Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS)

Welcome to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church!

We give thanks that the Gracious Lord Jesus Christ has gathered us together here for his Divine Service. Today again our Lord comes to serve us and lavish us with his gifts of life, forgiveness, and salvation. Rejoicing in those wonderful gifts, we sing with David in Psalm 84: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! A day in your courts is better than a thousand Elsewhere.”

Type your paragraph here.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Prayer List

If you wish to add names, or continue to leave names on the list, please call the office. (512-443-4947)

Prayer of the Church—Responsive Form
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21A)
1 October 2023

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Merciful Lord, You founded Your Church upon the proclamation of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Purify the tongues of Your servants, that the tongues of the wicked may be silenced. Turn them from their evil ways, that their sins may be washed away. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, encourage us by Your Holy Spirit, that we may not lose heart. Make us to be of one mind and will, that we may serve You with gladness, doing the works of Your kingdom here and throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, sustain all fathers, mothers and children; husbands and wives; friends and neighbors; laborers and employers; and teachers and students. Enable us all to serve our neighbors in godly vocations, delighting in the Lord’s lovingkindness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, all the might of man is nothing before You, yet You have appointed earthly realms and rulers to punish evil and honor good. Give us faithful leaders who will serve honorably and well. Bless also those who serve in the armed forces to defend us and protect our liberty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, grant the encouragement of Christ and the comfort of His love to those who suffer [especially _____________]. In every affliction, prove Yourself a ready and worthy Savior, especially to those who believe. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, the name of Jesus stands above all names. Before it we bow our knees and confess Him as Lord and God. Inspire in us true devotion and worship as we approach His altar to receive our humble Savior in these humble means of bread and wine for our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, in You there is no shadow due to change. Enkindle Your divine light in us, that we may stand united as Christ’s own body, holding fast to the word of life and shining brightly in the midst of this world’s darkness; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

WELCOME to

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Today's Readings, Sermon, and Prayers

Nicene Creed
C 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.

Introit Psalm 147:1–5; antiphon: v. 6

Lord’s Prayer
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.

***********************************

Epistle…………………………………................Philippians 2:1–18

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

GIVE NOW

Hold Fast the Word of Life13:50

Sermon Text: Philippians 2:1-18

Sermon:

Remember your Baptism Daily!

We urge each of you to remember your Baptism every day, and to go at every opportunity to a church where they teach that Jesus suffered, died, and rose in victory for all of your sins, we also encourage you to read your Bible daily, in this way God will feed your faith and keep you sure of going to heaven.

One of many OAFC Witnessing method.

Home

The Learn by heart passage for the week beginning October 1, 2023
What is the Fifth Commandment?
You shall not murder.

What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body but help and support him in every physical need.

October 8, 2023
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22)

READINGS

Isaiah 5:1–7
Song of the vineyard

Psalm 80:7–19
“You brought a vine out of Egypt.”

Philippians 3:4b–14
“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

Matthew 21:33–46

Tenants of the vineyard

The Mission of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church:

Is to gather together to be built up in God’s word and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

What about The Gospel?

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This pamphlet has been prepared to show you how much we need the Gospel, why it is such good news, how we receive it and how we respond to it. Why do we need the Gospel? We cannot really understand how good the message of the Gospel is until we understand how bad our situation is without it. We are poor miserable sinners. We sin daily and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and punishment. Without Jesus Christ, our situation would be totally hopeless. The Scriptures describe human beings as dead in trespasses and sin. Without the mercy and cleansing of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, there awaits for us only everlasting punishment in hell. Thus, we need the Gospel— desperately! What is the Gospel? The word “gospel” is a translation of a Greek word that means, “an announcement of good news.” The Gospel is the good news that God the Holy Trinity decided not to abandon humanity when Adam and Eve ﬁrst fell into sin. God decided then and there that sin and death would not have the last word. He promised to send a Savior. When the time was right, God sent His Son into our world to be born of the Virgin Mary. Our Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life for us. On the cross, He received the penalty and punishment for the sins of the whole world, offering Himself as the perfect sacriﬁce for sin. Jesus rose from the dead, victorious over our ancient enemies: sin, death and the devil. Therefore, each Christian is able with great joy and conﬁdence to declare before the whole world: “My Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” What glorious good news! The one, true eternal and all- powerful God came into our world to live, suffer, die and rise again for us. We, who are unholy and unrighteous, receive the forgiveness of all our sins and thus receive the perfect holiness and righteousness of Christ our Savior—as a free gift—purely because of His love for us. That is good news! That is the Gospel! How do we receive this great salvation in our lives today? How do we personally receive the forgiveness Christ won for the entire world? How does what happened on the cross nearly 2,000 years ago ﬂow into our lives today? Here too there is very good news. God, through His Gospel, offers us forgiveness and help against sin in more than one way. God is surpassingly rich in His grace. He gives His Gospel to us through His Word, through Baptism, through the Sacrament of the Altar, and through confession and absolution. These are the ways God enters our lives today to apply to us personally the great salvation Christ won for the world. The Holy Spirit works through the Word of the Gospel to create and sustain faith in our heart that Christ is the Savior of the world, and thus our Savior too. The Bible is the Word of God, written down for our learning and ediﬁcation. The Scriptures are ﬁlled with the good news of Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. Through the almighty, Spirit-ﬁlled Word, God gathers us into His church, which is truly the mother that begets and bears every Christian through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is present, effective and active through the Word when it is proclaimed, heard and meditated upon. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word; or as St. Paul says in Holy Scripture, “The washing of water with the word.” Through Baptism, we are made partakers of Christ’s death and resurrection. Therefore, we know that Baptism works forgive- ness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal life to all who believe. Since Baptism is connected to the Word and promise of God, it is truly a life-giving water, rich in grace—a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit. Christ has provided a special application of the Gospel through confession and absolution. Confession is admitting our sins to God and receiving His forgiveness from our pastor, as from God Himself, not doubting, but ﬁrmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven. Thus, by divine ordinance, Christ Himself has entrusted absolution to his Christian church and commanded us to absolve one another from sins. The Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself, for us Christians to eat and to drink. In the Lord’s Supper, Christ’s body and blood are given to us as our treasure and gift which sustains our faith and life in Him. If you are heavy-laden and feel your weakness, go joyfully to the Sacrament and receive refreshment, comfort and strength. Those who want to be forgiven by God and who want to enjoy His presence in their lives, hunger and thirst for the Word and Sacraments. With the Psalmist we say, “My soul thirsts for God,for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” God has provided the means to receive Him. So, Christians hunger and thirst for God’s Word, absolution, the Sacrament, etc. We have the certainty that God meets us and gives us what we need in His means of grace. The forgiveness Christ won for the world on the cross is applied to us personally by God through His Word and Sacraments. What a joy for us to know that where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Thus, we believe that we cannot, by our own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel, enlightens us with His gifts, sanctiﬁes and keeps us in the true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctiﬁes the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all of our sins, and the sins of all believers. How does God cause us to respond to His Gospel? We love God because He ﬁrst loved us. Our Lord is at work in us both to will and to do what is pleasing to Him. Christians look to the Ten Commandments to know what is pleasing to God and wish to serve Him in gratitude for the great salvation that is theirs in Christ. From the Word of God we learn that God wants us to put Him ﬁrst, above any other person or thing, to respect His name and not misuse it, to hear and obey His Word. Children are to honor and obey their parents and others in authority. We are to look out for the welfare of others, doing nothing to hurt or harm our neighbor. We are to live sexually pure and decent lives, with husbands and wives loving and honoring each another. In looking out for our neighbor’s welfare and helping him to improve and protect his property and business, we are also to take care not to lie about our neighbor, but to help, support and defend him in every need, and, ﬁnally, we are to be content with what we have been given, and not want what is not ours. What a joyful privilege we have to serve God and others! He gives us the opportunity to bear witness to our faith through both our words and our deeds. How is the Gospel obscured? The Gospel is obscured by well-intentioned people who want to encourage a life of good works, and end up making Christians think that it is by their works that they are saved. This is a great danger. Through His Word and Sacraments, Jesus is constantly working in our lives to forgive our sins and strengthen our relationship with God. God always receives the credit for our salvation. He is the one working in us. This is not something we can do. Our good works are the result of God’s love in our hearts and lives. Our good works in this life do not save us, only Christ saves us. Works serve our neighbor and show to the world that we are grateful for God’s mercy in our lives. Another way the Gospel can be obscured is when too much emphasis is put on an emotional response to the Gospel. Some Christians believe that unless they have some sort of ecstatic, charismatic experience, or feel some sort of “spiritual high,” they are not really Christians. It is truly sad that some people look into their own hearts for the security that they are children of God, instead of putting their hope and trust in the objective work of Christ for them, and in the means God uses to come to them—His Word and Sacraments. If we ﬁnd ourselves beginning to ask, “Am I doing enough?” or thinking, “It doesn’t matter what I do, for God will forgive me anyway,” then we are at risk of losing Christ and His forgiveness. We look always to Jesus and put our hope and trust in Him. He is our Savior. And, that’s good news! All blessing, honor, thanks and praise to Father, Son and Spirit, the God who saved us by His grace. All glory to His merit! O triune God in heaven above, you have revealed your saving love. Your blessed name we hallow. — Dr. A. L. Barry President The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

This concludes the Readings, Prayers, and the Sermon for today.

It is our practice to proceed with the

SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT

We encourage everyone to attend a service to receive the Sacrament.

Pastor Bontke will accept calls to schedule communion for individuals who wish to receive

the Sacrament of Communion on Tuesday after 9:30 am. The Sacrament will be given on Wednesday after 10 am.

BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH
6830 S. Pleasant Valley Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
Office 512-443-4947

Thought for Today: October 1, 2023

The way of Christ stands firm against all transgressions. God’s chosen, sinful people frequently gripe, complain, and hurl insults against God, daring to challenge His authority. But God heartily desires that His people would be transformed with a new heart and a new spirit. His way is one of comfort, love, affection, sympathy, and joy. God’s people receive all of this incredible goodness when they turn from transgressions, confess guilt, acknowledge His authority, and receive His grace.

Collect of the Day

P Almighty God, You exalted Your Son to the place of all honor and authority. Enlighten our minds by Your Holy Spirit that, confessing Jesus as Lord, we may be led into all truth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

Holy Gospel……………………………………………...........Matthew 21:23–27

When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Gradual Psalm 34:9, 19, alt. Fear the Lord, | you his saints,*
for those who fear him lack | nothing!
Many are the afflictions of the | righteous,*
but the Lord delivers him out | of them all.

The Lord’s Supper

Our Belief and Practice

The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine, but His very body and blood to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins, and to strengthen our union with Him and with one another. Our Lord invites to His table those who trust His words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as He forgives and loves us, that they may show forth His death until He comes. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm, and because Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked first to speak with the pastor. Anyone who is not communing today but would like to come forward to receive a baptismal blessing is welcome. Please cross your arms against your chest to indicate you desire a blessing not communion.

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.” 1Corinthians11:28

To assist you in preparing to receive the Lord’s Supper Martin Luther in his Small Catechism teaches us to ask ourselves the following questions:

1. Am I sorry that I have sinned against God?
2. Do I believe that Jesus died for my sins and gives me His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper as Scripture says?
3. Do I plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change my sinful life?

Those preparing to receive the Lord’s Supper should be able to honestly answer ‘yes’ to each of these questions. A more complete examination is found on pages 329-330 of the hymnal - Lutheran Service Book. Prayers for “Before communing” and “Thanksgiving after receiving the Sacrament”, are located on the inside front cover of the hymnal.

Old Testament Reading………………………….................Ezekiel 18:1–4, 25–32
The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. . .

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

The Readings for this Sunday are printed below. If you would like to hear the Word of God, go "BibleGateway.com" and go to the Book and Chapter and Verse.

Offering

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS)​​​

What about The Gospel?

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS)