First Service
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
Ordinary Discipleship
January 25, 2026
AS WE GATHER
The Epiphany season proclaims and celebrates the salvation of God coming into the world as a light shining in a dark place. Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah predicting the dawning of that light into the darkness of unbelief, separation from God, sin, and “the shadow of death” (Matthew 4:16). That light was and is Jesus and His message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 17). It may seem like a minor detail that Matthew says Isaiah’s prophetic words were fulfilled when Jesus left His hometown of Nazareth to live “in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali” (v. 13). Yet even this little fact testifies to how real the words of the Old Testament are and how they are fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.
Likewise, it may at times seem insignificant and even unimportant when the light of the Gospel is preached in our hearing and in our world today. How many of us have heard God’s voice directly saying, “Follow me”? Those who were baptized as infants have no memory of ever being apart from God or His church. The life of faith in God may just seem normal or even routine to us—nothing out of the ordinary. Still, our sins remind us of the temptation to ignore God. Like the Christians in Corinth, we have sinful pride that causes divisions and quarreling among us. And while that’s no different than anywhere else in our world, to be a disciple of Jesus means to be truly different than the world. Repentance means being transformed by love of God and love of neighbor. Today, Jesus truly is saying to you, “Repent” and “Follow Me,” even in the ordinary details of life.
+ PREPARATION +
HYMN The Church’s One Foundation TLH 473
The Church’s one foundation, Is Jesus Christ, her Lord; She is His new creation, by water and the Word:
From heav’n He came and sought her, to be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth, Her charter of salvation: one Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food; And to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.
The Church shall never perish Her dear Lord, to defend, To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end.
Tho’ there be those that hate her, False sons within her pale, Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail.
Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
Yet saints there watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?” And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
‘Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, She waits the consummation, of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious, shall be the Church at rest.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 43:4; Matthew 4:16
Pastor: I will go to the altar of God,
People: to God my exceeding joy.
Pastor: The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, . . .People: on them a light has dawned.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Psalm 22:22
Pastor: Today Jesus Christ comes to you with an invitation, saying, “Repent” and “Follow Me.” Let us prepare to receive His Word, leave our sin behind, and follow Him in the power of His forgiveness.
People: Lord God, open our ears to hear Your call of salvation and life. Enable us to hear the voice of Your Son, Christ our Lord, that His Word may move us to turn from our ways and our walk without You, and follow Him in faith, that we may learn and live in the light of Your love.
Pastor: Lord Jesus, “I will tell of Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You.” Upon this your confession, I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to you. And in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Pastor: Now, let us follow Him!
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
HYMN OF PRAISE Glorify Thy Name CH 9
Father, we love You, we worship and adore You, Glorify Thy name in all the earth.
Glorify Thy name, glorify Thy name, Glorify Thy name in all the earth.
Jesus we love You, we worship and adore You, Glorify Thy name in all the earth.
Glorify Thy name, glorify Thy name, Glorify Thy name in all the earth.
Spirit we love You, we worship and adore You, Glorify Thy name in all the earth.
Glorify Thy name, glorify Thy name, Glorify Thy name in all the earth.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 9:1–4 (The light of God’s reign breaks into the world.)
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 1:10–18 (Divisions in the church)
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 4:12–25 (Jesus begins calling the first disciples.)
12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues nd proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness CH 293
Praise the One who breaks the darkness with a liberating light.
Praise the One who frees the pris’ners, turning blindness into sight.
Praise the One who preached the Gospel, healing ev’ry dread disease,
Calming storms and feeding thousands with the very bread of peace.
Praise the One who blessed the children with a strong yet gentle word.
Praise the One who drove out demons with a piercing two-edged sword.
Praise the One who brings cool water to the desert’s burning sand.
From this well comes living water quenching thirst in ev’ry land.
Praise the one true love incarnate: Christ, who suffered in our place.
Jesus died and rose for many that we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness, seeing what our God has done.
Praise the one redeeming glory, praise the One who makes us one.
SERMON
NICENE CREED
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Matthew 4:16–17, 19
Pastor: “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.” Lord of light and life, we thank You for opening our eyes to see the light of Your mercy and salvation, our ears to hear Your call, our hearts to receive the faith that saves, and our minds to acknowledge Your glory. Cast Your light of grace through our lives, that many in our dark world may turn in repentance and joy to You. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Lord Jesus Christ, by Your Holy Spirit, give us faith to turn and follow You each day. Direct, guide, and rule our hearts that we may reflect Your love and forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Jesus says, “Follow Me.” Help us, O God, to leave the cares of our lives in this world to pursue the life You give us anchored in Your Word and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Jesus came teaching, preaching, and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Continue to come to us and especially to all who suffer any need, injury, disease, or fear. Grant the healing of body, mind, and spirit with faith in Your never-ending help and kindness. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: As You blessed the land of Zebulun, Naphtali, and Galilee of the Gentiles, so grant Your blessing on our nation, that those in positions of leadership and community service may work for the health, peace, and safety of all. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Remembering all who have followed You in faith whom You have called to Yourself through the grave and gate of death, give us endurance and strength to abide in the fellowship of Your church all our days, that we may enter the glorious fullness of Your eternal kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.