November 15, 2026

THE SERVICE

THE BEGINNING OF THE END – IT’S TIME TO PUT YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER

When you know that your death is approaching, you try to put your affairs in order for the sake of others. When you know that the second coming of Christ is approaching, what is the appropriate response? We are not to be sedentary. Jesus has not yet returned because there is still work to be done. And Jesus carries out his good work through us. So until he comes again and says, “Stop!” we will be busy with faithful service. It’s the beginning of the end, and we use our gifts and talents in an orderly way for God’s glory.

OPENING HYMN 631 Speak, O Savior, I Am Listening

1       Speak, O Savior, I am list’ning,
    as a servant to his lord.
Let me show respect and honor
    to your holy, precious Word,
that each day, my whole life through,
I may serve and follow you.
    Let your Word e’er be my pleasure
    and my heart’s most precious treasure.

2      Oh, what blessing to be near you
    and to listen to your voice;
let me ever love and fear you,
    let your Word still be my choice!
Many hardened sinners, Lord,
flee in terror at your Word;
    but to all who feel sin’s burden
    you give peace and words of pardon.

3      Lord, your words are waters living
    where I quench my thirsty needs.
Lord, your words are bread life-giving;
    on your words my spirit feeds.
Lord, your words will be my light
thro’ death’s cold and dreary night;
    yes, they are my sword prevailing
    and my cup of joy unfailing.

4      As I pray, dear Jesus, hear me;
    let your words in me take root.
May your Spirit e’er be near me
    that I bear abundant fruit.
May I daily sing your praise,
from my heart glad anthems raise,
    till my highest praise is given
    in the endless joy of heaven.

Text: Anna Sophia von Hessen-Darmstadt, 1638–1683; (sts. 1, 4): tr. Christian Worship, 1993; (sts. 2–3): tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Text: Public domain

Please Stand

INVOCATION 154 Setting One

In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.
Holy God, gracious Father,
    I am sinful by nature
        and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
    I have not loved you with my whole heart;
    I have not loved others as I should.
        I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
    But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
        with his innocent suffering and death.
    Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Silence for meditation and reflection

Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

HYMN 835 Precious Lord, Take My Hand

1 Precious Lord, take my hand,
lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.

2 When my way grows drear,
precious Lord, linger near,
when my life is almost gone,
hear my cry, hear my call,
hold my hand lest I fall.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.

3 When the darkness appears
and the night draws near
and the day is almost gone,
at the river I stand,
guide my feet, hold my hand.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.

Text: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899–1993
Text: © 1974 Harold Flammer, a division of Shawnee Press, admin. Hal Leonard LLC. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 717826

THE WORD

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Lord God Almighty, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit that we may always look forward to the end of this present evil age and the day of your righteous judgment. Keep us steadfast in true and living faith, and present us at last holy and blameless before you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Be seated

FIRST READING Isaiah 1:10–18

Although Old Testament Israel responded to God’s gifts with grudging service, God remained faithful to his promises.

10Hear the word of the Lord,
    you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!
11“The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
    in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,
    this trampling of my courts?
13Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
    Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
    I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.

Your hands are full of blood!

16Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
17Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

18“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 128

1Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
    who walk in obedience to him.
2You will eat the fruit of your labor;
    blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
4Yes, this will be the blessing
    for the man who fears the Lord.

5May the Lord bless you from Zion;
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
6May you live to see your children’s children—
    peace be on Israel.

SECOND READING Romans 12:1–8

With God’s mercy in view, we use God’s gifts faithfully in joyful response.

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

VERSE OF THE DAY Revelation 2:10

10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Please Stand

GOSPEL (in English and Karen) Matthew 25:14–30

Through a parable, Jesus calls his followers to faithful service.

14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ!

Be seated

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY CW485 We Give Thee but Thine Own

1 We give thee but thine own,
Whate'er the gift may be;
All that we have is thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from thee.

2 May we thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as thou blessest us,
To thee our firstfruits give.

3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.

4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless,
Is angels' work below.

5 The captives to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace--
It is a Christ-like thing.

6 And we believe thy Word
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate'er for thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto thee.

Text: William W. How, 1823-97
Text: Public domain

SERMON

Please Stand

CONFESSION OF FAITH Nicene Creed 325 & 381 AD

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Be seated

OFFERING PRESENTED BEFORE THE ALTAR

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Lord of all, everything in heaven and earth is yours, and we can give you nothing but what you have already. In view of your mercy, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices.