Leading us in worship and Bible study today is Joel Krieger. He is one of three pastors serving St Marcus Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI.
St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
June 11, 2023 Pentecost 2 - Righteousness from God
Prayer Before Worship - Lord, I want to be right with You. Please forgive me for my failures to achieve that on my own. Thank You for declaring me to be right with You because of Jesus. Thank You for leading me here today to have my relationship with You strengthened through Word & Sacrament. Without that happening on a regular basis I know I would drift away from You and lose my status of being right with You.
Hymn 382 (Gospel)
Morning Praise, front of hymnal page 45
Hymn 334 replaces the “Oh Come Let us Sing....pg 46
Old Testament Lesson: Deuteronomy 11:18 - 21, 26-28
God commands us to make His Word the guiding principle in our lives. It is the best inheritance we can give to our children because it is essential for spiritual well being. We can avoid God’s anger & enjoy God’s blessings by keeping His commands. Only in Jesus can we be viewed by God as people who keep His commands.
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. 26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
Psalm 78, front of hymnal, page 95
God’s Word tells His commands & His salvation.
Epistle: Romans 3:21-25, 27, 28
All break God’s Law & are condemned. God provides righteousness, takes away sin because of Jesus, &declares s just. We are free to live for Him & with Him. We are freed from the need to boast.
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
Hymn 753
Gospel: Mark 10:27-37
Humans could make themselves righteous before God if we could keep God's commandments. Problem: We can't. Solution: God can declare us to be righteous before Him by applying the righteousness which Jesus lived as our Substitute. With God this is possible.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Hymn 416
Sermon: Gospel
Hymn 386 (replaces pgs 48-49)
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.
Continue pg 50: Lord, have mercy.....Lord's Prayer
Prayer of the day: O God,/ You rule over all things in wisdom & kindness. Take away everything that may be harmful/ & give us whatever is good; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever.
Special prayers
Prayer of Thanksgiving: 65 years of marriage
Pastor Phil and Sue Kuckhahn
Congregational song:
1 O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne,
that theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
whom thou in sacred vow dost join in one.
2 O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance
of tender charity and steadfast faith,
of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance,
with childlike trust that fears no pain or death.
3 Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife;
grant them the vision of the glorious morrow
that will reveal eternal love and life.
Continue Prayer for grace, page 50 bottom and page 51
Hymn 319
All our guests are welcome to worship Jesus the Savior with us again Kindly sign our guest register. Graciously receive the greetings & introductions of our church family.