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Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).  "Confused" September 26, 2013  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes .... Romans 1:16aWhen I was young, I had a hero: the Lone Ranger. How could you not like a guy who didn't shoot to kill, who rode a white horse, and never stuck around for any embarrassing "Thank you, masked man. Whoever you are?" When I became an adult, I had a hero: Clayton Moore, the fellow who played the Lone Ranger on television. Knowing he was the hero of millions of children, he tried to live his life worthy of that honor. (Try to find some star or athlete or singer or politician who does that today!) Most of us have idols. Ten-year-old Erin Shead of Lucy Elementary School in Millington, Tennessee, has an idol. When her teacher asked her to write an essay about a person she idolized, she wrote, "I look up to God. I love Him and Jesus, and Jesus is His earthly Son. I also love Jesus." I hope that Shead keeps her promise that God will "always be the number one Person I look up to." That might be easier said than done. You see, Shead's teacher told her she could not use God as an idol for the assignment. She had to take her essay home because it couldn't stay on school property. Of course, it is possible this might have been an honest mistake made by a teacher who doesn't understand the First Amendment. It's possible, but not likely. A spokesman for the Shelby School District said, "Teachers are prohibited from promoting religious beliefs in the classroom." He also said, "The school doesn't have a policy about students expressing their religious beliefs." So, why couldn't Shead write about God? The district's spokesman didn't have an answer. Amazing! Last week the U.S. Supreme Court said, "In God We Trust" will stay on our coins and during that same week a teacher in Tennessee basically said, "We may trust God, but we can't write about Him." All of this means I have a new hero. I'm going to look up to and, as best as I can, encourage students like Erin Shead who not only love the Lord, but aren't afraid to say so. Sadly, they are growing up in a country that is mighty confused. It is my prayer all of us old veterans may do all we can to encourage these young folks to be witnesses for the Savior who gave His life, so they might have life. Oh, by the way, you should know the teacher approved of Shead's second choice of heroes: Michael Jackson. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, be with our courts and our schools. May they learn to send a right and consistent message to the young of America. And, even if they don't, may our young trust in and hold fast to You and Your only Son, their Savior. In Jesus' Name. Amen.  In Christ I remain His servant and yours,  Pastor Ken Klaus Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour® Lutheran Hour Ministries | |
Friday, September 27, 2013
"Confused"
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Worship for St. Michael and All Angels - 2013
Tuesday after Pentecost 18
The Lord be with you
This coming Sunday is the Feast
of St. Michael and All Angels. Michael is an Archangel , and so it seems odd to say “saint” Michael. However, when we remember
the word “saint” literally means “holy one,” then calling an angel a saint doesn't seem that odd. We are saying “holy” Michael. Of course, all the angels
are holy.
The readings reflect the
angel/Michael theme. Our Old Testament lesson is Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3. Our
second lesson is Revelation 12:7-12. For our Gospel lesson, we are given a
choice, either Matthew 18:1-11 or Luke 10:17-20. I have chosen the Luke
reading. As we will be using the service of Prayer and Preaching (page 260) for
our liturgy, we will be using the appointed Psalm for the Day instead of the
Introit. It is Psalm 91. The antiphon is verse 11. Many of you will recognize
it as the Psalm that inspired Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our
God.”
Our opening hymn will be
“The Son of God Goes Forth to War” (LSB
661). Our sermon hymn will be “Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus” (LSB 660). Our closing hymn will be
“Onward, Christian Soldiers” (LSB
662).
Our sermon is titled
“Combat” and the text will be Revelation 12:10. Typically I preach thematic
sermons. However this Sunday I will deliver an “expository” sermon. What that
basically means is that I will go through the lesson from Revelation, verse by
verse, and “expound” on it. It will be a little bit more like a Bible study.
In our prayers, we will
remember the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church in America Tajikistan South Africa Africa . Of course we will also pray the collect of St. Michael and All Angels.
Don’t forget that our
“Opening Worship Moments” actually begin a little before 10:30 . During these moments we receive prayer requests
and greet each other in the name of the Lord. This way we are singing our
opening hymn at 10:30 .
Each of the hymns Sunday
are well known. Below is a video of our opening hymn, “The Son of God Goes
Forth to War” (LSB 661).
We continue in the Gospel
of Luke in our Sunday morning Bible study. All are welcome. Bible study begins
at 9:00 am .
Preview of Lessons
Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3
Daniel’s book is a
fascinating read, though portions can be difficult to understand. He was one of
the Jews that were taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 605 bc. He was selected, along with others,
to be trained as an adviser and administrator in the Babylonian empire. He continued on in that position when the Persians conquered the Babylonians. He
interpreted dreams and had visions of his own. This reading comes from his
visions. In Daniel 10:1-10 the prophet had a vision he did not understand. He
prayed for understanding. In verses 10-14 an angel appears to explain things.
The angel says that as soon as Daniel began to pray he was given the job of
coming to Daniel, but Satan interfered. Michael then came and engaged Satan,
freeing up the other angel to complete his mission. Satan here is called the
“prince of Persia
Revelation 12:7-12
Verses 1-6 tell of how
Jesus came to earth and returned in the ascension. Satan opposed this, and
lost. Verses 7-12 will be the topic of the sermon, but in summary we can say
that Satan looses the right to accuse us and he isn't happy about that. Verses
13-17 have Satan being cast down onto the earth, where he rages against
Christ’s Church. As this is the text for the sermon, I’ll write no more here.
Luke 10:17-20
As I said above, there are
two options for Sunday’s Gospel. The reading from Matthew speaks more of angelic
activity. This reading speaks more of the defeat of Satan. Jesus sent 72
disciples out, preparing towns for his anticipated visit. They come back and
report on their activity, very excited. Jesus first interprets what they have
done. Every time the word of God is received, Satan is defeated. We should
understood the words “serpents” and “scorpions” in a symbolic way. Calling
Satan a serpent dates back to Genesis 3 and the Fall of humanity. The scorpion
image comes much from the sting of scorpions. (1 Corinthians 15:55-56;
Revelation 9:5). However the real joy for a believer is not any moment by
moment victory of Satan, but the eternal victory we receive because our name is
written in the Book of Life.
Lesson Synopsis (from the LC-MS)
Our Father in
Heaven Protects His Children
by Giving His
Holy Angels Charge Over Them
We live in “a time of
trouble” (Dan. 12:1), in the midst of great tribulation; for Satan and his
wicked angels have been thrown out of heaven and have come down to earth “in great wrath,” with woeful “temptations to sin” and with constant
accusations (Rev. 12:8–12; Matt. 18:7). Even so, we are encouraged by the
presence and protection of St. Michael and the holy angels, whom God sends to
help us in the strife (Dan. 10:11 –13). By “the authority of his Christ,” His holy
angels guard and keep us in body and soul. These heavenly servants of God
preserve His human messengers on earth, the ministers of “the blood of the Lamb,” against all the power of the enemy; for by
“the word of their testimony,” the
Church is saved and the devil is defeated (Rev. 12:10–11; Luke 10:18–19). By
their preaching and Baptism of repentance, the old Adam and the old evil foe
are “drowned in the depth of the sea”
(Matt. 18:6); and as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, so are His people
delivered and raised from the dust of the earth through the forgiveness of
their sins (Dan. 12:1–3).
Tidbits
- As those who were in Church this past Sunday know, I am in
- The LWML is having a Tea after our worship service this coming Sunday.
- The newsletter should be available Sunday.
Well, I pray we will see
you Sunday.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Rivers of Disappointment
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(God said) "And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." Psalm 50:15Thursday, September 19, 2013
Worship Notes for Pentecost 18 - 2013
Thursday
after Pentecost 17
September 19,
2013
The Lord be
with you
This coming
Sunday is the 18th Sunday after Pentecost. It is also the first day
of Fall. And it is the Commemoration of Jonah. Some deny that the book of Jonah
is historical simply because it is unlikely that any large fish would swallow a
man whole, only for him to escape three days later. Others point to the
documentation that shows men have indeed been swallowed whole by a large fish,
only to escape later. Such arguments reduce the book to just a few verses. They
also ignore the reality that the God of heaven and earth is not bound by
probability tables. The book reads as an historical account. Jesus speaks of
Jonah as an historical figure. These two facts are enough for me. Focusing on the
fish’s role misdirects our attention. You might say the book is about a
reluctant prophet or evangelist. You might say the book is about how human
priorities are not God’s priorities. You might say the book presents Jonah as a
type of Christ. All these things would be more to the point of the book. Jonah
is commissioned by God to bring God’s Word to a Gentile nation. The Father
sends the Son to bring God’s saving Word to a sinful humanity. In bringing his
message Jonah is swallowed by a great fish (buried), only to be “resurrected”
three days later. Jesus’ message is confirmed and empowered by his death and
resurrection. The people of Nineveh
repented, came to faith through the word preached by Jonah, and received
salvation. In like manner, those who hear the word of Christ and believe in the
promises made concerning him in that word, receive life and salvation. Of
course, types are never as great as their fulfillment. Jonah was a reluctant
prophet while Jesus willingly came. Jonah could be self-centered while Jesus
was selfless. So we can see Jesus, not only in how Jonah was like our Lord, but
also in how he was different from Jesus.
We will be
receiving the Lord’s Supper Sunday. To prepare you may reread Luther’s
treatment of the Sacrament of the Altar in the Small Catechism, page 326 of the
hymnal. For our liturgy we will use Divine Service 3, page 184 in the hymnal.
Our opening hymn will be “O Savior, Precious Savior” (LSB 527). Our sermon hymn
will be “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (LSB 528). Our closing hymn will
be “O Jesus So Sweet, O Jesus So Mild” (LSB 546). Our distribution hymns will
be “Come, Let Us Eat” (LSB 626), “Christ, the Word of God Incarnate” (LSB 540),
and “Drawn to the Cross, Which Thou Hast Blessed” (LSB 560). The appointed lessons
are Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Luke 16:1-15. The text for Sunday’s sermon
will be 1 Timothy 2:4. The sermon is titled “Access.”
Don’t forget
that our “Opening Worship Moments” actually will begin a little before 10:30. During these moments we receive
prayer requests and greet each other in the name of the Lord. This way we are
singing our opening hymn at 10:30.
In our
prayers, we will remember The Episcopal Church of the United States of America
and their Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori. We
will remember the persecuted believers in Syria. We will remember Ginger
Taff-Lagergren, our missionary in South Africa. She asks that we
pray, that God would use her to spread His love and that she would be a help to
others with challenges in their day-to-day life, also that the Lord protect her
and keep her in good health, so that she may serve to her fullest capacity.
Finally, to thank the Lord that she has answered His call to serve in South Africa! We
will continue to remember the churches in our denomination. This week we lift
up before our Lord Trinity, Chestertown, MD; Our Shepherd, Columbia, MD; St.
Paul’s, Crofton, MD; Trinity, Cumberland, MD; and Mt. Olive, Irmo, SC. We will
continue to remember all those who have been misled by our cultures advocacy of
sexual immorality and abortion. We ask, not only that the Lord turn our country
around, but also that he bring healing to the lives damaged by our current
culture. We will remember the modern slave trade and ask God to bless all
efforts pleasing in his sight to end this sinful practice. We will remember the
Lutheran Malaria Initiative as we seek to end Malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. We will remember those threatened by the floods
in Colorado.
Below is a
video of our opening hymn, “O Savior, Precious Savior.” It is sung by St.
Andrew’s Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
We continue
in the Gospel of Luke in our Sunday morning Bible study. All are
welcome. Bible study begins at 9:00 am.
Preview of
Lessons
Amos 8:4-7
Through
Amos, God condemns those who economically oppress others. This is part of an
extended vision concerning the Latter Days and God’s judgment of humanities
sin. Whether we do it through government programs, or through some charitable
institution like Lutheran World Relief, or through individual involvement, as
Christians we know that we are indeed our brother’s keeper.
1 Timothy 2:1-15
Sunday’s
message will be based on this reading, so I’m not going to say a lot. Something
I probably will not mention in the sermon is the subtle rebuke of Caesar
worship. We are to pray for all who are in high positions, not to them. To
bring that forward to today, the government is not the source of all good, but
God is. We pray for our president, governors, etc., but not to them. There is
only one mediator between god and men, and it ain’t the president … it is
Jesus. As Christians, we remember that all we say and do does indeed reflect
our faith and that others are watching (that is all the “braided hair” stuff).
Paul’s comments about the fall into sin is interesting. He says Eve was
deceived, but man wasn’t. However, Adam also sinned. In other words, Adam chose
Eve over God. Perhaps that is why our sin-nature is identified as our “Old Adam”
and not our “Old Eve.” Verse 15 is difficult, but probably should be understood
as a reference to the birth of Jesus.
Luke 16:1-15
This parable
has confused many. It has been called the parable of the unjust steward. The “hero”
in the story is the rich man. He is the image of God. The steward is us. He
waists his owners resources. Soon, the steward will lose his position. The
steward proceeds to reduce the debt others owe the master. The master commends
the steward for acting shrewdly. Today this doesn’t make much sense because of
the difference in our cultures. What the steward did made the rich man look
good in the eyes of the neighbors. Now the rich man could either repudiate the
actions of the steward, and look heartless, or endorse his actions, and look
like it was his own generosity. The steward is wise as he relied on his belief
that the master desired to be known as merciful. The true riches are, of
courses, spiritual riches, God’s word and sacraments. Christ goes on to point
out that money makes a very poor god. In this section he echoes the sentiment of
our Old Testament reading.
Lesson Synopsis (from the LC-MS)
The Lord Is Rich in His Grace and
Mercy
Because God
our Savior “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), He urges “that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1 Tim. 2:1). Christians
should so pray “without anger or quarreling,” but “adorn themselves in respectable apparel,
with modesty and self-control” (1 Tim. 2:8, 9). For the Lord does
not forget “the poor of the land” (Amos 8:4). He remembers them
according to the foolishness of the cross. “For what is exalted among men is an
abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). Though we try to justify ourselves “before
men,” God knows our sinful
hearts and calls us to repentance (Luke 16:15).
Though we are “not strong enough to dig” and are “ashamed to beg”
(Luke 16:3), He justifies us by His grace and welcomes us into His “eternal
dwellings” (Luke 16:9). More shrewd than even “the sons of this world”
(Luke 16:8), He requires His stewards of the Gospel to bestow forgiveness
freely.
Tidbits
- Church council has been moved to this Sunday.
Well, I pray
we will see you Sunday.
Blessings in
Christ,
Pastor John
Rickert
"Scrooges"
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Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). "Scrooges" September 19, 2013  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32Although it's only September, I am able to share that Scrooge is alive and well. Actually, his name is not Scrooge. It's John Devaney, a 64-year-old resident of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Of course, Mr. Devaney doesn't walk around saying, "Bah, humbug, Christmas!" No, our present-day Scrooge makes his displeasure known by suing folks. Right now he has filed against Rhode Island's Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, Bishop T. J. Tobin, Archbishop Carlo Vigano, and Pope Francis. And if you are wondering what these supposed scallywags have done to Mr. Devaney, I can tell you his lawsuit accuses them of having violated his rights and denying him the "peaceful enjoyment of his property." Indeed, Mr. Devaney claims the actions of these folks have been part of the reason he is divorced. Because of what they have done, he has been left irritable and argumentative. And if you want to know exactly what these folks have done, I can share they have done nothing other than being remotely connected to St. Thomas More Catholic Parish and St. Peters by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. It is these churches that are responsible because they ring their bells. That's it. Those bonging bells are responsible for Mr. Devaney's divorce. Now I've had some fun here at the expense of Mr. Devaney, but the truth is most of us get irritable and argumentative because of little things which, quite often, aren't sins. Me, I get upset when people leave their shopping carts in the middle of a parking space ... or when they drive s-l-o-w-l-y in the fast lane ... or when they come in during the last five minutes of a two-hour movie and ask, "What's happened so far?" or .... Wow! I didn't know my list was that long. Maybe yours is too. So, what shall we do about our out-of-proportion-to-the- Because Jesus loved them doesn't mean He loved everything about them. Read the Gospels and you will find that Jesus wasn't overly pleased with the Pharisees' hypocrisy, with the crowd's earthly demands, and with His own disciples' lack of understanding. He loved those moneychangers, but He still upset their tables, didn't He? Now the church must always condemn the things which God condemns, but search as I will, I find nothing in the Bible that condemns unreturned shopping carts, slow drivers, or folks who come late to movies. This is why we who are washed from our sins by Jesus' precious blood, we must work at putting aside all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. In its place we are to substitute forgiveness and a tender heart. It's a big order, but it's something we need to do because the Savior doesn't want His followers to be crabby, cantankerous Scrooges. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, let me keep my eyes focused on repairing my shortcomings, failures and sins. When it comes to others, may I treat them as Jesus has dealt with me. In His Name. Amen. In Christ I remain His servant and yours,Pastor Ken Klaus Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour® Lutheran Hour Ministries | |
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
"A LITTLE THING"
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Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). "A Little Thing" September 16, 2013  (Jesus said) "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same." Luke 6:32-33We have a very good friend who is an occupational therapist, working exclusively with children. In recent years Pam and I have learned a great deal from her. Although she cannot and does not ever share any patient information, there have been times when we've seen her with a smile that stretches from ear to ear. When we ask her about her obvious good news, she says something like, "One of my kids turned his head today." At first we thought big deal; all children turn their heads. Then we found out not all children can. When one of this lady's children turns a head, or lifts an arm, or takes a step, it's monumental good news. More often than not those little things are the result of months of work, encouragement and pain. Now I share that with you to help explain why I think the tweet that was sent out by Hasan Rouhani, the president of Iran, is a big deal. That tweet said, "As the sun is about to set here in Tehran, I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah," that is a blessed Jewish New Year. Now if you and I had sent out a similar tweet, it would have been met with yawns. But when someone like Rouhani does it, it's a big deal. After all, the fellow who was in office ahead of Rouhani hated the Jews and maintained the Holocaust never happened. Now I'm not saying this small gesture is going to mean "peace in our time," but I am suggesting what Rouhani did was a brave thing and a far better thing than rattling military sabers and making overt threats. All of this leads me to suggest that we Christians ought to love our enemies. When Jesus was among us, He loved and gave His life to save everyone. Then He encouraged those who were given faith in Him as Savior to do the same for others. His is an order which is sometimes difficult to fulfill. You see, most of us have someone who just simply drives us bonkers. When we're being honest with ourselves, we admit we don't love that individual; we don't like that individual; we don't even want to be in the same room as that individual. Yet, that is precisely the individual Jesus tells us to care about. So, let's try, shall we? Let's do something ... anything ... even a small thing to reach out to that individual and show them that Jesus' request hasn't fallen on deaf ears. Starting to love our enemies: it's the least we can do in thanksgiving for Him who died for those who crucified Him. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks Jesus didn't only preach the truth, He lived it. He has never asked His followers to go where He has not already been. This is why I ask that I be given the desire and strength to love my enemies. May the Savior grant me the grace to care for those who bug me. In Jesus' Name. Amen. In Christ I remain His servant and yours,Pastor Ken Klaus Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour® Lutheran Hour Ministries | |
Friday, September 13, 2013
Worship for Pentecost 17 - 2013
Friday after
Pentecost 16
September 13,
2013
The Lord be
with you
This coming
Sunday is the 17th Sunday after Pentecost. For our liturgy we will use the service of
Prayer and Preaching (page 260). This adaptation of the old monastic “hours” is
a service of the word (i.e., we will not celebrate the Lord’s Supper). Instead
of the Introit, we will use the appointed Psalm for the day, which is Psalm 1.
The appointed lessons are Ezekiel 34:11-24, 1 Timothy 1:5-17, and Luke 15:1-13.
We are
making a change to our start time, beginning a bit before 10:30 with our “Opening
Worship Moments.” These “moments” are the pre-service announcements, receiving
prayer requests, and greeting each other. How much time we allot to these “moments”
is still in flux, but the goal is to sing our opening hymn at 10:30.
The sermon
text will be 1 Timothy 1:15. The sermon is titled “Chief of Sinners Though I
be.” Our opening hymn will be “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive” (LSB 609). Our
sermon hymn will be “Chief of Sinners Though I Be” (LSB 611). Our closing hymn
will be “I Lay My Sins on Jesus” (LSB 606).
Below is a
video of our sermon hymn, “Chief of Sinners Though I Be.” It is performed by
the Lutheran Warbler. I’m happy to announce that my computer has been fixed, so
I’m able to be more selective in my hymn picking.
In our
prayers, we will remember the Southern Baptist Convention and their president, Rev.
Bryant Wright. We will remember the persecuted believers around the world. We
will remember Ginger Taff-Lagergren, our missionary in South Africa. She asks
that we pray that God would use her to spread His love and that she would be a
help to others with challenges in their day-to-day life, also that the Lord protect
her and keep her in good health, so that she may serve to her fullest capacity.
Finally, to thank the Lord that she has answered His call to serve in South
Africa! We will continue to remember the churches in our denomination. This
week we lift up before our Lord Our Savior, Bryans Road, MD; Our Shepherd,
Cambridge, MD; St. Paul, Catonsville, MD; Galilee, Chester, MD; and Grace,
Summerville, SC. We will continue to remember all those who have been misled by
our cultures advocacy of sexual immorality and abortion. We ask, not only that
the Lord turn our country around, but also that he bring healing to the lives
damaged by our current culture. We will remember the modern slave trade and ask
God to bless all efforts pleasing in his sight to end this sinful practice. We
will remember the Lutheran Malaria Initiative as we seek to end Malaria in
sub-Saharan Africa.
In our
Sunday morning Bible study we are in our third read through of the Gospel of
Luke. We are using the “book” method of studying Luke. This means we are
giving our own titles to the book, and small sections, seeking to capture in
our own words, the message of Luke. Currently we are giving a title to each
chapter. Everyone is welcome to join us and provide your own titles. In
discussing our titles and why we like them, we are discussing the themes of
Luke. Bible study begins at 9:00 am.
Preview of
Lessons
Ezekiel
34:11-24
This passage
is an extended metaphor, much like a parable. In it the Lord is depicted as a
shepherd and humanity (especially those who are called by his name) as sheep. The
Lord is not pleased with the sheep as the strong ones are taking advantage of
the week ones. So God will intervene on behalf of the abused sheep, sending a
Good Shepherd identified as “David.” The reference to the Old Testament
Shepherd/King David is obvious as the background, but the Bible does not teach
reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27), so the text is not primarily speaking of King
David. Instead, it points to the “greater” David, our Lord Jesus. The greatest
danger in preaching this text is feeling self-righteousness. “All those other
sheep are the ones muddying the waters. Aren’t we blessed to be the ones that
drink only pure water?” This has even been taken to the point by some where
they justify the sin of skipping corporate worship because they don’t want to
associate with the sheep who muddy the waters. We should leave the judging to
the Lord, as the text says. We need to focus on drinking from the sweet stream
of Word and Sacrament.
1 Timothy
1:5-17
Paul calls
us to love others, as the Ezekiel text does also. He lists all kinds of sins,
explaining that the Law of God exposes these. Any sin can be self-justified.
The Law of God, though, exposes it for what it is, bringing us to sorrow. The
Gospel then shines the light of God’s love on the situation, giving us sure hope
of forgiveness. Indeed this was the purpose of the coming of Jesus, to save
sinners. However, in this life, we remain sinners, so we always need the
forgiveness of Jesus. That is all here for my sermon is based on this text.
Luke 15:1-10
Certainly
both of the other readings can be understood in light of how important it is to
the Lord that the spiritually lost are found. This reading would underscore
that idea. Jesus tells two parables, inspired by criticism of him by some
scribes and Pharisees, because our Lord was keeping company with “tax
collectors and sinners.” Each parable teaches that the Lord loves the “lost”
and will go to extreme lengths to “find” them. Because it is familiar, we just
might not catch the surprising elements in the story, especially in the lost sheep
parable. What “responsible” shepherd would leave 99 sheep to go looking for
one? What “responsible” shepherd would find more joy in finding one lost sheep than
over 99 who are safe? This is even more shocking as the context indicates the
lost sheep are the “tax collectors and sinners.” You and I are the good sheep
that didn’t wander away. Maybe, once upon a time, you were in the “tax
collector and sinner” category, that is, a person society looked down on, but
now you are in the fold. Well, our Shepherd didn’t stop searching for the
socially outcast sinners just because you were brought to faith. Of course
culture determines who the “tax collectors and sinners” are. In God’s eyes, we
all need to be found. Praises God that he has found us. May he continue to add
to his fold, both around the world, and here at Lamb of God.
Lesson Synopsis (from the LC-MS)
Jesus Christ Is the Good Shepherd of
His Sheep
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). As He had mercy on
Paul in order to “display his perfect patience” (1 Tim. 1:16), so also does He
seek out His sheep “from all the places where they have been
scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness” (Ezek. 34:12). To
deliver His flock, He “will seek the lost … bring back the strayed
… bind up the injured, and … strengthen the weak” (Ezek. 34:16), and
“they
shall no longer be a prey” (Ezek. 34:22). He sets over them one
great Good Shepherd, the Son of David, who “shall feed them and be their shepherd”
(Ezek. 34:23). For Christ Jesus is the one man who, “having a hundred sheep, if he
has lost one of them” would “leave the ninety-nine in the open country,
and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it” (Luke 15:4). When
He finds the lost one and brings it home rejoicing, “the angels of God”
and all the company of heaven rejoice with Him, with great joy (Luke 15:7, 10).
Tidbits
- The September newsletter is posted on this blog. Just go to the newsletter link.
- We rejoice that we have received enough money for a new heater.
Well, I pray
we will see you Sunday.
Blessings in
Christ,
Pastor John
Rickert
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