This Sunday's 8 AM Service | Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Who Needs the Gospel?

June 14, 2026

AS WE GATHER

The only people in the Old Testament who needed freedom were those enslaved. The people in today’s Gospel who truly needed a Savior were like sheep without a shepherd, milling about without hope. The vast crowds of people who have inherited the sin of Adam are, as we once were, dead in trespasses and sin; they all need some good news! Today’s Readings move us into action! God promises that His people shall be priests, and priests convey the message of forgiveness to all burdened by sin. The gift of God’s Son abounds for many, Paul writes in the Epistle. And Jesus Himself tells us to proclaim as we go, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). Be ready to be moved into action!

+ PREPARATION +

HYMN God Himself is Present TLH 4

God Himself is present: Let us now adore Him
And with awe appear before Him.
God is in His temple--All within keep silence,
Prostrate lie with deepest reverence.
Him alone God we own, Him, our God and Savior; Praise His name forever.

God Himself is present: Hear the harps resounding;
See the hosts the throne surrounding!
"Holy, holy, holy"--Hear the hymn ascending,
Songs of saints and angels blending.
Bow Thine ear To us here: Hear, O Christ, the praises That Thy Church now raises.

O Thou Fount of blessing, Purify my spirit,
Trusting only in Thy merit. Like the holy angels,
Who behold Thy glory, May I ceaselessly adore Thee.
Let Thy will Ever still Rule Thy Church terrestrial As the hosts celestial.

INVOCATION

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

OPENING SENTENCES

Pastor: You shall be My treasured possession among all peoples,

People: for all the earth is Mine.

Pastor: We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

People: through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Pastor: Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest

People: to send out laborers into His harvest.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Pastor: Let us come into God’s presence in humility and confession.
Heavenly Father, who rescued Your people from Egypt,

People: rescue us from our sins in thought, word, and deed. Forgive us.

Pastor: Lord Jesus, who gave Yourself into death that we might have life,

People: we confess that we deserve that death You willingly took for us. Forgive us.

Pastor: O Holy Spirit, who wants all people to be saved,

People: we are by nature sinful and in need of Your gracious love. Forgive us.

Pastor: May forgiveness and joy fill your hearts, willing obedience guide your steps, and may the Gospel be proclaimed as you live out each day. In the stead and by the command of our 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.

+ WORD +

HYMN OF PRAISE Praise to the Lord TLH 39 vs 1 & 2

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is Thy Health and Salvation!
Join the full throng: Wake, harp and psalter and song;
Sound forth in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Who, as on wings of an eagle, uplifteth, sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen How thy desires all have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty, eternal God, in the Word of Your apostles and prophets You have proclaimed to us Your saving will. Grant us faith to believe Your promises that we may receive eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING Exodus 19:2–8

(God did everything to free His people from slavery.)

2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

EPISTLE Romans 5:6–15 (The one man’s death means life for many.)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 9:35–10:8 (The disciples are sent out as apostles.)

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

HYMN Ancient Words

Holy words, long preserved, for our walk in this world.

They resound with God’s own heart,

O let the ancient words impart. Words of life, words of hope,

give us strength, help us cope. In this world where e’er we roam, ancient words will guide us home.

Refrain: Ancient words, ever true,

changing me and changing you.

We have come with open hearts,

O let the ancient words impart.

Holy words of our faith handed down to this age.

Came to us through sacrifice, O heed the faithful words of Christ.

Ancient words, long preserved, for our walk in this world.

They resound with God’s own heart, O let the ancient words impart. (Refrain)

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 all people, ourselves, and the church around the world.

For the church, that the Word be not bound but have free course and be preached to our edifying and to all whom God directs us, let us pray to the Lord.