Lectionary Readings — Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost — November 2, 2025
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10
Call to Worship (based on Luke 19:1-10)
Leader: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
People: And we, like Zacchaeus, long to see him.
Leader: We may feel too small, too insignificant, too far from God’s grace.
People: Yet Jesus looks up and calls us by name.
Leader: “Come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
People: Jesus invites himself into our lives, into our brokenness, into our need.
Leader: Others may grumble that he welcomes sinners.
People: But we rejoice! For salvation has come to this house.
Leader: Where Jesus is welcomed, hearts are transformed.
People: Where Jesus is received, generosity flows and wrongs are made right.
Leader: The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.
People: We were lost, but now we are found. We were far off, but Christ has drawn near.
All: Let us worship the One who seeks us, finds us, and calls us beloved. Amen.
Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 119:137-144)
Let us pray:
Righteous God, we gather in your presence this day, acknowledging that you alone are just and true in all your ways. Your testimonies are righteous and utterly faithful, a firm foundation when all else shifts beneath our feet.
We confess, O Lord, that our zeal for your Word sometimes grows cold. Yet even now, you kindle within us a renewed passion for your truth. Though we may feel small and insignificant in this vast world, we do not forget your precepts. They are our treasure and our guide.
We come before you, Eternal One, knowing that your righteousness endures forever and your law is truth itself. In a world of confusion and fleeting opinions, ground us in what is lasting and real.
Lord, we do not hide from you the troubles and anguish that have found us. Some of us carry burdens that weigh heavy on our hearts. Some face trials that seem overwhelming. Yet even in distress, your commandments remain our delight and our hope.
Your decrees are righteous forever. Give us understanding, we pray, that we may truly live—not merely exist, but flourish in the fullness of life you intend for us.
As we worship today, open our eyes to see your truth, our ears to hear your voice, and our hearts to receive your love. May this time together renew our strength and deepen our trust in you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Righteousness and our Peace, we pray.
Amen
Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].
[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]
Sermon Outline: "UP A TREE AND DOWN TO EARTH"
Based on Luke 19:1-10
I. THE SEEKING: Zacchaeus’s Desperate Pursuit (vv. 1-4)
A. The Man Behind the Money
B. The Obstacle of His Circumstances
C. The Radical Step of Faith
II. THE SEEING: Jesus’s Surprising Initiative (vv. 5-7)
A. Jesus Looks Up
B. Jesus Calls Out
C. Jesus Causes Controversy
III. THE SALVATION: Zacchaeus’s Genuine Transformation (vv. 8-10)
A. The Evidence of Encounter
B. The Economics of Grace
C. The Declaration of Jesus
D. The Mission Statement
CONCLUSION
Jesus is still in the business of looking up at people everyone else looks down on. He’s still calling people by name. He’s still inviting himself into messy lives and broken homes.
The question is not “Are you good enough for Jesus?” but “Will you come down from your tree and welcome him today?”
Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers
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