October 5, 2025

SERVICE OF THE WORD

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—INCREASED FAITH INCREASES DUTY

As someone rises through the ranks at work, there are typically benefits: higher salary, more authority, better benefits. However, there is often a corresponding increase in responsibility: longer hours, more meetings, raised expectations. So, if someone is offered a promotion, they might ask, “Is this worth it?” It is similar in God’s kingdom. As our faith grows, there are obvious benefits: the comfort of knowing you are a redeemed and loved child of God, the peace of knowing your eternity is secure. However, increased faith also increases duty. There are ever more opportunities for service. This week, Jesus has sharp words for those who want the benefits of being Christian but would shirk those responsibilities. However, to lead us to take up those responsibilities, our Savior doesn’t threaten or cajole. He helps us see that while increased faith increases duty, increased duty increases delight. The believer knows he serves the One who came to serve us first. Just as Christ’s service brought him great joy, so does our service to others.

OPENING HYMN 918 Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now

1 Lord Jesus Christ, be present now;
our hearts in true devotion bow.
Your Spirit send with grace divine,
and let your truth within us shine.

2 Unseal our lips to sing your praise;
our souls to you in worship raise.
Make strong our faith; increase our light
that we may know your name aright

3 Until we join the hosts that cry,
“O holy, holy Lord Most High!”
And in the light of that blest place
we then shall see you face to face.

4 All glory to the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To you, O blessèd Trinity,
be praise throughout eternity!

Text: Lutherisch Hand-Büchlein, Altenburg, 1648; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–1878, alt.
Text: Public domain

Please Stand

INVOCATION

The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

And also with you.

CONFESSION OF SINS

We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

Amen.

THE WORD

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Almighty God, in your bountiful goodness, keep us safe from every evil of body and soul. Make us ready, with cheerful hearts, to do whatever pleases 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 1 Chronicles 29:1-2,10–18

In faith, the people of Israel understood that all their wealth came from the LORD. So, they joyfully embraced the privilege of donating generously to the construction of the LORD’s temple.

1Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. 2With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.

10David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
11Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.

14“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

PSALM OF THE DAY 818 Psalm 62C My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone

1 My soul finds rest in God alone,
    my rock and my salvation;
a fortress strong against my foes,
    and I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse,
    and lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness,
    I’ll look to him who hears me. (Refrain)

Ref O praise him, hallelujah,
my delight and my reward;
everlasting, never failing,
my Redeemer, my God.

2 Find rest, my soul, in God alone
    amid the world’s temptations;
when evil seeks to take a hold
    I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
    don’t set your heart upon them;
the fields of hope in which I sow
    are harvested in heaven. (Refrain)

3 I’ll set my gaze on God alone
    and trust in him completely;
with ev’ry day pour out my soul
    and he will prove his mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
    a sigh too brief to measure,
my King has crushed the curse of death
    and I am his forever. (Refrain)

Text: Aaron Keyes; Stuart Townend
Text: © 2008 Thankyou Music (PRS), admin. CapitolCMGPublishing,com. Used by permission: Onelicense no. 717826

SECOND READING 2 Thessalonians 1:1–5,11-12

St. Paul thanks God for increasing the faith of the Thessalonians, enabling them to better love one another and to persevere even during persecution.

1Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

5All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please Stand

GOSPEL (in English and Karen) Luke 17:1–10

With the apostles, we pray, “Lord, increase our faith,” then joyfully embrace the opportunities to serve that come along with that blessing.

1Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

6He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

7“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ.

Be Seated

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY 748 Brothers, Sisters, Let Us Gladly

1 Brothers, sisters, let us gladly
    give to God our all, our best:
service hearty, thorough, honest,
    with a living love impressed.
All our duty, all our striving,
    all our time to him belong;
praise him, then, with true devotion,
    come before him with a song.

2       By his mercy, by his bounty,
    by the gift of Christ, his Son,
what great goodness he has shown us,
    what high marvels he has done!
Let us to him promptly, freely,
    yield our bodies and our souls,
thankful that his love protects us,
    that his wisdom all controls.

3        Gracious Lord, accept our service
    for the sake of Christ, your Son;
lo, our hope abides now only
    in the righteousness he won.
Bless and save us, help and guide us,
    watch to comfort and restore,
till in heav’n we rest rejoicing,
    praising you forevermore.

Text: Henry Bateman, 1802–1872
Text: Public domain

SERMON

Please Stand

CONFESSION OF FAITH Apostles' Creed ~150 AD

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Be Seated

OFFERING PRESENTED BEFORE THE ALTAR

Please Stand

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Almighty God and Father, we thank you for the love that grows from faith. Give your people desire and strength to serve that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified.