Grace Lutheran
Sunday 2026 January 18 Setting 4
  • He Is Exalted

      • Isaiah 49:1–7ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:1–9ESV

      • John 1:29–42ESV

      • Psalm 40:1–5ESV

      • Psalm 40:1–5ESV

      • John 20:1–18ESV

      • Isaiah 49:1–7ESV

      • John 20:1–18ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:1–9ESV

      • John 20:1–18ESV

      • John 1:29–42ESV

  • At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing
  • Create In Me A Clean Heart
  • Son of God, Eternal Saviour
  • On What Has Now Been Sown
  • Isaiah 49:1–7 , 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 , John 1:29–42

    Now Hiring

    Imagine a job posting so honest it wouldn’t last five minutes online.
    It would probably get flagged, reported, and removed for being “unsafe.”
    It might read something like this:
    Position Available: Disciple of Jesus Christ
    Work Environment: – Outdoor conditions, unpredictable hours – Frequent exposure to rejection, ridicule, and misunderstanding – High risk of social isolation – Possibility of injury, imprisonment, or even death
    Qualifications: – No experience preferred – In fact, experience may be a liability—you might ask too many questions – Must be comfortable following instructions that are not always explained – Ability to trust the Employer even when the plan makes no sense
    Compensation Package: – Rewards beyond imagination – Includes forgiveness, eternal life, resurrection of the body, and a place in the Kingdom of God – Important note: Compensation is not payable during your lifetime
    Advancement Opportunities: – Immediate responsibility, minimal training – Leadership roles may be assigned without warning – Performance evaluations conducted by God alone
    Job Security: – Absolutely guaranteed – Based not on employee performance, but on the faithfulness of the Employer
    Let’s be honest—if anyone read this job posting no one would apply.
    And if someone did, you’d probably suggest they talk to a professional.
    And yet… that is exactly how Jesus calls His disciples.
    No marketing campaign. No safety guarantees. No promise that it will look successful.
    Just two words: “Follow Me.”
    Last week we talked about discipleship—what it is, what it looks like, and what it might look like here at Grace over the coming year. And if you listened carefully, you may have thought:
    I’m not sure I’m qualified for that. Or I have no idea where to start.
    Congratulations. That reaction puts you right where Scripture wants you.
    Because today’s readings make one thing very clear: God calls, before people are impressive.
    Or maybe you have heard it this way “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”

    God Calls His Servant Before the Results Are Visible

    (Isaiah 49)
    In Isaiah 49, the Servant of the LORD opens with a line that sounds pretty good—almost inspiring:
    “The LORD called me from the womb.”
    That’s a strong sentence. That’s the kind of line we like to hear.
    Called early. Chosen on purpose. It sounds confident. It sounds hopeful.
    But then—just a few verses later—the same Servant says something very different:
    “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing.”
    That catches your attention.
    That’s not a lack of faith. That’s honesty.
    From where the Servant is standing, it looks like the work isn’t working. The effort is real. The obedience is real. But the results? Hard to find.
    And that’s usually the moment when we expect God to step in and say, “Alright, let’s rethink this.”
    But God doesn’t do that.
    He doesn’t pull the call. He doesn’t change the mission. He doesn’t say, “You just need a better strategy.”
    Instead, God shows the Servant something bigger.
    He tells him the mission was never just about what he could see right now. It wasn’t only about restoring Israel. It was about being a light to the nations.
    In other words, the Servant feels like a failure at the exact moment God is doing something far greater than he can see.
    And that’s not a fluke. That’s how God works.
    Because this Servant is ultimately Christ Himself.
    Jesus was called. Jesus was obedient. Jesus trusted the Father completely.
    And for most of His ministry, it didn’t look impressive.
    People walked away. Religious leaders pushed back. Even His disciples didn’t always get it.
    And in the end, it looked like everything had fallen apart: Rejected. Mocked. Crucified.
    From the outside, it looked like failure. From God’s side, it was salvation.
    So if the perfectly faithful Son of God looked unimpressive while accomplishing the greatest work in history, maybe we should stop assuming that faithfulness in the Church will always look strong, efficient, or successful.
    Sometimes faithfulness just looks like showing up again. Speaking the Word again. Trusting God again.
    Even when we can’t yet see what He’s doing.
    And that brings us right to Corinth— because God doesn’t just call His Servant before the results are visible. He calls His Church saints long before they act like it.

    God Calls His Church Saints Before They Act Like It

    (1 Corinthians 1)
    Then we turn to Corinth.
    And to be clear—Corinth is not a model congregation. They wouldn’t make the church growth books. They wouldn’t be featured at a conference. They’d probably be used as a warning.
    They’re divided. They’re proud. They’re confused.
    They argue about leaders. They misunderstand freedom. They manage to turn even good gifts into a mess.
    And yet—this is what Paul calls them:
    “To the church of God… called to be saints.”
    Not called to get their act together. Not called once they improve.
    Called. Saints. Already.
    That should slow us down.
    Paul doesn’t start by fixing them. He starts by naming them.
    And then—before he corrects a single thing—he does something even more surprising: He thanks God for them.
    Not because they’re impressive. Not because they’re healthy. But because of the grace God has already given them in Christ.
    Because the Church’s identity does not rest on performance. It rests on promise.
    And then Paul says this:
    “He will sustain you to the end… God is faithful.”
    Notice what Paul does not say.
    He doesn’t say, “You’ll figure it out eventually.” He doesn’t say, “Once you mature, things will stabilize.” He doesn’t say, “If you try hard enough, this will all work.”
    He says God will sustain you.
    Why?
    Because God is faithful.
    That matters—especially for us.
    God is not waiting for Grace Lutheran to become impressive before He works through us. He’s not standing back with crossed arms, waiting to see if we earn His involvement.
    If that were how God operated, the Church would have collapsed before it ever made it out of Jerusalem.
    But God calls His Church saints first. Then He gets to work shaping them.
    And that means discipleship doesn’t begin with us proving anything. It begins with trusting the God who has already called us His own.

    God Calls Disciples Before They Know What They’re Doing

    (John 1:29–42)
    Now let’s look at John’s Gospel, where things get even more relatable.
    John the Baptist points and says,
    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
    That’s it. That’s the whole sermon right there.
    And how do the first disciples respond?
    Not with deep theology. Not with confident faith.
    Nope.
    They ask what sounds like a pretty basic question:
    “Where are you staying?”
    You can almost hear the hesitation in that question—like, “Uh, so… what’s the plan here?”
    And Jesus doesn’t say, “Come back when you’ve got your life together.” He doesn’t say, “Enroll in a discipleship class first.” He doesn’t say, “Let me know when you’re ready.”
    Nope. He just says, “Come and see.”
    That’s the invitation.
    Discipleship doesn’t start with perfect understanding or clear answers. It starts with showing up. With curiosity. With a willingness to follow—even when you don’t fully get it.
    Andrew follows Jesus—and the very next thing he does is bring his brother Peter.
    No resume. No references. No guarantees.
    Just, “We found Him.”
    That’s how faith spreads. Not through impressive credentials. Through ordinary people who have met the Savior.
    And that’s where Grace is right now.
    We don’t need to wait until we’re experts. We don’t have to be perfect. We don’t even have to understand everything.
    We just have to say yes to Jesus’ invitation:
    “Come and see.”

    What About Me?

    Here’s the Law we quietly live under every day:
    We think we have to be more confident. More prepared. More spiritually impressive.
    We want guarantees before obedience. Clarity before commitment. Success before faithfulness.
    Sound familiar?
    It’s the voice that tells us, “Wait until you’re ready.” The voice that keeps us on the sidelines. The voice that whispers, “You’re not enough yet.”
    But the Gospel says something far better:
    The impressive work has already been done.
    The Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the world—including the sin that makes us feel unqualified.
    God has called us in Baptism. God sustains us through His Word and Sacraments. God remains faithful—even when we are weak, unsure, and slow.
    Discipleship isn’t about stepping up for God. It’s about being carried forward by Christ.

    What This Means for Grace

    As we move into this year at Grace, discipleship won’t be about trying to become impressive Christians.
    It will be about: – faithfulness over showmanship – consistency over emotional highs – Word and Sacrament over the latest fad
    Or to put it another way:
    If Jesus ran His ministry like a modern organization, He’d have lots of followers—and yet would never be able to change the world and no one would be saved.
    But Jesus does not build His Church that way.
    He calls first. He forgives fully. And He faithfully finishes what He begins.
    So we follow—not because we are impressive. But because He is faithful.
    Amen.
    Closing Prayer
    Lord Jesus, You call us not because we’re impressive, but because You are faithful.
    Forgive us when we doubt Your call or wait until we feel ready.
    Strengthen our faith to follow You— even when we’re weak and unsure.
    Thank You for Your cross and grace, and for carrying us every step of the way.
    Keep us faithful to the end, in Your name we pray, Amen.

      • John 1:29ESV

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