Thy Strong Word - Looking Ahead: Reformation Sunday

Hosted by Rev. Will Weedon, LCMS Director of Worship and International Center Chaplain.

With guest Rev. David Fleming from Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Looking Ahead: Reformation Sunday

Introit: Psalm 34:1-2, 11, 22

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

^[a] Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.

¹¹Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

²²The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Footnotes:

Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Antiphon: Psalm 119:46

⁴⁶I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
and shall not be put to shame,

Gradual: Psalm 48:1a, 12-14a

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

48 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,

¹²Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
¹³consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
¹⁴    that this is God,
our God forever and ever.

First Reading: Revelation 14:6-7

The Messages of the Three Angels

⁶Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. ⁷And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Psalm 46 (antiphon: v. 7)

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.^[a] A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present^[b] help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Footnotes:

Psalm 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 46:1 Or well proved

Epistle: Romans 3:19-28

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For by works of the law no human being^[a] will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Footnotes:

Romans 3:20 Greek flesh

Proper Verse: Luke 12:32

³²“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Gospel: John 8:31-36

The Truth Will Set You Free

³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave^[a] to sin. ³⁵The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Footnotes:

John 8:34 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 35

(or) Matthew 11:12-19

¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,^[a] and the violent take it by force. ¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵He who has ears to hear,^[b] let him hear.

¹⁶“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

¹⁷“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”^[c]

Footnotes:

Matthew 11:12 Or has been coming violently
Matthew 11:15 Some manuscripts omit to hear
Matthew 11:19 Some manuscripts children (compare Luke 7:35)

Lutheran Heritage Foundation - Underwriter of Thy Strong Word — Underwriter of Thy Strong Word

Rev. William Weedon

We have the distinct privilege of borrowing LCMS Director of Worship and International Center Chaplain Rev. William Chancellor Weedon for an hour a day to add Host of Thy Strong Word to his list of titles. Native to the central Maryland area just outside of Washington D.C., he enthusiastically enjoys his coffee, playing piano, and singing heartily, as well as spending time in the pool with his wife Cindi, three children and their spouses, and seven grandchildren. He’s one of those people that listens to Christmas music year-round, but we still let him in our studios. You may find him reading a good murder mystery or some writing by Johann Gerhard, Joseph Ratzinger, or Alexander Schmemann while eating a chocolate torte made by his wife Cindi. When he’s read all the books he can manage, he escapes outside to hike, bike, or even run in his Vivobarefoot shoes that Andy Bates, his favorite famous person, told him to buy.