St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 231-299-1022
May 7, 2023 Easter 5 - Built on a Rock
Prayer Before Worship: Lord, thank You for being the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Living Stone for me.
Hymn 585
Word and Sacrament, front of hymnal page 26
Prayer: O God,/ You form the minds of Your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what You command/ & desire what You promise,/ that among the many changes of this world,/ our hearts may ever yearn for the lasting joys of heaven; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,/ who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit,/ one God, now & forever. (sing)Amen.
Lesson: Acts 17:1-12
In Thessalonica some received the Word with joy, others with anger. The Bereans compared Paul’s message with the Word. In doing so they found Christ to be the Rock on which to build their faith.
When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. 5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
Hymn 247:5
Gospel: John 14:1-12
Knowing and trusting Jesus, we have every spiritual blessing and have seen the Father.
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Hymn 379
Sermon Text: Epistle: 1 Peter 2:4-10
Christ, the Living Stone,” builds up His people like living stones into a spiritual house. In mercy He makes us into a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,” that we may declare His praises now & forever.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Theme: We are priests
1 We are a spiritual house built on a rock
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me so much,/ even though I don’t deserve it,/ that I haven’t stumbled and fallen over You,/ but You have made me a stone in Your spiritual house,/ built on a Rock.
2 We offer spiritual sacrifices
Nicene Creed, page 31
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 32
Special Prayers; Lord’s Prayer, page 32; Continue 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 432 during distribution
Continue page 36 Hymn 333