Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Announcements

Fellowship Sunday

After Worship during cookie fellowship any ladies who are interesting in having a short meeting please attend the short WMF meeting..

July 12th 2026 Outdoor Service and Picnic at Gunn Park @ 10:30 AM

Food and Games to follow small worship service. Sign Up Sheet for help on door.

Prayers

Continue to pray for those on our prayer list..

Call to Worship: Psalm 119:153-160

153 Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. 154 Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise! 155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. 156 Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your rules. 157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies. 158 I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands. 159 Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life, O Lord, according to your steadfast love. 160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Opening Hymn: O Worship the King #10

Old Testament: Jeremiah 28:5-9

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7 Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”

Epistle: Romans 7:1-13

7 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Hymn of Christ: How Great Thou Art #4

*Prayers of the Church

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Holy God, You are our strength and our shield. Teach us to sing of Your steadfast love and make known Your faithfulness as we live in Christ’s favor and light. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of heaven and earth, rule and govern Your Church and all her pastors and ministers, that she may be preserved in the pure doctrine of Your saving Word and defended against all adversaries, and that faith may be strengthened and love increased. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, bring peace, not a sword, to our homes by Your grace. Foster a common love and knowledge of Your Word among husbands and wives, parents and children, and guide their love for one another by Your love for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, watch over all who make, judge and administer the laws of our nation, and preserve us from sinful contempt of good order and godly laws. Give to our authorities integrity and honor, and bless all citizens with charity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Most merciful Lord, grant to those in trouble, want, sickness, anguish of labor, peril of death or any other adversity the healthful Spirit of Your grace for healing, strength, comfort and relief. Hear us on behalf of Ashkan, Addison and Ellie, We lift up to you Obed and Family, Mary, Sandra, Red, Josh and Brenda. Bless especially those who suffer for the sake of Your name and Your Word. Give them the courage and patience to stand firm in their afflictions until the day of Your deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, through the body of Christ we have died to the Law, that we may belong to Him and bear much fruit. Receive our inadequate thanks for Your kindness toward all who have died in the faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the way of the Holy Spirit until we stand with them in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

*Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Offering

Gospel: Matthew 10:34-42

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Sermon

Grace, peace and mercy unto all of you this morning today and always from God our Father and our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I would like to start us off with a question this morning, a question that may have came to you when we read through this passage for our Gospel text just moments ago.

Here is the question for you all, and I want you to be truthful about it, and you don’t have to say anything out loud, you can nod your head if you wish but truthfully think about this question, Did you feel anything from these Words that we read together this morning?

If that is a little to vague for you, think about it this way, did you feel any weight to this passage, did you feel the how sharp the words that Jesus spoke were.. Or better let, did any you think at some point as we walked through this passage WOW, that is Law I can see that, but where is the Gospel, isn’t this suppose to be the Gospel reading for this morning?

Well if that resonates with you, like it did with me this past week, especially when I attended a pastor’s lectionary meeting on this specific passage to preach this morning you are not alone.

You see Matthew 10, verses 34-42 are a little different than what we are normally use to reading for our Gospel passages, for here Jesus speaks in such a way that it almost feels like a sucker punch to the gut.

Right? Because He says things in this particular passage that we immediately want to take and place in a spot in our minds that are words that not said by Him because they don’t sound like the Jesus we want to hear.

Well Jesus says things that we don’t want Him to say, and sometimes that really upsets us, because the truth hurts sometimes.

I mean look at right in the very beginning of this passage

          “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the Earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

And some translations bring it other ways such as

“Don't think I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace.”

Or what about this translation: “ “Don’t think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn’t come to bring peace but conflict”

OR what about this one: “`Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but war.”

Jesus said this????? YES HE DID. He spoke this to the disciples and I am willing to bet that they struggled with this just as much as we are thousands of years later.

But lets continue on, lets chew on this first verse here and listen to the next one.

“I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother.. “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

WHOA alright now, Hold the phone, stop the presses, halt, stop, excuse me here, what is HE saying? Right? Did that thought go through your mind at all?

I bet it did like it did mine, and did you also feel that this sounds like a ton of Law here? Because this is Law, and its good that you felt it for your suppose to, that’s why Jesus said it. He intended for us and the disciples to hear His words and be convicted of God’s Holy Law.

For we as Confessing Lutherans know that the Law drives us directly to the Gospel for the Law exposes and convicts and strips away our false hopes and foundations that we put to much trust in.

For we know that the Gospel gives the restoration and comfort and healing that only Christ can give.

So did you hear the Gospel in this passage?

I hope you heard the good news, because I promise you it is there but its hard to see at first.

And we will get there, but first we must take the sword, the conflict, the war directly head on.

Jesus says “DO not think I have come to bring peace to the earth.”

But we do know that Jesus does bring peace to the Earth right, for He is called Prince of Peace. That peace that Jesus brings to us is a peace that surpasses all understanding, peace that comes through His blood, through His death, through His resurrection right…

But this is not what He is talking about here, He is talking about something different.

Jesus is talking about the division that happens the Gospel collides with in us as it takes on the Law of God, takes on our Sin full force.

Brothers and Sisters the Gospel is the sword that Jesus speaks of, Jesus is speaking here that the sword is the allegiance to Him that He is asking of us. He is asking us to place our trust in Him.

And sometimes that allegiance, that sword, that trust divides doesn’t it.

Jesus says: “And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

For when Christ calls to you, He literally calls you to Himself, and that means complete and total surrender to Him, fully and without anyone or anything else that is above Him.

For Jesus is not saying that you cannot care about your family He is not saying that. Jesus is saying that God is first, that God comes first in all things even before your family.

Because He never says to not love your parents, or your kids or to leave your family altogether.

As St Paul would say ‘BY NO MEANS’

Jesus tells us what He is saying ‘Do not love them more than Me’ That is what He says in the next verses, ‘Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and whoever loves son or daughter more than e is not worthy of me.’

Is it starting to become clearer now?

I hope it is.

If not lets look at this from another way.

First Commandment. What is the First Commandment?

You shall have no other gods.

What does this mean? We are to fear, love and trust in God above all things, this is what Jesus is getting at here.

That God, through His Son, is above parents, kids, spouses, pastors, reputations, possessions, comfort, even your life itself.

Jesus is not saying that you cannot have an Earthly family or love them, He is asking you to not place them where only God can be.

And sometimes when it comes to people or things for that matter that we value and love more than what we should, and hear this truth, especially from our Lord and Savior, man does it hurt. For our idols have been taken away from us, and because of our fallen sinful human nature we don’t want them too.

I am pretty sure you are all aware that last week my family and I brought home a new puppy, Forest, 9 weeks old. And when I brought home this little, cute, biting puppy and walked through the door of my house, everything immediately changed.

I mean everything, my normal routine changed, my sleep changed and not for better, my priorities changed, my free time that I had changed and by changed I mean completely disappeared.

For my time is now spent with this puppy, and the comfort and leisure time I had has now vanished, and the things that I want to do? I can’t because I have a puppy that I am now taking care of and has be to under supervision 24/7.

And do you know why?

Because that time that I spend with the pup, is time that I am spending with him to form the bond that will be with us for life, the trust I am building is trust that will help him protect me from danger and the same trust will also protect him when he is in danger and because of that trust he listens to me right… I am shaping a relationship with this dog for he depends on me, he looks to me, he learns my voice, my smell, he knows when I am there with him, he knows that I care for him and love him.

And this times time, and through devotion and discipline. And because of that, I will have a bond with him that will never waiver even when time is taken from us and he is no longer here someday.

I think you understand where I am going with this for Christ is calling us into the same type of relationship. The same devotion for Him that takes time, that takes discipline to achieve, the same relationship that gives up everything else for Him.

Jesus asks us of this not because He needs it but because He wants us, He is forming us into His Disciples, He is truly shaping us and calling us through His Word, through Holy Baptism, and through the Lord’s Supper, through daily repentance of sin and being daily dependent on Him, and in turn because of all of that, He claims us as His Own, His Children, those whom His favor rests.

You know dogs have loyalty to their owners, to the people who love, care and are willing to sacrifice for them.

Christ’s loyalty is through His gift that He has given to us, through His presence among us, through His sacrifice on the cross for us, through His resurrection from the dead for us, through His interceding on our behalf from the Father. He is loyal, and He is asking us to do the same for Him.

But remember this, my puppy depends on me, he needs me daily.

Brothers and Sisters we depend on Christ daily.

The things of this world are temporary they will at one time pass away and be forgotten, but Christ, Christ is eternal, holy, everlasting, and forever.

Continuing on in our passage Jesus says:

“Whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me”

Jesus speaking this way made it clear for the disciples who lived on Earth at the same time He did what He meant… A cross meant one thing… Death.

Jesus saying ‘take his cross and follow Me’ meant

Rejection, shame, suffering, loss, complete sacrifice, and death.

Jesus is being blunt and telling us the truth of what it means to truly surrender and follow Him faithfully. That it will cost you something, and it even may cost you everything.

And for the disciples, following Jesus truly cost them everything.

Peter, crucified upside down on a cross, Andrew crucified on an X shaped cross, James, beheaded, Philip crucified on a cross, Bartholomew, literally flayed alive and then beheaded, Thomas was stabbed to death, Matthew killed by sword, the other James was thrown from the temple and beaten to death, Jude was beaten with club till death, Simon the Zealot was literally sawed in half, Matthias who took Judas Iscariots place in the Apostles, was stoned and beheaded. And John the only disciple to die a natural death, died on an island all alone in exile dealing with extreme suffering.

Each of the disciples carried a cross, some literally carried a cross just like Christ did, for they loved Christ so much, had ultimate loyalty to Him that meant giving up their lives for Him. That is a relationship, that is the type of relationship that Christ is asking of us.

Jesus prepared them, and He also prepares us too.

And as we move forward in our passage Jesus says this:

“whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

When you are finding your life you are trying to be the one that is in control and you cling to it.

This means trying to keep control, comfort, reputation, the approval of those who you love, who you are on this Earth and following your own will and not God’s will.

Jesus says to us right in this passage from Matthew

“Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Surrender to Jesus may cost you everything, but that surrender will lead you to everything.

That is the Gospel, the Good News and what the First Commandment is all about.

But I want to go back to the first question I asked way in the beginning, where is the Gospel in this passage?

Well verse 40 says this:

“Whoever receives you receives me and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

There it is right from the mouth of God.

That brothers and sisters is the Gospel.

That is the promise of the Good News directly from Christ, and He said Receive Him.

What does that mean?

Christ comes to you through the Word of God, His Holy Word, that means that Christ creates in you, faith in Him through the Holy Spirit through His Holy Word, that means that through the Lord’s Supper Christ gives Himself literally to you His very body and blood, that means that Christ makes you, a poor miserable sinner, worthy. That means that Christ Himself holds you in His presence and keeps you close to Him, that on the day that you fall asleep in His arms, it is He who rewards you for eternity.

Receiving Christ isn’t something that we do ourselves its through faith, that we receive Him.

4 words, Gospel in a nutshell right here you ready.

Christ gives, we receive.

And just to remind you of His grace and mercy, and love for each and everyone of you, Jesus ends this verse with this:

“Truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward”

You didn’t earn it, He earned the reward that is given to you. You didn’t hold the Law perfectly, He fulfilled the Law perfectly. You didn’t love Him above all things, He loved you more than life itself, more than heaven itself.

Christ carried His cross for you, Christ loved the Father perfectly in complete holiness and truth, Christ is the one who makes you worthy of Him.

He asks of us what He has given to us already. And that is the truth that Christ Himself that we see through the Gospel is true loyalty is seen that will never fail, from Christ Himself is the Gospel.

For He is the One who calls us to Himself, He is the one who keeps us even when we fail, He is the one who gives the reward to us, the same reward He earned by His sacrifice, He is the one who loves you above all things and because of His love for you, because He kept the commandments true and fulfilled, we are free to love Him above all things too.

Amen…

Please join me in prayer:

O Christ, Lord and Redeemer,

You speak the words of truth that sometimes hurt deep but heal with grace, you take away our idols and toss our hearts that are full of division out of us and call us to follow you above all things.

Give us courage to carry the cross You place before us. Give us faith to trust You when the sword divides. Give us strength to surrender our lives into Your hands.

And above all, give us the comfort of Your Gospel — that You receive us, that You make us worthy, that You hold us fast, and that You will by no means let us lose the reward You earned for us.

Keep us faithful. Keep us near. Keep us Yours.

In Your holy and precious name we pray, Amen.

And now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding may it guard your hearts and your minds forever in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.

Amen.

Hymn of Response: Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us #462

Benediction

Final Hymn: Doxology #625