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TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—November 19, 2023

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS –   700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016

Christ will return without warning in an Instant!  This week we talk about how we are to live until that day!

Pastor Dan 1-(920)-341-2025 – shepherdatzion@gmail.com

 Bulletin Announcement email: zionclyman@gmail.com

Guests.  Welcome to Zion.  We are glad to have you with us.  Please sign our guestbook located in the Narthex.  About Holy Communion:  We welcome to the Lord’s Table all who have repented of their sins and seek to amend their sinful life; all who believe that Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the bread and the wine; and all who believe that through the words “given and shed for you” forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given.  If this is your confession and you are a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, then come with a thankful heart and join us.   If you are a visitor and would like to commune, please talk with Pastor Dan before the service.  To help in preparing to receive Holy Communion open the front cover of the Burgundy hymnal or turn to pages 329 & 330.  Gluten free wafers are available, please talk with an Elder or Pastor before the service if you would appreciate them.  

 AS WE GATHER –   For the next two Sundays, we will consider how we should live between now and our Lord’s second coming on the Last Day, which is Judgment Day.  Our preparation for it is not a matter of simply believing the right things, that would make our faith a good work.  In these next 2 weeks we are reminded that we are living in the end times, and it is solely by grace that our Lord has already set aside those He will welcome into Eternal life.  A Gospel-centered life means allowing the giver of that Gospel to mold how we live today.  Paul says we should “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thess. 5:11).  We are very much like the servants in the Gospel, using the treasure our master has entrusted to us to love and care for others.  We dare not keep our talents hidden, for they belong to God and should be invested!  The Good News, that our Savior will return on that Day, is reason enough to take risks, for investing our faith in loving the people around us and even our enemies.

Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

Hymn  “To Thee, Omniscient Lord of All”              LSB 613

Invocation – In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.    Amen

Opening Sentences          Zephaniah 1:7b; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.      The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.       Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.

Confession and Absolution  1 John 1:8–9; Psalm 90:17 –   If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.       Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean.  We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.  We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment.  For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name.  Amen 

Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.  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 X Son, and of the Holy Spirit.     Amen.

Hymn of Praise –  Gloria in Excelsis                                                             LSB 154

Prayer of the Day –   Lord God, we do not know the day nor the hour of the coming in glory of the Bridegroom, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  As we wait, continue to nourish our faith until we enter the eternal wedding feast, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.      Amen.

 Old Testament Reading   Zephaniah 1:7–16 – (A day of wrath is coming.) 

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.  The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.  On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes.  On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.  “On that day,” declares the Lord, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.  Wail, you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be ruined.  At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’  Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished.
They will build houses but not live in them; they will plant vineyards but not drink the wine.  “The great day of the Lord is near–and coming quickly.  Listen! The cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.  That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.

 Epistle   1 Thessalonians 5:1–11   (Encourage one another to live in God’s light.)

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.  You are all sons of the light and sons of the day.  We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 Verse   Matthew 25:29a  Alleluia. For everyone who has will be given more,  and he will have an abundance. Alleluia.

Holy Gospel  Matthew 25:14–30  (God gives talents, expecting them to be used for His purposes.)

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fifth chapter.       Glory to You, O Lord.

  “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.  To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.  Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.  So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.   “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents.  See, I have gained five more.’  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’  “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’  “Then the man who had received the one talent came.  ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.’  “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!  So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.  “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’   This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to You, O Christ.

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.

Hymn  “The King Shall Come…”                         LSB 348

Sermon

Prayers of the Church

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.

 We Gather our Tithes and Offerings

  Service of the Sacrament

Preface   2 Timothy 4:22 –   The Lord be with you.  And also with you.  Lift up your hearts.  We lift them to the Lord.  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.  It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Proper Preface – It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to You, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose obedient death and glorious resurrection have opened eternal life to us and who is with us that we may share His love until His second coming.  Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we praise Your name and join their unending hymn in singing:

Sanctus  LSB 161

Prayer of Thanksgiving –  Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy and sent Your only-begotten Son to be our Savior.  Gathered in His name we ask You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood in these last days.  Gather us together, we pray, with all who have heard the Gospel and have come to faith, who with us shall receive His “well done” commendation.  Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.           Amen

The Words of Our Lord – Consecration of the Elements

Proclamation of Christ   1 Corinthians 11:26; Revelation 22:20 –   As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.    Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.     

Pax Domini  LSB 163  The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Agnus Dei  LSB 163

We Celebrate our Lord’s Supper      Distribution Hymns:   “Your Table I Approach”   LSB 628                           “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness”   LSB 563      “Christ the Eternal Lord”   LSB 829

Post-Communion Canticle

Nunc Dimittis   LSB 165

Post-Communion Thanksgiving –  We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, that You have assured us of sins forgiven,      so that with joy we may share Your love each day until Your Son returns to usher us into Your eternal presence;      through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.      Amen.

Benediction      Numbers 6:24–26 –  The blessing of our gracious heavenly Father; our loving Lord Jesus, His X Son; and the enlivening Holy Spirit, be with you, now and forever.          Amen.

Hymn  “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”          LSB 338

Dismissal   Go in peace as you serve the Lord.      Thanks be to God.

___________________________________________

 *Announcements*

From the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism:    Matthew 25:30 – “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.” Why did the worthless servant act the way he did? Because of what he believed about the Master. He didn’t trust or love the Master; so, his actions did not demonstrate love and trust, but rather hate and mistrust. It’s the same with us, but in reverse: since we know our Lord God to be faithful and kind, we desire to serve Him and render faithful service with what He has given us.

The Pewpoint – THEME OF THE DAY – God’s Gift of Forgiveness Engenders Our Forgiveness of Others 

The Day of the Lord is “near and hastening fast,” and it will be “a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation” (Zeph. 1:14, 15). The Lord will search out and punish “the men who are complacent” concerning His Word, “who fill their master’s house with violence and fraud” (Zeph. 1:9, 12). Then all their works and efforts will be for nothing: “Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them” (Zeph. 1:13). But those who fear, love and trust in the Lord are “good and faithful” stewards of His property (Matt. 25:21). They live by faith in His free gift of forgiveness, and they multiply His goods in the loving forgiveness of their neighbor, and “the master of those servants” settles His accounts with them by the gracious reckoning of His Gospel (Matt. 25:19). Likewise, “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9). Therefore, let us also “put on the breastplate of faith and love” in our dealings with one another (1 Thess. 5:8).

YES IN CHRIST  —  Saying Yes With Our Treasures –   Needed per week to make budget: $3,072

Sunday Envelopes $2,645    Plate $52    Cemetery Memorial – Eli Dornfeld Fund $ 50

Attendance:  Sunday Service:  66   Communed:   45         Mid-Week Service: 14    Communed:   11                                          Bible  Study:  10

Brothers and sisters in Christ to lift up in prayer!  

1)    Greg and Tracy Schwartz, and the family of his Aunt Martha Longwitz. Martha was given her crown of life Sunday.

2)  Families of Betty Hoeft, as she was given her crown of life Wednesday morning.

3)  Members of Zion, family members and friends of the congregation who are in need to healing and strength.

Wish theses members a Happy Birthday!

Felix O	11/20
Lillian J	11/22
Layla A	11/26
Jacob S	11/27
Dick W	11/27
Andrea H	11/30

Happy Anniversary!!

Chris & Dana Lamp

11/21

 

The Chosen Bible Study meets at 6pm in church.  Mark your calendars as classes will be held November 21st, December 5th, and 19th! Class will then take a break until the new year!

Info on Betty Hoeft –  Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 26th 2023 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Hafemeister Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held on Sunday, November 26th 2023 from 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM at the same location.

Dates to Remember:  

Nov 22^nd – 6pm Voice Choir

Nov 22^nd – 7pm Thanksgiving Service

Nov 25th – 9am Decorating Christmas Tree

Nov 29th – 7pm Advent Services start

Nov. 30^th – Quilting 11am to 2pm

November Lutheran Witness has arrived. Pick up a copy in the narthex or back of church.

Our Advent Series!

Prepare a Place for the Coming King!  Each Wednesday, starting November 29^th, we will be looking at those things which were used and in place when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem!  Things God had prepared for His coming King, to remind us how to prepare for the King who comes into our hearts and lives each day.  Hoe to prepare for the King who will return again as the Judge of the world.  On Wednesday November 29^th we will look at the hard, cold, stone of the manger.  Our Lord’s cradle and how it was warmed by the promised King who was born that night.  On Dec. 6^th, we will look at the straw bedding, a byproduct of the grain God blessed His people with.  Something left over which He intended to be used as a blessing, not kept for yourself.  On Dec. 13^th, we will look at Olive Oil.  The oil of life!  Oil used for light, food, medicine, and for anointing, the setting aside of someone for a special purpose, by God.  On Dec. 20 we will talk about swaddling clothes!  The diapers, the Son of God, our Lord wore as one of us in flesh and blood.

Consider yourself invited!  I hope to see you at the special mid-week services, as well as our Sunday services!  Together they prepare us to celebrate the Birth of our King!  Jesus Christ our Lord!  Pastor Dan