SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023 17th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
PASTOR: Rev. Harry M. Krolus
CHURCH: 410-356-3400 CELL: 410-707-7663
Church email: ctklclcms@yahoo.com
Church Web Site: ctklchurch.org
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WELCOME to everyone who is worshiping with us today. We are glad that you are here! We pray that your worship experience here at Christ The King is spiritually uplifting and rewarding. If you are visiting, please sign our guest book and introduce yourself to Pastor Harry.
(Please turn off all electronic devices before worship begins; or, if you are using a Bible app to enhance your worship experience or to use PayPal, please enable the do not disturb function on your phone.)
WORDS OF WELCOME
THE HANDSHAKE OF CHRISTIAN PEACE
OPENING HYMN: 907 “God Himself Is Present”
THE INVOCATION
P. We begin our worship in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
THE PSALM FOR THE DAY: Psalm 26
P. Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
C. Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
P. for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.
C. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites;
I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
C. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD,
P. proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
C. I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.
P. Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men,
C. in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.
P. But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me.
C. My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.
THE KYRIE (“Amazing Grace” 744)
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ, our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
THE GLORIA (“Hark The Herald Angels Sing” 380)
Glory be to God on high!
This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth,
Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify,
Worship you, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King,
To your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of your name,
Now and evermore the same!
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son,
Sole-begotten, holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high,
Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, you take away
This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, you alone
Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above.
Praise we now your glorious love.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
THE SECOND LESSON: Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved — and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
THE CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
THE GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 20:1-16
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
“About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.
“He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
THE CREED (“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” 802)
In God we believe: the Creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured.
True God and true man once the cross he endured
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the church now he does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
THE SERMON: “Whatever Happens”
text: Philippians 1:27
THE OFFERING
AN OFFERING SONG (783)
Take my life, that I may be consecrated, Lord, to thee;
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use every pow’r as thou shalt choose.
THE RITE OF ADULT CONFIRMATION AND AFFIRMATION
P. Our Lord Jesus said in the last chapter of Matthew: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto Me. Therefore, as you are going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The members of our congregation are happy that you are to become a part of our Christian fellowship. Our Lord Jesus Christ bids us to acknowledge Him before men, with the promise that He will then acknowledge us before His Father in heaven. That we may rejoice in this and in every expression of the unity of the true faith I now ask you, in light of the confession of the Apostle’s Creed:
Do you acknowledge and confess that the teachings of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and our congregation, Christ The King Lutheran Church, are the true teachings of the Word of God?
R. I do.
P. Do you intend to continue in the confession of this church, to make diligent use of the means of grace, and to lead a righteous and godly life?
R. I do so intend with the help of God.
P. Will you support the work our gracious Lord has given to this congregation with a portion of your time, treasure and talent?
R. I will with the help of God.
P. Do you promise to worship regularly and to partake often of the Lord’s Supper as is the will of God?
R. I do.
P. Do you intend to continue in the confession of this church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?
R. I do so intend with the help of God.
P. Upon this your promise and your confession, I, in the name of this congregation, extend to you the right hand of fellowship and love, acknowledging you as a member of our congregation, Christ The King Lutheran Church, and inviting you to participate in the ministry in which God has called us; in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
We invite to the Lord’s Table all who have been baptized, accept the Bible as God’s authoritative Word, and believe that the body and blood of the risen Christ are really present in the bread and wine; given for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. If you prefer the individual cup, please extend one index finger as your hands are folded on the altar railing. This will alert the communion assistants of your preference. Also, if for some medical reason you are not able to consume alcohol, grape
juice is available in the individual cups. The grape juice is “red” while the wine is “white”.
ADMONITION TO COMMUNICANTS
P. As we approach the Lord’s table, we confess our belief in the Triune God, and that in this Sacrament we are receiving the precious body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, together with the bread and the wine for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. Come to the Lord’s supper with thanksgiving; gratefully accepting his invitation and asking his blessing upon your reception.
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
THE SANCTUS (Sung to the tune “Holy, Holy, Holy” 507)
Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty!
Day and night we join to praise
Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymns
Of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise you, with saints and angels.
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
THE DISTRIBUTION
HYMNS: 633 “At The Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
549 “All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name”
694 “Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower”
THE AGNUS DEI (Sung to the tune “My Faith Looks Up To Thee” 702)
O Lamb of God, we pray:
Take all our sins away---
Our faith increase.
Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call
And grant us peace.
A CLOSING PRAYER
Almighty and ever living God, we thank you for having fed us with the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, assuring us thereby that we are truly members of his body, the Church. And we ask you to help us by your Holy Spirit that we may continue in this fellowship and do the good works which you desire us to do; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, to whom with you and the same Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
THE BLESSING
P. May our triune God, who has brought you safely to the beginning of this day, grant you his peace, now and always.
C. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: HYMN: 685 “Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus”
