Palm Sunday: Date: March 24, 2024
Bulletin: Read Bulletin
Sermon: Read Sermon
THEME: Palm Sunday, Reminding Us to Keep Looking to Jesus.
PRESERVICE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, We come before You to praise your Holy name. We acknowledge our sin and unworthiness, and yet You have loved us with an everlasting love. You sent Your only begotten Son into the world to bear our sin and redeem us from death. Grant that we may always believe this, and believing have life in Jesus’ name. By the power of Your Holy Spirit grant us grace that we also may love one another as You have loved us, and thereby show forth the glory of Your salvation to the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
THE ORDER OF SERVICE: (p. 22 Worship Supplement 2000)
Hymn 160: All Glory, Laud, and Honor
1 All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s name comest, The King and Blessed One.
2 All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.
The company of angels Is praising Thee on high,
And mortal men and all things Created make reply.
3 All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.
The people of the Hebrews With palms before Thee went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems Before Thee we present.
4 All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.
To Thee, before Thy Passion, They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted, Our melody we raise.
5 All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou didst accept their praises; Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King.
P: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
C: If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P: Together let us pray.
C: Almighty God, merciful Father, we are sinful by nature, and have sinned against You in our thoughts, words, and actions. But we are sorry for our transgressions and pray You, of Your bountiful mercy, to be gracious and merciful unto us. Forgive us for Jesus’ sake, renew us by Your Spirit, and lead us in the way everlasting. Amen.
P: Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. We are forgiven! With boldness and confidence we may approach the throne to find grace to help in time of need. In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.
C: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
C: Amen.
THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Zechariah 9:9-12
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you.” (NKJV)
THE GOSPEL LESSON: Mark 11:1-10
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”
4 So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”
6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
That comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!” (NKJV)
THE APOSTLES CREED (The Lutheran Hymnal p. 12)
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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Hymn 162: Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty!
1 Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry.
0 Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
0 Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
3 Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see th’approaching Sacrifice.
4 Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
The Father on His sapphire throne
Expects His own anointed Son.
5 Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, 0 Christ, Thy power and reign.
THE SERMON: Hebrews 12:1-3
Theme: Palm Sunday Reminds Us to Keep Looking to Jesus.
I. Look to Jesus for Strength to Endure
II. Look to Jesus as the Fulfillment of Our Faith
III. Look to Jesus Remembering All He Endured for Us
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
(NKJV)
OFFERTORY: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen
PRAYER; THE LORD’S PRAYER
The offering of thankful hearts will now be received.
Hymn 367: Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus!
1 Hail, Thou once despised Jesus!
Hail, Thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us;
Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, Thou universal Savior,
Who hast borne our sin and shame,
By whose merits we find favor!
Life is given thro’ Thy name.
2 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
All our sins on Thee were laid;
By almighty love anointed,
Thou hast full atonement made.
Ev’ry sin may be forgiven
Thro’ the virtue of Thy blood;
Open is the gate of heaven;
Peace is made ‘twixt man and God.
3 Jesus, hail, enthroned in glory,
There forever to abide!
All the heav’nly host adore Thee,
Seated at Thy Father’s side.
There for sinners Thou art pleading,
There Thou dost our place prepare,
Ever for us interceding
Till in glory we appear.
4 Worship, honor, pow’r, and blessing
Thou art worthy to receive;
Loudest praises, without ceasing,
Meet it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright angelic spirits,
Bring your sweetest, noblest lays;
Help to sing our Savior’s merits,
Help to chant Immanuel’s praise.
BENEDICTION:
C: Amen.
Hymn 161:3: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
CALENDAR
TODAY: Bible class is scheduled to follow the service this morning.
MAUNDY THURSDAY: Lenten meditation with Holy Communion at 7:00 p.m. Text: Matthew 26:21-25, Searching Question: “Lord, Is It I?”
GOOD FRIDAY: Lenten meditation at 7:00 p.m. Text: Matthew 27:45-50 Searching Question: “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”
NEXT SUNDAY: EASTER FESTIVAL Worship at 9:30. No Bible Class next Sunday. Sermon Text: Job 19:23-27.
April 7: Council meeting for April.
April 14: Quarterly Voters meeting at 12:30
April 28: Pastor will be out of town.
SERVING TODAY
Organist: Denise Barthels
OUR RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL:
Attendance: March 17 worship –13, No Bible Class
March 20 – Midweek Lenten worship – 14
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Weekly Offerings Needed |
$1,374.00 |
Other Offerings: |
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Offerings Received |
$1,795.00 | |
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Needed for Year: |
$15,114.00 | |
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Received for Year: |
$11,687.00 |
March church cleaning: Berg
CLC NEWS: Pastor Nathanael Mayhew of Grace Lutheran in Sleepy Eye, MN has been called to be pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mankato, MN.
THANK YOU: Denise Barthels extends her thanks to all for your kind words throughout the year and for the annual gift for the organist again this year. Your expressions of gratitude are greatly appreciated.
( Pastor Theodore Barthels )
Sermon
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
2100 16th Street SW
Austin, MN 55912-1749
Pastor Ted Barthels
Sermon preached on
March 24, 2024
Palm Sunday
Scripture Lessons: Zechariah 9:9-12, Mark 11:1-10
Hymns: 160; 162; 367; 161:3
Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon Text: Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
(NKJV)
This is the Word of God.
Sanctify us, oh Lord, through Your truth. Your Word is truth. Amen.
In Christ Jesus, Our Redeemer King, dear fellow Redeemed:
INTRO: Envision yourself in the Palm Sunday scene.
There is a great commotion, an excitement, an electrifying atmosphere in the air as a crowd of people streams toward Jerusalem on the road from Bethany and Bethphage. At the center of all this excitement is a man riding on a young donkey. People are cheering and chanting something, many are waving palm branches and others are laying them on the road before this Man. Some are even taking off their outer cloak and laying that on the ground in front of the donkey so as to prevent dust from rising up on the man. All of these actions are designations of great honor. You finally make out what people are chanting. They are praising this man as if He were a King; “Hosanna to the Son of David.” That’s the royal family of Israel! “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!” That’s the designation for the Promised One, the Messiah! Then some are simply calling out, “Hosanna! Save us now, we pray!”
Those in the dark about this man’s identity ask, “Who is this?” The answer is given, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth.” The cheers continue as Jesus enters Jerusalem! Even some of the children join in, singing Jesus’ praises.
Everyone’s attention is fixed on Jesus. The day is all about Jesus, and what the people are chanting in His praise and honor tells the whole story, if one but listens.
Now we live about 2 millennia after this royal welcome. What impact should this have on us as we look back on that day, and view it in its historical context, view it knowing the events of the rest of the week. Our text from the Epistle to Hebrews, written to encourage and focus the faith of Christians who were lapsing in their faith, speaks to us on this —
THEME: Palm Sunday, Reminding Us to Keep Looking to Jesus.
First, our text encourages us to —
I. Look to Jesus for Strength to Endure.
Our text actually takes us back to the other side of the Palm Sunday event. The writer to the Hebrews had just reviewed the history of Old Testament believers that had maintained a steadfast faith in God’s Promised One, while facing great opposition and challenges of faith in this life. Then he says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus.” (1-2)
That was key to the faith life of Old Testament believers, they stayed locked in on the words and promises of God. They looked with eyes of faith for the coming of the Savior, for the fulfillment of God’s Promises. That was what led them to make the choices they did in life, even when that meant difficult challenges, and real trials and testing of faith. They didn’t allow things or desires to weigh them down and tie them to this life on earth. They looked for a heavenly homeland.
So how do we follow their example? We keep looking unto Jesus. See Jesus riding the foal of a donkey entering Jerusalem in humility, while receiving the praise and honor due His name. He was coming as our Redeemer King, the One who would engage the devil in mortal combat and win the victory over the devil, crushing the serpent’s head through Jesus’ own death on the cross. We look to Jesus and see how Jesus with determination rode forward into Jerusalem knowing the time had come for Him to make the all-atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.
How do we follow the example of the Old Testament heroes of faith? They didn’t let the things or the pleasures or the pursuits of this world weigh them down so that they got overwhelmed by earthly concerns at the cost of their spiritual life. So let us keep the worldly, the earthly in perspective. These things all fade away. Jesus taught us: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19-21)
We are also warned of sin’s power to entangle us in its web. So often believers are tempted to think that a sin isn’t “that bad.” Isn’t that the way of the world, to think that sin isn’t that bad? But after one has fallen into a sinful lifestyle it can be extremely difficult to extricate oneself from sin’s snare. The entanglements of sin when we get involved in the ways of the world, are not only the inroads of sin that take possession of our hearts, but sin take possession of our lives. Substance abuse can take control of one’s body making it a continuing challenge for the remainder of one’s earthly life. Gambling with lotto or on line or in a casinos or with sports betting, draws one deeper and deeper into the sins of discontentment and covetousness, and ruins souls as well as lives and families with it addiction. People who pick up the use of foul language from people around them at work or at paly, find it extraordinarily difficult to rid themselves of such language. Different sins can oppress one’s conscience, but also weigh on one’s mind to the point of depression or other mental illness. When people are caught up in sins against the sixth commandment, to leave the sin might mean being homeless. Sometimes the snare is a deep involvement in sports or other recreation which are perfectly fine activities. But then associations, and leagues and teams can take us away from worshiping our Savior and keeping our lives focused on the spiritual. Once we are involved it is difficult to give up what we enjoy. After all, who hasn’t heard, “People don’t have to go to church to go to heaven!” That is the devil’s way to ensnare people and steal their hope of life away! But turn that around: People on their way to heaven do go to church and worship Jesus together with their fellow believers!
The inroads of the world into our lives are all very dangerous and should not be minimized. It is a spiritually dangerous world in which we live, dangerous to our faith and salvation. It has been since the fall into sin. Believers of old looked forward to the coming Savior for the strength to endure. We need to look back to Jesus for the strength to endure.
Our text compares living a Christian life to running a marathon. One truly needs endurance and help to make it to the end. We need to make it all the way to the end. We don’t just take an occasional glance at Jesus for inspiration, we keep looking to Jesus for enduring strength.
The other day I saw a news clip about a teenage boy who was running his first marathon in Los Angeles. With about a half a mile to go he collapsed. His sister ran out to help him, but she wasn’t strong enough to help. An L.A. policeman quickly stepped in and the two of them helped the boy walk towards the finish line. Even with that assistance the boy’s legs failed him with about 100 yards to go, and the police man carried him across the finish line. He finished the race with the strength of another.
We need to run with endurance that we should finish the race, and when we collapse, we look to Jesus, and He will bear us up in His arms. He will never fail us. When the going gets too hard for us He will carry us across the finish line.
You see when we look to Jesus, we are not looking at just another man to inspire us; we —
II. Look to Jesus as the Fulfillment of Our Faith.
Go back in your mind to that Palm Sunday scene and take a close look at the Man riding that donkey. You will see that what was said about Him, what was written on the placard above His head on the cross, is most certainly true. “This is Jesus the King of Jews.” This is Jesus, our Redeemer King!
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
As we run the race of faith in this life, we keep looking to Jesus. Why? Well, the obvious answer is at the cross of Calvary, but our text doesn’t start there. Our text tells us something else that is very important for us to know and remember. Jesus is the author of our faith. Think about that please. It takes us back to before the world began, before sin had entered into the world, when God knew that man would ruin His perfect creation. It was at that point that God came up with a plan, with THE plan, the only plan that could save us, that could deliver us from death and hell. The eternal Son of God is the Word made flesh. You know those opening verses of John’s gospel. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” (John 1:1, 14) Put that together. The eternal Son is the Word. The eternal Son is the author of our faith, the author of the gospel. The eternal Word became Man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave His life for us.
We are to keep looking to Jesus, who is the author of this plan for our salvation and the One who brought this plan to its completion. He finished it. We are told that we should keep looking to Jesus because of how He went forward to finish the plan and complete our salvation. Now go back to that scene on Palm Sunday. All those people praising the Lord, and honoring Him, and praying their “Hosannas”. Remember what that means, “Save us! Save now, we pray!” “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Jesus was there that day to answer that prayer, not only for those people lined up along the road into Jerusalem, but for all the world, for you and me. Jesus knew what it would take to accomplish that salvation. After all He authored the plan. He knew exactly how agonizing it would be, and He did not turn away. Jesus looked at the joy that was before Him, not the suffering. He endured the cross. He showed contempt for the shame, not allowing it to get to Him, not allowing the shame of the cross to dissuade Him from fulfilling the task, completing the plan.
Look where He is now, seated at the right hand of God the Father. The Son of Man, Jesus our brother, and also the Only-begotten of the Father, is seated at God’s right hand, where He makes intercession for us.
That’s the lesson the Spirit would have us take into our hearts, make part of our lives.
III. Look to Jesus, Remembering All He Endured for Us.
“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (v.3)
The first recipients of this epistle were being intimidated by their relatives, pressured with worldly shame and loss, pressured to turn away from the gospel and so turn away from the Lord. The Holy Spirit’s counsel; “Keep looking to Jesus,” and as Jesus said, “Take up (your) cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
Consider Jesus who endured such hostility from sinners! What have we experienced in comparison. Consider Jesus and the hostility He endured in order to save us! Follow Him not only to the sufferings, but through the sufferings, to the JOY that awaits us. See the joy beyond the cross, and show contempt for the world’s threats. Endure whatever they throw at you. They are actually very limited in what they can do, if we but didn’t allow ourselves to be weighed down by the concerns of this world. Remember the joy that awaits us because of all Jesus endured as the author of our faith, who finished the job and secured our salvation. Follow Him! Lay hold of the joy of eternal life!
Weary, discouraged, those words describe me all too often. We dare not allow weariness to break down our faith in Jesus. He remains the Rock of our salvation. We dare not allow discouragement to undermine our faith in the salvation which Jesus secured for us at the cost of His own precious blood. We have life in His name.
Let us go back one more time and with eyes of faith. Let us join the throng of people praising and honoring Jesus. Let us also sing our Hosannas, knowing Jesus the Son of God, hears our prayer for salvation, and is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
“Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer, The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence Eternally rejoice!”
(The Lutheran Hymnal 161:3)
AMEN.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church Austin Minnesota 