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Sermon Series on Worship / Sermon # 3 – the Liturgy
October 11, 2015 / Pastor James Krueger
Dear fellow redeemed, grace, mercy and peace are yours this day from God our Father and
from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Suppose after you leave here today and someone out
there asks you, “How was church?” Just think of what you could say: “Church was okay.”
“Church was really good.” “Church was depressing.” “Church was uplifting.” “Church was
long.” “Church was short.” “Church was hot…cold, noisy…”
There are so many answers that one could give to try and describe a confessional Lutheran
Worship service but what should you say? If you really want to get down to the nitty gritty this
is how I would encourage you to answer. If someone asks you “How was church today?” simply
say, “Church was what I needed.”
Everything today seems to be about what people want. Want a new car? Can’t afford it? Got bad
credit? No problem. We’ll find a way because that is what you want. Don’t want to suffer. Want
to kill yourself. No problem. We’ll make it legal and provide a doctor to help you do it right
because that is what you want.
Maybe you don’t understand why we do all that we do as confessional Lutheran Christians who
worship in a liturgical way. Maybe you are new Lutheran or maybe an old Lutheran who never
learned why we do what we do. Here is what you need to know. Our way of worship is all
about what you need as a sinful human being living on planet earth. When I was just a little
Lutheran farm boy, I didn’t understand it all. I just did what mom told me to do and I played the
copycat. That’s how children learn. Now I know I was getting – though the church’s liturgy –
what I needed without knowing I needed it. It’s all about what our Creator, Redeemer and
Sanctifier God says we need. Isabelle was brought to church today. She had water poured upon
her head. I’m not sure that is what she wanted. That can be a rude awakening for babies. I wish
Isabelle could talk. If she could and we were to ask her after the service, “Isabelle, how was
church today.” Now as a baptized child of God, cleansed from sin, Isabelle would say, “Church
was what I needed. Baptism is what I needed.”
Today we conclude our sermon series on worship. We will center our attention today on what we
call the liturgy. The English word liturgy comes from the Greek word, λειτουργία. It simply
means “public service.” We often use the word liturgy to refer to the order of worship we use in
any given worship service. Right now in our congregation we have basically seven liturgies we
follow:
From Christian Worship – A Lutheran Hymnal: (CW)
THE COMMON SERVICE
SERVICE OF WORD AND SACRAMENT
SERVICE OF THE WORD
MORNING PRAISE
EVENING PRAYER
From the Christian Worship Supplement: (CWS)
Divine Service I
Divine Service II
From time to time we tweak these services. There are alternate beginnings and alternate endings.
And then sometimes we make up special services for the major events of the Church year. We
have the freedom to do this. We can change them. We can revise them at any time. They are
indeed your services. We have that freedom. But, before we do any tinkering we better make
sure we know what we already got.
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So here is what I’m going to do today. I’m going to take our oldest and most used liturgy in the
church and explain it to you. It’s called THE COMMON SERVICE; also called THE WESTERN
RITE or THE HISTORIC LITURGY. I hope to hit the highlights and I pray that by the time I
say Amen, you will better appreciate our liturgy and find in it what you need as a poor beggar
in Christ. And let me add this note. I owe Daniel Deutschlander a word of thanks. Some of my
thoughts in this sermon are from his paper on The Western Rite. So let us then begin.
The bells ring. The pastor makes a few announcements. We sing a hymn and then we stand. What
happens next is so important that if you miss this, you will miss the main emphasis of the whole
worship service.
M:
C:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Do you know what these words are telling you? This church service is not about the pastor.
It’s not even about you. It’s all about the one true God – the Triune God. Now we have come
into His presence. His name stands over all that we do. He is the host. We are his guests.
Think about a theatrical performance. You’re sitting in the darkness. The curtain is closed. But
then the curtain opens and what you see – the scenery; the props; the people on stage – will tell
you so much about the rest of the performance. When these words are spoken in a worship
service, it is like the curtain being opened and who do we see but God alone. He is the one on
stage. The scenery is the manger; the Garden of Gethsemane; Calvary; the empty tomb and it’s
not an act – it’s the real thing.
These opening words also remind us of our baptism. As God said to Moses, “So they will put my
name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”(Numbers 6:27) God’s name was put on us in
baptism as we were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So the pastor tells you that we are here in God’s name and how do you respond? With an
affirming “Amen.” Sometimes spoken; sometimes sung. With that “Amen,” you are saying, “So
be it pastor. We believe you.”
Now what do we do? Is this the time to pick a bone with God? “God, I have been wanting to
talk with you. I’m not happy with how you running this world and my life.” No, this is no such
time for that. Now, without further ado, we confess our sins.
CONFESSION OF SINS
M: 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.
C:
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.
“I’m sorry.” It is the hardest thing to say. The only thing harder is to mean it. God invites us into
His holy presence and as His guests we need to say, “I’m sorry.” If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we
claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.(1 John
1:9,10)
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Worship is for sinners. It is for sinners who know they are sinners. I heard that Alcoholics
Anonymous have this practice – if someone shows up for a meeting and does not admit he has a
problem and is there only to listen, they promptly show him the door. We have a problem. It’s
call SIN! And it’s not just what we do, it’s who we are by nature. “I confess that I am by nature
sinful…”
So God invites us into His presence. His ears are not open to hear excuses. His ears are open to
hear confession. And note how the invitation to confession begins. I pray you never miss this.
Not with a stern, “Get down on your knees and confess your sins.” But with a gentle, “Beloved
in the Lord: let us draw near..” We are not scared into making confession but loved into making
confession.
LORD, HAVE MERCY (Kyrie)
C:
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Now comes the Kyrie. “Lord, have mercy.” When we say or sing those words we are joining the
saints of old. We are joining David who prayed for mercy. Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my
transgressions.(Psalm 51) We are joining Bartimaeus, the blind man, and the Canaanite woman
whose daughter was demon-possessed. We are joining the tax-collector who prayed, “God, have
mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18) With the Kyrie we are joining the whole host of Christians
on earth who are overwhelmed with guilt and shame – the repentant homosexual who has
ruined his health; the repentant alcoholic who drank herself out of a job; the repentant porn
addict whose addiction has shamed his family. The repentant church member who has not set
foot in God’s house in years. The repentant husband who has ignored his wife. The repentant
mom who yelled at her children like they were nothing but a piece of meat. Yes, with the Kyrie
we join with repentant sinners all over this world begging the Lord for mercy.
Will the Almighty have mercy? The Lord is quick to answer.
M:
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.
C:
Amen.
No waiting. No uncertainty. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus…(Romans 8:1) Jesus is our atoning sacrifice. Jesus has paid our ransom by his
perfect life and His innocent death. Through the absolution God uses a sinner to tell sinners they
are forgiven. Isn’t that amazing! And to the absolution you say or sing “Amen.” And by so doing
you are saying, “ So bit it. I believe you pastor. I believe I am forgiven.”
And then what do we do? Go home! No. Now is the time to rejoice in the Lord and praise His
holy name.
M:
C:
In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord. (Gloria in Excelsis)
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
We praise you, we bless you, we worship you…
With the Gloria in Excelsis (Glory be to God) we are singing with all the Christians on earth and
with all the saints and angels in heaven. No, our loved ones who died in Christ can’t talk to us
but they surely do sing with us in this glorious song.
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What next? Next is the salutation and the Prayer of the Day.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M:
The Lord be with you.
C:
And also with you.
M:
Let us pray. (Prayer is spoken responsively)
C:
Amen.
The salutation is really important. I trust you want the pastor to look at you and mean what he
is saying. And the pastor wants you to look at him and mean what you are saying. “The Lord be
with you. And also with you pastor.” And then we pray. This Prayer of the Day is different from
week to week. We try to make this prayer fit with the Scripture readings and the sermon. Don’t
take it lightly. Think about what we are praying together.
Now it’s time for you to be seated as the pastor goes to the lectern.
THE WORD
FIRST LESSON
PSALM OF THE DAY
SECOND LESSON
VERSE OF THE DAY
C:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
STAND
GOSPEL
After the announcement of the Gospel, the congregation sings:
C:
Glory be to you, O Lord!
After the Gospel, the congregation sings:
C:
Praise be to you, O Christ!
Reading the Scriptures in the assembly of Christians goes all the way back to the Old
Testament. It’s not the time for you to clip your finger nails or check your text messages or
read bulletin announcements or make your habitual trip to the water fountain. It’s time for
you to listen to God speaking directly to you. After the Second Lesson the pastor speaks the verse
of the day. The verse of the day reinforces the theme and it reflects the season of the church year.
Then it’s time for the Gospel lesson. We all stand and sing before and after the Gospel reading. In
years past, soldiers put down their weapons and kings removed their crowns when the Gospel
lesson was read. We give special reverence to the Gospel reading because it is the life of our
dear Savior Jesus Christ. When finished we show our thanks and in joyful acclamation sing,
“Praise be to you, O Christ!”
Now before we sing it’s time for a different kind of confession. Not a confession of sin but our
confession of faith.
NICENE CREED / APOSTLES’ CREED
We believe… I believe…
How important this is. How much we need to do this in a world where so many people think we
should keep what we believe inside of us. This is what I and We believe. Don’t confess it if you
don’t believe it but if you do believe it, confess it loudly and clearly and boldly. We are not
ashamed of this. We are willing to suffer and die for this. Jesus said, "Therefore everyone
who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in
heaven.”(Matt. 10:32) One side note. I never quite knew growing up if I should fold my hands
when I confessed the creeds. Is it a prayer or a confession? It can be both. If you want to pray
the creed, go ahead. If you want to simply confess the creed, that’s okay too.
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The congregation is seated and we sing. Next up – the sermon.
HYMN OF THE DAY
SERMON
The sermon is the greatest opportunity a shepherd has to speak to the most sheep at one time. It is
to be a true exposition of God’s Word. The pastor is also to rightly divide law and gospel. When
a faithful pastor preaches his prayer is always this one: May these words of my mouth and this
meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm
19:14) One thing I would ask you to remember. A faithful sermon is a faithful sermon. Each and
every one of you have your own personal preferences I’m sure. Don’t let personal preferences
interfere with the hearing of the Word.
Pastor says “Amen.” And we arise to sing what’s called a canticle.
C:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not
away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me
the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit. Amen.
These are the words of Psalm 51:10-12. Just think of all we are asking God to do in this sung
prayer – “Create…renew…Cast me not…take not…restore…uphold.” Can our God do it? He
has and He will. We sing this prayer with full confidence in His almighty power.
Now it’s time for you to sit and offer your gifts and after that to pray.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
We don’t give to get. We already have received so much from God in the worship service forgiveness; peace; joy; instruction in the Word. Now it’s time to give back to God not to repay
Him but to thank Him. We need to remember that what we put in that offering plate is not all
we have to offer God. The Bible says, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of
God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your
true and proper worship.(Rom. 12:1)
Offerings gathered, they are brought up here to be placed on the alter. God accepts them for the
sake of His Son. Then we pray the Prayer of the Church. Here we have some freedom. There is
much for which to pray. Sometimes we make this prayer responsive; sometimes not. Either way
we pray together. Then we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Never a service without it. My encouragement
to you is to get a Catechism and go through the meanings of each petition so that you know for
what we are praying in this prayer.
Next up is the Lord’s Supper.
THE SACRAMENT
PREFACE
PROPER PREFACES
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY (Sanctus)
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD (Agnus Dei)
DISTRIBUTION
SONG OF SIMEON (Nunc Dimittis)
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What you need to know is that all of these things prepare us for a proper reception of the
Lord’s Supper. All these parts of the service remind us that the Lord’s Supper is a Sacrament not
a Sacrifice.
Our liturgy keeps the focus where it needs to be. We sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord.” And then the Lord comes to us in the Lord’s Supper giving us His body and blood
with the bread and the wine. We sing, “O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the
world…” and then he takes away our sin in this sacrament.
And when the distribution is complete, we rise and sing the Nunc Dimittis. Nunc Dimittis is a
Latin phrase meaning now let us depart. It is the song of Simeon who expressed his readiness to
die; his readiness to go to heaven because he had seen the Messiah. So also, we sing the Nunc
Dimittis and thereby express, “Lord, I am ready to die. I am ready for heaven. Just say the word
Lord and I will be home with you.”
Then one final prayer is spoken giving thanks and the stage is set for curtain to close. It’s a very
dramatic ending. I wonder how many worshipers mentally check out before this final Word from
our Lord. Don’t check out. You will miss something great.
M:
C:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
This is not just your churchy, “Goodbye! Y’all have a nice day!” This is not an iffy wish as if to
say, “I hope things go well for you.” No. This is the pastor’s final priestly act as he raises his
hands and actually bestows God’s blessing upon you. As these words are spoken we in faith
actually receive a blessing from God through them. What a miracle! What joy! What peace!
And to the Benediction what do you say? “Amen. Amen. Amen.” (So be it pastor. I believe I am
blessed.”
Now we are ready to face another day; another week or trials and temptations; another week of
victories and sorrows. Now we are ready to fight the devil and the whole hosts of hell. Now
we are ready to share our faith. Now we are ready to serve our neighbor.
We got what we needed. So it ends the way it begins – with the sign of the cross and with God’s
threefold blessing. Amen.