St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
July 16, 2023 - Pentecost 7 - Rest
Leading our service today is Pastor Dennis Himm
Prayer Before Worship - Lord, sometimes it feels really good to just lie down and take a nap. Thank You for giving me the wonderful good feeling of being able to just lie down in Your arms to take a spiritual nap. Resting on Your Words & Promises makes everything else in life a little easier.
Hymn 336(Gospel)
Common Service, front of hymnal, page 15
Prayer: God of all power & might,/ You are the giver of all that is good. Help us love You with all our heart. Strengthen us in true faith. Provide us with all we need. Keep us safe in your care/ through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now & forever. (Sing) Amen. Old Testament
Lesson: Joshua 23:1-11
God gave His people rest. They were to maintain it by trusting, obeying, serving and holding fast to the LORD.
1 After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then old and well advanced in years, 2 summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am old and well advanced in years. 3 You
yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you. 4 Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Great Sea[a] in the west. 5 The LORD your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you. 6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now. 9 “The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the LORD your God.
Psalm 145, front of hymnal, pg 119
The LORD's mercy toward us is the basis for our rest.
Epistle: Hebrews 4:1-11
The ultimate rest is waiting for us with the LORD in eternity.
1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.] 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.”] 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
Verse: Happy are they who hear the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience. Alleluia. (Sing) Alleluia! x3 page 18
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
The wise & learned have no insight into the kingdom of Jesus. Jesus calls to Himself those who are weary & burdened by their sin. Jesus is the rest which their souls need.
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Hymn 256 (vs three talks about “burden” - reflects Gospel)
Sermon: Matthew 11:25-30 (Retired Pastor Himm)
The Father Has Given All Power to the Son
1. A truth hidden to many
2. A truth enjoyed by us
(Sing) Create in me…. page 20, front of hymnal
Thankoffering & Guest Register
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 guests sign the guest register
Prayer of the church, front of hymnal, page 127
Special prayers
Lord’s Prayer, front of hymnal, page 20
Hymn 372
Continue, page 25
Hymn 329
All our guests are welcome to worship Jesus the Savior with us again. Graciously receive the greetings & introductions of our church family.