St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901

website: stpaulsmanistee.com

facebook.com/SPLCManistee

Telephone: 231-299-1022

October 1, 2023 Pentecost 18

Our God is inconceivably gracious.

May the LORD, the gracious God, bless your worship.

WELCOME

HYMN 339 – please stand for last stanza

SERVICE OF WORD & SACRAMENT - page 26

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Lord God, you call us to work in your kingdom and leave no one standing idle. Help us to order our lives by your wisdom and to serve you in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

(Sing) Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 55:6-9

God’s plan to forgive and save sinners by grace soars above all that we could conceive or imagine.

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

PSALM 27 - page 75

The LORD is my light and my salvation. I will not fear.

SECOND LESSON: Philippians 1:18-27

Paul’s confident words remind us that because of God’s inconceivable grace, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

Alleluia. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Alleluia.

(Sing) Alleluia.....page 30

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

This parable carries both warning and promise for us—a warning that all comparisons based on merit or work do not belong in God’s kingdom; a promise that our relationship with God is based solely on grace which he lavishes in abundance.

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the land-owner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

HYMN 338

SERMON: Isaiah 55:6-9 Something Worth Seeking

NICENE’ CREED - page 31

PRAYERS & LORD’S PRAYER

COMMUNION LITURGY - pages 33-35

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION

St. Paul’s practice the Biblical teaching of Close Communion. Members of St. Paul’s and other WELS congregations are invited to receive the Lord’s body and blood together with the bread and wine.

THANK THE LORD & PRAYER - pages 36

BLESSING pages 37

(sung) Amen. Amen. Amen.

HYMN 316

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 our Guest Book in the entryway.

CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING will take place after worship today. If you have anything you would like the Council to discuss please talk to Harold Rhodea, Russ Wrzesinski, or Jerry Wright.

SERVING YOU TODAY:

Pastor Dennis Himm
Organist Nancy Skory

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