St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

www.StPaulsManistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

Pastor Dennis Himm (810) 252-5821

October 18, 2026 Pentecost 20

THE BEGINNING OF THE END –

It’s time to INVITE THE UNWORTHY

WELCOME – we will be using the RED HYMNAL today

HYMN 288 “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace

- Please stand for the last verse

SERVICE OF THE WORD - pages 38-44

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Almighty God, you invite us to trust in you for our salvation. Deal with us not in the severity of your judgment but by the greatness of your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Sung) Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 25:6-9

The prophet Isaiah describes the heavenly banquet which is entered through faith in God and his salvation.

6 On this mountain the LORD of Armies will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and with the finest wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations. 8 He has swallowed up death forever! The LORD God will wipe away the tears from every face. He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth. For the LORD has spoken. 9 On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God! We waited for him, and he saved us! This is the LORD! We waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 111 – page 106

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.

SECOND LESSON: Romans 1:16,17

We proclaim that we are saved through faith alone.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For in the gospel a righteous-ness from God is revealed by faith, for faith, just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.”

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples. 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: Matthew 22:1-14

The king gives us the privilege of inviting people to his wedding banquet.

1Jesus spoke to them again in parables. He said, 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent out his servants to summon those who were invited to the wedding banquet, but they did not want to come. 4 Then he sent out other servants and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet!’ 5 But those who were invited paid no attention and went off, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 The rest seized the king’s servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 As a result, the king was very angry. He sent his army and killed those murderers and burned their town. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9So go to the main crossroads and invite as many as you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 Those servants went out to the roads and gathered together everyone they found, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wearing wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. 13Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

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

HYMN 376 “Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness”

SERMON: “Enjoy the Heavenly Banquet”

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER (Traditional)

HYMN 265 “This Is the Feast of Victory”

PRAYER - page 43 C: (sung) Amen.

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

HYMN 565 "There Still Is Room”

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.

OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

• 10:00 am – Ladies Book Study – The Lutheran Narrow Middle

• 10:00 am – MSS Bible Study (Philippians) at Pastor Himm’s home

• 7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study(1 Corinthians) at Pastor Himm’s home

WEDNESDAY

• 5:15 pm – Youth Catechism Class at Pastor Himm’s home

SUNDAY

9 am – Sunday School & Adult Bible Class

10 am – WORSHIP

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