St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
Kieth Bernard Kuschel, pastor
Pastor’s cell phone 262-765-2328
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
December 5, 2021 – Advent 2: Prepare
Prayer Before Worship - Lord, I am so busy preparing at this time of the year that I don’t have time to prepare. Help me be prepared to meet You in my life all the time.
Hymn 16
Service of Word and Sacrament , front of hymnal, page 26
Prayer: Hymn 27
Old Testament Lesson: Malachi 3:1-4
Malachi calls the promised Messiah “the messenger of the covenant” who is coming. No one will be able to survive in His holy presence unless he is prepared. The Lord promises to send a messenger to prepare the way before Him.
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
Psalm 24 replaced by hymn 701
Epistle: Philippians 1:3-11
God, who brought us to faith will keep us in the faith until the day when Christ Jesus comes again.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Verse: Alleluia! Prepare the way for the LORD, make straight paths for him. All mankind will see God’s salvation (Lk 3:4,6) Alleluia (Sing) Alleluia!……….front of hymnal, page 30
Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
John the Baptizer encourages us to prepare the way for the coming Lord. We are truly prepared when we confess our sins & look in faith to Him who comes with forgiveness & salvation.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”
Hymn 13
Sermon Text: Psalm 24
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.5 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—he is the King of glory.
Sermon Theme: Come on in, King of Glory
1 We need You “King of Glory, come in. We need You.”
2 We invite You “Come in. Come into our lives. Heart, open wide. That the King of glory may come in.”
“King of Glory, come in. We invite You.”
Nicene Creed, front of hymnal, page 31
Thankoffering
Prayer of the church, page 32
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Distribution of Lord’s Supper to the members of St Paul's & other WELS or ELS congregations who by their membership have indicated they are qualified to examine themselves (1 Cor 11:27-29) & to express oneness in faith (1 Cor 10:17). If you are a guest today & haven’t yet had the chance to express your agreement with us & would like to receive the Lord’s Supper together with us in the future, please speak with Pastor after worship or during the week. We would be delighted to help you come to appreciate a “close” relationship with your Lord, with us and with our congregation
Hymn 20
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Hymn 25