Lord God, heavenly Father, who of great love and mercy gave us Your Son to be made man and die on the cross for us: put Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may confide wholly in Your Son alone, and by Him believe as firmly in the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life as the centurion believed that He would save his sick servant with a word. We have His word that whoever believes in Him will never perish. Grant therefore, dear Father in heaven, that we may believe it with a resolute heart and remain steadfast in it until our final end. Amen.
Sermon Title: "Like. . . a Little Child"
Welcome! We ask all of you, both visitors and members, to sign a Welcome card located in the pew rack. Please fill out this card, place it in the offering plate, or hand it to an usher as you leave the service.
Our Communion Practice: Lutherans believe that the Lord’s Supper demonstrates a oneness with Christ in faith, life, and worship among those who receive Communion. Reception of the Lord’s Supper by Christians not in fellowship with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist. For this reason, we welcome those with whom we have “altar and pulpit fellowship” to the Lord’s Supper. This includes members of sister congregations of the LC-MS, members of the American Association of Lutheran Churches, and Lutheran Church Canada; as well as members of partner churches throughout the World. If you would like to know more about this practice please arrange a time to speak with our pastor.
Prayers – For our home-bound members:
St. John’s – Florence Krege, Alfred Larson.
Our Savior – Charlotte Scepaniak, Doris Vilhauer, Betty Zundel, Oriole Nelson, Vi Schnaidt, Ken & Dorothy Maas, Loretta Podoll, Larry Nupen, Evelyn Grieben, Mamie Stugelmeyer, Betty Meints.
And for the children we sponsor through Mission Haiti: Michelet Voltaire, Michel Djoury, and Orgea Djouna.
Introit Psalm 97:1, 10–12; antiphon: vv. 6, 9
The heavens proclaim his | righteousness,*
and all the peoples see his | glory.
For you, O Lord, are most high over | all the earth;*
you are exalted far a- | bove all gods.
The Lord reigns, let the | earth rejoice;*
let the many coast- | lands be glad!
O you who love the Lord, hate | evil!*
He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the | wicked.
Light is sown for the | righteous,*
and joy for the up- | right in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you | righteous,*
and give thanks to his | holy name!
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
The heavens proclaim his | righteousness,*
and all the peoples see his | glory.
For you, O Lord, are most high over | all the earth;*
you are exalted far a- | bove all gods.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Old Testament Reading 2 Kings 5:1–15a
1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife.
3She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.”
5And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes.
6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
11But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.
12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him.
Gradual Psalm 102:15–16
Nations will fear the name | of the Lord,*
and all the kings of the earth will fear your | glory.
For the Lord builds up | Zion;*
he appears in his | glory.
Epistle Romans 1:8–17
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
12that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
13I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
14I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Holy Gospel Matthew 8:1–13
1When [Jesus] came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
2And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
3And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
5When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,
6“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
7And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
11I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
12while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Acknowledgments
The Introit, Collect, Gradual, and Verse are from Lutheran service Book: Altar Book, copyright 2006 CPH. All Scripture quotations, including those from Luthern Service Book, are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
St. John’s
Organist: Zachary Daggett
Ushers: Collin Eichler & Josh Larson
Next Week: Lyle & Cathi Podoll
Last Week: Attendance – 22; Offering – $600
Our Savior
Organist: Marianne Klipfel
Elders: Russell Brandt & Brandon Christianson
Altar Guild: Don & Rachel Hoops
Acolytes: Dalton Lee & Teigan McKown
Last Week: Attendance – 109; Sunday School – 24
Offering – General Fund $1,720; Sunday School $3;
St. John’s $2,660; Poinsettias $605.04; Total $4,988.04
Schedule for the Week
Sunday St. John’s Divine Service with Communion – 8:15 am
Sunday School – 9:30 am
Bible Study at Our Savior – 9:45 am
Our Savior Divine Service with Communion – 10:45 am
Monday Mat Ladies – 1:00 pm
Tuesday Bible Study – 6:30 am
Deacons – 9:00 am
Wednesday Catechism Class – 5:00 pm
Vespers – 6:00 pm
Bible Study – 6:30 pm
Friday Circuit Bible Study at Our Savior – 10:30 am
Next Sunday St. John’s Divine Service with Communion – 8:15 am
St. John’s Voters Meeting – after the service
Sunday School – 9:30 am
Our Savior Divine Service with Communion – 10:45 am
Superbowl Subs – The youth group will be selling Superbowl subs again this year for a free-will offering. There will be a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall; place your order by Wednesday, February 8
th, and pick up your subs on Sunday, February 12
th.
Yearly Statements – You can pick up the record of your 2022 offerings in the narthex.
Offering Envelopes for 2023 – Please pick up your envelopes for 2023 in the fellowship hall. Your number may have changed, in order to keep the list in alphabetical order. Please throw away any leftover envelopes from the past year, to assist us with better record-keeping. Thank you!
Bible Bowl – The Youth have begun practicing for Bible Bowl after the services at Our Savior. There will be a sign-up sheet in the kitchen if you’d like to prepare a lunch for them.
“In-House” Bible Bowl – We will have an in-house congregational Bible Bowl again this year. The date is still to be determined (maybe late March). There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex for teams of three to four people. Any questions, contact Eric Johnson 605-216-6701.
Annual Reports – A reminder to the chair persons of all boards and circles: please turn in your group’s annual report for 2022 to the office or email it to
oursaviorlutheran@nvc.net as soon as possible. Thank you!
Tuesday Bible Study – Everyone is welcome on Tuesday mornings at Our Savior at 6:30 am. We are reading the Formula of Concord.
Vespers – A short service of Vespers is offered on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm at Our Savior.
Wednesday Bible Study – We will be studying the Book of James on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm at Our Savior.
St. John’s Voters Meeting will be Sunday, January 29
th after the service.
No Bible Study at Our Savior next Sunday, January 29
th, as Pastor will be at the voters meeting at St. John’s.
Circuit Bible Study – A circuit Bible study will be offered at Our Savior on Fridays from January 27 through February 17 at 10:30 am. Classes will be led by Rev. Kevin Moore of Messiah and Redeemer Lutheran Churches in Redfield and Doland. The topic is “Trust the WORD,” a study of 2
nd Timothy. If you plan to attend, call the office at Our Savior at 605-225-7106 so that Pastor will know about how many people will attend.
The Lighthouse Preschool – Teaching God’s children about their Creator, Savior, and Friend while preparing them for a lifetime of wonder, learning, and service. Registration is now open for the 2023-2024 school year! Please call 605-725-1855 for more information or grab a registration packet in the narthex for yourself, a friend, or a family member!
The first 10 registrations during the month of January will receive a free month of tuition!
LCMS Stewardship Ministry – January 22 – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Matthew 8:8 – “But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.’” The Word of the Lord is powerful and effective. What God says, goes. “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3). And there was light. His Word is still effective and creative for us: “This is my body, which is given for you” (Luke 22:19). “Your sins are forgiven” (Matt. 9:2, Luke 5:20, etc.). This is why it is no burden for us to live according to the Word of God: we know that His Word is always aimed at our blessing.
Building Healthy Families:
Did You Know: God gives you many opportunities throughout the week to meet people who don’t know Him as their Savior. At work, in recreation, at community events, in person and online, they are there if we take the time to see and notice them. Who will come across your path who needs a word of hope, an act of kindness or an expression of love motivated by God’s love for you? Keep an eye out for them and for ways to live out 1 John 4:19 this week
(…He loved you first!) Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.
Carpet Fundraiser – If you wish to donate to the carpet fund (for the fellowship hall and office area), please mark your envelope and check with the amount that is for carpet and the amount that is for general fund. There is a chart in the fellowship hall that will be colored in as funds are received. Each carpet tile will cost approximately $22, but you are welcome to give any amount you wish.
Thrivent T-Shirts – We have a lot of Thrivent t-shirts left in children’s sizes on a table in the fellowship hall. Feel free to take one (or more!) for your children or grandchildren.
The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile (Rom. 1:8–17). Even in the Old Testament, the Gentiles were beneficiaries of God’s saving power. Though unimpressed at first with the Word of God, a Syrian commander is persuaded to receive that Word, and in the water he is cleansed and brought to faith in the God of Israel (2 Kings 5:1–15a). Evil is overcome by good (Rom 12:16–21). So also in the New Testament, a Roman centurion demonstrates great and humble faith in the Lord (Matt. 8:1–13). All he needs is the Word of Christ, for he trusts that Jesus’ Word of healing has authority to accomplish what it says. And indeed it does. The centurion’s faith is praised by our Lord above that of any Israelite. For the last shall be first, and the first last. Apart from faith in Christ, there is no salvation—not even for a Jew—but only weeping and gnashing of teeth.
