Weekly Message & Bulletin

Dr. Martin Luther once stated that the highest art form in theology is the ability to properly distinguish between the two main doctrines (teachings) of Scripture, namely, the law and the gospel. Luther believed that whoever could faithfully do so should receive recognition as a “doctor” of theology.  (There is a book compiled of Dr. C.F.W Walther’s lectures entitled, “The Proper Distinction Between Law And Gospel.”  This book serves as a good resource on this subject.) 

In our Scripture lessons today, we see faithful examples of presenting the law and proclaiming the gospel.  We remember that the law “shows us our sins,” while the gospel “shows us our Savior” from sin.  Confusing the two either leads people to falsely think that they can save themselves by what they do for God instead of trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, or to wrongly conclude that God doesn’t take sin seriously; He won’t really punish sin and therefore there is no need to repent.  God grant that we always see our sins and need for a Savior through the law, and find comfort and confidence in the good news of the gospel, which proclaims all Jesus did to freely save us from sin. 

We hear experts label families with relationship troubles as “dysfunctional” families.  Jesus, too, spoke of tattered and torn families and their respective relationships, when He stated (as He sent out His disciples to preach the word of God and told them what they and their hearers will expect): “Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child.  Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matthew 10:21 & 35).  There seems to be negativity to following Jesus and it seems that the Savior is the instigator of such division and dysfunction. 

But we know from the Bible that the real cause of family strife is sin.  God created the perfect family in Adam and Eve.  They rebelled against God and by their disobedience plunged the entire human race into sin and its dysfunctional consequences.  We witness a tangible result of this sinful dysfunction when Cain murdered his brother Abel.  

Because of His underserved love, however, God sent His Son to undo the eternal consequences of humanity’s sinful dysfunction.  Jesus “became our brother,” that is, Jesus became true man so He could live, die and rise to pay for our sins.   

Although we as sinners still struggle with sin and its dysfunction, in Christ we are a new family.  As we cling to God’s word, we become more like Him and functionally faithful as His family. 

When Jesus’ disciples once debated as to what greatness meant for the kingdom of God, Jesus taught them true greatness.  True greatness comes by sincerely and thankfully serving Jesus because of what He has done for us.  Our serving God is a reflection of our faith created by the Holy Spirit in His grace and strengthened by God’s word and sacrament. 

Interestingly, on several occasions Jesus pointed to a child as an example of greatness in the kingdom of God.  Although the apostle Paul chided a sinfully spoiled “has-to-have-it his way childlike demeanor” in the great love chapter of Scripture (1 Corinthians 13:11), Jesus commends a childlike faith in God (of any age) from the person who believes, serves and trusts God above all things (Mark 10:13-16; Matthew 18:2-4).  

As God’s people, redeemed by Jesus, brought to faith by the working of the Holy Spirit and made God’s holy temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), we live out of love for Jesus.  We live to His glory, to witness and share His word.  We follow Paul’s principle: “So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

     All our readings this morning focus on greatness in the kingdom of God.  They show us that greatness grows out of trust in the Lord.  This greatness has its center in love: God’s great love for us in Jesus and our reciprocating love for Him and for others.  Such love of Jesus leads to genuine service to Him and to His glory.  We see this “greatness” reflected in the love Jeremiah had for the LORD’s word; He remained bound to it personally and proclaimed it faithfully despite the hostile opposition he faced as the LORD’s prophet. 

Martin Luther wrote much about the “Theology of the Cross” vs. the “Theology of Glory.”  What’s the difference?  Some falsely preach and teach that if you are truly a Christian, God will make you “successful” in life.   

But sin and its suffering effect is part of living in this world.   Moreover, Jesus’ kingdom of glory is “not of this world” (John 18:36).  “In this life you will have trouble” (John 16:33; Acts 14:22), Jesus said.   We see this truth in how our Savior—the perfect God-man—had to suffer and die, although He was innocent of any sin. 

Nevertheless, Jesus assures His believers: “But take heart I have overcome the [sinful] world” (John 16:33).  While Christians still experience the consequences of sin, which are troubles and eventual death (Romans 6:23), Jesus won eternal victory over sin and death by His redeeming work (Romans 4:25; John 14:19).  That’s why Paul assured that despite sin’s troubles in this life: “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him whom loved us” (Romans 8:37). 

What an important reminder for us as individuals and as the church.    

Those who expect to see outward success in the preaching of the gospel tend to despair when they encounter “failure.”  Jesus measures “success,” however, by how faithfully His believers proclaim His word and rightly administer His sacraments.  That’s why in this life we imitate Jesus in His state of humiliation and not His state of exaltation.  That’s the “Theology of the Cross” vs. the “Theology of Glory.”     

In the book of Genesis, we repeatedly here the phrase describing what God created as “good.”  When we hear the word “good,” we often think of that as meaning, “Well…something is ok, but it’s not excellent or even perfect.”  But when God created all, it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31), meaning that it was perfect—the Fall into sin hadn’t yet corrupted. 

Although we now live in a world fallen into sin and remain plagued by sin’s effect (Romans 8), God continues to provide us with good.  He certainly provides for our physical needs, as we confess in the First Article: “I believe that God still preserves me by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, cattle and all I own, and all that I need to keep my body and life….” James summarized that truth: “Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights…” (James 1:17). 

But most of all, God graciously provided and provides for us spiritually!  He sent Jesus to solve our worst problem of sin and to conquer sin’s death consequence.  He provides His word and sacraments to bless us spiritually.  Those truths remain the Christian’s quiet confidence to live and to share while living in a sin-fallen world with its uncertainties. 

Speaking to Christian people (Joshua to Old Testament believers; Paul to believers living their respective God-given roles which reflect their acceptance of God’s word and love for Jesus; Jesus to His disciples in the gospel), God bids us to live our lives faithful to Him by what we say and do.  Obviously, we cannot do so without the lifelines of God’s word and sacraments.   

Truly, as Christians who faithfully cling to these lifelines, the Holy Spirit strengthens our faith to serve and walk with God despite the challenges of living in a sinful world.  In John 6, Jesus continues His “Bread of Life” discourse stressing that He and His word remain our spiritual bread of life now and for eternity.  Just as physical bread nourishes the body, God’s spiritual bread (word) keeps us in the faith and living for God. 

In the opening three chapters of the book of Revelation, St. John penned the seven letters God sent to seven churches in the province of Asia Minor.  To one of these churches in Laodicea, we hear the Savior saying: “Look, I stand at the door and I am knocking.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in with him and dine with him, and he with me” (3:20).  Some incorrectly understand Jesus’ words as an invitation to unbelievers to “make a decision” to accept Jesus into their hearts and come to faith.  

We know that to be impossible, however, from multiple passages of Scripture. In one such passage, St. Paul reminds us: “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).   

Martin Luther, too, clearly confessed in his explanation to the Third Article that focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit: “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.  But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the truth faith.”  

What’s more, Jesus made His inviting appeal to a Christian congregation of people who are already believers.  Jesus is simply urging them—as well as applying this appeal to all believers—to stay connected to Him through His word, faithfully follow Him and live their Christian faith verses following the ways of the sinful world. 

Human reason would agree that if anyone had justified cause to complain and be discouraged, it would be God’s prophet Elijah.  Wicked King Ahab of Israel, with his scheming equally evil Queen Jezebel, threatened Elijah.  Elijah faithfully proclaimed the truth of God’s word verses the king and queen’s idolatrous institution and practice of Baal worship.  The LORD though Elijah won a great victory for the truth of God’s kingdom and the 7,000 faithful Christians in Israel verses the false prophets of the false god Baal (1 Kings 19:18). 

As chapter 19 begins, Elijah faces a new challenge in his ministry: “Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets [false prophets of Baal] with the sword.  So, Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, ‘May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them’” (vv.1-2).  Fearing for his life and on the run, Elijah despairs of his life and sees no value in continuing his ministry as the LORD’s prophet. 

As modern-day Christians, we experience trials and tribulations in various ways because of our Christian faith as society as a whole continues to drift farther away from the truth of God’s word.  It may happen in the near future that verbal persecution will become physical persecution.  What do we do?  God’s word compels us to be faithful to our LORD.  What does that look like practically?  We “trust God above all,” and live our Christian faith, and speak/witness God’s truth in love…all motivated by what God has done for us and has promised us now and into eternity through our Jesus’ saving work. 

In the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Martin Luther wrote the explanation for this petition this way: What does this mean? “God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.”  Then Luther asks this question: What then is meant by daily bread? He answers: “Daily bread includes everything that we need for our bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home, fields and flocks, money and goods, a godly family, good workers, good government, honest leaders, good citizens, good weather, peace and order, health, a good name, loyal friends and good neighbors.” 

Certainly, there is nothing wrong asking God to provide our “daily bread.” God is concerned, however, about the attitude of our hearts from which such a request comes.  If we look to our God with an attitude of appreciation and faith, He is pleased.   

What’s more, it’s important to keep in mind that while the request for God providing for our physical needs is important, what the Lord provides through His word and sacraments to meet our spiritual hunger remains most important.  As our gracious Lord comes to us in His word and sacraments, there we witness the LORD in all His saving glory for spiritually hungry sinners. 

When God created His prized creation of Adam & Eve, the LORD stated before creating Eve, “It’s not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).  In other words, God’s perfect world wasn’t complete without a life, soul partner for Adam.  Our loving LORD designed that these two join in marriage and reflect/share a unique fellowship with each other based on Jesus’ fellowship with us (Ephesians 5:31ff). 

How, then, would we describe the fellowship we share with God and each other as Christians?  St. Paul tells us as he opens his letter to the Corinthians: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10).   How is “perfect” unity possible?  Certainly, it requires the fundamental truth that only through faith in Jesus Christ is a person saved (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  God’s underserved love moved Him to send His Son to be our Savior.  As we rest our faith in Jesus, our only way to heaven, we have fellowship with God and each other. 

But it’s also important to be faithful to ALL of God’s word.  Otherwise, there is the danger of losing the gospel.  The gospel alone proclaims that Jesus has done all to save us exceeding our human expectations, and through God’s word and sacrament He continues to keep us and feed us in this true faith.