St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
March 5, 2023–Lent 2–Faith credited as Righteousness
Welcome to our visitors.
May the Lord bless you through His Word together with us today. .
Prayer Before Worship – Lord, thank you for giving me greater blessings than You gave Abraham. I have full knowledge of what You did to be my Savior. He only could look ahead and hope.
Hymn 338 (“living water” = Gospel lesson)
Word and Sacrament, front of hymnal, page 26
Prayer: Almighty God, / You see that we have no power to defend
ourselves. Guard & keep us both outwardly & inwardly/ from all adversities that may happen to the body/ & from all evil thoughts that may assault & hurt the soul; through Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now & forever. (sing) Amen
Epistle: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
People are justified by faith not by works. By faith we are Abram’s children. We are heirs of God’s promises to Abram fulfilled in Jesus.
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed— the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
Psalm 121, front of hymnal, page 112
We sing to our gracious God from whom we receive all things.
Gospel: John 4:5-26
Jesus the Messiah gives Himself to people - Living Water which gives eternal life.
5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Hymn 337 (:waters of life = Gospel)
Sermon Text: Old Testament Lesson: Genesis 12:1-8
God’s love sought Abram. Abram’s faith led him to leave home & to believe God’s promise. His faith led him to worship his Lord everywhere.
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Theme: Children of Abraham live by faith
We leave when God tells us to
“Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”(Rom 16:17)
“Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Cor 15:33.
“Flee evil desires of youth.” 2 Tim 2:22
Prayer: LORD Jesus, help us to live by faith. Please lead us to leave as Abram did.
2. We believe God’s promises and receive His blessings
“Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.”
(Gen 22:18)
Prayer: LORD Jesus, help us to live by faith. Please lead us to continue to believe your promises.
3. We worship only the LORD
Prayer: LORD Jesus, help us to live by faith. Please lead us to continue to only worship You.
Nicene Creed, front of hymnal, page 31
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.
Prayer of the church, pg 32, Special Prayers, Lord’s Prayer, then pg 33
Distribution of Lord’s Supper to the members of St Paul's & other WELS or ELS congregations who by their membership have indicated they are qualified to examine themselves (1 Cor 11:27-29) & to express oneness in faith ( 1 Cor 10:17). If you are a guest today & haven’t yet had the chance to express your agreement with us & would like to receive the Lord’s Supper together with us in the future, please speak with the usher. We would be delighted to help you come to appreciate a “close” relationship with your Lord, with us and with our congregation.
Hymn 391 during distribution
Continue page 36, front of hymnal
Hymn 395:3 (thirst for grace = Gospel lesson)