St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
March 19, 2023
Lent 4 Repentance, Renewal, Service
Welcome to our visitors.
May the Lord bless you through His Word together with us today.
Prayer Before Worship - Lord, I love to have people wait on me. It makes me feel good and important. Thanks for waiting on me. I sometimes have trouble serving others. Please empower me to do so.
Hymn 376
Common Service front of hymnal page 15
Prayer: Almighty God,/ we confess that we deserve to be punished for our evil deeds. But we ask You graciously to cleanse us from all sin/ & to comfort us with Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now and forever. (Sing) Amen.
Old Testament Lesson: Hosea 5:15 - 6:3
The Lord receives in mercy those who turn to Him in repentance & faith.
(5:15) Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." (6:1) "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. {2} After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. {3} Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."
Psalm 42-43, front of hymnal, page 82
The grace of God gives hope to the troubled soul.
Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28
Jesus tells of His upcoming suffering. James' & John’s mother requests the #1 spot for her sons. Jesus says greatness comes from service. The Son of Man shows greatness by giving His life as a Ransom.
(17) Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, {18} "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death {19} and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" {20} Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. {21} "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." {22} "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. {23} Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." {24} When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. {25} Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. {26} Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, {27} and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- {28} just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Apostles’ Creed, front of hymnal, page 19
Hymn 747
Sermon Text: Epistle: Romans 8:1-10
No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Christ has accomplished salvation by meeting the righteous demands of the Law for us. We now have a new spirit who is led by the Spirit. We thus live lives of grateful devotion.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
Sermon Theme: IF CHRIST IS IN YOU
I. Are You Condemned?
Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving me life.
Response: No Way.
II. Are You Hostile?
Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving me life.
Response: No Way.
III. Who is in Control?
Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving me life.
Sing: Create in me.....pg 20
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 our guests sign our guest register.
Prayer of the church, front of hymnal, page 125
Special Prayers
Lord’s Prayer, page 20
Hymn 525
Continue page 25, front of hymnal
Hymn 401
All our guests are welcome to worship Jesus the Savior with us again Kindly sign our friendship register. Graciously receive the greetings & introductions of our church family.