Leading us in worship Bible study today is Brian Schmidt. He is one of two pastors serving Trinity, Caledonia WI.
St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
July 9, 2023 - Pentecost 6 – Loss and Strife
Prayer before worship: Lord, thank you for letting us lean on You for salvation and everything else.
Hymn 233
Morning Praise, front of hymnal page 45
Old Testament Lesson: Exodus 32:15-29
Moses insisted that the true God and His truth cannot be compromised. This caused conflict and ultimately loss of life. 15 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.” 18 Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. 21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” 22 “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” 25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. 27 Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
Psalm 89, front of hymnal, page 98
The Lord is faithful in His love.
Epistle: 1 John 2:15-17
While we live on this earth, there is an ongoing internal strife. Do we focus on what we do and have or on the LORD?
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Verse: “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34b)
Gospel: Matthew 10:34-42
This doesn’t sound good. Following Jesus brings hostility. We know, however, that our eternity is secure because of Jesus
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Hymn 453
Sermon Text - Old Testament Lesson Ex 32:15-29.
Theme : "You have been set apart to the Lord today"
Hymn 422 (replacs Te Deum)
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.
Continue page 50, front of hymnal
Lord’s Prayer
Prayer: O God, / You have prepared joys beyond understanding for those who love You. Pour into our hearts such love for You/ that, loving You above all things,/ we may obtain Your promises,/ which exceed all that we can desire; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, ,/ one God, now & forever.
Special Prayers
Continue page 50, front of hymnal
Hymn 331
All our guests are welcome to worship Jesus the Savior with us again Graciously receive the greetings & introductions of our church family.