This is the link for the saved service. It is easier to open up and play after the services is over.Laetare Sunday, The Fourth Sunday in Lent, 2022
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
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The Hymn #263 O Little Flock Fear Not Thy Foe
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her: all ye that love her.
Rejoice for joy with her: all ye that mourn for her.
Psalm. I was glad when they said unto me:
Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #316 O Living Bread from Heaven
I AM the Good Shepherd
The Communion Hymn #388 Just As I Am (Elliot)
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 50 Lord Dismiss Us
Prayers and Announcements
- For healing, strength, and patience - Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Callie and Peggy, C.
- For our country and DEP Trump, as the major trials continue.
- The camera came late Wednesday and needs one item for sending sound through the integrated signal to the encoder.
- KJV books are arriving at listener's homes. Ask by email if yours is on the way.
KJV Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
KJV John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Fourth Sunday In Lent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son didst feed five thousand men in the desert with five loaves and two fishes: We beseech Thee to abide graciously also with us in the fullness of Thy blessing. Preserve us from avarice and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness, and in all things perceive Thy fatherly goodness, through Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God world without end. Amen.
I AM the Good Shepherd
KJV John 10:11 I AM the good shepherd:
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.12 But he that is an hireling, and not
the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth
the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14
I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring,
and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have
power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have
I received of my Father. 19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews
for these sayings. 20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why
hear ye him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil.
Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of
the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in
Solomon's porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How
long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my
Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are
not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is
greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30
I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for
which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a
good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a
man, makest thyself God. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law,
I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came,
and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath
sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I AM the
Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I
do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe,
that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39 Therefore they sought again to take
him: but he escaped out of their hand, 40 And went away again beyond Jordan
into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. 41 And many
resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake
of this man were true. 42 And many believed on him there.
KJV John 10:11 I AM the good shepherd:
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling,
and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and
leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the
sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for
the sheep.
The first few words define the
chapter, with I AM the Door being the introduction, and the Good Shepherd
giving His life for the sheep as the overall theme. One kind of teaching and
preaching Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior is to describe and explain
His miracles – nature miracles (stilling the storm, walking on water, changing
water into wine, multiplying the loaves and fish), healing miracles (the blind,
the deaf, the lepers, the crippled and palsied), and greatest of all - death
conquering (the widow’s son, the young girl, Lazarus called out from his tomb).
Another significant part of teaching and preaching Jesus Christ is to describe
Him as He is, from the beginning, as the Son of God, the Creating Word (Logos),
Messiah or Christ, the Son of David, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The I AM sermons define Jesus so
clearly that we can see the miracles promoting and sustaining faith in Him, but
knowing Jesus as He teaches about Himself is the most productive way we can
think about Him, meditate about Him, pray to Him, and rely on Him in all the
miraculous, sad, joyous, challenging, and painful parts of our lives. Jesus
Himself made this clear in the Gospel of John. The miracles confirm His
divinity, and yet those who were there to see and even taste the miracles
(wine, bread, fish) were not all converted. Many wanted even more. His teaching
about Himself as the Son, as the Voice, Will, and Face of God – that is the
most powerful of all.
Does anyone wonder why the
rationalists and apostates hate the Fourth Gospel and try to omit it from the
New Testament? The Son of God focuses the terror of the apostates and
rationalists, thereby showing us the way out of their Castle of Doom (Pilgrim’s
Progress). The miracles are very important, because they show us the Son of God
at work. Even more important is the nature of the Son of God as the Good
Shepherd, which will be the introduction of the sermon book when these are
completed – all the connections from the Old Testament: 23rd Psalm,
Isaiah 40 and 53, Creation in Genesis 1, etc.
I AM the Good Shepherd means, in the
original Greek, I AM (God’s own Name)
·
the Shepherd above all Shepherds,
·
the Noble Shepherd,
·
the Highest and Best Shepherd,
·
the ideal Shepherd.
Centuries of illustrations and stained-glass
windows have given us the image of the Shepherd holding the lamb and guiding
the mother. To clarify His divine role, Jesus also describes two other
personalities in Christendom. One is the wolf inside the flock, killing and
scattering and wounding the flock. Luther said, “People like wolf-preaching.” There
should be no surprise to see a glittering but empty cathedral when the wolf is
done. Reversing Luther’s famous quotation – That wherever a cathedral is built,
the devil builds a chapel, now we see that wherever a chapel is built, even a
spare room in a rented house, the devil builds a cathedral.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He
laid down His life for the flock. There are many parallels to raising sheep in
this chapter and other places, but never did an earthly shepherd give up his
own life for a sheep. As great as every single miracle is, the greatest miracle
is God’s own Son taking on the sins of the world to stir up faith in our hearts
and receive His righteousness. So that is why He is the Good Shepherd, so when
we are full of doubts, uncertainty, fears, and qualms, we know – He gave up His
life for me. He fashioned the path to eternal life for believers in Him, so we
can follow Him in eternal life as we did in this life.
The other character is also familiar
in Christendom. He is the hired hand, who connects his pay to the work he has
to do. If he wants a pension, a health plan, and the friendship of other hired
hands, he does what he is told. He is easily frightened by lupine threats and
runs away for safety. He sells gadgets mocking the Christian Faith to show how
cool he is, and nobody seems to mind. The crowd likes the weak and timid
hired-hand minister, because he is no threat to their mistaken view of
Christianity.
14 I AM the Good Shepherd, and know my
sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the
Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which
are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Verse 14 should quash doubts more than
a thousand miracles might. Jesus us knows us by our Christian names. When we
are baptized, our baptismal names become our identity. As one famous LCMS
professor said, “Every soul has a name.” The baby and toddler eating ice cream –
Jesus knows them, and they know Jesus by the visible Word of Holy Baptism and
the teaching and preaching they hear.
Adults explain miracles into oblivion,
but children simply declare their faith in Jesus. How did Jesus enter a locked
room? Answer from a child – “He is God. He can do anything.” There is more
faith in a believing child than in an entire conference of professional
Biblical scholars, especially the Vaticanus-Sinaiticus text salesmen.
Verse 15 is not the plan for the World
Council of Churches, though they would like to think so. Many have scattered
their flocks by saying they must be in one organization, where everyone must
believe in the newest fads the ecumenical groups. As Herman Melville saw so
long ago, the radical Left churches set Europe and America up for the radical
Left politics we see in government and education today. When I argued against
them in the 1970s at the local pastors’ conferences, they clergy looked on me
with pity and scorn.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it
from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
John’s Gospel repeatedly shows us that
God the Father and God the Son teach and command together. The Father commands
and yet the Son acts willingly. This reinforces the idea of the Atonement not
being forced upon Jesus but willingly accepted the role. Even then, His life
was not taken away from Him, but he laid it down and took it up again.
19 There was a division therefore
again among the Jews for these sayings. 20 And many of them said, He hath a
devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of
him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
As the sectarians say, “Doctrine
divides.” Jesus had a great following, among the common people and among the
religious nobility. Some came to mock and to oppose. Others came to hear the
voice of the Messiah. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were believers from the
upper class, and they risked their lives for Jesus.
