3rd Sunday in Advent: Date: December 12, 2021

– THE SERMON: Zephaniah 3:14-18a.

Theme: A Time for Rejoicing in Our Salvation
I. The Lord Has Taken Away the Judgments Against Us
II. The Lord is the Strength of Our Salvation
III. The Lord Rejoices over Us!
SERMON TEXT: Zephaniah 3:14-18a.
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly.” (NKJV)
PRAYER; THE LORD’S PRAYER
HYMN 66: Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes
1 Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes, The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne And ev’ry voice a song.
2 He comes the pris’ners to release, In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst, The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes, from thickest films of vice To clear the mental ray
And on the eye-balls of the blind To pour celestial day.
4 He comes the broken heart to bind, The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace T’enrich the humble poor.
5 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heaven’s eternal arches ring With Thy belovèd name.

THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION

( Pastor Theodore Barthels )

Bulletin: Read Bulletin

Sermon: Read Sermon

THE ORDER OF SERVICE: (p. 22 Worship Supplement 2000)
THE EPISTLE LESSON: Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

THE GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 3:7-18
Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”