First Service
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Warning the Wicked
September 6, 2026
AS WE GATHER
In every congregation, there are those who once sat together with us in the pews but have since been lost to error or sin. Those who used to be Christian may constitute a number larger than those who are currently Christian. It is one thing to lament this and criticize from the sidelines. It is quite another to warn the wicked. Though some might assume that the chief purpose of church discipline is to condemn the sins and errors of others, our Lord reminds us that discipline is an act of love that seeks to restore the fallen. While this idea may seem out of step with the emphasis in our times on tolerance without judgment, if our Lord loves the lost enough to save us, then we are called to do no less. Key to this is warning the wicked (as Ezekiel puts it) with the voice of God’s Word. This certainly includes condemning sin and error, but it also includes restoring the fallen through forgiveness. It is not the will of our Father in heaven that any should perish, and it is the joy of heaven to welcome them back. Is it also our passion to seek them out, to warn them with the voice of God’s Word, and to welcome them home through forgiveness?
+ PREPARATION +
HYMN Beautiful Savior LSB 537
Beautiful Savior King of creation Son of God and Son of Man
Truly I’d love Thee truly I’d serve Thee Light of my soul my Joy my crown
Fair are the meadows fair are the woodlands Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring
Jesus is fairer Jesus is purer He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing
Fair is the sunshine fair is the moonlight Bright the sparkling stars on high
Jesus shines brighter Jesus shines purer Than all the angels in the sky
Beautiful Savior Lord of the nations Son of God and Son of Man
Glory and honor praise adoration Now and forever more be Thine
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
HYMN OF PRAISE How Can I Thank You, Lord LSB 703
How can I thank You Lord For all Your loving kindness
That You have patiently Borne with me in my blindness
When dead in many sins And trespasses I lay
I kindled holy God Your anger everyday
Lord You have raised me up To joy and exultation
And clearly shown the way That leads me to salvation
My sins are washed away For this I thank You Lord
Now with my heart and soul All evil I abhor
O Father God of love Now hear my supplication
O Savior Son of God Accept my adoration
O Holy Spirit be My ever faithful guide
That I may serve You here And there with You abide
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. O God, from whom all good proceeds, grant to us, Your humble servants, Your holy inspiration, that we may set our minds on the things that are right and, by Your merciful guiding, accomplish them; 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 Ezekiel 33:7–9 (I have made you a watchman.)
7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
EPISTLE Romans 13:1–10 (“Love is the fulfilling of the law.”)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 18:1–20 (The Son of Man came to seek the lost and save them.)
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[f] in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN Blessed Jesus, At Your Word LSB 904
Blessed Jesus at Your Word We are gathered all to hear You
Let our hearts and souls be stirred Now to seek and love and fear You
By Your teachings sweet and holy Drawn from earth to love You solely
All our knowledge sense and sight Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Your Spirit breaks our night With the beams of truth unclouded
You alone to God can win us You must work all good within us
Gracious Savior good and kind Light of Light from God proceeding
Open now our heart and mind Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading
Hear the cry Your Church now raises Hear and bless our prayers and praises
Father Son and Spirit Lord Praise to You and adoration
Grant that we may trust Your Word Confident of our salvation
While we here below must wander Till we sing Your praises yonder
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
Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ and for all people according to their needs.
That the Lord would move us to seek out the lost, address them with the voice of God’s Word, and restore them who receive this warning with penitence, that the hearts of all once forgiven be moved to forgive one another in Christ’s name, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the church burn with zeal for the lost and for those caught up in heresy, error, and immorality and learn to rejoice with the angels over every sinner who repents and is saved, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the Lord of the church well supply His people with faithful pastors and church workers and that He impart His rich blessing upon those newly ordained and consecrated and those training up for church work vocations, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the Lord raise up for us good and faithful leaders on every level of government, bless those who serve with gifts of wisdom and prudence, and protect and defend all who protect and defend us, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the Lord continue to show mercy to those afflicted in body, mind, or soul; grant them comfort and aid; and sustain them in this mercy to everlasting life, [and especially do we pray for . . .], let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the Lord would bless the homes where His people dwell, giving courage and strength to husbands and wives in the fulfillment of their promises and blessing all parents with wisdom and grace to attend to the children in their care, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That we learn gratitude for the manifold and rich gifts that God supplies every day and that we learn generosity to share with those in need, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That we use our skills and abilities in honest labor and that the work of our hands be blessed, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the Lord would grant to all who approach this altar with repentant hearts and faith to receive here the gifts bestowed in this communion of Christ’s flesh and blood, and that the Lord bless us with unity of doctrine and life together, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: That the Lord grant us a blameless life and a blessed death, that at the last we be received into the arms of His mercy, and that the Lord grant His comfort and peace to the dying and all who grieve, [especially . . .], let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.