Ascension Service May 17, 2012 by Pastor Paul G. Eckert

Ascension Service, May 17, 2012, by Pastor Paul G. Eckert




St. Jacobi Evangelical Lutheran Church

8605 W. Forest Home Ave.

Greenfield, Wisconsin 53228

www.stjacobi.org



ASCENSION SERVICE

May 17, 2012 Thursday 3:30 & 7:00 P.M.

WALKING WITH JESUS



WELCOME TO ALL!



Pastor: We begin our worship in the name of the Father who gave

His Son for us, and of the Son who gave His life for us, and of the

Holy Spirit who gives us saving faith.

Congregation: Amen.



P: Scripture and Introduction - Walking with Jesus.

Luke 24:13-17, 28-32 - Two of them were going to a village

called Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking

with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked

and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and

walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk

along?” --- As they approached the village to which they were going,

Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly,

“Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he

went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he

took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then

their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared

from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning

within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the

Scriptures to us?”



P: In this service we want to walk with Jesus starting way before this

Emmaus account, and finally we want to walk into heaven with Him

one day. So this service will be like a travelogue, speaking of where

Jesus was and picturing ourselves with Him on His journey. Though

going back to different centuries and places, we’ll keep Ascension

central in our thoughts by singing our Hymnal’s Ascension hymns

throughout this service. We begin our journey speaking a prayer

together, and then we’ll sing the first stanza of Hymn 169.



P and C: Lord our God, open our ears and our hearts to Your Word.

As with the Emmaus disciples, so may our hearts too burn within us

as the Scriptures are opened in this service to see our Savior on His

journey through history for us. We ask this in His name. Amen.



Hymn 169:1



P: Introduction about the Grades 5-8 and Mixed Choir songs

- 3:30 - Grades 5-8 -------------------- “Ain’-a That Good News?”

- 7:00 - Mixed Choir ------------------- “Crown Him Lord Of All”



WALKING WITH JESUS - A TRAVELOGUE



1. The Garden Of Eden

Scripture and Comment

Genesis 3:12-13 - The man said, “The woman you put here with

me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the

LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The

woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Romans 5:12 - Sin entered the world through one man, and death

through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.



> We confess our sins



Scripture and Comment

Genesis 3:15 - “I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you

will strike his heel.”

John 1:1-3,14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word

was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the

beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing

was made that has been made. --- The Word became flesh and made

his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One

and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.



> We receive absolution



Hymn 169:2



2. Ur Of The Chaldeans

Scripture and Comment

Genesis 12:1-3; 15:7 - The LORD had said to Abraham, “Leave

your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the

land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will

bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I

will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” --- He also

said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the

Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

John 8:58 - “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before

Abraham was born, I am!”



Hymn 170:1-3



3. Midian

Scripture and Comment

Exodus 3:1-4,10,13-14 - Now Moses was tending the flock of

Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to

the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from

within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not

burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight

- why the bush does not burn up.” When the LORD saw that he had

gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses!

Moses!” --- “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my

people the Israelites out of Egypt.” --- Moses said to God, “Suppose

I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has

sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall

I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.  This is what

you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (John

8:58 - “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was

born, I am!”)



Hymn 170:4-5



4. Bethlehem

Scripture and Comment

Micah 5:2 - “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are

small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who

will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient

times.”

Luke 2:1-7 - In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a

census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first

census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And

everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up

from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town

of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He

went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to

him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came

for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She

wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was

no room for them in the inn.



Hymn 171:1-3



5. Egypt To Nazareth

Scripture and Comment

Matthew 2:19-23 - After Herod died, an angel of the Lord

appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the

child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were

trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child

and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that

Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was

afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the

district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So

was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a

Nazarene.”



Hymn 171:4-6



Offering ------------- Please fill in the Friendship Register at this time.



Prayer

Lord God, thus far in this church service we have traveled many

years and miles from Eden and to the location where Jesus, the eternal

Son, was born with our human flesh and blood. During the time He

humbled Himself and lived His 33 years in the flesh here on earth He

faced our temptations, contended with sins that face us, had to deal

with problems that can be in our lives too, but did all of that without

sinning. As we, who do have sin in our lives, live our lives on this

earth, we come to You, heavenly Father, in our problems and

difficulties and sicknesses and ask for Your help according to Your

wisdom and power. But we above all come to You also with our

thanks and praise that Your Son did what we couldn't do, that He

lived His life on this earth without sin so that He could be a spotless

sacrifice for us on the cross to pay for our sins, so that we can truly

look forward to being one day where there will be no problems or

difficulties or sicknesses or death. Be with all of us as we continue

our travel time from our births to our promised heavenly home. And

please, Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on us as a congregation and

as individuals and strengthen us to share Jesus with others so that

others too may know and believe in Jesus as the Way and the Truth

and the Life.

In His name we now also join to pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom

come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our

daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against

us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the

kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.



Hymn 172:1-2



6. Jerusalem

Scripture and Comment

Matthew 20:17-19 - Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he

took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to

Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests

and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will

turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.

On the third day he will be raised to life!”

Luke 23:4-7; 24:6-8 - Then Pilate announced to the chief priests

and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” But

they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching.

He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.” On hearing this,

Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus

was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in

Jerusalem at that time. --- “He is not here; he has risen! Remember

how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of

Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and

on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.



Hymn 172:3-4



7. Galilee

Scripture and Comment

Matthew 28:16-20 - Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to

the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him,

they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and

said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching

them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with

you always, to the very end of the age.”



Hymn 173:1-2



8. Bethany

Scripture and Comment

Luke 24:50-53 - When he had led them out to the vicinity of

Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was

blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they

worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they

stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:1-3 - In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all

that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to

heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the

apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to

these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He

appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the

kingdom of God.



P: And what about after that? What about us now? The disciples

didn’t just stand looking up into the sky after Jesus ascended. So with

us. May we be active in our Christian daily lives as we look forward

to meeting and being with our ascended Lord.

Acts 1:8-11

P: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and

you will be my witnesses

C: in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends

of the earth.”

P: After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes,

C: And a cloud hid Him from their sight.

P: They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going,

C: when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

P: “Men of Galilee,” they said,

C: “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?

P: This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,

C: will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into

heaven.”



Hymn 173:3



9. Heaven Now

Scripture and Comment

1 Peter 3:22 - [Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at God’s right

hand - with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Romans 8:34 - Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who

died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of

God and is also interceding for us.

1 Timothy 3:16 - Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is

great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen

by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the

world, was taken up in glory.



Hymn 174:1-4



10. The New Jerusalem

Scripture and Comment

John 14:3 - “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Revelation 21:1-4 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,

for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was

no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming

down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed

for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be

their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be

no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of

things has passed away.”



Hymn 175:1-6



Closing Prayer

Lord our God, in this service we often have said, “Jesus was

there.” Thank You that we also can say, “Jesus is here and with us

always.” Keep us joyful and strong in that truth as we continue our

travel through life to life that is truly life. We pray in Jesus' name,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and

forever.

C: Amen.



3:30

P: The Blessing

C: Amen, Amen, Amen.



Closing Hymn 169:3



7:00

Ladies’ Choir ----------------------------------- “A Clare Benediction”



Closing Hymn 169:3



Jesus said,

“SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS,

TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE.”



Some Announcements

A warm welcome to visitors and to all!

Our regular schedule of services is Sundays at 8:15 and 10:45

A.M. and Mondays at 7:00 P.M. Please note, however, that starting

with June and continuing through August the second Sunday service

will become 10:00 instead of the current 10:45.

We thank our Ascension accompanist, Mrs. Denise Bloomquist,

the choirs, the ushers, the worshipers - all who are in any way

involved in praising our ascended Lord and Savior.

All Scripture quotations are from the NIV which is in our pew rack.



Church Phone 414 425-3030 Timothy J. Spaude, Pastor 414 425-8601

School Phone 414 425-2040 Richard A. Waldschmidt, Pastor 414 425-1485

David Hackmann, Principal 414 529-0214 Paul G. Eckert, Pastor 414 425-4649