St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
February 26, 2023– Lent 1 - Jesus and Satan
Welcome to our visitors.
May the Lord bless you through His Word together with us today.
Prayer Before Worship - Lord, the inheritance I have received from Adam and Eve is terrible. Thank You for telling me that in Jesus Christ I have a wonderful inheritance waiting for me.
Hymn 396
Service of the Word, front of hymnal page 38
Prayer: Lord our strength,/ the battle of good & evil rages within & around us,/ & our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits & empty promises. Keep us steadfast in Your Word,/ & when we fall,/ raise us up again/ & restore us through Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now & forever. (Sing) Amen.
Old Testament Lesson: Genesis 2: 7-9, 15-17; 3:1-7
Adam & Eve could have glorified God by obeying His command. Instead they became our leaders into sin and death. We grieve over humanity’s loss of our innate ability to do God’s will.
7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were
pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Verse: It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus conquered the devil’s temptations as Adam had not. His victory is ours. With God’s Word we also can overcome the devil.
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Hymn 378.verses 1-3
Sermon Text: 2 Corinthians 11:14
Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.
Theme: Satan has 3 temptations for us too
1 He is not a problem
“Through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”(Rom 5:19)
“Jesus shared in our humanity so that by His death He might destoy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil (Hebr 2:14).
God will crush Satan under our feet.”(Rom 16:20)
“appeared to destroy the devil’s work”? (I John 3:8)
(1 Pet 5:8) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”
2 Miracles are all from Jesus
“False prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible.”(Matt 24:24).
(2 Thess 2:9) “the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.”
3 How to be right with God
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God Rom 3:23
"The devil has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."(2 Cor 4:4)
Prayer: LORD Jesus, thanks for reminding me that Satan is a problem,/ that not all miracles come from You,/ and that Satan lies about how I get to be right with You
Apostles' Creed, front of hymnal, page 41
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. However, we do ask that our guests sign our guest register.
Prayer of the church, front of hymnal, page 42
Special Prayers; Lord’s Prayer, page 43
Hymn 378:4-6
Continue page 43
Hymn 440 (Based on Psalm 91: Jesus quoted it in Gospel)