SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

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September 19, 2021

Are You a Friend of the World? Then You’re an Enemy of God!

There is a war going on. It is quite evident in the outward conflicts within society. And, as Jeremiah and David realized, the world has warred against people of faith throughout history. But in today’s Epistle, James reveals that the struggle continues within each of us. Our passions are often opposed to God. Our Lord Jesus, by His death and resurrection, has won the victory—and therefore, peace—over outward and inward warfare. His grace assures us of daily and eternal peace.

+ PREPARATION +

OPENING HYMN: #908 –Lord, Open Now My Heart to Hear

INVOCATION

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION James 3:18; 4:5–6, 8; Psalm 54:1–2, 4, 6

Pastor: In today’s Epistle, James urges, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Let us go to God, echoing David’s words in Psalm 54, appointed for today.

Pastor: O God, save me, by Your name,

People: and vindicate me by Your might.

Pastor: O God, hear my prayer;

People: give ear to the words of my mouth.

Pastor: James’ words in today’s Epistle guide our confession. Gracious God,

People: we confess that as we have desired friendship with the world, we forget that it would mean enmity with God. We confess that our passions are at war within us. We have had bitter jealousy and selfish ambition inside us. In all humility, we come to You, holy Lord, seeking Your peace to calm the war within us.

Pastor: God has not given up on you! He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us. Indeed, He gives more grace. James writes, “A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace,” and in His death and resurrection, Jesus gave us His righteousness and established peace between us and God. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

Pastor: Behold, God is my helper;

People: the Lord is the upholder of my life.

Pastor: With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to You;

People: I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.

+ WORD +

KYRIE

Pastor: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

People: Amen.

SALUTATION and PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Let us pray.
O God, in Your infinite grace You have forgiven our warring against Your will and rule. Grant that the peace our Lord has won will be evident in our humble service to You and the people around us each day; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING Jeremiah 11:18–20

(The prophet relies on God’s protection as his opponents plot against him.)

¹⁸The Lord made it known to me and I knew;
            then you showed me their deeds.
¹⁹But I was like a gentle lamb
            led to the slaughter.
I did not know it was against me
            they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
            let us cut him off from the land of the living,
            that his name be remembered no more.”
²⁰But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously,
            who tests the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
            for to you have I committed my cause.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL Psalm 34:9, 19, alt.

Fear the Lord, you His saints,

for those who fear Him lack nothing!

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

EPISTLE James 3:13–4:10

(The apostle proclaims God’s peace even as we struggle with inner warfare.)

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

¹What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? ²You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ⁴You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

VERSE Mark 9:35b

Alleluia. If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. Alleluia.

HOLY GOSPEL Mark 9:30–37

(After prophesying His death and resurrection, Jesus teaches the disciples how to serve humbly.)

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter.

People: Glory to You, O Lord.

³⁰[The disciples] went on from there and passed through Galilee. And [Jesus] did not want anyone to know, ³¹for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” ³²But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

³³And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY: #851 –Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us

SERMON: Are You a Friend of the World? Then You’re an Enemy of God!

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

And 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From thence 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.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

After each petition:

Pastor: … Lord, in Your mercy:

People: hear our prayer.

At conclusion:

Pastor: … You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever.

People: Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13

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.

CLOSING PRAYER

Pastor: Let us pray.
O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, grant us humility and childlike faith that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

BENEDICTION James 4:8a, 10

Pastor: Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

The blessing of God almighty—the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit—be with you, now and forever.

People: Amen.

DISMISSAL

Pastor: Go in peace as you serve the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God!

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – Online Church at Home Service Bulletin