All Saints Sunday - November 2, 2025

Sainthood → Stamina: Enduring by Faith

Hebrews 11:32–40 Series: Navigating Life Through Divine Cause and Effect

Introduction – When Saints Don’t Look Like Saints

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Freedom in Christ is not freedom from struggle—it is freedom to endure it with hope. Today, on All Saints’ Day, we remember that our sainthood is often hidden under suffering, yet God grants us stamina to persevere until the day we join the saints in glory.

The truth of the matter is this: Saints don’t always look like saints. They stumble, suffer, and struggle. They battle doubts and discouragement. Sometimes they limp more than they march.

Yet today, we celebrate All Saints’ Sunday—a day when we remember that the people of God are holy not because of how they look, but because of what Christ has done.

We think of those who have gone before us—parents, friends, teachers, and loved ones who now rest from their labors. Their race is finished; their faith is fulfilled. But we also remember that we too are saints—still running, still wrestling, still waiting for that final “well done” from our Lord.

That’s the paradox of sainthood:

—We are holy, yet we hurt. —We are forgiven, yet we still fall. As Luther once said, “We are at the same time both sinner and saint.”

On this day the Church honors the saints triumphant in heaven, yet we also confess that we are saints now, though still battling sin and sorrow.

The Freedom we have in Christ does not remove struggle—it transforms it. So, we celebrate both what we already are by God’s declaration and what we are becoming through perseverance.

And yet, in that tension, there’s a cause and an effect. Cause: God declares us saints in Christ. Effect: He gives us stamina to endure life’s struggles with hope. That’s what Hebrews 11 teaches us today.

I. The Cause – God Declares Us Saints in Christ

Hebrews 11 gives us a long list of names—men and women who lived by faith. Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, the prophets. Some conquered kingdoms, others suffered torture. Some escaped death, others faced it head-on. But all of them were commended for one thing—not their perfection, but their faith.

Hebrews 11:39–40 NASB95

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us…

Did you catch that? The saints of old didn’t receive everything they longed for, but they believed anyway. Their holiness didn’t come from success; it came from God’s promise.

That’s the first truth of All Saints’ Day: 

Sainthood is not earned—it’s declared.

God doesn’t call you “holy” — ἁγίοις — because you’ve achieved a moral grade. He calls you holy because His Son has made you His own. God has declared you holy — ἁγίοις.

When Jesus took your sin to the cross, He gave you His righteousness in exchange. That’s what makes you holy, a saint. Not your strength. Not your record. Not your resume. But His blood, His Word, His grace.

Luther reminds us: “Faith alone makes the person righteous before God.”

Holiness is not earned but received.

To put it another way: When God calls you His saint, He is not describing your performance but declaring your position in Christ.

You are already counted among “the holy ones” because the Holy One took your sin upon Himself.

That’s the cause of sainthood—it begins with God’s declaration:

But sainthood doesn’t exempt us from suffering—it equips us to endure it. God declaration of sainthood is the cause; stamina is the effect.

II. The Effect – Sainthood Produces Stamina

Now if that’s true—if you’re already holy in Christ—then how do you live in a world that’s anything but holy? How do you keep going when the race gets long and the road gets hard?

Hebrews 11 doesn’t sugarcoat it. It speaks of saints who “suffered mocking and flogging, chains and imprisonment… they were destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy.”

The saints described in Hebrews faced suffering because of their faith—not in spite of it.

That’s the hidden side of sainthood. God’s people often look weak in the world’s eyes. They cry. They fail. They endure more than they deserve. And yet—by faith—they persevere.

Faith doesn’t always change the circumstance. But it always changes the person.

The saints of old weren’t immune to fear or pain, but they endured because they knew something the world didn’t:

The God who calls you holy will also hold you steady.

That’s stamina—the spiritual endurance that comes not from human grit, but from divine grace.

Sometimes we think the opposite: that holiness means strength, success, or serenity.

But Scripture teaches that holiness often looks like hanging on by faith when everything else falls apart.

Just as these saints endured, so Christ Himself suffered mockery, flogging, chains, and death—“of whom the world was not worthy.”

Their stories foreshadow the crucified and risen Lord, who transforms weakness into victory.

Our faith may not earn us applause, but it gives us endurance.

The saints of old bore public hostility; we face private struggles of fear, temptation, and fatigue. Yet the same Spirit strengthens us.

In every one of those stories, God gives His saints the same gift: stamina to endure, because His promises don’t fail.

III. The Communion of Saints – You’re Not Alone

And that brings us to this day—All Saints Sunday. We remember that we’re not running alone.

Hebrews 12 follows our reading and says, “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race set before us.”

When you grow weary, you’re surrounded by saints who’ve already finished the race.

When you pray through tears, you’re joining a chorus that never stops.

When you gather at the Lord’s Table, you commune not only with one another, but with the saints in heaven and the angels in glory.

Here at the altar, heaven and earth overlap. The same body and blood that once redeemed the saints of old is given again to strengthen you.

The Church Triumphant sings, “Blessing and honor and glory and might!”

And the Church Militant—us here on earth—whispers through tears, “How long, O Lord?”

But it’s one song, one faith, one hope. Sainthood gives us stamina because we are not alone.

IV. The Hope of Glory – Something Better Awaits

Hebrews says that those who came before us “did not receive the promise.”

They looked forward to Christ coming. We look back to the cross and forward to His return and to the resurrection.

We are one people—united across centuries—in the same promise of perfection. Together, we live in the “already and not yet”—already holy, not yet home.

That’s why All Saints’ Day is not just a day of remembrance—it’s a day of hope.

Because the saints who have died in Christ are not lost; they are alive in Him.

And one day, what is now hidden will be revealed in you. The same Jesus who calls you holy will raise you in glory. As John writes in Revelation:

Revelation 21:4 NKJV

“There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This is the destiny that gives us stamina now.

Illustration: Like runners in a marathon who glimpse the finish line, we endure by faith in what is unseen but assured.

Pastoral application: When your faith feels weak, remember the saints who have gone before you—parents, mentors, friends—whose endurance points you toward your true home.

The same Christ who carried them carries you. And so we endure—with holy stamina, strengthened by His Spirit, upheld by His Word.

V. Conclusion – Keep Running

Dear friends, You are saints—declared holy by the blood of Christ. You are runners—called to persevere with endurance. And you are heirs—awaiting the glory yet to come.

Freedom in Christ is not freedom from struggle; it is freedom to endure struggle with hope. This is why the Church on earth is referred to as “The Church Militant.” Struggling saints; still afflicted, but holy by God’s grace.

So when you grow weary—remember the saints who have gone before you. They are victorious, radiant in the light of the Lamb. When you feel alone—come to the Lord’s Table, the communion of the saints. And when you falter—remember the Savior who has already finished the race for you.

Sainthood is God’s cause. Stamina is His effect. And glory is His promise.

So run with endurance, ἁγίοις of God— for soon, the finish line will be in sight, and the Lord of all the saints will call your name and say,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)

We are saints now, hidden and struggling—but soon to be revealed in glory with Christ and all His saints.

The world may not be worthy of them, but Christ has made us worthy of His kingdom. Saints of God—press on with stamina, for the finish line is glory.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayers of the Church

All Saints Sunday – November 2, 2025 Theme: Sainthood → Stamina

P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. (A brief pause for silent prayer.)

Thanksgiving for the Communion of Saints

P: Almighty God, we give You thanks and praise for the blessed communion of saints — for all who have been made holy by the blood of Christ. Grant that Your Church on earth may remain steadfast in faith, constant in hope, and abounding in love. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, that we may run with endurance the race set before us. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For the Church on Earth

P: Lord Jesus Christ, You have called Your people saints, not because of our merit but because of Your mercy. Strengthen Your Church throughout the world, that we may bear faithful witness to Your truth and live holy lives empowered by Your Spirit. Grant us stamina to endure suffering, courage to confess Your name, and joy in the fellowship of believers. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For the Nations and Those in Authority

P: Lord of all nations, bring Your peace where there is conflict and division. We pray especially for Your mercy upon the Middle East—restrain the forces of evil, protect the innocent, and turn the hearts of leaders toward justice and compassion.

We also pray for our own nation, O Lord, during this time of government shutdown. Be with all who are suffering its effects—those who have not received paychecks, families uncertain about how they will meet daily needs, and all who depend on government programs for food and assistance.

Provide for them through Your people, O God, and restore the work of those whose labor serves the common good. Grant wisdom to those in authority, that they may lead with integrity and seek solutions that uphold the dignity of all. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Those in Need of Healing and Strength

P: Merciful Father, You are the Great Physician of body and soul. Stretch out Your hand of healing upon all who are sick, suffering, or in pain. We remember before You Paul, who is enduring back pain; Cheryl Bauer and Kelly Sunquist, as they recover from hip surgery; and Heidi, as she travels to seek diagnosis and care. Be her guide and her peace. We also lift up Celeste, Tanya, Kevin, and Jeannette, along with all who have been sick of late, and those whom we name silently in our hearts… [pause briefly] Sustain them with Your comfort and according to Your gracious will, grant them health and restoration. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Our Shut-Ins

P: Compassionate Lord, we remember before You our brothers and sisters who are homebound or in care facilities: Doug Elsberry, Bill and Shirley Barkie, Sharon Blotsky, Brian Cole, Myrtle Erdman, Norene Border, Sharon Gosline, Mike Hafele, Kale Livdahl, Marie Poole, Alma Mae Price, Robert Schmiginske, and Joan Teske. Keep them steadfast in faith, fill them with peace, and assure them that they are never forgotten in the prayers and fellowship of Your Church. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For the Faithful Departed

P: Eternal Lord, we give You thanks for all the saints who have gone before us in faith and now rest from their labors. We remember with thanksgiving our brothers and sisters in Christ from this congregation who have entered the Church Triumphant since last years All Saints’ observance:

ESPECIALLY

READ THE NAMES — Bell rings after each name

Give us grace to follow their example of steadfastness and to rejoice in the promise that we shall see them again in the glory of the resurrection. Grant that we, too, may endure with holy stamina until we join them at the feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Those Receiving the Sacrament

P: Gracious Savior, as we prepare to receive Your body and blood this day, make us mindful of the great cloud of witnesses who now feast at the heavenly banquet. Strengthen our faith through this Holy Communion, that we may endure in holiness and live in joyful confidence of the forgiveness and life You give. Let this foretaste of the feast to come sustain us until that day when faith becomes sight and we join all the saints around Your throne.

Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.