St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
March 12, 2023 - Lent 3 Darkness and Light
Welcome to our visitors.
May the Lord bless you through His Word together with us today.
Prayer Before Worship – Lord, You are the Light of the world. Thank You for leading me to see that You are my Savior. So many things around me try to drag me back into spiritual darkness. Keep me coming back to the light of Your Word so that I don’t get enveloped by the darkness.
Hymn 221 (reference in vs 2 & 3 darkness and light)
Morning Praise, front of hymnal, page 32
Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 42: 14-21
God admonishes Israel for her self-worked spiritual blindness. But the promise is - the Lord will lead the blind & turn the darkness into light.
14 “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. 16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. 17 But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame. 18 “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the LORD? 20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.” 21 It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.
Psalm 143, front of hymnal, page 118
Recognizing our own sins we pray for the gracious mercy of the Lord.
Epistle: Ephesians 5:8-14
God’s grace changes people from spiritually darkened to spiritually enlightened. So, Paul urges: Live as children of light.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Verse: Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Gospel: John 9: 1-7, 13-17, 34-39
Jesus healed a blind man. He corrected His disciples. The Pharisees blindly rejected the miracle & Jesus. The ex-blind man gets to see Jesus is His Savior. The rejecters stay in spiritual blindness.
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Hymn 343 (Light)
Sermon Text: Psalm 143, front of hymnal, page 118
1 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in Your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 O LORD, do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 4 My spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; do not hide Your face from me. 8 Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. 10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Theme: Are we in the dark about?
1. Being righteous
Prayer: LORD thanks for getting me out of the dark when it comes to being righteous
2. Taking care of ourselves
Prayer: LORD, thanks for getting me out of the dark when it comes to taking care of myself.
3. What’s good for us
Prayer: LORD, thanks for getting me out of the dark when it comes to knowing what is good for me.
Hymn 379 (blind and see)
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.
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Prayer: Almighty God,/ look with favor on Your humble servants/ & stretch out the right hand of Your power to defend us against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now and forever.
Continue page 50 bottom Hymn 367 (darkness and light)