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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