15870 46th Avenue N, Plymouth | (763) 559-0579 Email: office@AscensionPlymouth.com Website: www.AscensionPlymouth.com A member of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

Brian Roloff, Pastor | pastorroloff@AscensionPlymouth.com

Welcome! We are glad that you have joined us for worship today.

Brian Roloff, Pastor | pastorroloff@AscensionPlymouth.com Susan Decker, Music Director

Tammy Melott, Preschool Director/Teacher Jennifer Tripp, Teacher

March 1, 2020

As we celebrate Holy Communion, let’s rejoice in the various types of unity that we enjoy in this sacrament.

According to Christ’s own promise we receive his true body and blood (Matthew 26:26-

28). We are united with him in the Lord’s Supper.

another (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Holy Communion declares that unity.

gospel of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:26).

What wonderful unity we find in the Lord’s Supper. How we want to treasure and foster this unity. On the night on which Jesus gave us this meal he prayed that all his followers would come to complete agreement with one another on the basis of God’s Word (John 17:11,17).

Out of love for the Lord and love for one another, we want what our Savior wants for us—genuine unqualified unity. For this reason we respectfully ask that only those who have expressed their full agreement with the teachings of our national church body (the Wisconsin Synod) or the Evangelical Lutheran Synod come forward to receive the sacrament.

We eagerly desire everyone to share in this divine meal with us. Please speak to the pastor about how we can work together to establish this blessed fellowship.

THE ORDER OF WORSHIP

(P: = Pastor, C:= Congregation, : = Congregation sings) All scripture quotations are taken from the NIV and are used by permission.

WORSHIP THEME: Jesus defeat the devil for us OPENING HYMN: # 752 In Christ Alone

- 1 -

- 2 - Used by permission. CCLI License # 440614)

Please stand

P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C:

CONFESSION OF SINS

P: Beloved in the Lord; let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

LORD, HAVE MERCY

P: God, our Heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. PRAISE AND PRAYER

P: In the peace of forgiveness let us praise the Lord.

SONG OF PRAISE: Great is Thy Faithfulness

- 3 -

- 4 -

Used by permission. CCLI License # 440614)

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: Almighty God, your Son was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. Come quickly to help us who, because of our weakness, are assaulted by many temptations. Give each one of us strength and victory through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Please be seated

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON: Genesis 3:1-15

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? ” 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.” So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on

your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And 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.”

- 5 -

READING RESPONSE: # 202 If God Had Not Been On Our Side (vs. 1)

: If God had not been on our side And had not come to aid us, Our foes with all their pow’r and pride Would surely have dismayed us, For we, his flock, would have to fear The devil’s wolves, both far and near, Who rise in might against us.

SECOND LESSON: Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. THE NICENE CREED: (all say)

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was

day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

- 6 -

GOOD NEWS FOR KIDS We invite the children ages 3 through 3rd grade to come forward for a message from God’s Word just for them.

HYMN: # 754 The Tree of Life

- 7 -

SERMON THEME: The power of one The one sin of Adam counts for and condemns us all The one righteous life of Christ gives justification and life to all

TEXT: Romans 5:12-19 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned. For even before the law was given, sin was in the world. Now, sin is not charged to one’s account if there is no law, and yet death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those whose sin was not like the transgression of Adam, who is a pattern of the one who was to come. But the gracious gift is not like Adam’s trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of this one man, it is even more certain that God’s grace, and the gift given by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ, overflowed to the many! And the gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin, for the judgment that followed the one trespass resulted in a verdict of condemnation, but the gracious gift that followed many trespasses resulted in a verdict of justification. Indeed, if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through the one man, it is even more certain that those who receive the overflowing grace of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ! So then, just as one trespass led to a verdict of condemnation for all people, so also one righteous verdict led to life-giving justification for all people. For just as through the disobedience of one man the many became sinners, so also through the obedience of one man the many will become righteous. After the sermon please stand and sing:

- 8 - (song continues on next page)

Please be seated

CONNECTION CLIPBOARDS

At this time we ask everyone to take a moment and fill out the info on the connection clipboards, located under the aisle-side chair of each row. Please fill out and pass it down to your neighbor. THE OFFERING

Dear guests, please don’t feel obligated to take part in our offering. We’re glad you’re here to listen to the message about Jesus.

If members or guests would like to give an offering electronically, they can do so by going to ascensionplymouth.com and click on the GIVE tab on your right hand side or go to https://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/ZJJGFB/. "Above All" (Soloist)

Above all powers Above all kings Above all nature and all created things Above all wisdom and all the ways of man You were here before the world began Above all kingdoms Above all thrones Above all wonders the world has ever known Above all wealth and treasures of the earth There's no way to measure what you're worth Crucified Laid behind the stone You lived to die Rejected and alone Like a rose trampled on the ground You took the fall And thought of me Above all

- 9 -

THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Merciful Father, though you created all things good, through our first parents we rebelled against your goodness and, in pursuing our own way, came under the curse of sin and death. We give you thanks for the mercy you showed your fallen creatures and for your patience, until at the right time you sent forth your Son as the second Adam to be our Savior and Redeemer.

Strong Son of God, you took upon yourself our humanity, facing the same needs and pressures and challenges and temptations. We praise you that as our substitute you walked in perfect obedience to your Father’s will and resolutely resisted every occasion to be less than holy.

Lord Jesus, we give in so easily to the tempter and his lies and empty promises. He pretends to want so little, when in fact he wants to kill our faith and ruin our lives. Give us your strength that we may endure in the face of trial and be immovable before all temptations. Teach us the power of your Word that can unmask all of Satan’s lies and drive him away in defeat. Armed with your Holy Scriptures we are not weak and helpless after all but well-equipped to do battle against the foe.

Almighty God, protect and defend us from the devil and all his attacks against body and soul. Be the strength of the weak, the healer of the sick, and the hope of those who mourn that in their afflictions and pain you may sustain and heal them according to your gracious will and deliver them at last to everlasting life.

Holy Lord, as we come to the table of our Savior give us faith to receive this blessed food of life and unite us in doctrine and holy living, that we may show forth our unity to the world.

All these things and whatever else we need, please grant us, O merciful God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, who triumphed over Satan for us that we would be made your righteous children now and forever. Amen. LORD'S PRAYER (all 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.

Please be seated

- 10 -

THE SACRAMENT

P: The Lord be with you.

:

P: Lift up your hearts.

:

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.

:

P: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who brought the gift of salvation to all people by his death on the tree of the cross, so that the devil, who overcame us by a tree would in turn by a tree be overcome. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

- 11 -

- 12 -

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he

this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

:

O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD

THE DISTRIBUTION

Communicant members of Ascension Lutheran are invited to receive the Lord’s Supper. If you have never communed with us before, we ask that you first speak

with our pastor to learn how you can establish a communing fellowship with us. We are eager to help anyone to take this step.

Please Note: The center eight cups of the individual trays contain white grape juice. Gluten-free wafers are available. Please speak with the pastor before the worship service, if you would like a gluten-free wafer.

DISTRIBUTION HYMN: # 311 Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness

- 13 -

After the distribution please stand

THANKSGIVING SONG OF SIMEON

- 14 -

- 15 -

P: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

:

P: We give thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us with this holy supper. We pray that through it you will strengthen our faith in you and increase our love for one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

:

THE BLESSING

P: 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. :

Please be seated

CLOSING HYMN: # 200 A Mighty Fortress is Our God

- 16 -

THANKS TO THOSE WHO SERVED

Organist: Susan Decker

Soloist: Caroline Hardyman