Christ Church

The Divine Service

of the Lord Jesus Christ
Palm Sunday
April 17, 2011

Salutation
The Lord be with you! 2 Timothy 4.22
And also with you!
Welcome & Announcements
Preparation for Worship (silently pray the following collect to prepare for worship)
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself
our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of
His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through Jesus Christ,
Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
<STAND when the pianist stops playing>

I. The Lord Gathers Us for Worship

<STAND>
First Gospel Lesson: Jesus’ Triumphal Entry John 12.12-19

Invocation & Entrance

We are gathered in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Amen! Matthew 18.20; 28.19

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your Passion, You confirmed the universal resurrection, O
Christ our God. Like the children with their palms of victory, we cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death:
Hosanna to the Son of David! Matthew 21.9
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Luke 19.38

Hymn of Procession (on following page)

Note: The congregation says all bold words and sings all printed songs.
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 II. The Lord Cleanses Us from Sin
Dearly beloved in Christ, the Scriptures teach us that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1.9

Kyrie Eleison ~ Lord Have Mercy Psalm 51.1; 123.3; Matthew 17.15; 20.30-31

Confession of Sin
Come, let us worship and bow down. Psalm 95.6
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! <KNEEL>
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by
what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole
hearts, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry, and we humbly
repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may
delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. <REMAIN KNEELING>

Absolution ~ Gospel proclamation of forgiveness in Christ <STAND>

By virtue of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are fully and freely forgiven of all
your sins. Believe this and know that you are at peace with God!
Thanks be to God!
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 III. The Lord Raises Us Up to Heaven and Seats Us With Christ
Sursum Corda ~ Lift Up Your Hearts Ephesians 2.6; Colossians 3.1

Lift up your hearts!

We lift them up to the Lord!
Prayer of Ascent to Heaven Traditionally called the Preface (to the Sanctus)
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is good and right to do so!
It is very good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Holy Lord,
Father Almighty, through Jesus Christ our suffering servant-king; who for our sins was lifted high
upon the cross, that he might draw the whole world to himself; who by his death defeated death and
opened the way to eternal life. Therefore, with the angels and archangels, and with all the company
of heaven, we magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing:
Sanctus ~ Holy

To You I lift up my eyes,

O You Who are enthroned in the heavens! Psalm 124.1

Hymn of Ascent (on following page)

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Prayer of Illumination
Almighty God, in you are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Open our eyes that we
may see the wonders of your Word; and give us grace that we may understand and choose the way of
your wisdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. <BE SEATED>
Scripture Lesson Philippians 2.5-11 (text printed on back page)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! <STAND>
Psalm Psalm 119.57-64
57
The LORD is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
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I entreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
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When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;
60
I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.
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Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law.
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At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.
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I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
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The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes!
Alleluia ~ Praise the Lord Psalms 146-150

Second Gospel Lesson John 12.20-43 (text printed on back page)

This is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise be to you, O Christ!
Profession of Faith Nicene Creed
Christian, in whom do you trust?
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 the 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 on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
Whose kingdom shall 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 worshipped and glorified,
Who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy, catholic, 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!
Gloria Patri ~ Glory to the Father

Pre-sermon Prayer
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, Lord Jesus
Christ, our Rock, and our Kinsman Redeemer. Psalm 19.14
Amen. <BE SEATED>
Sermon Pastor Jeremy Sexton

Post-sermon Blessing
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen. Philippians 4.7

Offertory Hymn (on following page)

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Offertory Response & Prayer
What gifts have you brought for your Lord?
We give only what the Lord has first given to us. We offer ourselves in Christ through
confession, praise, and thanksgiving; we give our prayers and alms for the sake of the world;
and we participate in the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen!
Blessed are you, O Lord God our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the victory and the majesty; indeed all that is in the heavens and the earth is yours.
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord Jesus Christ, and you are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor
come from you, and you reign over all, and in your hand is power and might, and it lies in your hand to
make great and to strengthen all. Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name,
for all things come from you and of your own gifts we have given to you. 1 Chronicles 29.10-14
Amen! <STAND>
Kingdom Prayer
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that
your holy Name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of your Word
and the fervent love shown in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living
whereby your holy Name is borne by us in an empty and profane way. Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
May your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors, and those who are blinded and
bound in the devil’s kingdom, to know Jesus Christ, your Son, by faith, that the number of Christians
may be increased. Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
Strengthen us by your Spirit according to your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good
and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to your good and gracious will.
Into your merciful hands we commend our family and friends, indeed, all who are in need, praying for
them at all times that your will be done. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us to trust in you to provide
for all our needs. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and
may rejoice in good conscience before you, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer!
Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the
world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his crafty schemes. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from the evil one, from all evil of both body and soul, now and
forever. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
We trust, O Lord, in your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Now, O God, hear the very words Jesus taught us to pray:
<RAISE HANDS> 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 debts
as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6.9-13

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 IV. The LORD Feeds Us Holy Food at His Royal Table
Trinitarian Blessing 2 Corinthians 13.14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with
you all.
Holy things for holy people!
The gifts of God for the people of God!
Pax Domini ~ The Peace of the Lord John 20.19

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And with your spirit.
Eucharistic Prayer ~ Prayer of Thanksgiving
We thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for your mighty works, which reveal your wisdom and love.
You formed us in your own image, and you gave the whole world into our care, so that, in faithfulness
to you, we might rule and serve all your creatures. When our unbelief and disobedience took us far from
you, You did not abandon us to the power of death. In your mercy you came to our help, so that in
seeking you we might find you. Again and again you called us into covenant with you, and through the
prophets you called us to repent and to hope for salvation. We thank you, Father, that you loved the
world so much that in the fullness of time, you sent your Son to be our Savior. He lived as one of us, yet
with unwavering faith and without sin. To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation; to
prisoners, freedom; to the sorrowful, joy. To fulfill your purpose, he humbled himself in obedience to
death, and rose from the grave to destroy death, and to make the whole creation new. We thank you,
Father, for sending the Holy Spirit, who grants us repentance and gives us new life in Christ by faith,
that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died and rose for us.
Dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life. Lord Jesus, come again in glory! Amen.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34.8

Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us.

Therefore, let us keep the feast! 1 Corinthians 5.8

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Agnus Dei ~ Lamb of God John 1.29

<BE SEATED>

In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord,

we at Christ Church welcome to the Lord’s Table
all who are spiritually weak and seek rest;
all who mourn and long for comfort;
all who struggle and desire victory;
all who sin and need the Savior;
all who are strangers and want fellowship;
all who hunger and thirst for righteousness;
all who are poor in spirit and desire the riches of the gospel;
all who come to Jesus Christ in living faith and repentance,
looking to him as both Liberator and Lord.
And we welcome all baptized children,
no matter how young, to the Lord’s Table.

Communion: Bread <Sing stanzas 1-2 on the following page as the bread is passed>
Communion: Wine <Sing stanzas 3-4 on the following page as the wine is passed>

Note: Our custom is to eat and drink the elements simultaneously after all have been served and the pastor enjoins us to partake.
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May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you steadfast in true faith
unto life everlasting. Amen!
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Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, 1 Chronicles 16.34; Psalm 106.1; 107.1; 118.1; 118.29; 136.1
for his love endures forever! <STAND>

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 V. The LORD Sends Us Back Into the World
Post-Communion Prayer Adapted from the post-Communion prayer in Martin Bucer’s reformed Strasbourg Liturgy
Let us continue in prayer together:
Almighty and gracious heavenly Father, we give You praise and thanks that through Your holy
Gospel and Sacrament, You have again offered and presented to us Your most precious treasure:
the true Bread of Heaven and Food of eternal life, Our Lord Jesus Christ. And we heartily ask You
to grant that we may receive Him and partake of Him in true faith, now and forever, and be so
nourished by His Flesh and Blood that we may be set free from all evil, and increase daily in all
goodness, to Your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Great Commission Matthew 28.18-20
Jesus declares, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and disciple all the nations
by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, by teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Amen!
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered!
Let those who hate Him flee before Him! Psalm 68.1

Nunc Dimittis ~ Now Dismiss [Your Servant] Luke 2.29-32

“Song of Simeon”

Benediction ~ Blessing Numbers 6.24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace;
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

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Philippians 2.5-11
5
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of
God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of
a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 12.20-43
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Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip,
who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told
Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the
Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his
life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am,
there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 27 "Now is my soul troubled.
And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28
Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 29
The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to
him." 30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this
world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all
people to myself." 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd
answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the
Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" 35 So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you
for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in
the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you
may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word
spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to
whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
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"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with
their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and
spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees
they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that
comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

If you are a visitor of Christ Church, we are grateful that you have joined us in our highest privilege, worshipping the Triune God. We hope
you stay and eat with us after the service so that we can get to know you better. If you would like to talk with Pastor Sexton throughout the
week, feel free to call him at 770.696.7521 or email him at [email protected]. You can visit our website at ChristChurch-Atl.com.