The Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer 1811 Lincoln Avenue, Evansville, IN

Office: (812) 476-9991 · www.redeemerchurch.org

THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST July 5, 2020 8:00 a.m. Holy Communion

VISITORS AND MEMBERS As we join in praising and interacting with the Living God, we welcome you. Offerings will be collected at the door. No attendance cards will be used. We ask that you observe social distancing to the best of your ability. Please remember to “Share” the worship service if you are watching on Facebook. If you are new to our online community, please consider letting us know that you are with us. Type “new” in the comments on Facebook or send us an email at pastor@redeemerchurch.org.

AS WE GATHER Many people find the culture of the Church hard to comprehend. It is a much greater leap to understand the culture of God. Yet we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and will be for the vast majority of our existence. It is important for us to begin to understand God’s ways even if we can’t explain them all.

LESSON FOR DISCIPLES We are to know our Master’s ways and emulate them as much as possible. Some of the culture of God is outside of our comprehension. In cases where this is so, we must simply trust what God says to do.

VERSE OF THE WEEK “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) Meditate on this verse throughout the week. Families can discuss the verse at family devotions, during meals, in the car or at bedtime. How does the verse apply to your life and the things God is doing? Can you have it memorized by the end of the week?

PRESERVICE MUSIC “Meditation on ‘Kentucky’” by Smith

✞ PREPARATION ✞

OPENING HYMN “From All That Dwell Below the Skies” (LSB 816)

816 From All That Dwell Below the Skies

Public domain

INVOCATION Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ✞ Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Pastor: Father, examine our hearts, show us our sin, and lead us in Your ways.

(Silence for reflection on the Word of God and for self-examination.)

Pastor: For the sins that divide us, People: Forgive us, Lord.

Pastor: For not loving others as Your special creation, Pastor: Forgive us, Lord.

Pastor: For not trusting Your ways nor imitating Your love and mercy, People: Forgive us, Lord.

Pastor: For all our sins of thought, word and deed, People: Forgive us, Lord.

Pastor: We are not loved by God because we are perfect. We are loved despite our sins. That love was great enough to give His Son as a sacrifice for sin. Through Jesus your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the ✞ Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen.

HYMN “I Lay My Sins on Jesus” (LSB 606)

606 I Lay My Sins on Jesus

Public domain

PRAYER OF THE DAY

✞ WORD ✞

OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 55:6-11 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

(following the reading …)

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

606 I Lay My Sins on Jesus

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EPISTLE READING Romans 11:25-36 25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be

conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”

35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

(following the reading …)

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

HOLY GOSPEL John 6:41-68

Reader: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter. People: Glory to You, O Lord.

41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of

eternal life. (following the reading …)

Reader: This is the Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to You, O Christ.

SERMON HYMN “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us” (LSB 711)

711 Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us

SERMON “The Culture of God: His Mysterious Ways”

Isaiah 55:6-11

Intro: Differences in culture

I. The Culture of God A. What God values B. How He operates C. The rules He follows

II. My thoughts are not your thoughts A. We used to be closer B. Our unrighteous thoughts: selfishness, self-glory, unwillingness to forgive, the strong survive C. How He operates 1. It is written: the power of God’s Word 2. Numerical and symmetrical 3. Foreshadowing and remembering 4. Inhabiting and working through means 5. Patience while a majority is lost/ Israel’s hardening 6. Uncompromising and still concessions made even to Satan 7. Doesn’t stop all evil and will even use it for good

III. We are straddling two cultures A. Remember who you are now and where you are going B. Imitate and trust C. Don’t judge what you don’t understand

Can you think of anything that God has done or allowed that really confused you?

What do you think people will not immediately understand about God’s most important action—Jesus’ death and resurrection?

RESPONSE OF FAITH Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

OFFERING ****To give electronically, visit our website, redeemerchurch.org, and click on

‘online giving’, or text the word GIVE to (812) 362-2848 and follow the link****You can make a one-time gift OR sign up for a recurring

donation****Recurring donations can be changed or canceled at any time.****

OFFERTORY “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” (LSB 806)

806 Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

✞ SACRAMENT ✞

PREFACE Pastor: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you.

Pastor: Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God People: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

PROPER PREFACE

SANCTUS

LORD’S PRAYER Pastor: Remember us in Your kingdom and teach us all to pray: All: 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.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

SHARING THE PEACE Pastor: The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: Amen.

AGNUS DEI

DISTRIBUTION PLEASE NOTE: Because the sacrament can be taken to one's spiritual harm if not properly understood, 1 Corinthians 11:27, we ask all visitors to refer to our statement of belief found inside the back cover of this service folder before communing. We are eager for you to participate fully in every aspect of this ministry, but we do not want to compromise any portion of God's Word among us.

DISTRIBUTION HYMN “Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face” (LSB 631)

631 Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face

5 Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness;

Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood; Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace: Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord my God.

6 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear;

The feast, though not the love, is past and gone; The bread and wine remove, but Thou art here; Nearer than ever; still my shield and sun.

POST COMMUNION CANTICLE

BENEDICTION Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and ✞ give you peace. People: Amen.

631 Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face

5 Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness;

Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood; Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace: Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord my God.

6 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear;

The feast, though not the love, is past and gone; The bread and wine remove, but Thou art here; Nearer than ever; still my shield and sun.

CLOSING HYMN “Oh, that the Lord Would Guide My Ways” (LSB 707)

POSTLUDE “Sent Forth by God’s Blessings” by Wagner

Portions of this worship service are protected by copyrights from Concordia Publishing House License #000012078 and CCLI License #397712. We acknowledge and appreciate their generosity in sharing these

items with us as part of our praise and worship of Jesus Christ.

THE ALTAR FLOWERS are given to the Glory of God by Bunny Benford.

TODAY’S **ONLINE ONLY** ADULT BIBLE STUDY: • “Examining Our Stewardship: Talents” with Pastor Tom

TODAY’S **IN-PERSON** ADULT BIBLE STUDY: • “Ministry in the Armed Forces” with Pastor Kurtis

707 Oh, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways

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V In Our Prayers V

Praise and Thanks For successful brain surgery for Jeremy For Hannah’s safe return to the US

Grief For the friends and family of James Sanders

Illness/Recovery Ken Nell Phyllis

Intercession For peace and restored relationships Safety for families who are traveling For our country, military, veterans, president and all those in leadership For first responders, medical workers and all those in authority For Redeemer Newburgh and all of our outreach efforts For Abi, stationed in South Korea For Cody and Katy, stationed in Italy

Serving Today - July 5, 2020 8:00 am Traditional Worship: Worship Assistant: Greg Barnett Attending Elder: Jason Yunker Organist: Molly Wuertz

Serving Next Week - July 12, 2020 8:00 am Traditional Worship: Worship Assistant: Tim Grunow Attending Elder: Tim Grunow Organist: Molly Wuertz