September 14, 2025

THE SERVICE

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—THE LOST ARE FOUND

“He’s lost.” We use that term not only to refer to someone who is bewildered about where they are but also to refer to someone who is in a helpless, hopeless state. Mankind’s natural state is one of complete spiritual helplessness, a profound lostness. It manifests itself in countless ways. The one who simply wants God to leave him alone: lost. The one who feels she can handle life on her own: lost. The one who thinks he has the right to repent of his sins on his own timetable and terms: lost. The one who thinks God owes her in some way: lost. Wandering around physically lost can lead to winding up in bad places. Jesus’ wounding words this week teach that wandering around spiritually lost puts you in the worst place of all. Fortunately, Jesus does not leave us in our lostness. He relentlessly seeks us. He involves the rest of the Christian community in seeking the lost and rejoicing over the found.

OPENING HYMN 606 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus

1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
    his the scepter, his the throne;
Alleluia! his the triumph,
    his the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
    thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
    has redeemed us by his blood.”

2       Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
    here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! here the sinful
    flee to you from day to day.
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
    earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
where the songs of all the sinless
    sweep across the crystal sea.

3        Alleluia! Not as orphans
    are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! he is near us;
    faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received him
    when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise:
    “I am with you evermore”?

Text: William C. Dix, 1837–1898, abr., 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

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.

THE WORD

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Lord, we pray that your mercy and grace may always go before and follow after us that, loving you with undivided hearts, we may be ready for every good and useful work; 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 Hosea 3:1-5

The LORD called the prophet Hosea to seek his adulterous wife and love her again. This served as an object lesson, showing our God is a God who seeks and redeems those who are lost.

1The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

4For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. 5Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING 2 Corinthians 2:5–11

A member of the church in Corinth had been lost in sin, but through loving church discipline, had been moved to repent. Paul encourages the members to joyfully welcome him back.

5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Please Stand

GOSPEL (in English and Karen) Luke 15:1–10

Through two parables, Jesus rebukes those who consider themselves already found and not in need of repentance.

1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

8“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

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

Be seated

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY 550 Lamb of God

1 Your only Son, no sin to hide,
but you have sent him from your side
to walk upon this guilty sod,
and to become the Lamb of God. (Refrain)

Ref O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God,
I love the holy Lamb of God!
O wash me in his precious blood,
my Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

2 Your gift of love they crucified,
they laughed and scorned him as he died:
the humble King they named a fraud
and sacrificed the Lamb of God. (Refrain)

3 I was so lost, I should have died,
but you have brought me to your side
to be led by your staff and rod,
and to be called a lamb of God. (Refrain)

Text: Twila Paris, b. 1958
Text: © 1985 Mountain Spring/Straightway Music, admin. CapitolCMGPublishing,com. Used by permission: Onelicense no. 717826

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

WEST CAMPUS CHOIR SINGS Thy Word & In My Life Lord, Be Glorified

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Merciful Father, you sent your only Son to welcome sinners and bring them to repentance. We thank you for your patience in reclaiming us and making us your own.