St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

Pastor Dennis Himm (810) 252-5821

July 13, 2025 Pentecost 4

THE WANT FOR WORKERS

WELCOME

HYMN 260 “Let All Things Now Living”

(Please stand for the last stanza)

SERVICE OF THE WORD - pages 38-44

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

O God, protector of all the faithful, you alone make strong; you alone make holy. Show us your mercy and forgive our sins day by day. Guide us through our earthly lives that we do not lose the things you have prepared for us in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Sung) Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Ezekiel 2:9-3:11

Ezekiel was called to proclaim the word of the Lord to his fellow exiles, regardless of whether they listened or failed to listen.

9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out toward me, and in it there was a rolled-up scroll. 10 He unrolled it in front of me, and there was writing on both sides. Written on it was: Laments, Groaning, and Woe. 31 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat what you have received. Eat this scroll, and then go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. 3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll that I am giving you.” I ate, and in my mouth it was sweet like honey. 4 He then said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. 5For you are not being sent to a people who have incomprehensible speech or a difficult language, but you are being sent to the house of Israel. 6 Nor are you being sent to many peoples who have incomprehensible speech and difficult languages, whose words you cannot understand. Certainly, if I were to send you to such people, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, because the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. 8Look, I have made your face just as hard as their faces and your forehead just as hard as their foreheads. 9I have made your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not fear them, and do not be intimidated by their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10Then he said to me, “Son of man, receive into your heart all my words that I will speak to you, and hear them with your ears. 11 Go now to the exiles, to your own people. You shall speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ whether they listen or they do not.”

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 32 - pages 78

Remember your mercy, O Lord; remember your mercy and love.

SECOND LESSON: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Ministers are to shepherd God’s flock exactly as Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, would himself.

1 Therefore, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and as one who also shares in the glory that is about to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you: 2Shepherd God’s flock that is among you, serving as overseers, not grudgingly but willingly, as God desires, not because you are greedy for money but because you are eager to do it. 3 Do not lord it over those entrusted to your care, but be examples for the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory.

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy. Alleluia.. (Sung) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

GOSPEL: Luke 10:1-12,16-20

Jesus sends out messengers of his Word who were to serve the people they met exactly as Jesus would have if he had been there himself.

1After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go your way. Look, I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Do not carry a money bag or traveler’s bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the way. 5Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6And if a peaceful person is there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, because the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and they welcome you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are in the town and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’ 10 “But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust from your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on that day than for that town….16Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” 18 He told them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will ever harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in heaven.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: (sung) Praise be to you, O Christ!

HYMN 283 “Speak, O Savior; I am Listening”

SERMON: Ezekiel 2:9-3:11 "Eat the Scroll!"

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER - page 42

LORD’S PRAYER (Traditional)

HYMN 284 “Precious Is the Book Divine”

PRAYER - page 43 C: (sung) Amen.

BLESSING - page 44 C: (sung) Amen. Amen. Amen.

HYMN 562 “I Love to Tell the Story”

WELS Connection Video

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS

THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR

The members of St Paul's & the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) have joined together to do the Lord’s work here and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry. The basket is located next to the water dispenser.

PLEASE SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK IF YOU ARE VISITING.

It’s located in the entryway by the stairs going to the basement.

SERVING US TODAY: Pastor Brian K. Diring is a second-career pastor, a former lapsed Catholic, and an adult convert to the Christian faith. After resigning from his first career, he attended Martin Luther College for two years, then entered Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Before completing seminary, he served two years as a missionary, deacon and instructor (of biblical Greek) for the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. He served 11 years as pastor of Our Shepherd

Lutheran Church in Lancaster, CA (in the Mojave Desert), before accepting the call to serve as pastor of St. James Ev. Lutheran in North Branch, MI, in 2021. He is also currently serving as the Vacancy Pastor for St. Paul Ev. Lutheran in Mayville. His wife, Oksana, grew up in Ukraine, in the USSR, and is also an adult convert to Christianity. She served the Ukrainian Lutheran Church as a financial auditor, seminary librarian and secretary, and a contributing editor for the ULC's Styah magazine for 10 years before marrying Deacon Diring and relocating to the United States. Their children, Danilo (8) and Yesenia (6) attend St. Luke's Lutheran School in Vassar. Thank you for serving us today and may the LORD continue to bless your ministry and family.

All Scripture readings are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version ® (EHV ®)