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Pentecost 11 - August 21, 2022

Sunday Theme: Things above

Prayer Before Worship: Lord, thank You for blessing me so much here on earth. Don’t let all those blessings divert my attention from You.

Hymn 471

Common Service, front of hymnal, page 15

Prayer: O God,/ You reveal Your mighty power chiefly in showing mercy & kindness. Grant us the full measure of Your grace/ that we may obtain Your promises/& become partakers of Your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord , / who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now & forever. (Sing)Amen

Old Testament Lesson: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26

Chasing after things in order to give purpose to our lives will result in concluding that everything is meaningless. The key to being content is recognizing that all things come “from the Lord.”

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. 24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Verse: Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him: Alleluia!” (Sing) Alleluia!..... front of hymnal, page 18

Epistle: James 5:1-6

Acting as if life consists of things leads to all kinds of sins

5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Apostles’ Creed, front of hymnal, page 19

Hymn 355 (Gospel)

Sermon Text: Gospel: Luke 12: 13-21

Christ’s parable of the foolish rich man points out that our security for time & eternity rests only in Him.

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Sermon Theme: Of what does life consist?

1. Abundance of Possessions?

“Give us today our daily bread.”

“everything that we need for our bodily well being.”

2. Personal Gratification

Love your neighbor as yourself”(Matt 22:39).

“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”(ITim 5:8)

“If you owe taxes, pay taxes.” (Rom 13:7)

3. Being Rich toward God

(Sing) Create in me....pg20

Thankoffering

The members of St Paul's have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area & around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.

Prayer of the Church, front of the hymnal, page 127

Special Prayers

Lord’s Prayer, page 20

Hymn 417

Continue page 25, front of hymnal

Hymn 332

All our guests are welcome to worship Jesus the Savior with us again Graciously receive the greetings & introductions of our church family.