St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901

website: stpaulsmanistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

Telephone: 810-252-5821

November 12, 2023

November 19, 2023 Saints Triumphant Lord, keep us watchful and hopeful for our eternal triumphant.

May the LORD, who gives eternal life, bless your worship.

WELCOME

HYMN 7 – please stand for last stanza

SERVICE OF THE WORD - page 38

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Almighty God and Savior, you have set the final day and hour when we shall be delivered from this world of sin and death. Keep us ever watchful for the coming of your Son that we may sit with him and all your holy ones at the marriage feast in heaven; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

(Sing) Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 52:1-6

“Awake!” the prophet cries and hear God’s promise of coming triumph that will give you strength to face your present problems.

521 Awake, awake, Zion,

clothe yourself with strength!

Put on your garments of splendor,

Jerusalem, the holy city.

The uncircumcised and defiled

will not enter you again.

2Shake off your dust;

rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.

Free yourself from the chains on your neck,

Daughter Zion, now a captive.

3For this is what the LORD says:

“You were sold for nothing,

and without money you will be redeemed.”

4For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

“At first my people went down to Egypt to live;

lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

5“And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,

and those who rule them mock,[a]”

declares the LORD.

“And all day long

my name is constantly blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people will know my name;

therefore in that day they will know

that it is I who foretold it.

Yes, it is I.”

PSALM 84, page 96

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

SECOND LESSON: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Encourage each other with the hope of saints triumphant so that there is neither ignorance nor hopeless grief, but rather faithful, expectant watching for the triumph we know is coming.

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for-ever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. Alleluia.

(Sing) Alleluia.....page 40

GOSPEL: Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins calls for the waiting Church to be the watchful Church. Keep watch for you do not know the day or the hour!

251“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The

foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

HYMN 206

SERMON: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Don’t Be Uninformed About Death & The Resurrection

APOSTLES’ CREED - page 41

PRAYERS & LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN 728

Liturgy continues on pages 43,44

HYMN 551 (1,2,4,6)

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS

THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR

The members of St Paul's have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.

Guests, please sign the Guest Book in the entryway.

➢ THANKSGIVING EVE WORSHIP

- 2 pm Wednesday, November 22

➢ CHURCH TREE TRIM

– after church next Sunday

➢ ANNUAL CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

– Noon-2 pm Saturday, December 2

SERVING YOU TODAY:

• Pastor Dennis J. Himm

• Organist Kay Himm

All Scripture readings are from the NIV 2011. Used by permission.