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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 | |
Thursday, September 19, 2013
"Scrooges"
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
Thursday, September 12, 2013
"A Leap of Faith"
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For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness." 1 Corinthians 
Monday, September 9, 2013
"What Do You Want?"
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
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).
September 8, 2013
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:8-9
A few years ago, I heard about an international company that was looking for a new director of marketing.
The position was a lucrative one and many applicants came forward to be interviewed. Eventually, the candidates were narrowed down to two finalists. Each of those men was brought in for a short and final visit. They were asked the same question: "What is two plus two?"
The first candidate thought a bit about his answer. He was wise enough to know that there had to be some kind of deeper purpose behind such a simple question. Eventually, he answered: "The answer to two plus two is four ... or we could also say it is the number between 3 and 5."
The man was thanked for his time and escorted out.
The second individual was invited in for his interview. The same question was asked of him: "What is two plus two?"
Without hesitation, the man replied with a question of his own. He asked, "Tell me what you want the answer to be, and I will make it so."
That fellow, and not the first, was hired.
It occurs to me that in some respects that story is the story of our lives. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are all interviewing somebody whom we can spiritually follow: somebody into whose hands we can and will place our futures.
There are two candidates. The Lord says, "Put yourself in My hands. I can tell you the difference between right and wrong. I can lead you to faith in My Son, who gave Himself so you might be forgiven and saved. In Jesus your life can be blessed and your eternity will be assured."
But there is a second candidate for our loyalty.
When we bring this one in and ask why we should follow him, he says, "Tell me what you want the answer to be, and I will give it to you."
Tragically, far too many people hire the devil right then and there. That's because his promises seem so good, so beneficial, so desirable. Only the passing of time shows they have been duped by the "father of lies" (see John 8:44).
This is why I encourage you to follow the Lord. Only He has shown the kind of love that can forgive your sins, redeem your soul, and grant you all you really need ... not want ... but need.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Satan's seductions seem to promise satisfaction. May we be given eyes of faith that expose his falseness. Further, may we be granted the ability to trust in Jesus, who alone can give us what we need. In the Savior's Name. Amen.
The position was a lucrative one and many applicants came forward to be interviewed. Eventually, the candidates were narrowed down to two finalists. Each of those men was brought in for a short and final visit. They were asked the same question: "What is two plus two?"
The first candidate thought a bit about his answer. He was wise enough to know that there had to be some kind of deeper purpose behind such a simple question. Eventually, he answered: "The answer to two plus two is four ... or we could also say it is the number between 3 and 5."
The man was thanked for his time and escorted out.
The second individual was invited in for his interview. The same question was asked of him: "What is two plus two?"
Without hesitation, the man replied with a question of his own. He asked, "Tell me what you want the answer to be, and I will make it so."
That fellow, and not the first, was hired.
It occurs to me that in some respects that story is the story of our lives. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are all interviewing somebody whom we can spiritually follow: somebody into whose hands we can and will place our futures.
There are two candidates. The Lord says, "Put yourself in My hands. I can tell you the difference between right and wrong. I can lead you to faith in My Son, who gave Himself so you might be forgiven and saved. In Jesus your life can be blessed and your eternity will be assured."
But there is a second candidate for our loyalty.
When we bring this one in and ask why we should follow him, he says, "Tell me what you want the answer to be, and I will give it to you."
Tragically, far too many people hire the devil right then and there. That's because his promises seem so good, so beneficial, so desirable. Only the passing of time shows they have been duped by the "father of lies" (see John 8:44).
This is why I encourage you to follow the Lord. Only He has shown the kind of love that can forgive your sins, redeem your soul, and grant you all you really need ... not want ... but need.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Satan's seductions seem to promise satisfaction. May we be given eyes of faith that expose his falseness. Further, may we be granted the ability to trust in Jesus, who alone can give us what we need. In the Savior's Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Sunday, September 8, 2013
My Experience at the LWML Annual Retreat, August 2013
I had the pleasure of attending the LWML retreat this year. I met many new people and made new friends. We exchanged our life stories - the good and bad.
This year, the retreat focused on Baptism. I learned more about baptism and how it connects with the crucifixion; its importance and how it impacts us DAILY.
This retreat made me reflective of my former youth camp experience. It was VERY different. In my younger years at camp, I was afraid of the big girls; they made fun of me, put bugs and other insects in my bed every night, and they would take my food. The counselors would not listen to me; they said I was a baby. I wondered, Where was God?
In THIS retreat, there was NEVER a doubt: HE was there!
By: Lynn Higgins
This year, the retreat focused on Baptism. I learned more about baptism and how it connects with the crucifixion; its importance and how it impacts us DAILY.This retreat made me reflective of my former youth camp experience. It was VERY different. In my younger years at camp, I was afraid of the big girls; they made fun of me, put bugs and other insects in my bed every night, and they would take my food. The counselors would not listen to me; they said I was a baby. I wondered, Where was God?
In THIS retreat, there was NEVER a doubt: HE was there!
By: Lynn Higgins
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Worship for Pentecost 16 - 2013
Thursday
after Pentecost 15
Commemoration
of Zacharias and Elizabeth
September 5,
2013
The Lord be
with you
This coming
Sunday is the 16th Sunday after Pentecost. If you have read the
newsletter for September, you know it is also Grandparents Day. Grandparents
Day is not an official liturgical holiday and is of recent origin, being the
result of the work of a West Virginia housewife named Marion Lucille Herndon
McQuade. Through her efforts, West Virginia’s Governor Arch Moore declared the first
Grandparents Day in 1973. McQuade then began her national campaign, contacting
elected officials, church leaders, and so on. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter
signed the proclamation establishing the first national Grandparents Day. McQuade’s
primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly people in
nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and
heritage their grandparents could provide. The day is always the Sunday
following Labor Day. The September date was selected to reflect honoring those
who are in the “Autumn” of their lives. While there is no “Grandparents Day” on
the liturgical calendar, there certainly are grandparents in the Bible. We will
remember that fact, and our grandparents in general, in our prayers Sunday with
a collect for Grandparents.
We will
celebrate the Lord’s Supper Sunday. To prepare for receiving the Sacrament you
may read the section on the “Sacrament of the Altar” from Luther’s Small
Catechism and found on page 326 of the hymnal. For our liturgy we will use
Divine Service 3 (page 184). We will continue to use this setting for the Lord’s
Supper until Advent. Our appointed lessons are: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Philemon
1-21, and Luke 14:25-35. My sermon text will be Philemon 6. The sermon is
titled “Your Gospel Life.”
Our opening
hymn will be “‘Come, Follow Me,’ the Savior Spake” (LSB 688). The sermon
hymn will be “May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill” (LSB 698). Our closing
hymn will be “Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise” (LSB 917). Our distribution
hymns will be “Come, Let Us Eat” (LSB 626), “The Man is Ever Blessed” (LSB
705), “Wide Open Stand the Gates” (LSB 917).
As has been
announced, starting Sunday, September 15, we will be modifying our opening
moments as we gather to worship. Greetings, worship announcements, and prayer
requests will begin around 10:25 so our opening hymn can begin closer to 10:30.
Below is a
video of our first distribution hymn, “Come, Let Us Eat.” It is of a bell and
voice choir. To be honest, it isn’t the best, but because I’m having trouble
with YouTube, it is the best I could get.
In our
prayers, we will remember the Archbishop of Constantinople and their leader the
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. We will remember the persecuted believers in Sri
Lanka. We will remember Andy and Stephanie Jones, our missionaries in Germany. We
will continue to remember the churches in our denomination. This week we lift
up before our Lord St. Matthew, Bel Air, MD;
Pilgrim, Bethesda, MD; First & Trinity, Bowie, MD; and Incarnate Word,
Florence, 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 our grandparents.
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
Deuteronomy
30:15-20
For those
who think my sermons (which average 18 minutes) are long, consider this: The
book of Deuteronomy is a collection of five sermons given by Moses. The book is
33 chapters long. Each of his sermons were certainly longer than mine! This
reading comes from the final sermon. (Actually the last chapter isn’t from
Moses, but is a wrap-up of the life of the prophet/leader.) Moses reaches the
apex of his message and urges the people to remain faithful to God by being
faithful in keeping his “commandments and his statutes and his rules.” If they
do this, then the promise is that they will be blessed by God. If, on the other
hand, they abandon the Lord for idols, then death awaits them. Subsequent
history reveals that they didn’t remain faithful. We might be inclined to think
of the Old Testament Israelites as weak, fickle, unfaithful, and deeply flawed
people. We then might be tempted to think of ourselves as superior to them morally
and spiritually. The hard and unpleasant fact is that we are not better. If we
were part of that Old Testament nation, we would have done no better. If they
lived today, they would be just like us. These people never thought they were
doing something wrong. The fallen human heart can always find a way to justify
sin, which is what they did and what we do. The only way to understand when we
violate God’s commandments, statutes and rules is by listening to him as he
speaks to us in his word, the Bible. But those commandments only reveal how far
short we fall. They always expose our sin. They never give the power to keep
them. Therefore God gave the Israelites the sacrificial system, which pointed
to the ultimate sacrifice – Jesus, for forgiveness. For us today, we still fall
short and deserve nothing but death. But, symbolically speaking, the sacrificial
system is still in place, that is, the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. By
grace through faith in him we have forgiveness and life.
Philemon
1-21
No, the
reference above is not missing a chapter reference. Philemon is one of those
books that are so short it isn’t divided into chapters. The main purpose of the
letter is to bring about reconciliation between Philemon and his runaway slave,
Onesimus. Many of the commentaries on this book talk about slavery in Roman
days (which had some very stark differences from the slavery in American history)
and then might move the conversation to modern employee/employer relationships.
As helpful as this discussion is, it tends to ignore the modern slave trade and
that the conditions of modern slaves are far worse than the conditions of most
Roman slaves or antebellum American slaves. It is important to note that it was
the influence of the Church that ended slavery in the Roman Empire. There is a
natural discontinuity between the thought that God made all humanity in “the
image of God,” only to have one segment of humanity enslave a different
segment. Once the African slave trade began, due strictly to the greed of
fallen humanity, it was again Christians who led the charge to eliminate it. I recommend
the movie “Amazing Grace.” It tells the story of how the English slave trade
was outlawed. For those who are Revolutionary war history buffs, you will
recognize Tarleton in the British Parliament, who fought to retain slavery. (It
seems he was often on the losing side.) It is true that God permitted a form of
slavery, but only as a concession of human sinfulness. He does not endorse it,
nor does our denomination. In fact, we have taken a clear stance against
slavery. While Roman slavery forms a backdrop for this letter, the letter is
not about slavery. It is about reconciliation, and it is on that the sermon
will focus.
Luke
14:25-35
Jesus
focuses on the cost one pays as his disciple. This is not the cost to become a
disciple. Christ paid that himself on the cross. However, life as a believer
has its crosses. Such crosses may come from one’s own family, where one lives,
where one works, or even right out of left field. No matter where the challenge
to our loyalty to Christ comes from, Christ calls us to remain faithful to him.
This puts us in the same place as the Old Testament Israelites in our first
lesson. You have family visiting from out of state. Do you stay home on Sunday
or attend worship services? Who do you value more? Your boss tells you that, if
you want that promotion, you have to work Sundays. What do you value more,
Christ or your paycheck? The professor tells everyone that anyone who believes
in the Christian God is a fool. Do you cave, or do you remain true to Your
Savior? As in the Old Testament, knowing what is right is not enough. All that
will do is tell us every time we fail. The strength for a Christian life flows
from God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, God’s love for us. This is not to excuse
our sins. It is, though, to assure us that we can always find forgiveness from
the very person who, from the cross, said, “Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do.” Remember, Christ makes us disciples, and he remakes us
disciples every time we fail. He does this through his forgiveness.
Lesson Synopsis (from the LC-MS)
Christ Jesus Has Paid the Cost of
Discipleship for You
A disciple
of Jesus Christ will “bear his own cross” (Luke 14:27)
and follow the Lord through death into life. Discipleship is costly because it
crucifies the old man with “all that he has” (Luke 14:33), in
order to raise up the new man in Christ. The disciple disavows “his
own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and
even his own life” (Luke 14:26) in deference to Christ. That way of
the cross is impossible, except that Christ Jesus has already paid the cost.
His cross is set before you as “life and good, death and evil”
(Deut. 30:15). Taking up His cross is to “choose life, that you and your offspring may
live, loving the Lord your God,
obeying his voice and holding fast to him” (Deut. 30:19–20). To live
that life in Christ is also to bear His cross in love, “that your goodness might not
be by compulsion but of your own accord” (Philemon 14).
Tidbits
- The Board of Evangelism will meet Sunday after our worship service.
- If your grandparents are still alive, you may want to give them a call Sunday. It is, after all, Grandparents Day.
- The September newsletter is posted on this blog. Just go to the newsletter link.
- Remember, winter is coming on. We still need to raise the money for a new heater.
Well, I pray
we will see you Sunday.
Blessings in
Christ,
Pastor John
Rickert
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