Proper 20 (2025)

Paris Otterbein

*Opening Prayer

*Call to Worship

(Based on Psalm 113)

Leader: Praise the Lord!

People: Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord!

Leader: Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

People: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Leader: The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

People: Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high?

Leader: Yet the Lord looks upon the lowly and lifts the poor from the dust.

People: God raises the needy, sets them with princes, and grants the barren woman a home.

All Together: Come, let us worship the Lord, whose name is great and whose mercy is everlasting!

Hymn #76 O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Scripture Reading

1 Timothy 2:1-7 Kent

1 Timothy 2:1–7 NIV

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Hymn #435, v. 3 What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Lord's Prayer

Children's Message

Scripture Reading

Luke 16:1–13 NIV

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg—I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “ ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Sermon

God can do anything! You believe that don’t you? There is nothing our God cannot do. In fact, we might say that if there was something God could not do, then He probably would not be God. The point is God is all-powerful and He can do anything. Do you agree with me so far?

And if God can do anything, then you and I no longer need to share our faith. I mean, if God can do anything and He wanted to, He could make every person in the world right now a Christian. He could send His Holy Spirit to flow over the North, South, East and West and make every single person alive now, and even those who will be born, Christians.

In fact, it states clearly in Philippians 2:10–11 “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” It says in Romans 14:11 “It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” and Isaiah 45:23 “By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.” Just to be clear, an acknowledgement of the truth is not a concession of faith.

Now, I don’t know about you but I believe the God I serve could make that happen right now. I believe the Spirit of God could sweep over this earth in such a way that even the most atheistic and disbelieving people would recognize that Christ is the Son of God and He could make them believe in Him. I believe God could make that happen.

But so far, God has not done that—not because He can’t, but because He desires a relationship, not robots. He wants people to respond to His invitation to walk with Him. And some of us who are here today have indeed done that. When we accept Christ, we have begun a relationship with Him. And that relationship transforms us, entrusts us with blessings, and calls us to use them well.

If God chooses to entrust us with freedom and resources rather than forcing faith, then the question becomes: what will we do with what He’s placed in our hands? That’s exactly what Jesus addresses in Luke 16. In vs. 1-2, Jesus tells those who are listening to Him about this dishonest manager who was about to be lose his position, so he develops a plan. In vs. 3-7, the manager cuts deals to win favor with others, hoping they’ll take him in when he’s unemployed. Favors he can ask for when he has a need. Now, it might sound like Jesus is somehow applauding dishonest behavior, but that’s not what He is doing at all. Instead, He is affirming the idea that time is short, sometimes shorter than we know, and being Christ followers calls us to use what we have to build Christ’s kingdom.

This is the call we hear in verses 8-13. Now, Jesus uses the word here, money. But any material possession can become a stumbling block that keeps us from serving the kingdom. Our home, our career, our hobbies, even our family. So let me ask you this morning. Do you have something in your life that you hold on to so tightly it keeps you from using what you have to serve the Lord?

You see, I already told you God could sweep across this globe and “make” everyone a Christian. He is able to do anything. But He hasn’t—because He desires relationships, not robots. He gives us free will, the freedom to accept or reject Him.

And when we walk with Christ, something begins to happen: our will starts to line up with His will. We begin to want what He wants. But that often means letting go of the things we cling to—our possessions, our plans, our comfort, even our pride—so God can use them for His purposes.

The question for us today is simple: what are you holding so tightly that it keeps you from being fully available to God? What do you need to release so that He can use it to bless someone else and build His kingdom?

You see, not only is He the God who seeks, He invites His people to seek with Him. He welcomes our participation in this Reckless Love.

Reckless Love

Giving of Tithes and Offering

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn #116 Take The Name Of Jesus With You

*Benediction

Sanctuary