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THE TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST November 16, 2025 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church Our Opening Hymn is: 791 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” Lutheran Service Book Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 The Introit Psalm 121:1-2, 5, 7-8; antiphon: Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. 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. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us. Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And with thy Spirit. Our Collect Prayer – (Please stand) O Lord, almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may live and abide forever in Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Our Bible Readings: Old Testament – Malachi 4:1-6 Psalm 98 Epistle Reading – 2nd Thessalonians 3:6-13 Gospel Reading – Luke 21:5-36 THE NICENE CREED Page 191 HYMN OF THE DAY: 508 “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJcXREt1nwM&list=RDcJcXREt1nwM&start_radio=1 THE SERMON – “Christ’s Word Endures Forever” There are times when the glitter of this world can take our attention away from the eternal to what’s merely passing. The disciples were amazed by the temple. The stones were massive, seemingly permanent. It was magnificent, as our own monuments of wealth and power appear today. Yet Jesus delivers a prophecy: “The days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” He unfolds a narrative that stretches from the destruction of the temple to Jerusalem, and to the end of this world. Christ describes a journey from tribulation to redemption, from fear to hope. This text isn’t meant to terrify believers, but to anchor us in our Lord. Our Saviour has replaced the temple as the place where God dwells. His Word endures when all else fails. His Church has become the meeting place of true believers. When the disciples were overcome by worldly majesty, Christ reminds them that even the most impressive human achievements are temporary. The prophecy was fulfilled. In A.D. 70, Roman armies leveled Jerusalem. Nations rise and fall. Buildings crumble. Jesus warns of wars, earthquakes, and famines which continue through these end times we live in until His return. Yet these aren’t signs of God’s absence, but reminders that creation itself groans under sin. They’re “birth pains” pointing to a new creation – Heaven. The prophet Malachi described this: “The day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and evildoers will be stubble.” (Malachi 4:1). The proud structures of human achievement can’t endure the Final Judgment. For us, this means ordering our spiritual priorities through the lens of faith in our Redeemer. Think of how easily we’re impressed by what seems permanent: financial security, political power, social status. Yet all these things are transitory. Wars rage. Economies collapse. But Christ’s Word endures. Jesus then shifts from cosmic signs to personal trials. The disciples will face persecution, betrayal, even hatred for His name. But He promises: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” The Apostles suffered imprisonment and trials. All of them would be martyred, except John, who spent long, difficult years in prison. Yet Christ sustains their bold witness even to this day through His Church. Jesus promised: “Not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (vv. 18–19). This isn’t a guarantee of earthly safety, but of eternal preservation. Our soul is only secure in Him. Then comes the prophecy of Jerusalem’s fall (vv. 20–24). Yet beyond temporal judgment is blessed assurance from Christ: “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (v. 27). Here is the ultimate Christian hope. When the world trembles, when fear grips us, Christ comes not to destroy but to redeem and rescue His people. He reassures: “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (v. 28). The believer’s posture isn’t terror, but trust in Christ. Psalm 98 repeats the promise: “The Lord comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” (Psalm 98:9). For the Christian, Judgment isn’t dread, but joy—because Christ is our righteousness. When you see the world unraveling—whether through conflict or personal hardship—remember this: Jesus hasn’t abandoned His faithful. He’s drawing near. These signs of collapse aren’t the end of hope. They are the prelude to restoration. Jesus concludes with the parable of the fig tree. Just as budding leaves reveal summer, so the signs He describes point to the nearness of God’s eternal kingdom. Here is true certainty: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (v. 33). Everything visible may disappear, but God’s promises endure. Jesus warns: “Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life.” (v. 34). The danger is not only persecution but complacency with sin. It was true then, and true today. So Christ exhorts us: “Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man.” (v. 36). This is the pastoral core of our text. Jesus doesn’t leave His disciples in despair, but calls them—and us—to ask for strength, found only in, and through, Him. To remain rooted to our Saviour in prayer. Watchfulness is not anxious speculation about dates and signs. It’s faithful readiness, living in repentance and hope. We’re called not to use the daily headlines as a Ouija board to calculate when the end will come. Christ said no one knows that but the Father. We’re commissioned to be part of His Church, the Body of Christ. Paul echoes this in Second Thessalonians: “Do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thess. 3:13). The Christian life isn’t folding our hands in fear, but active faithfulness—prayer, endurance, and love until Christ returns. How do we watch? Workers labour honestly. Congregations gather each Sunday around Word and Sacrament, where Christ is present today in His true Church exactly as He promised. We remain in His Word preached correctly, and in the living spiritual reality of Absolution, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. We ‘watch’ when we show Christian love, serving one another and the neighbour. This is living in Christ’s forgiveness, ready for His return. The heart of today’s Gospel isn’t destruction, but redemption. Yet redemption isn’t our escape plan, but Christ Himself. He endured the cross, so we could be forgiven. And the resurrection is our assurance that His Good News remains true. The end of the age isn’t a threat to believers, but the unveiling of salvation. This is why Malachi writes: “For you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4:2). That “sun” is Christ. And in this time before Advent, we look to that approaching light. Luke, Chapter 21, isn’t a code to be cracked, but a promise to be trusted. This world will pass away, but Christ’s Gospel endures. So, remain in His Word, in His Church, and faithfully await the day when Christ comes again in glory. Then our rescue will be complete, every tear wiped away, and we can stand in joy before the crucified and risen Saviour clothed in His righteousness. Amen. PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT Page 194 Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) Page 195 The Lord’s Prayer Page 196 Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) Page 198 Post-Communion Collect (Right-hand column) Page 201 Our Closing Hymn is: 733 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”