Romans 14,17-19. 18. Sunday after Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Romans 14,17-19 4916

18. Sn. n. Trinitatis  063 

Cleopas, Luke 24,18 

25. September 2016 

1. О Lord God, Heavenly Father: We are poor, miserable sinners; we know Your will, but cannot fulfill it because of the weakness of our flesh and blood, and because our enemy, the devil, will not leave us in peace. Therefore we beseech You, send Your Holy Spirit in our hearts, so that, in steadfast faith, we may cling to Your Son Jesus Christ, find comfort in His passion and death, believe the forgiveness of sin through Him, and in willing obedience to Your will lead holy lives on earth, until by Your grace, through a blessed death, we depart from this world of sorrow, and obtain eternal life.  Amen. (Veit Dietrich for 18. Sn. n. Trinitatis). 

2. For the reign of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is favorable to God and respected by men and women. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up building.

  3. The Apostle Paul differentiates between religion and faith in today’s Epistle Lection. Religion is concerned about what a person does to please God and to obtain a sense of security of His disposition for us. Take the other two monotheistic Abrahamic religions, for example. Modern Judaism is a religion of dietary laws, Sabbath observance and high holy festivals. Keeping the law and traditions is very important for many Jews. Islam, likewise, is a religion of laws summarized in their Five Pillars (its creed or shahadah): 

  1. „There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet“; 

  2. five daily prescribed prayers; 

  3. the month of fasting (Ramadan); 

  4. at least one pilgrimage in one’s life to sacred places in and near Mecca (hajj); 

  5. and giving alms to the poor. 

Both are religions focused on works and keeping religious laws. 

4. Christianity, however, is vastly different from religion, for Christianity is established upon Jesus and faith in Him. Like, Judaism and Islam, Christianity has commandments, laws and traditions, even sharing commandments and Scripture with Judaism, but those items do not make one a Christian. A Jewish person follows the law of Moses, and a Muslim submits to Allah, but a Christian believes on Jesus. Earlier in his epistle, St. Paul writes: »If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved, for with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved« (Romans 10,9-10). Thus Paul concludes: the reign of God is not a matter of complying with religious laws that dictate eating and drinking but the reign of God is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

5. The apostles are clear in the New Testament Scriptures that a person is righteous only on account of Christ. Paul is particularly verbose about this when he proclaims: »A person is not righteous by works of the law but is righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, thus we also believe in Christ Jesus, in order to be righteous by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because no one will be righteous through works of the law« (Galatians 2,15-16). 

6. The gospel proclaims that we are righteous on account of Jesus and His merit. The gospel promises us the assurance of salvation, and the decisive mark of this gospel is the promise of forgiveness which does not have any conditions (Martens 19). This righteousness before God thus leads to peace and joy: peace, because our sin is forgiven, our salvation is assured and we are justified before God solely upon Jesus, joy, because when we see the resurrected Jesus no one will take away our happiness (John 16,22). 

7. The Apostle Paul tells us that since our salvation is based upon faith in Christ and not conditioned on the works of the law we are set free to pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up building. Jesus taught: »Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God« (Matthew 5,9). The gospel is a proclamation of peace between God and mankind. Christians share this peace to those weighed down by the guilt of their sin. We also seek to establish peace where sin has wrecked human relationships, neighbors and communities. This fallen world will give us numerous opportunities to be peacemakers. 

8. As peacemakers, we also mutually build up others. Jesus calls us the salt and the light of the world so that our words may be seasoned with gentle criticism or sympathetic encouragement as the situation requires, and our actions that help others may show them that there are still people who respect and love them. For Jesus taught us: »Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven« (Matthew 5,16).   

9. Jesus proclaimed: »Seek first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all the necessities of this earthly life will be added to you« (Matthew 6,33). God’s righteousness is found in His Son, Jesus Christ. His righteousness is our righteousness. The promise is sure and certain; believe, for it is yours. 

10. »May the God of endurance and encouragement grant each of us to live in harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, so that together we may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope« (Romans 15,5-7.13).  Amen. 

11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, the Friend of sinners, help us to proclaim the new covenant You have made, the covenant that is built upon Your death and resurrection for the salvation of the world, so that all who hear it may believe on You.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

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, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.  

All quotations from the Book of Concord are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche, 12. Edition © 1998 by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.  

Martens, Gottfried. Certainty of Salvation. LOGIA, Vol. XIV, No. 2 (Eastertide 2005).  

Romans 10,3-17. 17. Sunday after Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever 

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Romans 10,9-17 4816

17. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  062  

Richardis, Wife of Charles the Fat, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, ✠ 893 

18. September 2016 

1. О Heavenly Father, Lord God: We beseech You so to guide and direct us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may not exalt ourselves, but humbly fear You, with our whole hearts hear and keep Your Word, and hallow the Lord’s day, so that we also may be hallowed by Your Word; help us, first, to place our hope and confidence in Your Son, Jesus Christ, who alone is our righteousness and Redeemer, and, then, so to amend and better our lives in accordance with Your Word,  so that we may avoid all offenses and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Your grace in Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One True God, world without end.  Amen. (Veit Dietrich for the 17. Sn. n. Trinitatis) 

2. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says: »Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.« [Isaiah 28,16] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For »everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.« [Joel 2,32] But how are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written: »How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel!« [Isaiah 52,7] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says: »O Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?« [Isaiah 53,1] So faith arrives from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  

3. The Apostle Paul proclaims in his epistle: »There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him, for everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. [Joel 2,32]« St. Paul tells us that God is a universal God. He is the God of the Jews, the Greeks, the Romans and even of us living in America. Paul is not saying, however, that all people are saved simply because they believe in God, nor is he saying that there are many different ways to understand God. Paul is saying that in Christianity, we have a God who is for all people. 

4. Saint Paul makes it clear that the God of the Jews and the nations is the God who suffered on the cross, died for our sins, was buried, descended into hades and on the third day rose from His grave. This God is none other than Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God the Father. The Apostle Peter clearly proclaims: »This Jesus has become the Cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved« (Acts 4,11-12). 

5. What the apostles teach is that from the very beginning the true saving religion has been and always will be that religion that is built upon Christ. This means that from the very beginning of the Bible, Jesus is the one who is promised to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3: He is the seed of the woman who crushed the head of the seed of the serpent. When God called Abraham to follow Him, He was calling Abraham to look for Jesus, who would be his future offspring who would bless all the nations. When God codified the Jewish religion under Moses, the covenant and the Torah, He was grounding those tenets upon Jesus, for the tenets of the Mosaic covenant were meant to point forward to Jesus; the temple, the animal sacrifices and the meticulous ritual laws of the priesthood all existed to not only guarantee the assurance that sin was forgiven in the covenant but that the Messiah would fulfill this very covenant that prepared the Jews for His advent. This is why we call that Mosaic covenant the old testament and the Biblical books that explain Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets as the new testament. God even told Moses that He would raise up a prophet to succeed him, and the prophet who succeeded Moses is Jesus (Deuteronomy 18,18). The Apostle John says: »The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Later, Philip found Nathanael and said to him: „We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.“« (John 1,17.45). The Apostle Paul tells us that the law is the pedagogue preparing us for the arrival of Christ Jesus (Galatians 3,24-26). Both the old and new testaments point to Jesus the Christ. 

6. The  Holy Scriptures proclaim: »Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved« (Joel 2,32; Romans 10,13). Paul was quoting the Prophet Joel, who earlier had said: »Return to the Lord your God, repenting of your sins, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster« (Joel 2,12-13). The gospel of Christ Jesus crucified for sinners is for everyone; to the Jew first and also to the nations. 

7. To call upon the Name of Jesus is to trust upon Him for salvation. Paul preaches in his epistle: »If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.« This preaching (κήρυγμα) focuses upon the gospel of Christ crucified. St. Paul told the Corinthian Christians: »I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God« (1. Corinthians 2,1-5). This is the preaching that Holy Spirit uses to create faith. You believe in Jesus by the power of God, just as Paul says: »So faith arrives from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.« 

8. Those who believe in the risen Christ are justified and forgiven. God the Father imputes Jesus’ own righteousness to you. We call this the blessed exchange (die fröhliche Wechsel), for Christ took upon Himself our original sin and gave us in exchange His own original righteousness. »Faith arrives from hearing the word of Christ« The Word of God does not return void: you have heard the gospel; you have believed this gospel; on account of the gospel, you are righteous before God Almighty.   Amen.

9. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, You have the words of eternal life! May our singing of Your steadfast love make known Your faithfulness to succeeding generations so that through Your gospel of Christ crucified they believe unto life everlasting.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

We return to our 11 am worship 

with the Divine Service 

on September 18th. 

Please join us. 

2. Timothy 1,7-10. 16. Sunday after Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

2. Timothy 1,7-10 4716

16. Sn. n. Trinitatis  061 

Paphnutius, Bishop of Thebes, Egypt ✠ 335 

11. September 2016 

1. О Lord God, Heavenly Father, who did send Your Son to be made flesh, so that by His death He might atone for our sins and deliver us from eternal death: We pray: confirm in our hearts the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ, who with but a word raised the widow’s son, in like manner will raise us on the last day, and grant us eternal life: through Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One True God, world without end.  Amen. (Veit Dietrich for 16. Sn. n. Trinitatis). 

2. For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 

3. The Apostle Paul tells us that „God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love and self-control.“ This is a timely message for some who still fear this date with dread and trepidation 15 years later. It is natural for fallen human nature to fear those who would harm us and kill us simply over religious beliefs. Paul knew about such zeal firsthand: Christians were persecuted first by Jews and later by the Romans. Before Constantine became emperor in 306, hundreds and thousands of Christians had lost their lives to imperial persecutions sporadically throughout the Roman Empire. Thus St. Paul comforts us when we experience persecution on account of the Christian faith by telling us God gives us a spirit of power, love and self-control. 

4. In his Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul connects this spirit of power with the gospel: »I am not ashamed of the gospel, for the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek« (Romans 1,16). But how does the gospel exert such power in our lives? The gospel is simply the proclamation: Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1. Corinthians 2,2). Jesus was crucified as the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1,29). The gospel tells us that in being this vicarious sacrifice for the world that Jesus took our sin upon Himself and in return imputed to us His righteousness so that we stand before His Father as absolved and holy people. 

5. The gospel also is the proclamation that Christ Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Since Christ has risen from the dead, then there is a resurrection of the dead (1. Corinthians 15,12). Since Christ has been raised, then our faith is effective and our sins are forgiven (1. Corinthians 15,17). Since Christ has been raised, then He is the first fruits of the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in death (1. Corinthians 15,20). When  Christ returns on the last day, He returns to raise all people back to life, gather His Christians into His eternal presence and completely destroys the last enemy which is death (1. Corinthians 15,23-26). The Apostle Paul poetically states the power of the gospel in his 1. Epistle to the Corinthians: »Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?« (1. Corinthians 15,54-55). 

6. God has also given us the spirit of love, and »He first shows us what love is: that Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for each other« (1. John 3,16). God has told us that we should love one another (1. John 3,11). Love does what the law commands, but love does it out of devotion and not obligation. The spirit of love »is joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires« (Galatians 5,22-24). 

7. Finally, God gives us the spirit of self-control. In the Olympics that recently ended, athletes strive to win a gold medal, but are placated if they manage to win a silver or bronze medal. In Paul’s day, Olympians strove to win a laurel wreath. Thus Paul wrote in his epistle: »In a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize. So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable« (1. Corinthians 9,24-25). The word Paul uses here can be translated as either crown or wreath. Of this wreath, the Apostle James tells us: »Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the wreath of life, which God has promised to those who love Him« (James 1,12). And the Apostle Peter says: »And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading wreath of glory« (1. Peter 5,4). And finally the Apostle John testifies to the words by Jesus: »Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the wreath of life« (Revelation 2,10). 

8. Faith in Jesus creates steadfastness and self-control to finish this earthly life trusting in only Him. Paul exhorted Titus: »For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ« (Titus 2,11-13). And the Apostle Peter urges us: »For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with Godliness, and Godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love« (2. Peter 1,5-7). 

9. Again St. Paul: »Therefore we are not ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, but we share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.« All who die in the Christian faith die in Jesus and are welcomed into His Paradise to await the resurrection of their body on the last day. Not even acts of terrorism can change this reality; in fact, those who die as martyrs, dying because they confess the Name of Jesus, are worthy of a double honor. 

10. At this very moment all the martyrs petition God to avenge their shed blood. St. John saw in his Revelation: »The martyrs cried out with a loud voice: „O Sovereign Lord, Holy and True, how long before You will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?“ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow bondservants, their brothers and sisters in the faith, should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.« (Revelation 6,10). In his book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis describes Jesus (who is Aslan the Lion in this story) as: „Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course He isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King, I tell you“ (Lewis ). Behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. And the armies of heaven were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword. On His robe He has a name written:, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19,11.14-16). In that day the Lord with His great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing, twisting serpent, and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27,1). For the trumpet will sound, and the great red dragon will be thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 11,15; 12,3.9; 20,10). Thus Jesus will be the twilight doom of Satan and all the wicked. 

11. Our Savior Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel; He gives us the spirit of power, love and self-control. That which falls, Jesus will rebuild. Those who now mourn, Jesus will wipe away their tears. Those who suffer for His Name, Jesus will  give them the wreath of victory. Those who believe on Him, Jesus will give them everlasting life. He will do it, for He is the King of kings, the Rider of the white horse and Mighty Trumpet who signals the defeat of the devil and all his followers.  Amen and Amen. 

12. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, the Lord sent to redeem His people; establish Your new testament in our hearts  so that we may endure each day with the sure and certain hope of our resurrection victory by Your mighty hand.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

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, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.  

All quotations from the Book of Concord are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche, 12. Edition © 1998 by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.  

1. Peter 5,5c-11. 15. Sunday after Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever 

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

1. Peter 5,5c-11 4616

15. Sonntag nach Trinitatis  060  

Moses, Prophet, 1500 bc 

4. September 2016 

1. О Lord God, Heavenly Father, we thank You for all Your benefits: that You have given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech You, take not Your blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, so that we may serve You only, love and abide in You and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Your grace.  Amen.  (Veit Dietrich for the 15. Sn. n. Trinitatis) 

2. »God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.« [Proverbs 3,34] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever.  Amen. 

3. The Apostle Peter tells us that the devil prowls around seeking people to inflict suffering upon. The devil has done this since his fall from heavenly glory. Job is perhaps the best Biblical example of someone who suffered at the hands of the devil. In a test of Job’s righteous integrity and faith the L told Satan: »Behold, all that he has is in your hand« (Job 1,12). Job subsequently lost his children, his wealth and his health at the hand of Satan.  

4. WE are tempted to view suffering as a sign of God’s displeasure, His lack of love for us or His inability to stop suffering. Thus the Apostle Peter speaks of humiliation by the mighty hand of God (Wenz ¶ 10). „This shows why God allows suffering in the lives of His children. Suffering drives out our pride and arrogance. In suffering, we know that we are not in fact the masters of our lives, as we believe, when everything does not go the way we want it to go. Suffering makes us see our need of help“ (Wenz ¶ 10).

5. „Therefore, the theme of our preaching is: The suffering of Christians does not disprove God’s omnipotence nor His grace. Let us turn to Peter to the first point: 1. Our suffering does not disprove God’s omnipotence, because that suffering comes from God’s hand“ (Wenz ¶ 9). St. Peter says precisely in his epistle: »Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.« 

6. Suffering does not separate us from God. Our sinful flesh tends to believe this, but nothing could be further from the truth.  The Apostle Paul said: »No one and no thing shall separate us from the love of Christ. Not tribulation or distress, not persecution or famine, note nakedness, danger or even the sword; not death or life, not angels or rulers, nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord« (Romans 8,35.38-39). 

7. The proof that nothing can separate us from God is Jesus Himself who suffered on our behalf. Our Baptism unites us to this Suffering Savior (Romans 6,3). First, this means that there is no pain-free Christianity (Wenz 16); Christians will suffer in this life. Jesus told us plainly: »If anyone would follow after Me, then let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me« (Matthew 16,24). To deny ourselves and to take up our cross is to suffer even unto martyrdom. Christ walked the path to His cross, and we follow Him to that cross where he suffered and died. People will ridicule us, tempt us to deny Jesus and walk away from the faith. People may persecute us so that we suffer physical or financial loss. Some Christians lose family and friends when they confess Jesus. Christianity is a theology grounded in suffering.

8. The ministry and message of Jesus does not end with suffering on the cross, death and burial in a grave. Walking the path of Jesus who bears the cross is a walk of death into the grave and hades and then a return from hades and leaving the grave in resurrected glory. Thus St. Peter tells us: »And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.« 

9. Jesus exhorts us by saying: »Draw near to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me that I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your lives. For My yoke is easy to bear, and My burden is light« (Matthew 11:28-30). We need not fear the devil, suffering, persecution or even death itself for Jesus has walked though them victoriously. His victory is our victory. 

10. Thus the Apostle Paul tElle us: »Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our suffering, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any suffering, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too« (2. Corinthians 1,3-5). May the Holy Spirit give us opportunities to comfort others in their suffering and give us the strength to do so.  Amen. 

11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, we taste and see that the You are good; help us to always take refuge in You so that we are always blessed.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

Babylon 5. Parliament of Dreams. Copyright © 1993 PTN Consortium and Warner Bros. Television.

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

   Wenz, Armin. A sermon preached on 16. September 2012 (15. Trinity) in Oberursel, Germany on 1. Peter 5c-11. Copyright © 2012 The Rev. Dr. Armin Wenz. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2012.