Online Worship & Sermon Archive

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Midweek Lenten Online Service

“Death to Resurrection: The Wilderness to the Promised Land”

PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP

• Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
• Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service out loud (responses, lessons, and prayers). Try singing along with the hymns.
• This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. You can pause at any time for questions and discussion!
• Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.) Then hit “pause” as soon as each begins so that each is ready when you get to that point in the service.
• Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
  "Lord Jesus, be with us this evening and strengthen us by your Word. Open our ears and fill our hearts with trust in your eternal promises. Remove all distractions, doubts, and fears as we worship and praise your holy name. Amen."

OPENING VERSES

The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.

Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over. (Luke 24:29)

The Lord says, "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

Your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always. (Isaiah 58:10,11)

Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. (Isaiah 60:20)

On no day will the gates of the Holy City ever be shut, for there will be no night there. (Revelation 21:25)

PRAYER

Lord God, you have brought us safely to this hour of evening prayer. We thank you for providing all that we need for body and life. Bless us who have gathered in your name. Forgive our sins. Speak to our hearts. Dispel our sorrows with the comfort of your Word, and receive our hymns of thanks and praise, through Jesus Christ, our living Savior, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

SONG

Participants are invited to follow along in prayer or sing along in praise. Although beautiful, the intro is a little longer. Feel free to fast-forward to the "1:18" mark.  

LESSON – Joshua 3:1-6

¹Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. ² After three days the officers went throughout the camp, ³ giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. ⁴ Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. 

LESSON – Matthew 3:13; 4:1-2

^3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  …

^4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

DEVOTION

OFFERING

Offerings may be given on-line at LSavior.org/support, mailed to the church office, put into the offering plate if you come for private communion, or dropped off at the office during regular hours. 

PRAYER

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who watch or work or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, pity the afflicted, soothe the suffering, bless the dying— all for your love’s sake. Amen.

LUTHER’S EVENING PRAYER

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

BLESSING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Amen.

SONG

Participants are invited to follow along in prayer or sing along in praise.