How long will eternity last? Seriously stop and think about that question.
When you think about it, it’s mind-boggling. The hymn Amazing Grace reads, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we’d first begun.” And that’s true! Eternity will go on and on and on and on and, well, you get the picture.
Of course, for those who are believers in Jesus, that’s an awesome thing! They will enjoy God’s love and praise him forever.
But for those who do not know Jesus as their Savior, it will be awful. They will be separated, forever, from God and his love.
So, can we understand the plea from the Macedonian man? What did the people in that area need? More than anything else, they needed to know about Jesus and his forgiving love. More than anything else, they needed to know that God loved them. More than anything else, they needed to know that heaven was open for them because Jesus had died and risen.
These are the things we need more than anything else as well. Thankfully, we have them because they are all promised by God in his Word.
Thank God today that you have heard about what Jesus has done for you and what he promises you–an eternity of joy with him in heaven.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for doing everything necessary for me to spend my eternity with you. Amen.
We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. Acts 14:15
Whenever a person moves from one home to another, questions abound. What will the next place be like? What will the new neighbors be like? Then there is the most pressing question: What do I take with me? How does one sift through years of memories and memorabilia? How does one determine what is worthless and disposable? It is not an easy question to answer. But it is an important question to answer when a person is moving.
It is even more important for every person to ask this question regarding their spiritual life. When the apostle Paul visited the ancient city of Lystra, he explained to the people there that the false gods they worshiped were worthless. “Turn from worthless things to the living God,” he told them.
Nearly two thousand years later, Paul’s message still applies. If he would look at us, he would say the same thing: Turn from worthless things. Although difficult to accept and, even more difficult to undertake, it is exactly what we must do.
Because, like the people in Lystra, we often worship what is worthless. We spend far too much of our time and effort chasing things that are not worthy, things that will not last. Nothing this world offers can match the lasting value of knowing Jesus and what he has done for us. His precious life was lived to offer us perfect obedience. His priceless death was given to release us from judgment. His incomparable resurrection now provides eternal blessing in heaven.
Recognizing what Jesus gives us makes us realize it is time to clean house, to turn from worthless things to the priceless blessings of the living God and our precious Savior.
Prayer:
O gracious Lord and Savior, how can I thank you for your gifts of priceless worth! Turn my heart to that which has lasting value, and strengthen me to turn away from things that have no worth. Amen.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” John 8: 12
WELCOME! WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE! We pray that you find comfort, peace and motivation through God’s Word today.
At St. John’s, the restrooms are located in the link way, out the church entry way, to the left and down the stairs. At Emmanuel, they are located in the lower level, out the church entry way and to the right. You may also find a nursery changing station in the lower level of St. John’s.
In our worship bulletin, you will find an outline of today’s order of worship. The entire service can be found in the hymnal or up on the screen.
When Jesus’ followers gathered together, they comprised a group that was not very diverse. They all belonged to the same ethnic group, grew up in the same culture, and spoke the same langauge. That would change drastically on Pentecost, when the gospel would be proclaimed in many languages to people from “every nation under heaven” (Acts 1:5). This diversity has always been part of Christ’s plan. Rather than eliminating differences among the Church’s members, the Church’s unity is built on truths that transcends those differences. The Church truly is a communion of saints. Differences in our world often lead to division. Therefore, when the world sees the unity in diversity that characterizes Christ’s Church, it will recognize something unique and special about Christians.
ORDER OF SERVICE Holy Baptism (St. John’s Sunday) – pg. 151-153, The Service Setting 2 – pg. 176
HYMNS 684, 446, 884
PSALM 133B (see insert, sing twice)
SERMON Acts 16:6-10 “How Do We Answer a Macedonian Call?”
LESSONS
ACTS 16:6-10
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
REVELATION 22:12-17,20
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
JOHN 17:20-26
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[a] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
– For the sick and others facing trials…Caryl Bassett, Gale “Blackie” Boyd, Ed Buchholz, Darlene Burrough (Judy Fandrey’s niece), Gene & Sharon Crook, Florence Dahlke, Vicki Davis (Marilyn Riemer’s sister), Reinold Eckelberg, Ken Elmer (Sally’s husband), Earl Ewert, Judy Freitag, Donna Gatzke, Kelleen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Joe Heller, Jerry & Darlene Hunter (Bonnie Chapman’s parents), Geri Kerl (Sue Brown’s mother), Bob & Sandy Klapper, Robert Lederer (Jackie & Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Thomas Marcelain (Dawn’s son), Brian Ninneman, Barbara Petrick, Karen Radke, Wayne Riemer, Sierra Schmidt (Linda Lou Wacholtz’s grand-daughter), Wanda Sellnow (Principal Larry Sellnow’s mother), Pat Sommerfeld, Tom Stempniak (Carol’s husband), Dixie Wagner, Stacy Weisensel (added this week: __)
– For Maverick Mark Finger, the infant son of Dan & Amanda Finger, baptized at St. John’s on 5/29
– For Memorial Day (5/30)
– For graduates and MLC/WLC pastor, teacher, vicar call assignments
– For comfort and healing following this week’s school shooting in Texas
Welcome to our visitors! Find & Like us on Facebook Visit our website: www.stjohnsmontello.org Pastor Pete Zietlow: 608-408-7830, Email: zietlowPL6@hotmail.com Principal & 6-8 Grade Teacher: Larry Sellnow: 616-822-6689, Email: principal@stjohnsmontello.org 3-5 Grade Teacher: Katlynn Tindall: 262-352-7021 K-2 Grade Teacher: Shelley Myers: 920-285-7554 Little Lambs Director: Lynn Sellnow: 616-826-0816 Church/School Secretary/Office: Ciara Neuhauser: 608-297-2866 Church/School Address: 313 E Montello St. Montello, WI 53949 Church/School Email: scsecretary@inmarketsuccess_plx6m6
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St. John’s: Saturday 4:30pm, Sunday 10:00am
Emmanuel: Sunday 8:00am
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHURCH NEWS
HELLO FROM ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PRINCETON Mother-Son Event “Boys Just Wanna Have Fun”
On Saturday, June 4th, the doors of St. John’s gym on Clinton St in Princeton, across from Wachholz Funeral Home, will be open at 2:45pm for all boys that will be entering 3K-6th grade for the 2022-2023 school year to come and enjoy an afternoon of fun games, snacks, and events The event will go from 3-5 pm. Boys may be escorted by Moms, Grandpa, Aunts or any other person that fits that roll. Enjoy a variety of HotWheels tracks to compete against your mother or your friends. There will also be Lego building stations. In the second hour we will move outside and have a tug of war, egg toss, three-legged race, and end with a water balloon fight. Each mother and son will receive a HotWheels car. We ask that you register ahead of time. You can pre-register off the link on our church website www.sjlprinceton.com. It would help us in planning how many would be attending. However, people who simple show up on the 4th will not be turned away. St John’s is happy to offer this event free of charge eventin order to give moms and sons a chance to spend quality time together and make a lasting memory. Feel free to invite other friends and family with sons to the event.
SCHOOL NEWS
THANK YOU On behalf of St. John’s School, we would just like to thank each and every individual who made this school year so great. To name a few…thank you to our current School Board members for your numerous hours, efforts and leadership representing our school, to our Lunch Ladies, Melissa Zauner and Megan Jaster and any other individuals who helped serve/prepare this year and for keeping our tummies full, to Joey Zauner for continuing to be a wonderful Scrip coordinator (don’t know what Scrip is? Call Joey 608-369-3822), to our school and church custodian, Jackie Buchholz, who keeps us all squeaky clean, to Ashley Henke and Cheri/Ken Borzick for the donated mulch that makes our church and school look so beautiful, to Patty Emond who continues to coordinate a wonderful Kwik Trip and Subway lunch option for students, for all of our volunteer tutor ladies who came in weekly to work with students, to Linda Wachholz who continues to give her time as Sunday School director, to our amazing teachers who give their lives to teach and help raise our children, to our students for their presence and smiles, TO GOD FOR MAKING ALL THIS POSSIBLE…and the list goes on and on. What a wonderful school year and God’s blessings to you and your families this summer! See you in church.
SCHOOL PAINTING The week of June 6, we plan on painting the Montello school walls and we could use some volunteers. If you are interested, please let Larry Sellnow know 616-822-6689. Thank you in advance for your service!
[Paul and Barnabas] preached the gospel in [the city of Derbe] and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:21,22
Paul and Barnabas wanted to strengthen and encourage the faith of the young disciples they had previously met. So they told them that “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
At first glance, those words don’t seem to be that encouraging. They seem to be predicting that life will be harder for them than they would like. In fact, they seem to be promising that this will be the case—that there is no other way to live as a follower of Jesus. “We must go through many hardships,” they said. Certainly, the thought of hardships is not at all encouraging.
But thinking of the kingdom of God is.
The kingdom of God is perfect beyond what we can imagine. It is perfect harmony with God and with one another. It is an existence entirely without sin and its ability to corrupt every part of our lives—one without any guilt, sadness, or pain.
And it is already yours by all that Jesus already accomplished on your behalf as your Savior.
No hardship on earth can take it away from you. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,” Paul would write in the book of Romans, “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).
Expect hardship on earth. Also, expect one day to be entirely free from it in the kingdom of God.
Prayer:
Gracious Savior, may your victory on my behalf over sin, death, and Satan always be my heart’s greatest treasure. Amen.
“You will grieve,” Jesus promised, “but your grief will turn to joy.”
Notice what he didn’t say. He didn’t say, “Your grief will be replaced by joy,” or “Your grief will be destroyed by joy,” or “Your grief will be swallowed up by joy.” He said, “Your grief will turn to joy.” In other words, the same thing that causes your grief will produce your joy. That might sound a bit strange. But this is what Easter is.
Easter turns a sad, seemingly hopeless situation into joy. It turns the ugly cross from which the disciples ran away into the focal point of the beautiful gospel they went into the world to proclaim. It turns the grave we spend so much effort to avoid into the red carpet leading us into the perfection of heaven. It turns Satan’s greatest win into ours. It turns the sad tears we cry when someone we love dies into tears of joy over their new and eternal paradise. It even turns those who are undeniably weak in so many ways into a source of seemingly impossible strength.
Nothing is impossible for our God. Nothing gets the best of him. Not one of his enemies will ever be able to boast that they were more powerful than him. Indeed, as the Bible says, “all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).
Even those things that cause our grief.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep me firmly rooted in my eternal victory won by you so that I live with an ongoing expectation of the joy you have promised. Amen.
Consider how many people in the Bible lost their joy between the Thursday when Jesus spoke these words and the following Sunday morning, the day of Jesus’ resurrection.
Think of Peter after the rooster crowed, running outside, and weeping bitterly over his sin. Think of Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, soaking Jesus’ tomb with her tears, blinded by so much sorrow that she didn’t even recognize Jesus when he was standing right next to her in the garden. Think of the other disciples, too scared or ashamed to stay with Jesus; too afraid of Jesus’ enemies to do anything but lock themselves away in a room and hope that no one would find them.
As you read through these moments of personal grief and pain, do you ever wonder why the Bible includes all of them? Do you ever wonder why God wanted us to know about these different people in their lowest moments?
There is one likely explanation.
God includes all these stories of personal pain because he wants you to be able to find yourself in his Word. He knew there would be times when you would feel like Peter, very guilty about something. Or like Mary when your heart is breaking because you lost someone you loved. He knew there would be times you would be paralyzed by fear or overwhelmed by guilt. God knew.
And he wanted you to know that, despite those powerful and painful feelings, “no one will take away your joy.” The joy of Jesus’ disciples did not at all depend on how well they reacted to Jesus’ suffering and death. It depended entirely on the fact that Jesus earned complete forgiveness for them by his death and on the certainty of his resurrection—just as it does for you.
No one will take away your joy: for Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, guide my emotions by the certainty of your completed work as my Savior. Amen.
Jesus wanted his disciples to know that he would soon be gone from their sight, and he knew this wouldn’t be easy for them. Jesus knew that most of them wouldn’t see him after they abandoned him in the garden. He knew that most of them would be too scared or sad to even show up at his crucifixion. He knew their hearts would be crushed with grief and guilt when they would see his dead body taken down from the cross and buried.
But he also knew that just three days after this conversation, he was going to be standing in front of them, fully alive after he had died as their Savior, and fully victorious over sin, death, and Satan. He knew exactly how long their “little while” would be—just as he knows yours.
He knows how long you’ll be sick. He knows how long you’ll suffer. He knows how long you’ll grieve. He knows how long your heart will ache. He knows how long before you finally get to heaven to see your loved ones again. He knows that it will be just “a little while.”
It’s hard to suffer, grieve, and carry guilt for even “a little while.” But, as it happened for Jesus’ first disciples, all our “little whiles” have an expiration date. After “a little while,” our eyes will also see the Jesus, whose innocent death and resurrection prepared our place in God’s family. And then, as Scripture says, “we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), and there will no longer be any “little whiles.”
Prayer:
Gracious Savior, keep my faith firmly focused on your work as my Savior until the day you return to take me home. Amen.
[Jesus said] “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:20-22
Jesus statement that “a woman giving birth to a child has pain” needs no explanation for those who have given birth to a child. Childbirth is painful. His statement that “when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish” also needs no explanation for any new mother who has cradled her newborn in her arms for the very first time. It’s not that the labor pain didn’t happen. It’s not that the new mother’s body has healed in any way by the time the new child is delivered. Rather, the joy of holding her new child is so great it overwhelms all the immense pain.
Jesus promised the same type of experience for his disciples. “You will grieve,” he said, as he alluded to the grief that would consume them as they would soon witness Jesus’ arrest, suffering, crucifixion, and death. They would grieve in other ways as well, just as we do, living with sinful hearts in a sinful world that regularly rebels against God’s Word.
But though the circumstances of our lives in this world cause real grief, the victory of Jesus on our behalf is great enough to overwhelm it. One day, that will happen in eternity as God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes” (Revelation 21:4). And, just as the woman in labor finds strength to endure her labor pains in the knowledge that her joy is coming, so also Christians find daily strength to endure our grief knowing our victory is coming; for Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins is completed and his victory over death is already won.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your death and resurrection, give me daily strength to endure the hard circumstances of earthly life in anticipation of my final victory that is already won. Amen.
Perhaps the most famous church building in all of England is St Paul’s Cathedral in London. It’s famous for many reasons. For one, it has dominated the London skyline since before the birth of the United States. For another, it’s been the site for numerous historic events, from royal weddings to state funerals.
Its greatest fame, however, may have come from World War II. If you go online and search the words “photo—St Paul’s—WWII,” you’ll see why. You’ll see a picture of London just after a severe German bombing raid. Every building in the picture is a smoking ruin of rubble—every building except St Paul’s. That picture rallied the spirits of the British people throughout the rest of the war.
In our society of the twenty-first century, it often feels as if we Christians are simply enduring one long bombing raid. Everything we believe seems to be under attack. Everything we hold dear seems to be a target.
But take a closer look at the picture. Yes, Christianity is under attack, as it has always been. And yes, the forces of Satan and sin have turned much of our society into a smoking ruin of rubble. But above the dust and debris of a fallen world, there still stands the enduring temple of our God. It endures because that temple is the Lamb of God himself.
In that temple you will find shelter and forgiveness. In that temple you will find refreshment and life and light. For that enduring temple is your Savior, who died and rose and lives for you.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, in the smoking rubble of this fallen world, you remain. You endure. Your promises never fail. Move me by your Spirit to find my refuge in you. Amen.
The thing about love is that it almost always has limits.
You might love someone or something, but there is probably a limit to that love. You may love a certain food, but you will only pay so much for it. Perhaps you love a certain sports team, but after so many losing seasons, you may just give up. Even in a marriage, a lifelong love, we say our vows with, “Till death do us part.”
Even though almost every love we know has its bounds, we still crave truly limitless and unconditional love—a love without any end.
God filled our desire for limitless love by sending Jesus to win eternal life for us. God didn’t set a limit or an end to his love. With his limitless love, Jesus came to live and die for us to take away our sins and to win for us a place before God forever. This love will never end.
When God commands us to love one another as he has loved us, he gives us no small task. He says to love with the love that he has shown to us.
How can we do that? We can do the kinds of things that will make sure even death will not limit our love. If you want to love your spouse, pray for and encourage their faith. If you want to love your child, make sure that they grow up in a place where their faith can be nurtured. If you want to love your neighbor, do the kinds of things that allow you to share with them the hope you have in Jesus. Helping those you love to be in the Word of Christ and to follow his commands is one of the greatest expressions of love because it is the only thing that is truly limitless.
God loves you in an ultimate way by winning eternity for you. Go and love people by sharing that message with them.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus. Help us to love with the limitless love you have shown to us. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
