ill and depressed at the time, and it was almost to idle away the hours that I wrote the hymn. I had been ill for many weeks, and felt weary and faint, and the hymn really expresses the languidness of body from which I was suffering at the time. Soon after its composition… I recovered, and I always look back to that hymn as the turning point in my illness.”

LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US

This little part of our historic liturgy is one of the oldest and most common prayers of God’s Church (E.g. Lk 18:13, 18; Mt 17:15; Ps 142:1; 143:1). In fact, this short little prayer expresses the sum and substance of our worship. We suffering sinners seek God’s mercy. The word “Lord” is a special title appealing to God as a Father and Redeemer full of grace. (We miss that nuance in the English language.) God answers this prayer by pouring out His mercy on us in His Word and Sacraments. God’s mercy begins with the forgiveness of all our sins.

TAKE THIS WORSHIP FOLDER HOME!

You can use parts of it during the week! Why not recite the Confession of sins and the Creed before bed each night? Reread the Scripture lessons to your family. Have your family memorize verse 4 of the Hymn of the Day.

Why not have a look at the books on display in the back of the worship space? Feel welcome to check one out!

SERVING IN WORSHIP

Presider ............................................................................................ Rev. Luke C. Were Vocalists .................................................... Come Unto Me, Ye Weary – Dean Henkel .................................................................................. Draw Near – Eric & Hannah Uher Keyboard .............................................................................. Mrs. Sarah Bilitz (Sunday) Keyboard ........................................................................... Miss Megan Riley (Monday)

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Order of Service

PLEASE STAND

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

PSALM 32

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him

And in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”

And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Beloved in the Lord: let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

The presider will speak the following prayer. You are invited to pray along silently.

Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

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LORD, HAVE MERCY

Sung by congregation

God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

God of all power and might, you are the giver of all that is good. Help us love you with all our heart, strengthen us in true faith, provide us with all we need, and keep us safe in your care; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

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PLEASE BE SEATED

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON Joshua 23:1-11

After many days, when the LORD had given Israel rest from all its enemies all around, when Joshua had grown old and advanced in years, 2Joshua summoned all Israel—its elders, its heads, its judges, and its officers, and he said to them:

I have grown old and advanced in years. 3You yourselves have seen everything that the LORD your God has done for you against all these nations. Yes, the LORD your God was fighting for you! 4See now, I have allotted to your tribes an inheritance from these nations that remain unconquered, as well as from the nations that I have destroyed. It extends from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5The LORD your God himself will push them away from you and drive them out of your presence, until they perish. He will send wild animals among them until he completely destroys them and their kings from your presence and you will take possession of their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. 6You must be very resolute in carrying out all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses by not turning from it to the right or to the left, 7by not intermingling with these nations that remain with you. Do not ever call on or swear by the names of their gods. Never serve them and never bow down to them. 8But hold fast to the LORD your God, just as you have been doing to this day.

9The LORD has driven out great and powerful nations from among you. As for you, no one has stood up against you to this day. 10One of you would put a thousand to flight because the LORD your God himself was fighting for you, just as he promised you. 11Therefore, for your own sakes be very careful to love the LORD your God.

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PSALM 63

The presider will sing the entire psalm. You are invited to join in the refrain if you wish.

O God, you are my God; for you I long: for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry, weary land with-out water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.

Refrain

For your love is better than life. My lips will speak your praise. So I will bless you all my life. In your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, my mouth shall praise you with joy.

Refrain

On my bed I remember you. On you I muse through the night, for you have been my help; In the shadow of your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me fast.

Refrain

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SECOND LESSON Hebrews 4:1-11

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be fearful that any one of you may be judged to have fallen behind. 2In fact, we have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united in faith with those who did listen. 3Indeed, we who believe are going to enter his rest.

It happened just as he vowed when he said: So I swore an oath in my wrath, “They will never enter my rest.” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he

has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And God rested on the seventh day from all his works. 5And again in this statement: They will never enter my rest. 6Therefore, since it is still the case that some do enter this rest, and yet those who formerly

had the gospel preached to them did not enter because of disobedience, 7God again set a certain day, namely, “today,” when he later said through David, as quoted before:

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. 8For, if Joshua had given them rest, then God would not have spoken later about another

day. 9So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For the one who enters God’s rest

also rests from his own work, just as God rested from his work. 11Therefore, let us make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Alleluia. Happy are they who hear the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart,

and bring forth fruit with patience. Alleluia. (Luke 8:15)

PLEASE STAND

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GOSPEL Matthew 11:25-30

25At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. 27Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.

28“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

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 communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

PLEASE BE SEATED

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HYMN OF THE DAY Come unto Me, Ye Weary | 336

A soloist will sing verses 1-3. The congregation will sing verse 4.

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SERMON Hebrews 4:1-11

Enter God’s Rest While It’s Still Today

PLEASE STAND

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

LORD’S PRAYER

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.

THE SACRAMENT

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

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.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Amen.

PLEASE BE SEATED

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DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION HYMN Draw Near | 740

This hymn will be sung by vocalists.

Please respect our practice of “Close Communion,” meaning we commune members of Peace

and churches affiliated with Peace. For further explanation, please see inside the front cover

of this bulletin. Thank you.

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PLEASE STAND

COMMUNION BLESSING

Now may this true body and blood of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in the true faith into life everlasting. Your sins are forgiven. The peace of God is with you!

Amen.

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SONG OF SIMEON

The Song of Simeon will be sung by the presider.