St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660
website: StPaulsManistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
phone: 231-299-1022
December 17, 2023 Advent 3
Advent is a season of preparation, but also one of joy!
May the holy LORD God bless your worship and encourage you with his Word of promise.
WELCOME
HYMN 2 – please stand for last stanza
COMMON SERVICE - page 15
PRAYER OF THE DAY:
Hear our prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, and come with the good news of your mighty deliverance. Drive the darkness from our hearts and fill us with your light; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
(Sing) Amen.
FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 61:1-3,10,11
It is an astonishing thing that so many are not satisfied with the salvation that God provides in the coming Christ, the Christ proclaimed by faithful forerunners.
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor….10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
PSALM 71, page 92
Blessed are they who hope, who hope in the Lord.
SECOND LESSON: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
The Christmas Spirit is the joy of holiness because of sin washed away. It is the joy of knowing that God is faithful and will not leave us or forsake us no matter what happens to us in this life.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophec-ies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
VERSE OF THE DAY:
Alleluia. I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. Alleluia.
(Sing) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
GOSPEL: John 1:6-8,19-28
John was God’s spokesman called to prepare the people for the Savior who comes in grace and in judgment.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light….19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[c]in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
APOSTLES’ CREED – pages 18
HYMN 14
SERMON: Isaiah 61:1-3,10,11
The Coming of the King Brings Real Joy!
Written by Circuit Pastor John Eich
PRAYERS & LORD’S PRAYER
HYMN 16
PRAYER – page 25
BLESSING
(Sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.
HYMN 6
ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS
THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR
The members of St Paul's have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.
Guests, please sign our Guest Book in the entryway.
NEXT SUNDAY – NO MORNING WORSHIP
On Sunday, December 24, we will gather at 6 pm for our Christmas Eve Service. Come hear & sing the good news that a Savior has been born for you, who is Christ the Lord.
We will follow our regular Sunday schedule on Sunday, December 31. Sunday School & Bible Class at 9 am and Worship at 10 am. There will be no NewYear’s Eve night service.
SERVING YOU TODAY:
• Organist: Nancy Skory
• Liturgy Leader: Russ Wrzenski
• Sermon Reader: Dan Wrzesinski
Common Service © 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.
All Scripture readings are from the NIV 2011. Used by permission.