Matthew 28,16-20. The 6. Sunday after Trinity

In the Name of Jesus

Matthew 28,16-20
6. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  051
Joseph of Arimathea
Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, France, † 448.
31. Juli 2011

            1. O Holy Spirit, our Gift from heaven sent by Christ Jesus, we live in a dark and wicked generation where people hold fast to spirituality and religion but neither know the True God nor the Christian faith. Worse yet, our culture glorifies and praises religious pluralism while vilifying Christianity. O God: Work in our midst, proclaim the pure Word of God from our church, use each one of us as disciples of Your gospel, enlighten the minds of men and women, prepare their hearts for the gospel, create faith where it does not exist, and embolden faith where it already is. Make the proclamation of Christ crucified real in our lives, a beacon in this borough, and the light unto the fallen world.  Amen.  
            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to Matthew where the holy evangelist writes: ¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, „All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.“  This is our text.
3. „Our congregation is a mission church, a congregation of people from different countries, inviting and calling people to faith and to know Jesus Christ. Why do we deliberately evangelize here in [this borough] as well as in other cities and countries? There are three answers here in today’s Holy Gospel from St. Matthew of the day. We go to all nations,

I.   because Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth
II.  because we keep everything Jesus has commanded us
III. because Jesus is with us every day“ (Martens § 3).

I.

            4. Following Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, His Heavenly Father gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth. The signs and miracles of Jesus during His public ministry involved reestablishing Yahweh’s authority upon a fallen, sinful earth so that just as God’s will is perfectly done in heaven so too will it be done on earth. By the authority of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were sent out to evangelize the world. Luke gives us an overview of some of this evangelization in his Acts of the Apostles which focuses particularly on the Apostle Paul’s travels throughout the Roman Empire as he preached the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
            5. Jesus describes how this evangelization will be carried out: the apostles are to baptize people in the Triune Name of God and teach them to observe Jesus’ teachings. The Church continues this apostolic mandate to this very day as she baptizes people and teaches them about Jesus. Particularly useful in this task are the Holy Scriptures, especially the Four Gospels which give us the content of Jesus’ teachings and actions, and the Apostolic Epistles which show how the law and gospel can be applied in specific instances and places.
            6. The 21^st century Church finds herself in a similar situation that the 1^st century Church was in. The 1^st century Greco-Roman culture was one of pluralism and religious choices. Many different cultures and ideologies bumped into each other, merged, and formed variations of the original. One could worship the classic Greco-Roman pantheon, follow the exotic Eastern mystery religions like Mithraism or Zoroastrianism, become a God-fearing follower of Judaism, be baptized a Christian, or opt to worship no god at all. Although such religious freedom was granted by Rome, as the 1^st century ticked by Rome became more and more hostile to the Church so that in some locations Christians were robbed of property, possessions, and their lives.

II.

            7. Amidst the many, diverse challenges of the 21^st century, some churches abandon the foundational teachings of Jesus. They do this hoping to fit in with the society and culture in which they find themselves, believing that doing so will make people more open to them and their proclamation. Unfortunately, the Church has her own culture that is unique from that of the cultures that surround her. The farther a given culture is removed from the Judeo-Christian foundation, the more adversity and conflict that culture will have with the Church. Trying to fit in with the surrounding culture will not completely remove those adversities and conflicts, because the average person will always view the Church as an entity that has a different way of thinking from the prevailing culture.
            8. Case in point: the Church upholds Jesus’ teaching that the way of salvation as through Christ alone. Jesus clearly taught this when He said: »I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me« (John 14,6). This is anathema in our society, for one can believe anything he or she wishes except the solus Christus principle. The world tempts the Church and Christians with the promise that if this doctrine is set aside then all friendship with the world is eagerly awaiting. Too many Christians and churches believe the world and give up, water down, or conveniently forget that a person is only saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
            9. It is not easy for the Church and her Christians to stand solidly upon Christ and His Word. Our culture is quite happy to have a compliant Church and eager Christians who will focus on morality, virtues, helping those in society who are in need of assistance, and the like. O our culture will squirm a bit and voice their annoyance when the Church calls the culture to embrace life rather than abortion or keep marriage a union between a man and a woman. The world can get along with a moral, virtuous Church because after all, at the end of the day, the world realizes that having good, caring citizens is conducive to calm social order. The problem is that morality, virtues, and a good social conscience do not save a person. Yes, they are valuable traits that God exhorts in us, but these traits will not and cannot save us.
            10. The world is not enough, for a person needs the gospel in order to be saved. You are God’s elect and chosen on account of the gospel. The world, with all its wickedness, and our culture, with all its mischievous ideals, needs the gospel. Jesus suffered on the cross and rose in victory to redeem the world from sin. The apostles and the pastors who followed them preached this crucified Christ throughout the world. The Church that would be faithful to Jesus must and does preach this same gospel today.

III.

            11. There is no guarantee that this gospel will produce the number of fruit that we expect, want, or demand. The Holy Spirit produces faith when and where He wills (AC V,2). The gospel falls upon different types of people: some are hard-hearted and never give the gospel any consideration whatsoever, some have faith for a while but for one reason or another they abandon the faith to pursue the cares and wealth of this world or because the cost is too high and the suffering too great when they are ridiculed by the world for being a Christian, but others hear the gospel, faith is created, and their faith blooms with much fruit.
            12. In the midst of uncertainty, Jesus promises to be with you and His Church. The journey may be light and easy, but more often than not the path is rocky and dangerous. The gospel and its preaching is fraught with much grief and hardship. All of Jesus’ apostles suffered, and all but one was martyred for their faith. The Church now exists in a society and culture that is more and more increasingly hostile toward her and her proclamation. Our American culture was founded on the teaching of Jesus and the foundation of the Church’s principles, but the American culture is becoming less Christian and more pagan. Other religions and philosophies compete with the Church, and our culture is enamored with anything that is not Christian. Jesus’ word, however, greater than our American culture and society, and our Lord promises: »Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.« Take this promise to heart, let it comfort you, and rejoice for your sins are forgiven, eternal life awaits you, and Jesus is your Lord.  Amen.
            13. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, who is praised by Your holy people, send forth the Holy Spirit to enable Your Church and this congregation to proclaim You Name to all people so that in hearing the law they repent of their sins and in hearing the gospel they receive absolution and inherit life everlasting.  Amen.
 

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Matthew © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 
                Martens, Gottfried. A sermon preached on 19. July 2009 (6. Trinitatis) in Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany on Matthew 16,16-20. Copyright © 2009 The Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.

1. Corinthians 1,18-25. The 5. Sunday after Trinity

In the Name of Jesus

1. Corinthians 1,18-25
5. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  049
Christina, Virgin, Martyr, beginning of the 3^rd century
24. Juli 2011


            1.  O Heavenly Father, whose weakness is greater than man’s strength and whose foolishness is wiser than mankind’s wisdom, we gather here again this morning to worship and praise Your only Son our Savior and Redeemer. Make this church a house of prayer, a sanctuary of Your Word, and a temple of Your Sacraments, where the law and gospel are proclaimed in purity and the absolution is given out rightly for our eternal salvation and the blessings of our lives.  Amen.  
            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the First Epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle Paul writes: ¹⁸For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, »I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart« (Isaiah 29,14b). ²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.  This is our text.
            3. The word of the cross alone is God’s power which:  


                  I.  saves and
                  II. makes a person holy (Walther 266 § 12).

I.

            4. The word of the cross alone saves, and it is the Word that has ultimate power and authority. In a court of law, the judge’s word alone declares whether one is guilty or not guilty. In the heavenly court, God the Father, the Judge of all people, has the only word that declares whether one is damned or saved. As such, therefore, human words, signs, and wisdom will not save. Only God’s authoritative word of the gospel saves, only God’s sign of Christ crucified saves, and only Christ who is the Wisdom of God saves.
            5. It is the sad and unfortunate experience of the Church that the very sign and wisdom of God which saves is to the wicked world a stumbling block and folly. The Apostle Paul lifts high the cross as the sign of salvation, but the Jews stumble over this sign. In our 21^st century not only do Jews stumble over this sign, but also many other unbelievers in this world, and surprisingly a number of Christians as well, for it is the very nature of the heart of sinful men and women to seek salvation in any thing other than the cross.
            6. In Jesus’ day, the cross was a sign of death and despair. The Romans had perfected the art of capital punishment by using the agonizing torture of crucifixion so that people were shocked and terrified at the might and law of Rome. Rebel against Rome, and the cross awaits you. Commit a serious crime, and the cross will be your means of execution. Only crooks and law-breakers hung on the cross. Thus the average person views the cross as a means of capital punishment and humility. How can God use this cross as a sign of salvation? So people ignore the cross and the One who hung on it one Friday afternoon as an insignificant event, because surely God cannot use the cross to save anyone.
            7. In churches throughout the land the cross has become just one among many objects in the sanctuary. Flags and banners overshadow the cross. The flag of Israel has replaced the cross as the center piece at Cornerstone Church, San Antonio and a huge globe of the earth takes center stage at Lakewood Church, Houston. The cross, to be sure, is found in almost every church, but in some churches the cross has become one decoration among many, and the crucified Christ is not preached from those pulpits. Instead a different Christ, one contrary and foreign, to the Christ given to us in the Gospels and the Epistles is preached.
            8. Americans are fond of life coaches and self-help gurus. Their books line our bookstores, are found in Amazon’s Kindle pages, and they are welcomed into our homes through our HDTVs. One of the wealthiest Americans is Oprah Winfrey who pioneered and capitalized on the self-help program decades ago. Many American churches like to imitate American pop culture, so we have churches that offer up a smorgasbord of Jesus our life coach, Jesus our moral cheerleader, and Jesus our seven-step guide to a happy life. Inherent in all this is the false understanding that deep down inside each one of us is really a decent chap who just needs a little guidance to get ourselves walking down the right path again. We are taught by our culture that if we just curb our vices and accentuate our virtues, then we will be well on our way to being nice Christian ladies or gentlemen. We are told that if we stop smoking, moderate our drinking, and stop swearing so much that we will be the good little Christians Jesus wants us to be. Such churches who push such drivel won’t end up making you or me better Christians, but rather we will be little carbon copies of Mitt Romney and his nice-looking Mormon family with good manners, perfect teeth, well-groomed hair, a great smile, and no observable family issues or baggage.
            9. The problem is: you cannot just undergo a little make-over, and poof, you are now the poster child for the ideal Christian. Your problem goes a lot deeper and it’s too corrupt to be fixed with a quick seven-step program to a better Christian you. Your problem is sin, and sin makes every man, woman, and child a dirty, rotten scoundrel, who is an embarrassment to both God and our neighbor. You don’t need life coach Jesus or moral improvement Jesus, but you need the crucified Jesus. This crucified Jesus tells you the truth: you are messed up, you are full of sin, you rebel against God, and you act like a spoiled child who believes the world owes you everything. Such is our state, and the crucified Jesus tells you: I am going to save you from yourself and your sin-filled life. The crucified Jesus suffered on the cross for you; He laid down His life and died for you; He did this to save you and forgive you. Therefore, the crucified Christ is the only Christ that is to be preached in His Church, and that is why the true Church lifts high the cross, is not ashamed of its simplicity and foolishness, and ensures that forgiveness purchased by Christ is given out to those who gather each week.

II.

            10. The crucified Christ first justifies you and then He sanctifies you. It is Jesus’ will that you become better, moral people. Good fruit necessarily is born from faith. The preaching of the law does not produce these good works. The law only tells us what God expects from His believers; the gospel alone has the power to bring these good works forth from our lives.
            11. „Therefore, my beloved, should a person truly become holy, then apart from his own human abilities he needs another. He needs a divine hand to help him with divine power. And this sanctifying power of God is nothing other than the Word of the cross. Every person must seek after holiness, as the Scripture says, without which no one will see God. But a person cannot receive this true sanctification until first he despairs of his own desires and abilities and believes on the crucified One“ (Walther § 28). „Finally [when people become] weary of their useless running and striving, weary of their powerless resolutions and vows, weary of their desperate striving and battling and suddenly [flee], despairing of everything, to the cross, learned of and believed the love which was offered there for them, and behold!, from that moment on they were freed of the rule of sin and the love of God and their brothers gushed out of them now as from a river in their hearts and they were made holy. Oh, holy, saving cross! Where this shines in the heart even the most ruined heart is brought to a holy place“(Walther § 28).
            12. »Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.« By this proclamation, the Holy Spirit works to save you and make you holy.  Amen.
            13. Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, You have revealed Your righteousness in the sight of the nations. Make known to us, through this church, the salvation merited only by Christ alone so that our hearts are strengthened and our lives blessed.  Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Luke © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                Walther, C. F. W.  Treasury of C. F. W. Walther, Volume VI: Sermons on Special Occasions such as Weddings, Funerals, Dedications and Other Events. Copyright © 2008 Joel Baseley, Translator and Editor.

Luke 6,36-42. The 4th Sunday after Trinity

In the Name of Jesus

Luke 6,36-42 (Matthew 7,1-5)

4. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  049
Marcellina, Virgin, † 397
17. Juli 2011

            1.  O Heavenly Father, You are merciful, gracious, and forgiving. Often we attempt to help our neighbors without first examining our lives first. As such we treat our neighbor legalistically, judgmentally, and with little forgiveness. Help us to first examine our lives by Your Holy Word, repent of our sins of legalism, judmentalism, and lack of forgiveness, so that we, by the power of the Holy Spirit moving within us may help our neighbor with a heart of mercy, a gracious attitude, and a forgiving spirit.  Amen.  
            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to Luke where the holy evangelist writes: Jesus said to the crowd: „³⁶Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ³⁷Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.“ ³⁹He also told them a parable: „Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. ⁴¹Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴²How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.“  This is our text.
            3. „Christ our Lord very vividly gives us this clear key characteristic of our lives as Christians, that we are not to judge others nor condemn them but treat them with mercy and with the willingness to forgive the one another. How is this possible? Christ Himself tells us: The reason is that our lives as Christians are determined by three directional points:

                                I.   of Holy Baptism

                               II.  of Final Judgment
                               III. by brothers and sisters in the Church“[1] (Martens § 4).

I.

      4. In the Church, everything begins at the baptismal font. By Holy Baptism, we are brought into the Church. Some of us were baptized kicking and screaming, others were silent and peaceful, but all of us needing the cleansing of the baptismal waters. Your sinful nature of original sin harbored an unmerciful heart, a judgmental spirit, and an unforgiving disposition. All of these sins clung to you and were washed away in your Baptism. Your wicked, rebellious nature was drowned when the pastor poured water upon you and spoke the powerful words of Christ: „I baptize you in the Name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit“. Your sins and sinful nature deserved God’s wrath, judgment and condemnation, but God was merciful and gracious to you; He forgave you of all your sins. God the Father did not give you what you rightly deserved (which is punishment and eternal damnation) but He gave you what Jesus had earned for you (which is mercy and everlasting life).
      5. By Holy Baptism, the Triune God made you an heir in His family, planted you in His Church, and instilled in you His very will and attitude. As God is merciful, so are you to be merciful to others. As God is gracious, so are you to be gracious and not harshly judging others. As God has forgiven your many and great sins against Him, so are you to forgive others whose few and minute sins have burdened you.
      6. If you are honest with yourself, you quickly realize that you are only grudgingly merciful, often quick to condemn and judge others, forgetting nothing and forgiving less. Every one of us is like this, for it is the sinful human nature. It is easy to rationalize such attitudes and actions by saying: such people do not deserve mercy and forgiveness. The Pharisees thought this way, too. Crass publicans and sinners were not afforded their mercy and forgiveness, but they were stigmatized and harshly criticized as sinners. Jesus calls us to a higher standard of piety and practice. He does not want us to become Christian versions of the Pharisees who shun sinners and refuse to mingle among them. Christ came to save and forgive sinners. His Church is established for sinners and is full of sinners, including you and me. Christ exhorts you to extend mercy and forgiveness to your neighbors, and if they are sinning, to gently show them their sin and lead them to a better way of living. In this, we are following the example of Jesus.
            7. Jesus exhorts you to repent of your lack of mercy, your judgmental attitudes, and your condemning nature. Holy Baptism leads to repentance and confession of sin. The life of the baptized is a life of daily repentance. Martin Luther urged the German parishioners in his 16. century congregation to daily remember and apply their Baptism, for Holy Baptism „means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and die with all sins and evil desires, and should daily come forth and raised a new person who eternally lives before God in righteousness and purity“[2] (Small Catechism, 4. Question re. Baptism).

II.

      8. Judgment Day will finally confirm a person: you will be stuck eternally with the sinful flesh or you will once and for all be separated from that sinful flesh with a glorious, baptized resurrected body. Judgment Day issues one of two outcomes: depart from Me you wicked sinners, or welcome into My eternal fellowship. Baptized believers in Christ Jesus as their crucified and risen Savior will hear the gracious invitation of welcome. For on this last day, you will be made complete: you will be merciful, you will be gracious, and you will be forgiving – every day for all eternity.

III.

      9. Until you attain the perfection of Judgment Day, your lives are lived in fellowship with one another in Christ’s holy Church. As such, life in this fallen and cursed world is a life lived in sin and among sinners. This is especially true in the Church. This is a congregation that is full of sinners, and that is as God the Father would have it, for His Son did not come to this earth for righteous people but for people who are sinners, people such as you and me.
      10. As such, life in this world and the Church is a life lived as sinners. Christ exhorts you to be merciful with one another, to be gracious towards each other, and to forgive one another as God in Christ forgives you. Such Christian piety is not an easy lifestyle, for it is a piety that demands constant and daily discipline in Scripture reading, praying, repentance, worshipping each Sunday, and receiving the Lord’s abundant absolution. The Word and the Sacraments give to you the forgiveness of all your sins and strengthen you to be conformed in the image of Christ by the power and will of the Holy Spirit. For in being merciful, gracious, and forgiving to one another you are bearing upon your shoulders the burdens that your fellow Christian brothers and sisters bear. You may be weighed down and overwhelmed by your burdens, but we are here to bear the burden with you. In this way we lighten your load and comfort you in your sorrows. Jesus promises that He is with you until the end of this age, and where Christ is there is His Church and His baptized believers, so that we are with you: you do not walk alone, you do not bear your burdens alone, you do not suffer alone. We all walk together, support one another, and if necessary, suffer together for our mutual strength and edification.  Amen.
            11. Let us pray. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High. „O Holy Spirit, true Leader and Guide of all the elect…. Here we are upon wild and stormy waves, in an evil world; but help us through this all, so that we may finally attain to heaven and arrive at the Fatherland with joy after all these great tribulations“ (Löhe 343-44).  Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Luke © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                All quotations from the Book of Concord are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche, 12^th Edition © 1998 by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
                Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.
                Martens, Gottfried. A sermon preached on 5. July 2009 (4. Sonntag nach Trinitatis) in Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany on Luke 6,36-43. Copyright © 2009 The Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.

---

[1] Genau darum, Schwestern und Brüder, geht es im Heiligen Evangelium des heutigen Sonntags. Da macht uns Christus, unser Herr, sehr eindringlich deutlich, dass dies ein entscheidender Wesenszug unseres Lebens als Christen ist, dass wir über andere nicht urteilen und sie verurteilen, sondern ihnen begegnen mit Barmherzigkeit und mit der Bereitschaft, dem anderen zu vergeben. Wie ist das möglich? Christus selber zeigt uns hier: Das liegt daran, dass unser Leben als Christen von drei Richtpunkten bestimmt ist: – von unserer Taufe, – vom Jüngsten Gericht, – von den Geschwistern in der Gemeinde.

[2] Es bedeutet, daß der alte Adam in uns durch tägliche Reue und Buße soll ersäuft werden und sterben mit allen Sünden und bösen Lüsten, und wiederum täglich herauskommen und auferstehen ein neuer Mensch, der in Gerechtigkeit und Reinheit vor Gott ewig lebe.

Luke 15,1-10. The 3. Sunday after Trinity

In the Name of Jesus

Luke 15,1-10
3. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  048
The Seven Sons of St. Felicitas, Martyrs at Rome 150
10. Juli 2011

            1. O Lord Jesus Christ, it is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that You came into the world to save sinners. You desire that no one, yes, no one, be lost. There is not a single soul in the whole wide world whom You did not love and carry upon Your heart. From all eternity You had thoughts of grace toward every human being. By Your life and suffering, by Your bleeding and dying on the cross You reconciled every person to Your Father, redeemed them from all sins and won for them grace, righteousness, life, and salvation. Therefore You have also given the command to go out into all the world and preach the gospel, the glad tidings of Your grace and reconciliation, to every creature. O, how You looked forward with joy to the time when You would behold great multitudes of sinners coming unto You from the east and from the west. Alas, Your Church has sunk into the sleep of security and carelessness. All too soon has she forgotten her high calling to be a light to them who sit in darkness. O Lord, awaken Your sleeping Church! Fill her again with ardent love for those who are still without God and without hope in this world. Grant unto Your Church that through her the Word may be brought into all foreign lands by great multitudes of evangelists. Yes, arise, O Lord, even in this last hour of the world to rescue those who still may be rescued, and count also us worthy of taking part in this most blessed work. And when the number of Your elect is finally full, then arrive quickly, Lord Jesus. Break down the perishable scaffold of this world. Make an end of all misery of this earth and bring us home to Your eternal mansions.  Amen.  
            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to Luke where the holy evangelist writes: Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were approaching Jesus to listen to Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying: „This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.“ So He told them this parable, saying: „What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And having found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing and when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Therefore I tell you that in the same way, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search thoroughly until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents.“  This is our text.
            3. „From last Sunday’s Gospel, we know that the Merciful God induces and compels Gentiles, as well as Jews, to His reign. Today’s Gospel shows us the Son of God Himself in the midst of publicans and sinners as He accomplishes the saving work of the invitation. From this, we recognize the great seriousness of the Divine invitation. For if the Lord was not satisfied to send His servants to the lost and to say to them: “Come, everything is ready!” if He walks among the lost and with friendly earnestness of it but aspires His flock to be accompanied by the world and sinners, then there is no doubt as to what His gracious will is, for His actions speak clearly to the fact that He allows no one to be lost, but brings everyone to know the truth and wants to save them“[1] (Löhe 370 § 1).
            4. While Adam is credited with the original sinfulness that he has passed on to all human beings, each and every human being, you, me, and the entire world, are judged guilty before Yahweh who is a Holy and Righteous God, when you sin, you are responsible for your sinning. You cannot blame others, no matter how much they provoke you, for the sins you commit. God’s law points the finger at you, and accuses you of wandering away from God, falling into sin, and finding yourself in the lost condition of your sinful human nature.
            5. You were once lost. God’s Word and law reveals this sobering truth. Like sheep, sinful humans can do nothing to extradite themselves from their lost condition. The only thing you can do is cry out, hoping someone, preferably the Lord Jesus rather than some devil or wicked person, will hear your cry and come to your assistance. Lost sheep who are not found and rescued will eventually weaken and die. Likewise sinful human beings. Those who are spiritually weak will eventually weaken physically and die eternally separated from God.
            6. „The shepherd is specifically held responsible for the lost sheep. After all, he is the shepherd and he has lost the sheep. The implication is should not he go after it?“ (Bailey 1241). God, therefore, acts as our shepherd. He diligently searches daily for those many sheep who wander away and find themselves lost and separated from His churchly flock.
            7. „It is the nature of sheep to wander off and/or lag behind“ (Bailey 1077). „A lost sheep is terrified. It sits down, usually in as sheltered a place as is immediately available and starts shaking and bleating. When found it is in such a state of nervous collapse that it cannot stand or be made to stand. It cannot walk or be led, nor will it respond to the shepherd’s well-known call. If it is to be restored to the fold the shepherd must carry it on his two shoulders. The animal can weigh up to 70 pounds. As noted, the [Palestinian] country is rugged. It is a mark of the strength, courage, and character of the shepherd that he rejoices when he finds it“ (Bailey 1184-92).
            8. Here we see the two reasons Jesus our Good Shepherd looks for His lost sinners. First, He does so out of great love for His fallen creation and you the pinnacle of His creation. Jesus created mankind to be in perpetual fellowship with Him, and He lovingly finds those who have separated themselves from that Divine fellowship. Second, He does so out of serious responsibility for His creation. Although it is the fault of sinners that they have wandered off, it is Jesus’ responsibility as our Shepherd and God to make sure you do not wander off, and when you do, to seek you out, find you, and bring you back into His glorious presence.
            9. This seeking and rescuing is no small feat. Palestinian shepherds often face hardships and obstacles in finding their sheep. The rugged terrain, the weather, cliffs and pitfalls, and even predators like wolves or wild dogs all pose a threat and a deterrent to the intrepid shepherd. It was no different for Jesus our Good Shepherd. Jesus was incarnated by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary and was made man. His Divine nature took upon Himself the human nature, complete with our frailties, such as aches, pains, tiredness, hunger, and grief. If you kick Jesus in the shin, He will bruise; if you cut Him, He will bleed; and if you crucify Him, He will die.
            10. For three years Jesus traveled north and south, east and west, in the land of Judea searching for His lost. He was beset upon by many adversaries that meant to prevent Him: sicknesses and infirmities which He healed; His own religious authorities whom He silenced; demons whom He cast out; the dead flesh which He resurrected. Jesus tirelessly searched for His lost; how many a sleepless night or an exhausting day did our Lord experience while He was about His ministry. He went first to the lost in Israel, but He also sought out other sheep not of His fold, the Gentiles, and made them part of His flock.
            11. In Gethsemane, Jesus was burdened with heavy grief. He sweated drops of blood. He stood before Pilate as His own people and religious leaders rejected Him and called for His death. He felt the scourge of the whip on His back and chest, the crown of thorns roughly pressed into His scalp, and the sharp nails in His hands and feet. With His crucifixion, Jesus suffered the agony of the cross because that was the means necessary to bring you safely home. You were His responsibility, and Jesus lovingly paid the price to redeem you back. Jesus bore the cross on His shoulders and carried you home to safety and salvation.
            12. Today, you walked into this church a lost sinner, but straightaway you confessed your lost-ness and repented of your sins. Jesus teaches us in today’s parables that »there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents«. Today the holy angels rejoice, for you, if you’ve been sincere in your hearts, have repented. Let us all rejoice together as sinners who have been found by Jesus and trust in Him for our absolution.  Amen.
            13. Let us pray. O Merciful, Gracious Lord, You are slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness, instill in us the great joy of our salvation so that we do not dwell on all the times we have become lost, but rather rejoice in all the times You have sought us out, found us, and returned us unto Your holy Church.  Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Luke © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                Bailey, Kenneth E. Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15, Kindle edition. Copyright © 1992 by Concordia Publishing House.
            Löhe, Wilhelm. Evangelien-Postille für die Sonn- und Festage des Kirchenjahres. Copyright © 1859 Samuel Gottlieb Liesching. A sermon preached on Luke 15,1-10 for The 3. Sunday after Trinity. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.

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[1] Aus dem Evangelium des leßtvergangenen Sonntags wißen wir, daß der gnadenreich Gott so Heiden, wie Juden zu Seinem Reiche hier, zu Seinem Reiche dort beruft, herbeiführt, nötigt. Das heutige Evangelium zeigt uns den Sohn Gottes selbst mitten unter Zöllnern und Sündern, wie er das seligmachende Werk der Berufung vollbringt. Daraus erkennen wir den großen Ernst der göttlichen Berufung. Denn wenn der Herr Sich nicht begnügt, Seine Knechte auszusenden und durch sie den Verlorenen sagen zu laßen: „Kommet, es ist alles bereit!“, wenn Er Selbst unter den Verlorenen wandelt und mit freundlichem Ernste sie von der Welt und Sünde zu sondern und Seiner Heerde beizufügen trachtet; so kann kein Zweifel an Seinem gnädigen Willen sein, zu deutlich spricht Sein Tun dafür, daß Er niemand verloren gehen laßen, sondern einen jeden zur Erkenntnis der Wahrheit bringen und selig machen will.

Luke 14,15-24. 2. Sunday after Trinity

In the Name of Jesus

Luke 14,15-24
2. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  047
Cornelius, captain, Acts 10
3. Juli 2011

            1. O Heavenly Father, You are a consuming fire, punishing to the third and fourth generations of those who hate You. Many times we forget that You are a jealous God who brokers no rivals. And yet we live in a fallen world that does nothing but raise up other gods above You. We also in our sinful hearts strive to place ourselves above You. The results of such pride have had devastating results in our world and in our lives. Thankfully You also tell us that You are a gracious God who shows loving kindness to the thousandth generation of those who believe in You (Exodus 20,5-6). You have shown Your mercy to us through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and in Him we freely receive eternal life and salvation.  Amen.  
            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to Luke where the holy evangelist writes: ¹⁵When one of those who reclined at table with Jesus heard these things, he said to Him: „Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the reign of God!“ ¹⁶But Jesus said to him: „A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. ¹⁷And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ ²²And the servant said, ‘Lord, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ ²³And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’“  This is our text.
            3.  A certain man, quite probably a Pharisee, rightly says to Jesus: „Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the reign of God!“ The Holy Scriptures portray salvation and eternal life with the image of a grand banquet from Abraham sharing a meal with Yahweh and two angels to Jesus at table with Pharisees and other notables in the Jewish religious community.
            4. While the man rightly acknowledges the blessedness of the reign of God, Jesus immediately teaches in His parable that there are many who will not enjoy this blessed banquet. The invitation first went out to well-respected Jews such as the Pharisees, scribes, and other respected people in Judaism. But what happened? These upstanding Jews rejected Yahweh’s invitation. They had excuses. There are labor issues, property issues, and family issues. These keep many of the invited guests away. Could they not put off their duties until the next day? Surely Yahweh’s banquet merits some priority in their lives? Jesus tells those around him, that no, it does not. He was speaking this to the Pharisees. They had been invited by John the Baptizer and Jesus to the Heavenly Father’s great banquet of salvation, but these very Pharisees and other proud Jews have rejected both John and Jesus.
            5. Yahweh is angry at their response, but He is not deterred: He proceeds to invite others to His heavenly banquet. The call goes out to the outcasts in Jewish society and then to the Gentiles. Many in these two despised groups gladly receive the invitation. Our Heavenly Father’s banquet hall will be filled to capacity, and its guests will be the wicked sinners, the sick, the poor, and the very nations of this earth. The Holy Scriptures tell that all the nations will draw unto Yahweh’s presence and worship Him (Micah 4,2). Jesus and the Apostles invited and gathered in those Jews who were outcasts and the Gentile nations who were pagans. Such are those who will inherit the reign of God; they are blessed while the first invitees are barred.
            6. There is nothing new under the sun. Look around and see. Christians today act just like the proud Pharisees in Jesus’ day. They presume that they are saved. Yahweh’s invitation goes out that each week there is a great banquet on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. Many Christians, however, prioritize other issues as more important than the Lord Jesus Christ. Excuses are given as to why they cannot attend God’s feast on Sunday morning: I’m tired. I live too far away. I have family obligations. I have other things to do. Do you presume that Yahweh will always let you in? You forget that the Holy Spirit goes out among the nations and gathers them in while you stay away. Unless you repent and receive the invitation with joy you will lose your place at the banquet; your seat will be given to someone else.
            7. „One should never despise the servant, whom we hear, and look for another, but the Word is spoken: „Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts!““ (Löhe 368 § 8). The Lord Jesus Christ has invited you to the great banquet of eternal life in heaven. Each Sunday He calls you to enjoy the appetizers of this banquet by offering you His Word and twice a month He offers the appetizers to you in the Holy Sacrament. Christ Jesus is loving and gracious, freely giving you the holy absolution in His Word and the Lord’s Supper.
            8. Beloved in the Lord, it is our intention to receive the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which He strengthens our faith by giving us His body to eat and His blood to drink. Therefore, it is proper that we diligently examine ourselves, as St. Paul urges us to do, for this Holy Sacrament has been instituted for the special comfort of those who are troubled because of their sin and who humbly confess their sins, fear God’s wrath, and hunger and thirst for righteousness.
            9. But this morning when we examined our hearts and consciences with the Corporate Confession of Sins in the 3. setting of the Divine Service, we found nothing in us but sin and death, from which we are incapable of delivering ourselves. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ has had mercy on us and has established the Pastoral Office to absolve all your sins. For your benefit Jesus became man so that He might fulfill for you the whole will and law of God and, to deliver you, took upon Himself your sin and the punishment you deserve.
            10. So that you may more confidently believe this and be strengthened in the faith and in holy living, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, broke it, and gave it to His disciples and said: „Take, eat; this is My Body, which is given for you“. It is as if He said: „I became man, and all that I do and suffer is for your good. As a pledge of this, I give you My Body under the Bread to eat“.
            11. In the same way also He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: „Drink of it, all of you; this Cup is the new testament in My Blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins“. Again, it is as if He said: „I have had mercy on you by taking into Myself all your iniquities. I give Myself into death, shedding My blood to obtain grace and forgiveness of sins, and to comfort and establish the new testament, which gives forgiveness and everlasting salvation. As a pledge of this, I give you My True Blood under the Wine to drink“.
            12. Therefore, whoever eats this Bread and drinks this Cup, confidently believing this word and promise of Christ, dwells in Christ and Christ in him and has eternal life. For these words „Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,“ show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given to you through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: „forgiveness of sins“. You should also do this in remembrance of Him, showing His death—that He was delivered for your offenses and raised for your justification. Giving Him your most heartfelt thanks, you take up your cross and follow Him and, according to His commandment, love and serve one another as He has loved and served you. For we, the Church, are all one bread and one body, even as we are all partakers of this one Bread and drink from the one Cup.
            13. For just as the one Cup is filled with wine of many grapes and one Bread made from countless grains, so also you, being many, are one body in Christ. Because of Him, you love and serve one another, not only in word, but in deed and in truth.
            14. May the Almighty and Merciful God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, accomplish this in you and me. You have been invited by Christ Jesus Himself to His Heavenly Father’s glorious banquet of eternal life. This Lord’s Supper of Christ’s Body under the bread and His Blood under the wine are a foretaste of that heavenly feast to come. Do not excuse yourself from Christ’s invitation and Supper, but receive His invitation with joy and thanksgiving for He has established and instituted this Supper for your blessing. The Supper has been set; join me in receiving it for your salvation and forgiveness.  Amen. 

            15. Let us pray. We love You, O Lord, for You are our Rock, our Fortress and our Deliverer. Rescue us from our sinfulness and the law’s condemnation, so that we lean upon You, our Strength, and trust in You to redeem with Your loving-kindness expressed in the crucified Christ.  Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Luke © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                Löhe, Wilhelm. Evangelien-Postille für die Sonn- und Festage des Kirchenjahres. Copyright © 1859 Samuel Gottlieb Liesching. A sermon preached on Luke 14,16-24 for The 2^nd Sunday after Trinity. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.