Sermon for July 12, 2026, Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 55:10-13 (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 10—Series A)

“God’s Word Does What Pleases Him”

Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Enfield CT

July 12, 2026

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A large city had a community garden tucked between tall apartment buildings. Every spring, the city delivered truckloads of compost and soil, but one year a delivery was delayed. The gardeners worried their seeds wouldn’t grow in time.

One night, a quiet rain fell over the city — steady, gentle, unremarkable. Most people didn’t even notice it. But in the garden, the soil softened, the nutrients awakened, and the seeds absorbed exactly what they needed. A week later, green shoots appeared everywhere. The gardeners were amazed. They hadn’t done anything extraordinary—no special fertilizers, no fancy equipment. Just simple seeds and a quiet rain.

Across the street lived a teacher who often felt discouraged. She spent her days speaking encouragement to students who didn’t seem to listen. She wondered if her words mattered at all. One morning, as she walked past the garden, she overheard two students talking. One said, “You know, what she told me last week . . . it stuck with me. I’ve been thinking about it every day.” The teacher smiled, realizing something: Her words were like that quiet rain. They didn’t always make a dramatic splash, but they soaked in. They softened hearts. They nourished growth she couldn’t see yet. In a similar way, just as the rain never returns to the clouds without watering the earth, God’s Word never returns empty. It accomplishes something real, even when unnoticed.

Our text from Isaiah 55:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return there but instead waters the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, and giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will My word be which goes out from My mouth. It will not return to me empty, but it will do that which I please and it will prosper in respect to that for which I sent it. For in joy you will go out and in peace you will be led. The mountains and the hills will break forth before you with shouts of joy and all the tress of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn, a cypress tree will arise. And instead of the brier, a myrtle tree will arise. And it will be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”

The Holy Scriptures. The Bible. God’s Word. It comes from His mouth and is made known to us by means of the media of the spoken and written word. It bears witness to itself in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” And 2 Peter 1:20-21, “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

As Christians, we believe that the Bible IS God’s inspired written Word, without error and the only rule and norm of faith and practice. His Word in Holy Scripture is divine. It is the very expression of the truth itself. And it is effective. God’s Word does what He intends it to do, not accidentally or by chance, but on purpose. And so the Lord compared His Word to rain and snow that water the earth. Rain and snow give water on purpose, as part of God’s good creation. Water causes the ground to sprout and bring forth “plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth” (Gen. 1:11 ESV). In this way, on purpose, God gives “seed to the sower and bread to the eater.”

In the same way, God’s holy, divine Word “goes out” from His mouth and does that which He pleases and prospers in respect to that for which He sent His Word. And what is that purpose? To give all people salvation through the forgiveness of sins by means of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

Many of you know that I like to read. And I like to read, not only good theology, but also good history and historical fiction. Some of you are readers and your preferred genres are probably different than mine. Books, stories, and narratives can have an impact on us. They might challenge the way we think about certain things. They may deliver a dose of suspense or feelings of drama. God’s Word does that, but more than that. Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

God’s words in the Bible are not lazy or dead words, but are creative, living words. They “do” something to us, not just on an emotional level, but spiritually, inside us. “My word . . . will not return to me empty, but it will do that which I please and it will prosper in respect to that for which I sent it.” The Word of the Lord is like a mirror as it accurately reflects the truth about our sin in light of God’s Law. The Word itself exposes our sinful words, thoughts, actions, and desires and shows us that we do not possess true fear of God and true faith in God by nature. Our failures to keep the Ten Commandments are revealed ever so clearly to us in God’s Word, and by the Holy Spirit working through that living, active Word, convicts us of our sins and sinfulness so that our body, soul, and spirit can only cry out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” It is the Word that enables this cry of confession and creates within us the desire to be saved from sin and its consequence of death.

Luther wrote in the Large Catechism, “The Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit. It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts.”^[1]

Having been given the knowledge of our standing before the holy God as sinners and fallen creatures, we cry to Him for His mercy. And from His Word, out of His mouth, God speaks a different Word “preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36 ESV). This is the Gospel, the Good News Word. And it is not simply a message that tells us about God’s mercy and forgiveness. This Gospel Word from God’s own mouth to us in His Word accomplishes that mercy and forgiveness. God’s Word delivers to us repentant sinners His mercy and the forgiveness Jesus won for us with His death and resurrection.

God the Father sent His One-of-a-Kind Son to accomplish humanity’s redemption from sin, death, and the power of the devil and to restore the whole creation to Himself. Yahweh’s Word, Jesus Christ, “came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man” (Nicene Creed). The Word was sent into this fallen world to complete God’s gracious plan of salvation.

This faithful Word, the Son of God, took on flesh and blood. In order to redeem us lost and condemned creatures, Jesus Christ the Word of God incarnate suffered hell and death on the cross in our place. Through His suffering, bleeding, and dying, Jesus purchased and won for everyone the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Jesus Christ has done more than just tell us about God’s mercy and forgiveness. He won for us that very forgiveness and mercy and gives it to us personally by means of His Word.

So it is that God’s inspired Word of Scripture speaks as loudly as Jesus’ action when He says, “It will not return to me empty, but it will do that which I please and it will prosper in respect to that for which I sent it . . . It is finished!” The work of saving you from sin is complete. The work of restoring you to God’s favor is done.

In the Gospel Word He says to you, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith, which trusts the Promise of My Word, has saved you.” The Word of God does this very thing which no mere human words could ever accomplish. How precious it is when God’s called and ordained servants of the Word announce to you and me the grace of God as they speak HIS Word “in the stead and by the command” of Jesus Christ, “I forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” It is not your pastor’s word that does this forgiving. It is God’s Word, from the mouth of His crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ, that does it. The Word is God’s and it belongs to Him and for this reason fulfills the task for which God sent it—forgiving your sins and delivering to you everlasting life. The Risen Christ said to His disciples on that very first Easter evening, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20:22-23 ESV). Therefore, we “believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command [His Word] . . . and [forgive] those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself” (Small Catechism).

The Good News Word from Christ does what God has given it to do: save you from sin and death through the forgiveness of sins. Your forgiveness and mine is then a cause for rejoicing! Isaiah wrote, “For in joy you will go out and in peace you will be led. The mountains and the hills will break forth before you with shouts of joy and all the tress of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn, a cypress tree will arise. And instead of the brier, a myrtle tree will arise. And it will be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.” This is the happy outcome of God’s action in Christ and God’s Word that does what the Lord has sent it to do: grant us forgiveness and everlasting life. “Joy” points out that there will be an absence of fear and a rejoicing in the fact that salvation has come. “Peace” sets forth the condition of being undisturbed by our enemies of sin, Satan, and death, as well as a full trust, confidence, and satisfaction in our God and Savior who leads us by and through His Word.

At the Last Day, all creation will share this joy and peace with us as God’s Word will make a new heaven and a new earth. In their own special way, mountains will sing and trees will clap their hands in praise of their Creator and Him who makes all things new. All creation will celebrate the work of Jesus, God’s Son, who is our Redeemer!

“For as rain and snow from heaven Water seeds in dusty soil,Causing them to bud and flower, Giving bread to those who toil;So the Lord sends forth His promise, Words of life and joy and peace—Never void to Him returning, Bearing fruit with great increase.”[2] Amen.

     ^[1] Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis: Concordia, 2005), 370.

     [2] Text: © 2001 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000752