First Service
NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Master Strange Love
October 4, 2026
AS WE GATHER
“God loves you.” It is not like we have never heard that before. We may even have taken that fact for granted, thinking, “Well, of course He does! That’s His thing! 1 John 4:8 says that God is love.” Nevertheless, as our lives and circumstances unfold, through the uncertainties of sin and doubt and failure, many have come up short and been forced to wonder, “How can God love me now?” Love, after all, is always in direct proportion to our worthiness of it, to how lovable we are, right?
The highest love of God, agape, can commonly be defined as the love of intelligence and corresponding purpose. This definition may seem at first to drain the whole idea of the depth of emotion or the value of love. But we discover the power of God’s love even more as we are convinced of the greatness of our need—our own sin and unworthiness. That’s when the cross of Calvary and the sacrifice of Christ crucified shines forth as the highest, greatest, and almost unbelievable love of God for you—even you. Notice how many of today’s hymns examine the depth and, yes, “strangeness” of the fact that God loves you.
+ PREPARATION +
HYMN Come, Now Is the Time to Worship
Refrain: Come, now is the time to worship.
Come, now is the time to give your heart.
Come, just as you are, to worship.
Come, just as you are, before your God. Come.
One day ev’ry tongue will confess You are God, One day ev’ry knee will bow.
Still, the greatest treasure remains for those Who gladly praise You now. (Refrain)
Willingly we give and surrender our lives. Willingly our knees will bow.
With all our heart, soul, mind and strength We gladly praise You now. (Refrain)
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 43:4; 124:8; John 3:16
Pastor: I will go to the altar of God,
People: to God my exceeding joy.
Pastor: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
People: who made heaven and earth.
Pastor: God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,
People: that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Beloved, “the love of Christ constrains us,” because “He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” For the sake of the miraculous love of God, let us draw near to Him with a true heart and confess our sins and our need for God’s love.
People: Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess to You that we have sinned against You through our fears and failure to live according to Your will and design. Because our love for You has faltered, so also have we not loved those whom You would have us call our neighbor. So certain are we of our sin that we have even wondered at times how You could still love us. Because of Your merciful invitation alone, we come before You, begging Your forgiveness solely and alone for the sake of the sacrifice of Your Son. O Lord, have mercy on us.
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 Christ Be My Leader LSB 861
Christ be my leader by night as by day; Safe through the darkness, for He is the way.
Gladly I follow, my future His care, Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there.
Christ be my teacher in age as in youth, Drifting or doubting, for He is the truth.
Grant me to trust Him; though shifting as sand, Doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand.
Christ be my Savior in calm as in strife; Death cannot hold me, for He is the Life.
Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain Can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. Gracious God, You gave Your Son into the hands of sinful men who killed Him. Forgive us when we reject Your unfailing love, and grant us the fullness of Your salvation; 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 5:1–7 (God’s love song for His beloved)
Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
EPISTLE Philippians 3:4b–14 (The surpassing worth of knowing Christ)
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,[a] blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 21:33–46 (The parable of the tenants)
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 5When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN Thine The Amen, Thine the Praise LSB 680
Thine the amen Thine the praise Alleluias angels raise Thine the everlasting head Thine the breaking of the bread
Thine the glory Thine the story Thine the harvest then the cup Thine the vineyard then the cup is lifted up lifted up.
Thine the life eternally Thine the promise let there be Thine the vision Thine the tree All the earth on bended knee
Gone the nailing gone the railing Gone the pleading gone the cry Gone the sighing gone the dying what was loss lifted high.
Thine the truly Thine the yes thine the table we the guest Thine the mercy all from Thee thine the glory yet to be
Then the ringing and the singing Then the end of all the war Thine the living Thine the loving evermore evermore.
Thine the kingdom Thine the prize Thine the wonder full surprise Thine the banquet then the praise Then the justice of Thy ways
Thine the glory Thine the story Then the welcome to the least Then the wonder all increasing at thy feast at thy feast.
Thine the glory in the night no more dying only light Thine the river Thine the tree Then the Lamb eternally
Then the holy holy holy Celebration jubilee Thine the splendor Thine the brightness only Thee only Thee.
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: Lord God, heavenly Father, Your apostle John wrote, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1). As Your children, then, we come before You crying, “Abba! Father!” For the mystery of Your gift of our lives, Your good creation, and Your holy will of love and salvation, we praise You without end. Help us to live in Your love and praise, giving thanks every day for Your provision of life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: By Your goodness, O Lord, keep and preserve Your holy church in the true faith, proclaiming the pure, heavenly doctrine of Your Word and being constantly strengthened in Your love. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: By Your Spirit, we pray You to guide all who are in the authority of government in our land and in all the nations of the earth, that we dwell in peace and rely on Your provision of justice and freedom for all. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: We pray for all who are sick or hospitalized and for any who are in trouble, doubt, or fear of death. We pray especially for . . . Grant Your healing gifts and merciful presence to save and deliver all who look to You for help in every need. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Receive, O God, our bodies and souls and all our talents, together with the offerings we bring, as You have purchased us by the blood of Your Son to be Your own, that we may live under Him in His kingdom. Help us live by true faith to prepare for the world to come, doing the work You have given us to do while it is day. And when our last hour comes, support us by Your power and receive us into Your heavenly kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Into Your hands we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.