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THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST September 14, 2025 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto OPENING HYMN: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light” Lutheran Service Book Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 The Introit Psalm 30:2-5; antiphon: Ps. Vss. 11a, 12b You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! The Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us. The Salutation: Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And with thy spirit. Collect Prayer (Please Stand): Lord Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd, without whom nothing is secure. Rescue and preserve us that we may not be lost forever but follow You, rejoicing in the way that leads to eternal life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Our Bible Readings First Reading Ezekiel 34:11-24 Psalm 119:169-176 (antiphon: v. 176) Epistle Reading 1st Timothy 1:12-17 Our Gospel Reading Luke 15:1-10 THE NICENE CREED Page 191 HYMN OF THE DAY: 609 “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RODV7z-UQhI&list=RDRODV7z-UQhI&start_radio=1 THE SERMON – Brothers and sisters, peace, grace, and mercy be to you through God our Father, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. We have Good News today from our Gospel Reading – Jesus receives you and eats with us, with sinners. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here now, nor would we one day be in Heaven. Does that mean Jesus doesn’t care if we sin? Can we do whatever we want? Will Jesus celebrate our sin with us? No, there is a call to repentance here, a repentance that means sorrow over sins, an acknowledgment that we have offended God and are deserving of eternal punishment. That repentance can’t happen if we’re comfortable in our sins or think we don’t sin. The latter was the issue that burdened the Pharisees. Many people today fall prey to both errors. Ironically, the Pharisees never spoke truer words than when they grumbled, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Here we see the Pharisees could inadvertently speak the truth, though they were too blind in their arrogance to know it. So, Jesus tells them a story, a trilogy really, the two parables of our Gospel today, along with the parable of the Prodigal Son, and His loving Father that concludes the 15th Chapter of Luke. The two parables before us this morning are often thought of, and used as, evangelism texts. And they are, if we understand evangelism correctly. The spreading of the Gospel is not just for those people out there – the pagan peoples of some faraway land. It is for every sinner, every man, woman, and child alike until our Lord comes again on the Last Day. Evangelism is the proclamation of the Good News, that, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” It is sharing God’s all-powerful Word that saves, now, and for eternity. So, what about you and me? Are we sinners? Of course we are. The Apostle Paul wrote about himself, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” No one else’s sin spiritually hurts you or separates you from God and keeps you out of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is OUR sins that are our worst nightmare – not the gangsters, not the troublesome neighbour, or even family member. Oh, they’re sinners as well, but they’re not the ultimate problem. Our sins are the problem. And Jesus came to save you, and me, from them. “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Again, does that mean Jesus tolerates sins, even joins you in celebrating them? Or being ‘proud’ of them? No. Nothing could be further from the truth. He calls sinners to repentance, then and now, through His Word, through the Law, that convicts us of sin. He daily strips each sinner of their self-righteousness and brings them, in Baptismal repentance, to dine with Him at His Table alongside other repentant sinners. A feast we share in now of His body and blood for forgiveness, life, and salvation – the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. And any church that does not see communion this way is not a Christian Church – the Bible makes that clear. There is always room at the Lord’s table for one more repentant sinner. God the Father is always ready to welcome one more formerly stubborn Pharisee, or person who used to think they could live any way they wanted, but who finally admitted to being lost. Here, we’re really no different than the Pharisees. God has indeed given us a great gift in this nation, where we are still free to assemble to hear God’s Word and receive His gifts. But our society has turned from His generosity in many ways. The unbelieving world denies Him as the Creator of the universe and our Creator and Father. Secular culture denies His good gift of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and instead tells us we should be ‘proud’ of sin. Over 100,000 unborn children a year in this country are murdered in the sin of abortion. In the U.S. it’s over a million. Many in our society have forgotten that our eternal destiny is in the hands of God alone, whether they dismiss Him, or not. His majesty, and reign, continues. And our salvation is only found in being found by Him. Many today put more faith in guidance from their GPS units than in the Bible. But the moment after they close their eyes for the last time in this life, those electronic devices and everything else in this world will mean nothing. Many people don’t like to admit they don’t know where they’re going, and need help. Physically, and especially spiritually. They prefer to set their own path. The Pharisees were no different. Everyone since Adam and Eve has had the same problem when it comes to Heaven. We’d all rather get there by ourselves, traveling our own roads, hoping we know where we are, and that we’ll eventually get to where we need to go. But that’s the highway to hell. There are many on it. They believe they’re a law unto themselves, and don’t need to repent and receive God’s Word, and His Sacraments that Christ instituted and commanded. Dear fellow sinners, don’t ever forget that apart from Holy Baptism, apart from hearing the Word of God that forgives you, apart from our Lord’s Supper, we too are among the lost. Every one of us is in the same boat as the Pharisees, if we insist we don’t need Christ, and His means of grace. There’s no alternate route to Heaven. It’s really that simple: “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” In these Words, Jesus is telling everyone that they should see themselves as sinners in need of a Saviour – so they might receive the grace this God-man offers. Jesus wants you and all people to know, believe, to rejoice, that He is the very Son of God, who came to save the lost. And what’s more, Christ even became the worst of sinners – for us! He carried our transgressions to the cross and died horribly to take the punishment we deserve so believers, repentant sinners, can be forgiven. That’s the Good News, the best we’ll ever hear. The only Son of God the Father, loved you so much He died for you, so you wouldn’t die eternally. May God’s truth, mercy, and forgiveness comfort you, and inspire you to go and tell the lost that they have a Saviour. Amen. THE PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT Page 194 Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) Page 195 The Lord’s Prayer Page 196 The Word of Our Lord Instituting the Lord’s Supper Page 197 Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) Page 198 The Distribution Nunc Dimitis – The Song of Simeon Page 199 Post-Communion Collect (Right-hand column) Page 201 CLOSING HYMN: 923 “Almighty Father, Bless the Word”