Remain in the Vine!

Sermon would normally be found here, but may not be available this week.


Zion Lutheran Church of Springfield

(A member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

4717 S Farm Rd 135 (Golden Avenue)

Church phone: 417.887.0886                                    Pastor’s cell phone: 417.693.3244

www.zionluthchurch.com                                          email: revelehmann@gmail.com

The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost     August 22, 2021  

“The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up

on the Last Day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink.” John 6:54-55

F o r   O u r     V i s i t o r s

The family of Zion welcomes you as we worship the Lord today. We encourage children to worship with us. However, if you need to leave with your child, there is a nursery room to the right as you exit the sanctuary. The rest rooms are located in the hallway between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Visitors, please sign our guest book to the right, just outside the sanctuary. We’re glad that you are here and pray that through our worship the Lord grants you peace.

U p o n   E n t e r i n g   G o d’ s   H o u s e

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Blessed are they who take refuge in Him. He delivers them from all their troubles. No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned” (Psalm 34).

W h a t   T h i s   S u n d a y   i s     A b o u t

Be Wise. Fill Yourself with the Good Things of God. If we are smart enough to understand that eating right foods is important for our bodies, wouldn’t it be important to fill our souls with good things too? The body can function for a time on less than nutritious meals, but not the soul.   It needs the right food else it will die eternally.

God invites us to examine what we are eating spiritually. If we walk in the way of understanding, we will feed our souls only good things from God. His Gospel will give us life and nourish us for eternity. It will also strengthen us to walk in ways that please the Lord in the present.

To that end we pray: Almighty and merciful God, nourish us in Your grace. By Your gift of grace in Christ Jesus we come into Your presence and offer true and faithful service. Grant that our worship on earth may always be pleasing to You and in the life to come give us the fulfillment of what You have promised in Christ; Amen

– T h e   W o r d   o f   G o d   f o r   T o d a y –

The Old Testament Lesson: Proverbs 9:1-6  

The Book of Proverbs begins by telling us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” God invites us to leave behind our simple, worldly ways and to walk in His divine ways that lead to life. Solomon portrays God’s invitation as wisdom summoning us to a banquet.

The Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 5:15-21  

A person could fill himself with wine or other substances. But such intoxication is foolish. What will it bring? Headaches, illness, and emptiness. Paul urges us to be filled in spirit with praise to God.

The Gospel Lesson: John 6:51-58              

Those who are wise recognize and trust in Jesus as the Savior. He is “the bread” come down from heaven that gives life forever.   One has to feed on Him to have it.   In Jesus’ day some rejected such talk of “eating His flesh” because they would not receive Jesus as the Christ.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Organist: Jane Rips                     

The Preacher: Rev. Matthew Brooks, from the Jefferson City area

Point to Ponder: “Someone has said, ‘A Christian is one who doesn’t have to consult his bank account to see how rich he is.’ How true! Every beat of my heart and every breath I take, the water I drink and the food I eat, the home I live in and the loved ones I hold dear, the freedoms I take for granted and the country I often complain about – all this comes from God. God gives me even more and even better. The Bible I read and the prayers I offer, the church I attend and the pure word I hear, the never-ending supply of forgiveness for my sins and the always powerful help against temptation, the days He grants me to learn more about Jesus and the graves He will open because of Jesus – all this and more comes from God. Would you believe there’s still more?”                                           – Richard Lauersdorf on A Thanksgiving That’s Full

Outline of  Our Worship

 Lord, Hear Us

Opening Thoughts on the Service

Opening Hymn: #283

Today’s Order of Worship:     Morning Praise: Hymnal pg.45

Lord, Feed Us

Psalm of the Day: #34     Hymnal pg.80

Proverbs 9:1-6

Ephesians 5:15-21

Hymn Response: #475

John 6:51-58

Sermon Hymn: insert #735

Sermon Text: John 15:1-8     Remain in the Vine!

 Lord, Accept  Our Response

 “We Praise You, O God”     Te Deum Laudamus:     Hymnal pg.48

“Lord, Have Mercy”

Prayers, Lord’s Prayer, & Prayer for Grace     Hymnal pg. 50

Lord, Bless Us

The Benediction     Hymnal pg. 51

Closing Hymn: #327

Silent Prayer


The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Series B

Old Testament: Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom’s Banquet

1Wisdom has built her house.

She has carved out her seven pillars.

2She has prepared her meat.

She has mixed her wine.

She has already set her table.

3She has sent out her servant girls.

She calls from the highest point in the city,

4“Whoever is naïve, let him turn in here.”

To someone who lacks sense she says,

5“Come, eat my food,

and drink the wine that I have mixed.

6Abandon your naïve ways and live.

Travel the road to understanding.”

Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 5:15-20 Walking in Godly Wisdom

15Consider carefully, then, how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise people. 16Make the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17For this reason, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk on wine, which causes you to lose control. Instead, be filled with the Spirit 19by speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (singing and making music with your hearts to the Lord), 20by always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Lesson: John 6:51-59 – Eating of the Living Bread  

51“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52At that, the Jews argued among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53So Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the Last Day. 55For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. 56The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like your fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) copyright © 2019 The Wartburg Project.


        C a l e n d a r     &     A n n o u n c e m e n t s     f o r     Z i o n     L u t h e r a n     C h u r c h

 

Today

Aug. 22

Mon

Aug. 23

Tues.

Aug. 24

Wed.

Aug. 25

Thurs.

Aug. 26

Fri.

Aug. 27

Sat.

Aug. 28

Next Sun.

Aug. 29

9:00 am

Divine Worship Service

on line – Facebook

10:15 am

Fellowship & Brief Bible Study

Rev. Matthew Brooks is the Guest Preacher

Pentecost 13

  

 

 

No

Midweek Bible Class,

Confirmation, or Choir this week.

  9:00 am

Divine Worship Service

on line – Facebook

10:15 am

Fellowship & Brief Bible Study

Rev. James Witt will be the Guest Preacher

 Pentecost 14

A Brief Bible Study on God’s Word for Today

Living as a Christian in this world is not an easy thing to do. The devil will place many obstacles in our way, all of which are bound to sin and unbelief. But Jesus has won the victory over Satan and gives us a way out of every temptation (1 Co 10:13). Most of all, our Savior gives us His words of promise, forgiveness, and life, the Bread of Life. As we nourish our faith on this Bread of Life, we will be emboldened in our struggles against our spiritual enemies.

 The Gospel Lesson: John 6:51-58 (answers are found on the back side)

  1. True or false: Jesus is talking about Holy Communion in these verses.
  2. What’s the difference between the manna that was sent in Old Testament times and the Bread of Life?

Those We Remember In Our Prayers:   Dea Windsor; Clyde Johnson; Dave Ballou; Greg Miller; Lou Schulz; Norine Richardson; Barbara Long; Jodi Milam; William & Laurie Moon; Patsy Mickelson; Lance & Jodi Milam; Pauline Jaeger, Randy’s mother; Laurie Moon’s family.

Thank You to Rev. Matthew Brooks for conducting the service today. Rev. Brooks and family live in the Jefferson City area. He was a pastor at Peace Lutheran, outside Jefferson City and Grace Lutheran, Columbia, in the early 2000s, then served congregations in Minnesota and Iowa before returning to Missouri last year.   He would be pleased to meet you after worship.

 This Sunday and Next guest preachers are leading us in worship. Pastor and Elizabeth will be gone on a trip with friends. Should need arise, please contact one of our elders or council members or Pastor Tim Buelow in Carthage at 417.388.4374; Pastor Matthew Brooks at 507.304.0267; or Pastor James Witt at 314.799.1864.

You Are Invited to the wedding of Lindsey Bates and Samuel Anibal on Saturday, September 4, 6 pm at the “I Do Event and Wedding” center in Joplin, MO. You will find the invitation on the bulletin board in the hallway for the address.

Forward in Christ’s latest edition for August has arrived. You will find copies in the narthex. The next series of Meditations daily devotions, beginning the end of August, will also be found there.   Large print copies are available. There were no Daily Devotions written by pastor this past week.

The Week in Review

Last Sunday’s Worship Attendance: ; Bible Class: ; No Midweek Bible Class this past week; Offering: $

Next Sunday’s Lessons:                                             

Pentecost 14: Joshua 24:1-2,14-18; Ephesians 5:21-31; John 6:60-69   (CW 3 Year Series B)

Rev. James Witt from the St. Louis area will be the guest preacher.

 Answers to Today’s Gospel Lesson Brief Study:

  1. Not specifically, for Holy Communion had not yet been instituted or commanded when Jesus spoke these words in John 6. When Jesus spoke to these unbelieving people about eating and drinking of Him, he is warning them of the necessity of putting their faith in Him, a spiritual eating. But it is also true that in the Lord’s Supper, as Christians eat the bread and drink the wine, recognizing that His body and blood are truly present, they receive the blessings of faith in Him as the Savior. To people who wanted to misunderstand His words, such talk became repulsive. Isaiah prophesied that the Savior would “have no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him” (53:2). Refusing to accept His teaching, they refused to believe that he was the Messiah.
  2. The sending of manna came to an end; Jesus, the Bread of Life, endures forever and gives eternal life.

 This week I am praying for……