YouTube -- 16th Sunday after Pentecost (September 13, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Sermon -- 16th Sunday after Pentecost (September 13, 2026)

LOVE COMPELS US TO CALL OUT TO SINNERS.

MATTHEW 18:15-20 

In the name + of Jesus.

      The first phrase of our Gospel reading is important.  Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you” (Matthew 18:15).  That refers to a fellow Christian, not to someone who is outside the Church.  This is a huge distinction.  We certainly want those who are outside the Church to repent and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  We want that because that is what God wants.  Love compels us to call out to the sinner.  If an unbeliever refuses to repent and to come to the knowledge of the truth, we will be disappointed, but we need not be surprised.  Those who live in darkness turn away from the light of God’s word.  Jesus told us why: “Everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, or else his deeds would be exposed” (John 3:20).  

     If someone is a brother or sister in Christ, however, he or she has been enlightened to know God’s truth.  Christians have the words that save.  They know that they have been called to a life of godliness.  If they turn away from godliness, it is not a matter of ignorance.  Perhaps it is weakness.  Perhaps they have been deceived.  Perhaps it is full-blown defiance.  In any of those cases, they are in the wrong.  They are forsaking the light for the deeds of darkness.  If your brother sins against you, address him presuming that he knows better and ought to do better.

     “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his sin just between the two of you” (Matthew 18:15).  This refers to a fellow Christian who has violated God’s word in a particularly grievous way.  Either he is persisting in a sin, or he has done something that has caused you harm—perhaps slander or theft or betrayal.  We are usually tempted to broadcast the sins of others to a wider audience.  If your fellow Christian sins against you, demonstrate love to him first of all by not making his reputation worse.  If no one else needs to know what was done, then no one else should know what was done.  Love compels us to call out to sinners, not to call others’ sins out to the world.

     Love will also move you to confirm what has been done.  We often misinterpret what someone said or did.  We assume the worst and get angry over what we thought happened without knowing what actually happened.  Get the story straight, lest you create a problem that did not exist.  You can say, “Let me see if I understand this correctly.  Did you really do such-and-such?  Did you really mean to say so-and-so?”  If you did understand it correctly, perhaps just showing him his sin might be enough to lead him to repent.  That is the goal.  Love compels us to call out to sinners.  We love the person enough to show him his fault so that he will repent and make amends.  It grieves us to see anyone lost to God’s kingdom.  “If he listens to you, you have regained your brother” (Matthew 18:15).  There is great joy in brothers being reconciled.  “How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1)!

     But not every conversation has a happy ending, and Jesus knows that.  Jesus continued, “If he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.  And, if he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as an unbeliever or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:16-17).  First, one’s sin needs to be exposed.  Then, if he does not repent, others can go along to bear witness to what God says in his word.  It needs to be known that you are not engaged in some petty squabble.  Nor is it you judging.  It is a judgment based on God’s word.  Proclaim God’s Law, and let God judge what is right and wrong.

     If others also go and cite God’s word, they can also bear witness if the sinner refuses to heed God’s word and is persisting in his sin.  Then, if it is proved to be manifest impenitence, the Church acknowledges that he can no longer can he be called a brother in Christ.  He has confessed that God’s word is unimportant or false.  He has proved his impenitence in multiple visits and to multiple witnesses.  He must be told that his sin clings to him, as well as the damning judgment to come.  Jesus assures us that, if such a declaration has to be made, it is acknowledged in heaven as much as it is declared on earth.  But make sure that every word is motivated by love—love first for God whose word we confess, and then love for the sinner.  Love for the sinner means we will show him how serious this is in hopes that he will heed the word of the Lord and repent. 

     These are heavy, difficult matters.  They should be.  We are dealing with eternal stakes here.  You may be tempted to ignore all of it.  You may pretend that there are no problems.  You may be tempted to argue that the sins are no big deal and find excuses for them.  This is especially true when we are dealing with family members.  Grandparents and parents just want to enjoy pleasant Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  Ignoring the glaring sins will secure temporary peace, but it will be at the cost of eternal peace.  But love compels us to call out to the sinner. 

     If you are afraid to speak to a family member about a sin that they may be ensnared in, it is probably because you fear losing them.  You fear someone saying, “Well, then maybe you don’t want to see your grandchildren anymore.”  No doubt, this would be painful to endure.  No one wants to lose a loving family connection.  But wouldn’t it be much more painful to lose them for eternity?  You may think, “If I say something to a church member, we might lose them.”  First of all, salvation does not come by a name on a church roster.  More importantly, if he is persisting in sin, he is already lost.  Love compels us to call out to the sinner.  Again, these are heavy, difficult matters.  They should be.  We are dealing with eternal stakes here.  We pray for a happy ending, understanding that we don’t always get it. 

     When the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, the message was for some who were already in exile and for others who were still in Jerusalem.  The people of Israel had turned away from God’s word.  They did not listen.  They did not care.  They mocked the prophets, rejected them, and in some cases killed them.  You’d think the Lord would just have written them off.  Nevertheless, the Lord kept imploring them to repent.  Why would the Lord do so much for people who did not care about him or his word?

     Through Ezekiel, God gave the answer: “As I live, declares the LORD God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from their way and live.  Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel” (Ezekiel 33:11).  The Lord takes no pleasure in sending people to hell, but that doesn’t mean he won’t do it.  To ensure that no one should have to be banished to endless torment, the Lord took action.

     How much does our Lord desire that all people live and not be sentenced to hell for their sins?  He sent his only begotten Son into the world so that he would suffer and die for sinners.  To deliver you from the punishment sins deserve, Jesus bore that punishment for you.  Jesus willingly was condemned for sins he did not commit so that no sinner should have to be condemned for anything he has done. 

     Love compels us to call out to sinners so that they find their hope in Jesus Christ.  All who trust in Jesus will find relief from all shame and regret.  You don’t have to create excuses for your sins to justify yourself.  You can acknowledge that you were wrong—even for your silence because you feared losing the favor of your family and friends more than losing God’s favor.  You can confess that your actions and your motives were impure and indecent.  And why confess that?  Because our Lord has made a promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  The Lord is faithful in forgiving you because it was his will to make Jesus a sin offering for you.  He stands by that.  Jesus willingly forfeited his Father’s favor so that the Father’s favor would be poured out upon you.  He is faithful to that.  And the Lord is just in pardoning you.  It would be unjust for the Lord to punish you if Jesus has taken away your sins.  So, no one should ever have to be condemned for his sins.  Jesus has taken all sins away.  They can only condemn you if you take them back.  Jesus’ love compelled him to save us.  And this love compels us to call out to sinners.

     Jesus has taught us how this forgiveness is applied to us.  He told his disciples, “Amen I tell you: Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).  Jesus has given his Church the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  And what a tremendous blessing this is!  Every one of us has guilt on our record.  All have sinned.  So, how can you be sure that your sins are truly forgiven? 

     God does not give blanket forgiveness for no reason.  There are consequences to sin.  Since Jesus suffered those consequences in his death at the cross, forgiveness is tied to Jesus.  Now, how does Jesus apply his forgiveness to you?  Through his words spoken by the Church, based on the Holy Bible.  The impenitent reject Jesus, and therefore forfeit his forgiveness.  But the penitent find in Jesus a merciful Savior.  He sets you free.  He also sends people who tell you so.  A man on death row may long to be pardoned, but he can’t be unless it comes from the proper authority.  So also, forgiveness does not come from you thinking about it.  Forgiveness comes from outside of you—dispensed by our Lord and received by you in faith.  This is how you can be confident of your forgiveness.  If it comes from within, you will never know if your feelings match God’s judgment.  But if it comes from outside of you, from God through his ministers, then you hear and know God’s judgment.  And, of course, you also are entrusted with the word of God so that you may bestow forgiveness to the penitent and withhold forgiveness to the impenitent.

     Jesus Christ backs it up: “Amen I tell you: Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).  Jesus unties the knot of any and all sins which cling to you.  Love compels us to call out to sinners so that they will be set free from their sins, too.  Love compels us to summon people to come and hear Jesus’ words, to come and partake in his sacraments so that Jesus’ forgiveness comforts and preserves them in God’s good grace.  Love compelled Jesus to save sinners.  Love compels us to tell them.

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

Worship Note: The Sign of the Cross

When I was young, attending church at Calvary Lutheran Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, I recall seeing people occasionally making the sign of the cross on themselves at various parts of the service.  I remember recoiling, as if I were Count Dracula facing a crucifix.  The reason?  I was taught that people who make the sign of the cross on themselves are Roman Catholic, and we are definitely NOT THAT!

I don't recall if my pastor ever taught me that, but it was certainly passed down from other sources.  Over the years, I have discovered that many Lutherans have been taught that, too.

We were taught badly.

Consider these words.

In the morning, when you rise, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say:  In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

And again: In the evening, when you go to bed, you shall bless yourself with the holy cross and say: In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. 

Even more startling is this: For this end it is also of service that we form the habit of daily commending ourselves to God, with soul and body, wife, children, servants, and all that we have, against every need that may occur; whence also the blessing and thanksgiving at meals, and other prayers, morning and evening, have originated and remain in use.  Likewise the practice of children to cross themselves when anything monstrous or terrible is seen or heard, and to exclaim: “Lord God, protect us!” “Help, dear Lord Jesus!” etc. 

Any guesses as to the source of these instructions?  

The first two are in Luther's Small Catechism.  (They have been inexplicably omitted from the catechism published by our synod.)  They are found in every version of the Book of Concord I own.  The third quotation is from Luther's Large Catechism: Part I, paragraphs 73-74 (The 2nd Commandment).

To avoid making the sign of the cross because "it is Roman Catholic" is ridiculous.  It is a ceremony that every Christian has the right to do.  In that sense, it is catholic (note the small "c"), meaning that it belongs to the whole Christian Church on earth.  We do not abandon laudable practices just because they are done in the Roman Catholic Church.  We would not refuse to say the Lord's Prayer or the Nicene Creed because they are spoken in the Roman Mass, would we?  Neither should we despise making the sign of the cross.

Why make the sign of the cross?  (This "Why?" is the essential question for any practice we observe.)  The answer comes from the Rite of Holy Baptism.  In that rite, the pastor makes the sign of the cross on the one being baptized and says, "Receive the sign of the cross on the head and the heart to mark you as a redeemed child of Christ."  The sign of the cross is simply a reminder that we are baptized children of Triune God.  He is our Savior, our refuge, and our help in every time of trouble.  

Our hymnal gives us several places where making the sign of the cross is appropriate.  Most obvious is at the Invocation (In the name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit--the name into which we are baptized) and at the Benediction.  At the beginning and at the end of the service, we make the sign of the cross to confess that the Lord has put his name on us.  The are other places where it would be appropriate, but these are the most obvious.  And they are already in the hymnal to mark where a person may do it.

Do you have to make the sign of the cross?  Of course not.  Nowhere in God's word does he command or forbid it.  We are free to act as we please.  You do not get a better place in heaven one way or another.  But we should know why anyone who chooses to make the sign of the cross does it.  (For what it is worth, even many Roman Catholics don't know why they do it.)

Making the sign of the cross is a laudable practice, and it makes a laudable confession about the Triune God, about our baptism, and about our identity.  

YouTube -- 15th Sunday after Pentecost (September 6, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, September 6, 2026.

Sermon -- 15th Sunday after Pentecost (September 6, 2026)

YOU ARE LIVING SACRIFICES.

ROMANS 12:1-8

In the name + of Jesus.

      This weekend, we observe Labor Day, a day on which we recognize the contribution that workers make to our lives.  I suppose that many would argue a day off of work is better than any day at work, but God has given us work as a blessing.  Consider God’s creation of Adam.  Moses wrote, “The LORD God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).  God put the man in the garden to work it.  This work was a blessing.  By it, the man would fill his days with purpose and provide for his family.  This was a practical way in which he would love his neighbor. 

     Work is not a curse.  When you feel like it is, it is because of sin which has warped everything.  After sin entered the world, the Lord told Adam, “The soil is cursed on account of you.  You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life.  Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you” (Genesis 2:17-18).  Your labor has its own version of thorns and thistles—whether entitled customers, needless paperwork, or broken equipment.  All are the result of sin which makes work difficult and drudgery.  On top of that, our sinful nature prefers laziness over effort.  The book of Proverbs repeatedly gives warnings to the sluggard.  In general, those who are industrious find prosperity while those who are lazy suffer.  Besides bringing harm to himself, the sluggard produces nothing for his fellowman.  While work may be toil when you are engaged in it, you experience deep satisfaction when the task has been completed.

     Work is a good thing.  The Lord gives you the opportunity to do good works every day through your various vocations—as a worker, a parent, a spouse, or a citizen.  Other people are blessed by your good works.  St. Paul noted one way in which people are blessed by your labors: “Let [a man] work hard doing what is good with his own hands, so that he has something to share with a person who is in need” (Ephesians 4:28).  In this way, you are living sacrifices.  You give of your time and energy as you provide a service in your vocation.  This is a practical way in which you love your neighbor.  Through our labors, God is honored and our neighbor is blessed.  These are good things.

     It is sometimes said that Lutherans are opposed to good works.  Now, it is clear that we are not saved by our good works.  For, the Bible teaches us, “We conclude that a person is justified by faith without the works of the law” (Romans 3:28).  Nor do our good works contribute to our salvation.  If they did, we would have to deny that we are saved by grace alone.  If God’s salvation is a gift, then we did not earn it or contribute to it.  It is God’s good work done for our benefit.  But we cannot say that good works are unnecessary.  Our own Lutheran Confessions say, “Our churches teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruit.  It is necessary to do good works commanded by God, because of God’s will” (Augsburg Confession, Article VI, paragraph 1). 

     If anyone tells you that Lutherans oppose good works, he is either very sloppy with his words or he is dead wrong.  St. Paul wrote that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).  Good works do not save, but those who are saved are dedicated to good works.  It is God’s will for people to engage in good works.  This is why God has given you your labors.  God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.  You are a living sacrifice, spending yourself to glorify God and to love and serve your neighbor.  If your faith is living and active, you will be living and active in your vocations and in good works. 

     This is what St. Paul wrote about in our epistle reading today.  “I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy and pleasing to God—which is your appropriate worship” (Romans 12:1).  It is God’s mercy that motivates us to worship him with good works.  That is because Jesus Christ did his good work, which is to save sinners. 

     Jesus was a living sacrifice.  Jesus performed the good work of perfect obedience to his Father.  It was not merely avoiding sin; it was also pursuing and practicing good toward all.  He loved his neighbor—whether they were hurting or healthy, whether they were locals or foreigners, whether they were his allies or his enemies.  We have not been so willingly obedient.  Even our best works are flawed, as Isaiah testifies: “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth” (Isaiah 64:6).  Isaiah did not say that our sins are like filthy cloth.  Our righteous deeds are unclean because we are, by nature, unclean.  This is why we dare not take pride in our works before God.  But we have Jesus as our living sacrifice.  His pure work atones for our impure works.

     Even though we strive for good works, many of our works are not good.  Sometimes we do our works with resentment.  Sometimes we complain that our works are not getting what we consider to be proper attention or praise.  Sometimes we just don’t care to do the works at all.  Maybe we don’t want to be bothered.  Maybe we deem someone unworthy of our time and effort.  For these and for all sins, Jesus made himself a sin offering.  Jesus was not only a living sacrifice, he also died as a sacrifice for you.  All your sins were laid on him.  God’s wrath was redirected from you to Jesus.  By his sufferings and death, Jesus did the works that save you from divine judgment.  You are redeemed by Jesus’ works, not your own.  So, do not trust your own works, no matter how good you think they are.  You are saved by faith in Jesus.  He did the works, and you receive the reward.

     Now, in view of that mercy, we get to be merciful to others.  In thanksgiving for Jesus’ good work, we dedicate ourselves to good works.  We’ve been set apart from sin, death, and the devil.  We’ve been set apart for a good and godly life.  Jesus laid down his life to rescue us from our wickedness so that you and I could live in godliness.  You are a living sacrifice—living to serve others to the glory of God.

     To preserve us in this godliness, St. Paul urges, “Do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you test and approve what is the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).  One way or another, you are being taught.  One way or another, someone is preaching to you and influencing your thinking.  Such influence can be good or bad.  You come to God’s house to hear the word of the Lord.  Hopefully, you are reading your Bible or some devotional material throughout the week.  This regular meditation is important because the world is preaching to you nonstop.  The devil employs worldly thinking to entice you to abandon God’s word for what is popular and for what appeals to your sinful nature.  The more you listen to that, the more you will be conformed to the pattern of this world.  The more you conform to the pattern of this world, the less you will care about God’s word and his salvation—although the devil will convince you that you are still a good person and that God should reward you for that.

     Do not be swayed by popular opinions and behaviors.  History has shown that the masses can be in full agreement about an issue and be terribly wrong.  Besides that, the masses can change their minds about what is good and what is evil.  In generations past, when a man and a woman cohabited before they were married, it was called living in sin.  Today, most consider it foolish if couples don’t do that.  The world changes its mind quickly about what is good and what is evil.  God does not, but the world does.  So, “do not conform to the pattern of the world” (Romans 12:2).

     God created us and loves us.  What he says is always true, and it always stands.  Therefore, we listen to what our Lord says, knowing that he is looking out for our good both now and eternally.  The more you listen to the Lord, the more you will “be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).  You will find joy in your life being a living sacrifice, and you will not consider it a major sacrifice to do so.

     For the most part, St. Paul describes how we all serve as living sacrifices in the church.  He wrote, “We have many members in one body, and not all the members have the same function.  In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  We have different gifts, according to the grace God has given us.  If the gift is prophecy, do it in complete agreement with the faith.  If it is serving, then serve.  If it is teaching, then teach.  If it is encouraging, then encourage.  If it is contributing, be generous.  If it is leadership, be diligent.  If it is showing mercy, do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:4-8).  

     We all have ways that we can serve God’s people.  We all have talents, abilities, and interests which can benefit the body of Christ.  You don’t have to invent ways to do good works for your fellow Christians.  God places them right in front of you.  You serve according to your ability and where there is a need.  In this way, the whole body of Christ functions well and the whole body of Christ is served. 

     You are living sacrifices “holy and pleasing to God—which is your appropriate worship” (Romans 12:1).  But don’t get the idea that the only good works are the works done in the church.  A number of years ago, there was a woman who went to her church’s evangelism meeting.  They were given a pep talk and then sent out to their neighborhood to knock on doors.  As they were going, she said to the man who had teamed up with her, “I can’t believe I did not really do anything for Jesus until now.”  The man was confused.  This woman was the church secretary.  She sang in the choir.  She had raised her children and cared for her home.  Weren’t those things done for Jesus?

     You are living sacrifices.  Everything you do is done for God’s honor and for the good of your neighbor.  Your vocations may change over the years, but your place in God’s kingdom remains constant.  You are a living sacrifice.  Your good works may be known to all or invisible to all.  Either way, God knows them.  Your good works may be a special project or they may be the daily household routine.  No matter; God is pleased with them because Jesus has made you pleasing to him.  For, you are God’s handiwork—created for God’s honor, redeemed by God’s grace, and renewed for good works in God’s kingdom.  God’s work which was done for you is good, and the work God gives you to do is good. 

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

Schedule update for St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake City, Minnesota

Here is a public service announcement for the schedule at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lake City, Minnesota.

NEW SERVICE TIME -- St. John's Divine Services will be changed to 9:00 AM staring Sunday, September 6.   We will retain this service time for the foreseeable future.

LIVE-STREAMING AND RECORDED SERVICES -- It should also be noted that our live-streaming will be competing with Bethany Lutheran Church.  The service may be delayed, beginning at 10:30 AM, or viewers may have to find it on our YouTube channel.  As of this writing, the service should still be broadcast on local channels as usual (Wednesdays at 7:00 PM on channels 13 and 18).

BIBLE BASICS CLASS will begin on Thursday, September 9, 7:00-8:30 PM.  It will be a class that covers the essential teachings of Scripture and will attempt to address any and all questions people have.  Details about the schedule can be found here.  To register, call St. John's at (651) 345-3523 or email pastor@stjohnslakecity.com. 

ADULT BIBLE CLASS to begin on Sunday, September 13 at 10:15 AM.  Our topic will be about the canonical books of the Bible, entitled, "Why These Books?"  Details can be found here.

SUNDAY SCHOOL will also begin on Sunday, September 13 at 10:15 AM.  We will begin in the church basement with a children's lesson before the children are dismissed to their respective classrooms.

YouTube -- 14th Sunday after Pentecost (August 30, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, August 30, 2026.