The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity - September 26, 2010

The Church Season of Trinity
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 4, 2010)

“A HEALING SABBATH”

Readings:  
    Psalm 2
    Proverbs 25:6-14
    Ephesians 4:1-6
    Luke 14:1-11

Sermon Form    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 14th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 14:1-11 (NIV)

1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they had nothing to say. 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Yesterday our confirmands met and they recited their confirmation verses from the Small Catechism just as they had been assigned.  Today we too will recite a portion of the Small Catechism, the part wherein God spoke about the Sabbath.  This is the third Commandment which tells us we are to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy for the Lord. For the people of Israel, Saturday was the day dedicated to the worship of God, to prayer and to meditation on His Word. For us the Sabbath day is Sunday. In Old Testament times, Saturday was named as the Sabbath day because the book of Genesis tells us God created the heavens and the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested and enjoyed His creation. And His creation was very good.

The Jews celebrated the Sabbath on Saturday to remember God's work of creation. Today we Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, the first day of the week, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday and because this is the day that the apostles met after Jesus’ death. Today we remember the new creation in Christ and because of His resurrection we are new creatures, free from our sins and heirs of eternal life. 

So Saturday Sabbath for the Jews, Sunday Sabbath for Christians.  However, there is another group and that is the unbelievers.  And for unbelievers in our modern world, both Saturday and Sunday are days off from work. Meaning neither Saturday or Sunday are considered days to set aside for God and return thanks to Him for giving us Jesus Christ.  Without faith in Christ, people, guided by their own logic, seek only the benefits of a break in the weekly routine of work, it’s just another day off. It is good to allow workers to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Of course, the unbelieving world has forgotten the point of the Sabbath day is not only to relax and enjoy one's blessings, but also to worship and return thanks to God for them. Therefore, many people do not truly have a day of rest, because they are never content with what they have, but always want more and more. Their Sabbath is not a day, but the things which they have or want.  They avoid public worship because they feel they deserve more time for their own pleasures - on the beach, the banks of the river, the mountains, into the woods, or in their own homes. Sadly, this is the custom for many during all of Holy Week and the Christmas season, too. All of this misdirection is contrary to the Third Commandment. 

But grave errors neither begin or end with us.  In the time of Jesus, the party of these kind of thinkers among the Jews were called the Pharisees. They were very zealous for the traditions of their forefathers and very proud of their own conduct. They thought because of their good works that they were more valuable in God's eyes than other men.

In our Gospel for today, one of the Pharisees, a very important man in the community, invited Jesus to his house for a meal on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had interpreted that according the Law of Moses, no one was supposed to work on the Sabbath, but to attend to the worship of God. This man and his friends made a great point of observing this rule. So, for example, the food for the meal undoubtedly was prepared the day before.

But they had also set a trap for Jesus, who they knew had compassion for the sick. Immediately upon entering the Pharisee's home, Jesus encountered a poor, sick man. The Pharisees thought that if Jesus in His mercy healed the man without saying a word, they could spread gossip about how Jesus did not respect the Law of Moses and thought nothing of working on the Sabbath.But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" That is, according to the Law of Moses. Nobody answered Him. Why? Because they knew the answer was "Yes."

In fact, Jesus kept the Law of Moses in every way. He attended public worship every Saturday, according to St. Luke, in His youth, His family journeyed to Jerusalem every year for the Passover. As a man, Jesus would travel to Jerusalem for all of the Jewish religious festivals. He obeyed all of the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament during His earthly life.

And more than that, the Law of Moses never forbids acts of mercy, as the Pharisees knew. As Jesus told them, "Who among you, if your donkey or ox falls into a well, does not immediately pull it out, even though it might be the Sabbath?" And, He implied, if they were willing to do this for their animals, why not care for their neighbor in the same fashion? Not many who sit here have oxen or donkeys but one might well say that we do treat are neighbors like animals or even less than that as we fail to have mercy on the poor, the sick, the needy, the depressed, and the lonely. 

So what does this have to do with the Sabbath? The fulfillment of the Law is two-fold love. First, love of God, and second, love of one's neighbor. The Pharisees thought they were fulfilling the Law, but they were not motivated by love, but rather by selfishness. Unfortunately we are there too when we do not seek ways to show mercy on our fellow man.  And so we are called to repent, and as we do, he who is faithful and just forgives or sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 

Jesus fulfilled the Law and He showed mercy upon us.  We are called to go and do likewise.  Jesus gave His life so that we may live, He is the one who gives us Sabbath holiness, He is our Sabbath rest.   And Jesus our Sabbath works miracles for you on this Holy day.  He heals you with His body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus heals you and relieves your pain, your suffering, your want of any kind, He cares for you no matter what day or what hour.  Jesus is indeed our healing Sabbath, not just for a day, but for our eternal lives.  Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity - September 19, 2010

The Church Season of Trinity
The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 19, 2010)

“CHRIST WINS, LIFE WINS”

Readings:   
    Psalm
    1 Kings 17:17-24
    Ephesians 3:13-21
    Luke 7:11-17

Sermon Form    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message as recorded in the Old Testament Lesson from the 7th chapter of Luke:

Luke 7:11-17 (NASB95)

“11 Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd.  12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.  13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “ Do not weep.”14 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “ Young man , I say to you, arise !” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!” 17 This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.”

   

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Today death meets life in a small town called Nain. Christ’s disciples and a large crowd follow Him into Nain, where they meet a large funeral procession. A widow’s son is on his way to be buried. A grieving mother walks alone, weeping over her son.

Jesus can’t help but have compassion. He knows what will happen to Him soon. He too will be part of a funeral procession…a procession that we helped prepare. Death was not part of God’s creation. Our Father created all things good, and that means no death. Disobeying God brought death into the world. Saint Paul reminds us the wages of sin is death. Now that mankind is enslaved by sin, man can do nothing to fix the problem. Man adds to that bondage by blaming God for death. After all, it’s reasonable to believe that if God created all things, He most certainly created death.

But, how quickly we forget that God created all things good. Death is not good. Ask the widow whom Elijah fed in 1 Kings 17. Her son ended up dying while the man of God was in the house. Where does she put the blame? What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?

Elijah bears the burden of the Lord. That burden is one of bad news and good news. This same burden is borne by pastors. Pastors bear the burden of preaching both Law and Gospel. The bad news is we are all sinners. We deserve to die because of sin. And continuing in sin without repentance means we die for all eternity. This does not mean that God sends certain people to heaven and certain people to hell. This means that we have rejected God’s grace.

The other burden pastors bear is the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel makes neither threats nor demands. The Gospel speaks righteousness from heaven come to earth in the God-Man Jesus Christ. Jesus comes from heaven to earth to contend with death and Jesus wins, for you. Just as Jesus has new life after His resurrection, so do you. Life wins!

The eyes that see Jesus Christ die will see Him alive. Death is swallowed up in victory. Don’t be afraid. The sting of your sin is paid in full through Jesus Christ’s blood and righteousness. The account is settled. Jesus bears that burden into the tomb…and leaves it there. There is an ancient Easter hymn which says it best: “Death and life have contended/In that combat stupendous/The Prince of Life Who died/Reigns immortal.” Death and life contend in 1 Kings 17. Elijah stretches himself on the child and begs God three times to let him live. The LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. Life wins!

Death and life contend in our Gospel lesson. Jesus tells the woman not to weep. He touches the open coffin and says, Young man, I say to you, arise. The Word that brought all things into being now brings a young man, the only son of a widow, back to life. The living son can’t help but open his mouth and speak. Jesus helps him off the coffin and presents him to his mother. Life wins!

Perhaps the Blessed Virgin Mary walks with our Lord into Nain and sees this miracle of life. She will take her place as the weeping mother as her only-begotten Son’s whose lifeless, bloodied, beaten body will be carried from the cross. The sacrifice for sin is finished. Death and life have contended. The eyes of all who saw Him die will think death has won the decisive victory.

Might it be words of victory and resurrection the great prophet spoke when Jesus raised him from the dead? Saint Luke doesn’t say. However, Luke does tell us the people cry out God has visited His people. God visits you today. He visits you in His service, where death and life meet face to face. Jesus Christ is here to take your death away and give you life.

The Divine Service is about two things: death and life. The confession of sins proclaims we are sinful and unclean, and deserving of death. The absolution proclaims your sins forgiven. You live.  Christ wins, His life for yours and life wins.

The three Bible readings today show how God’s people of old deserved to die by the things they said and did. Yet they live because they repent and believe in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again. You live.  When the Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this altar, proclaiming the death of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. You eat and drink His Body and Blood for that forgiveness. You live, life wins.  His triune Name is spoken over you at the beginning and end of the Divine Service, as it was spoken over you at your baptism. The sign of the holy cross accompanies His Name, as you trace that sign on your own body. You died to sin and rose to life through baptism. Christ wins, you live, life wins.

This is why our churches place the baptismal font either in front of the chancel or right as you walk in the nave. God wants you to see where your life was given to you. He wants to keep it before your eyes always where Christ won, you win, life wins.

This is why our churches place the altar front and center in the chancel. God wants you to see where the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is centered. He wants you to eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for your salvation.

Death meets life here every Lord’s Day and holy day. God visits His people and takes their sin away. Christ leaves you with His life and His forgiveness. See, the Son of God lives! Because He lives, you live!    Christ has won, you win, life wins, eternal life won, for you.  Amen.

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The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity - September 12, 2010

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 12, 2010)

“ALL THESE THINGS”

Readings:  
    Psalm 146
    1 Kings 17:8-16
    Galatians 5:25 – 6:10
    Matthew 6:24 - 34

Sermon Form    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Old Testament Lesson from the 6th chapter of Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 6:24-34 (NIV)

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

For at least a couple of generations now, many pastors have been taught by the practical, seeker sensitive teachers and leaders among us to soft sell the Law and the Gospel lest they offend anyone and thus lose them to the abyss of hell.

That simply cannot and will not happen.  We know that God will not lose a single one of those whose names are written in His Book of Life.  And we also know that souls are saved precisely by the bold preaching of Law and Gospel, because the Law sears the sinful flesh, and the Gospel soothes the contrite soul.  It is not a preacher's business to flatter, amuse, or market people into heaven.  It is their call to proclaim the Word for what it is and let the Holy Spirit condemn or console according to God's perfect discernment and heart for what the sinner truly needs.

Pastors are not called to be salesmen of salvation, public relations consultants for Christ, or corporate builders of His Church.  Christ does not need or want that.  The Holy Spirit is quite capable of being the builder of Christ's Church.

But we Lutherans seem to be suffering from a desire to embrace virtually anything for the sake of "growing the church."  The people of God are persuaded into believing that it is not enough for the Baptized Christians to exercise their vocations in faith as the child of God according to the Ten Commandments, and instead must do something "special" to glorify God and win souls for Christ. It is hard even for a pastor to think or say, ‘Let the numbers come or not based upon our faithful preaching and hearing of the Word of God for the forgiveness of sins.’

Although concern for filling pews sounds loving toward the lost, hidden behind it often lurks greed.  A pastor who preaches to full pews can build his church, build his kingdom, build his glory before his fellowmen.  And the people in that larger church?  Well, they think they can count on greater security and prosperity.  So in order to build at least in our minds, bigger kingdoms and prosperity we are tempted to avoid offense and try to keep others attending in any way possible. 

Doctor Martin Luther spoke of these things in his sermon on Matthew 6:"Among the vices there is none that opposes the Gospel as terribly as does greed.  As soon as a preacher makes it his aim to get rich, he stops performing his office the way he should.  The concern about making a living traps his heart the way a snare does.  He cannot teach or denounce in the right places or in the right manner.  He is concerned about losing popularity and friendship among those from whom he can get it.  Whoever wants to do his duty as a preacher and perform his office faithfully must tell the truth fearlessly.  He must denounce anyone that needs to be denounced-great or small, rich or poor or powerful, friend or foe.  Greed refuses to do this, for it is afraid that if it offends the bigwigs or good friends, it will be unable to find bread.  So greed keeps quiet.

It is the same way with the common crowd, the so-called people in the pews  They should listen to the Word of God and help to advance the kingdom of God, each individual in his own life and station.  But if they listen to greed, they refuse to believe that they will suffer and have to sacrifice their need for the sake of the Gospel.  Above all, they see to it that they have plenty and their belly is taken care of, regardless of whether there is enough Law or enough Gospel or not.  So they scrape and scratch, getting along as well as they can without proclaiming God’s Word to their fellow man. 

Christ the Lord gives a warning to those that are His.  He prescribes in Matthew 6 a good and potent medicine called 'seeking the kingdom of God. Taking this medicine makes anxiety unnecessary, but it makes it possible for us to have enough, in fact, it is a medicine greater and more excellent than any Mammon can give us.   And by the way, mammon would be dollars and cents to us.

"By these words, therefore, Christ would like to wake us up and say: 'Seek for the treasure called "the kingdom of God."  Do not be anxious about the perishable treasure which moth and rust consumes.  You have a much different treasure which is in heaven.  This is the kind of treasure that will sustain you forever, and it cannot perish and it cannot be taken away.  Because the treasure you cling to by faith is an enduring one, you will endure, too, even if you may not have a single penny from the world.'

"What the kingdom of God is, to put it most briefly, means believing in Jesus Christ.  In this kingdom He is the Head and the only King, in whom and through whom we have everything; whoever abides in Him cannot be harmed by any sin, by death, or any misfortune, but has eternal life, joy, and salvation.

And, what does it mean to 'seek' this kingdom?  What is the method of reaching it, and what way or path leads to it?  Here people point in one direction, and Christ in another direction.  For there are many ways, but they are all departures from that one way of believing in Christ and practicing and applying the Gospel, to which faith clings.  This involves growing and being strengthened at heart through preaching, listening, reading, singing, meditating, and every other possible way, including thinking of new ways to proclaim the Gospel in this world to those who don’t or won’t hear it.  For this Christ’s children are called to be willing to risk everything they have, and they would be ready to lose it rather than to surrender the Word.  But we don’t want to surrender any of those things, we don’t want to surrender what we’ve always done, nor the way we’ve always done it.

"But our condition in the kingdom of Christ is half sin and half holiness.  What there is in us that belongs to faith and to Christ is completely pure and perfect, since it is not our own but Christ's, who is ours through the free gift of faith and who lives and works in us.  But what is still our own is completely sinful.  Yet under Christ it is He who is concealed and blotted out through the forgiveness of sins.  Daily it is put to death through the same grace of the Spirit, until we have died to this life altogether."

For this reason Jesus Christ suffered and He died.  He gave His life for us poor sinners so that, as we trust in His sacrifice for us, our trust in Hi will never be disappointed.  His Cross, will keep us safe through life and death, safe from hell and satan, and bring us finally to eternal blessedness.  Therefore, the Cross is our treasure, and Christ is our gold and silver, it is He who will lead us even out of our own graves to join Him in the resurrection life. It is His kingdom which we seek like the blind groping in the darkness.  It is Christ’s kingdom given freely to you by the Light of Christ which are the “all” things, the eternal things given to you.  Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity - September 2010

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 13, 2009)

“Cling Tightly to the Word of God”

Readings:   
    Psalm 119:9-16
    Proverbs 4:10-23
    Galatians 5:16-24
    Luke 17:11-19

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 17th chapter of St. Luke, the following verses,

Luke 17:11-19 (ESV)

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

The one leper returning to give thanks to Jesus for healing his leprosy is a Samaritan. That is significant, especially when you pair this account with last week’s Gospel account of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Two weeks in a row, the Samaritans are the heroes. Why are they Samaritan half-breeds despised by every pious Jew, doing what every pious Jew is supposed to do? The answer is not one of race, but one of faith. The nine lepers who keep running toward the temple are the ones following Jesus’ directions, or so it seems. Jesus tells them, go, show yourselves to the priests. So they run to the priests. All but one keeps running. One turns around and runs back to Jesus, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet.

A Jew, hearing this account, would be full of rage. Samaritans are not supposed to run to this teacher, this troubler of Israel. They are supposed to go to their own temple and see their own priests. There is a detailed temple liturgy of recognizing a healed leper. The liturgy must be followed. Instead, this Samaritan writes his own liturgy and returns to Jesus.  We hear of a gracious response to the Savior Who heals His people, along with an ungracious response of following the rules and doing as you are told.

Truth be told, there is a little bit of the nine lepers in each of us. Sometimes we look at the church as a center of goods and services. We go to church to get something out of it. Once we get what we need out of it, we don’t think about it again until we need something. When that happens this building and what goes on inside this building becomes like Dollar General, a Meijer’s, Kroger’s, or dare I say, like a Wal-Mart. We don’t think much about what goes on there or what’s inside these places until we need something. Then we are concerned with our needs and wants until they are fulfilled. After our needs and wants are met, all those stores and places are out of sight and mind until next time.

I’m sure we all have thoughts about families who we think rarely darken the door of a church except when they wanted to squeeze something out of it.  But, it’s the old story isn’t it, while we’re thinking about those people, they’re probably thinking about us. Yet all of us are guilty at one time or another of using the church like a store. When a baby is born, you take the child to church for baptism. When a child turns a certain age, you drop the child off at church for catechism instruction and pick them up an hour later, making an appearance in church only for their confirmation. When it’s time to get married, the church is the place for the wedding of your dreams. The church building is a perfect backdrop for the perfect wedding.

And in our Gospel lesson today that kind of thought process was the way of the nine lepers too. We’re in big trouble, our health is deteriorating, our bodies falling apart, but look over there a man named Jesus, quick get His attention.  They and we react that way because you get what you ask for, you do as you’re told, and you live your life as if you expected Jesus to heal you all along. Instead of singing “What a privilege to carry/Everything to God in prayer”, you consider the privilege a right, a demand expected from a sovereign individual who makes God and His Word in their own image.  Despite Jesus’ miracle on their behalf, not even He found people to be grateful, save one.

How do you find yourself responding to the miracle of preaching and the Sacraments? Is this an hour to squeeze out what you need to keep up appearances with God? Or is this an hour that is the center of everything you say and do during the week? It is one thing to say you are a Christian; that you believe Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead to deliver eternal life for you. It is another thing entirely to say you are a Christian, but nowadays when you say you are a Christian it’s like saying you prefer Coke over Pepsi. All the other options are crass, so I guess Christianity is my choice.

Repent. Enough of consumer Christianity. Turn around with the Samaritan leper and return to the Lord, falling on your face to worship Him. Raise your voice to the Lord. Sing praise to the God Who does wonders without ever counting the cost. Rejoice in the Savior of the nations Who saves both Jew and Gentile from sin and eternal death.

A Christian cannot help but live a gracious life in Christ. Consider Saint Paul’s words in his letter to the Galatians, “for the flesh lusts against the Spirit; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law…. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Perhaps it’s that last sentence that keeps so many people away from the Christian faith. A Christian crucifies his flesh every day. That’s the toughest thing to do as a Christian. When you wake up, you think that you won’t sin as much as you did yesterday. Nevertheless, you fall right back into those old traps. How do you not fall into those old traps of sin? Saying you’re not going to do that and actually not doing that are two different things.

Solomon has the answer in today’s Old Testament reading, “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Give attention to the Word of the Lord. Give attention to His Word here as well as at home. The Divine Service is part of our walk with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Reading the Word at home, praying for all needs and conditions of your fellow people, meditating on last week’s sermon, this is what it means to give attention…to incline the ear to the Lord’s sayings.

The center point of our life together as Christians happens here in the Divine Service. Here is where sins are forgiven and grace is bestowed. The pastor is an instrument of grace. God’s undeserved love comes through Jesus to you. When you leave here, do not let the Word spoken to you fall out of your ears or your mouth. Among you lies the forgiving Word in preaching and in the Lord’s Supper. The Means of Grace fill you with His forgiveness, not just for an inconvenient moment, but for life. Why treat them as you would treat consumable goods and services?

When you walk weekly and daily with the Master and His Words, you find yourself always wanting to be gracious to others as God is gracious to you. Good works give evidence that faith is living and active among you. Good works are also a fruit of faith. They are a result of forgiveness, not a cause of forgiveness. The grace you show others, even those who are not known by the Lord, is a sermon on forgiveness preached without words.

We arise and go our way today once again healed from sin and death and given forgiveness and life. While we go our way, we take “firm hold of instruction and do not let go.” We cling to Jesus and His Word of forgiveness like burrs cling to our pants when we walk through the woods. Make note of the last hymn today, not just to sing, but especially to the words.  “Cling Tightly to the Word of God”, focus on the subject and the objects.  God is the center, you are His beloved, Christ did the work and you receive the miracle of salvation, the result of His love.

God’s Word is among us is a gift we don’t deserve. It is a miracle, a great mystery from God that He would save us all. You can’t help but fall down before the King of Kings and show your gratitude for all His gratitude on your behalf. Psalm 92 says “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your [mercy] in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night.”   What an amazing Savior we have in Jesus Christ! Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
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