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Keep Oil in Your Lamps!

11/30/2023

Last Sunday in the Church Year
Matthew 25:1-13
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
November 26, 2023

This morning, Lillian was baptized. She was clothed in in the garment of a virgin attendant at the royal wedding in the Kingdom of Heaven, and she was given a lamp filled with oil, set aglow by the Holy Spirit Himself. With that burning lamp, she will be prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, when He arrives at her death or at the Day of Judgment, yet only if she keeps her lamp burning. And for that she needs oil to burn. Baptism indeed saves. But Baptism does not save apart from faith. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) The lamps indeed contain the oil, which burns. But when the oil runs out, the lamps are rendered worthless. In order for Lillian and all of us to be saved, more oil must be added to our lamps, so that they stay ever burning.
Last week, Jesus taught us how He would judge all nations by separating the righteous from the unrighteous as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats. This week, Jesus teaches us how He will judge the Church on earth and separate the false Christians from the true Christians. The ten virgins represent the Christian Church on earth. They all have lamps. They all look the same. They are baptized, go to church, at least on occasion, receive Communion, identify as Christians. Yet, not all of them are true Christians. Only those who have oil to burn are true Christians. The oil is the Holy Spirit, who comes through the Word. The flame is true saving faith, which emits hope and love.
Now, some will malign the means of grace, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the preaching of the Gospel, and will say that these are not what make a true Christian. A true Christian is not what you see on the outside, but the faith that is in the inside, just as the lamps are not what make you prepared for the Bridegroom, but the oil. And so, they conclude that they don’t need Baptism or to go to church. Well, it is true that these outward things do not make a person a Christian apart from faith, but this is how God gives us faith and keeps us in the faith. You aren’t going to say that because the foolish virgins didn’t have oil, and so their lamps did them no good, that you don’t need lamps at all, as if you could hold the oil in your hand or pocket. That’s absurd. You still need the lamps. And so, you still need Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and to go to church. Yet, you need to receive these things with prudence.
Oil burns. And so, oil lamps need to be refilled. The way we receive oil for our lamps is by hearing the Word of God and receiving the Sacraments. It is through these means of grace that the Holy Spirit comes to us and dwells in us, so that our lamps burn with true faith. The virgins who brought no oil with their lamps were called foolish. The virgins who brought oil with their lamps were called wise. The word there for wise means prudent. It means to have foresight, to think ahead. When the wise virgins hear the Word of God, they don’t let it go in one ear and out the other, as the foolish virgins do. They listen intently and apply God’s Word to themselves.
I’ve heard people say that they don’t get anything out of church. That says a lot more about them than it does about church or the Word of God proclaimed there. God’s Word is always relevant for your life. You are a sinner living on the edge of eternity. Within you is a battle between the sinful flesh and the renewed spirit. At any moment you may die or Christ may return. How does God’s Word not apply to you? How do you not get anything out of the message that Christ suffered and died to take your sins away and that God recons you righteous for His sake? How do you not get anything out of the fact that Christ here feeds you His very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. In church, where God’s Word is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit comes to strengthen the weak, so that they may resist the devil and the sinful flesh. The wise virgins get this, and bottle up this oil to be used.
And the wise do use it! The Psalmist declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The wise take what they hear on Sunday morning and apply that throughout the week, to turn from sin, to repent, to trust in God’s grace, and to love. Our Lord Jesus says, “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all the house.” (Matthew 5:15) So, wise Christians live out their faith in their lives, letting their light shine, so that people see their faith through their good works of love and give glory to their Father in heaven.
The foolish have lamps, but no oil. They were baptized, but they let their oil run dry. They’ve heard God’s Word, but they don’t apply it to themselves or take it seriously enough. Scripture warns frequently of those who have received God’s grace, yet let their oil run dry. St. Paul writes of the people of Israel in 1 Corinthians 10, “For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ, Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” They were overthrown, because they became idolatrous, sexually immoral, and discontent with the Lord. They were overthrown, because they let their lamps run dry.
Jesus warns against this in another parable about the sower and the seed. The seed is the Word of God, which is sown in four types of soil. The first is the path, where the birds devour the seed, which Jesus says is Satan robbing the Word from their hearts. The second is the stoney soil, where the sun scorches the seeds. Jesus says these are those who give up the faith on account of persecution. The third is the thorns, which choke the seed. These are those where the Word is choked out of their hearts by the riches, pleasures, and cares of this life. Finally, the fourth fall on good soil and produce much fruit with longsuffering and patience. This parable sums up well the challenges to our faith, the reason the oil runs low, and why we do not fill it back up again.
Satan lies and tells us that the Gospel is not important or untrue. You feel like a fool for trusting in Christ. The world presses in on us with stresses and even persecution for being a Christian, which makes being a practicing Christian more and more difficult. Eventually you give up going to church and confessing Christ to avoid the pain it brings. The third group is the most devastating. It is the cares, riches, and pleasures in life. It is the main reason people miss church or why when they are in church, their mind is somewhere else. The cares, riches, and pleasures of life are the main reason people let their oil pour out instead of filling their lamp and flask.
Jesus warns us to stay awake, for we know neither the day nor hour. You don’t know when you will die. You don’t know when Christ will return. And when that happens, it is too late. So, why don’t we check our oil today? When each of you were baptized, you were given a burning lamp filled with oil. Well, is the lamp still burning? Or is the flame flickering and dying? Do you have oil? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you prepared for the Bridegroom, Christ Jesus to come?
You can’t take oil from someone else? And you won’t be let in without a flame. The foolish virgins banged on the door with their empty lamps, given to them at their Baptism, but Christ tells them that He never knew them. They’ll say, but we have our lamps! We were baptized! We went to church! We got confirmed! But it won’t matter, because their oil ran out. They resisted the Holy Spirit and their faith went out.
This isn’t something to mess around with. We’re at the cusp of the end of the age. Christ is coming. Are you ready? Are you awake? Do you repent of your sins? Do you pray God that He will forgive you for the sake of Jesus’ bitter sufferings and death for your sins? Are you living according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed, remaining true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Are you making effective use of the means of grace, gladly hearing God’s Word and receiving the Lord’s Supper faithfully? Are you trusting in Christ Jesus for salvation?
Jesus told this parable to wake us up, so that we don’t have empty lamps. Like virgin attendants locked out of the wedding banquet, hearing the muffled laughter and singing inside of those rejoicing with the Bridegroom, so will they be, who let their faith die and the Holy Spirit depart from them. Yet, the Gospel promises much more than to be mere attendants at a wedding banquet. Christ Jesus is the Bridegroom. Who is His bride? His bride is the Holy Christian Church, the community of saints. When you are baptized and given your lamp of oil, you are not merely an attendant at a wedding, but you are a member of the very Bride of Christ, the Holy Christian Church! Christ has purchased you with His own blood, so to present you to Himself blameless, without spot or wrinkle. And He comes to claim you for Himself.
So, let this knowledge encourage you to fill your lamp with oil more and more. Do as the hymn states, “Hasten as a bride to meet Him, And with loving rev’rence greet Him. For with words of life immortal He is knocking at the portal. Open wide the gates before Him, Saying, as you there adore Him: Grant, Lord that I now receive You, That I never more will leave You.” (LSB 636)
Being a Christian isn’t just a task you have to do to make sure you end up in the right place, like taking vitamins. Filling your oil isn’t a chore. It is the fervent desire of the faithful. You are Christ’s bride. He has redeemed you with His blood. Your greatest desire is to be with Him. To be locked out of those doors isn’t simply to be locked out of a party. The worst part isn’t even going to hell! The worst part is being separated from Christ, your one true love, who is your Head, your Bridegroom, your very Life! We fill our oil today by coming to church to hear the preaching of God’s Word and receiving the Sacrament, because we fervently believe that Christ our Bridegroom is here filling our oil! We fill our oil by reading our Bibles at home, and discussing the faith with our family and friends, because we love Christ. We long to be with Him. And when this isn’t our longing, it is a dangerous sign that our oil is getting low, that we’re nodding off to sleep unprepared to rise and enter with Christ.
So, let us cast aside the vain pleasures of this life, which weigh us down and distract us from our Savior. Let us fill our lamps with oil by hearing God’s Word with prudence, meditating on His Word beyond just listening to the sermon, so that our light shines wherever we go. Baby Lillian has joined us in waiting for the return of our Bridegroom, with her lamp filled with oil. Lord, grant that our oil will not run out, but that we will be found prepared at Your coming. Amen.

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The Works Prepared Beforehand

11/21/2023

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Second to Last Sunday in the Church Year (Trinity 26)
Matthew 25:31-46
Pastor James Preus
November 19, 2023

“And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.” This is what we confess every Sunday in the Nicene Creed. Jesus indeed is coming. Don’t mistake His delay as slowness. Rather, He is patient for the sake of His elect. And His judgment over all peoples will be final. Many will enter into eternal life, while the rest will enter into eternal punishment. But how will this final judgment play out? On what basis will some enter eternal life and others eternal hell? In our Gospel lesson, Jesus gives us the most detailed picture of Judgment Day in all of Scripture. Yet, many use this text to claim that salvation will ultimately be by works. But from this lesson alone, it is clear, that salvation is by grace alone.
First, Jesus says that the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father...” But how does Scripture say that one is blessed by God? It is always by grace! St. Paul writes in Romans 4, “Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.’” So, it is clear that these blessed are righteous through faith. Their sins have been forgiven by God for Christ’s sake. Next, He says, “Inherit the kingdom...” Does one inherit on the basis of works or on the basis of grace? Is not an inheritance a gift? It is by definition a gift. Again, St. Paul writes in Romans 4, “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”
Finally, the King says, “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Before any of these righteous were born, before the earth was even created, God prepared this kingdom for them. This means that from the foundation of the world, God chose them to inherit this kingdom. This automatically excludes any of their works; it is purely by grace. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 1, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world … In love He predestined us...” So, those who are blessed by God were predestined by God before the foundation of the world. Yet, this predestination does not apply to the damned. Hell was not prepared for them from the foundation of the world, but rather Jesus says that it was “prepared for the devil and his angels.” God does not predestine anyone for hell. God desires to save all people (1 Timothy 2:4). Those who are condemned curse themselves by their own unbelief and go to hell for their own sins.
It is important that we maintain that those who are saved are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone for two reasons. First, because if salvation is even partly based on our works, we have no certainty of salvation. Imagine you are standing before God’s judgment throne. Can you think of a few reasons based on your own life for why God should condemn you to hell? I certainly can! Yet, if my salvation depends solely on Christ, then I can find no reason for God to condemn me. Christ is perfect. He has not failed in any way, but has completely fulfilled God’s Law and paid the debt of my sins in full on the cross. Second, because salvation by works robs Christ of His rightful glory by making Him share credit for our salvation with our works. This is idolatry, which God will not tolerate.
So, it is clear even by this lesson that we are saved by grace apart from our works, yet we cannot get over the fact that the main topic of this Gospel lesson is good works! Why does Jesus focus so much on good works on Judgment Day, if our justification is by grace? St. Paul explains it in Ephesians 2, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Just as God predestined us to have faith in Christ from before the foundation of the world, so He also predestined good works for us to walk in! The good works we do through faith were prepared for us from the foundation of the world. We do these good works by grace, meaning, we do them through the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us through faith in Christ. Whenever Christians do anything good or praiseworthy, it is customary for them to say, “To God alone be glory!” Christians say this, because we can do no good thing apart from Christ (John 15:5)! God gets all the glory for our good works. And this is why Jesus will praise these good works on Judgement Day, because they give glory to God and extol the only faith, which saves.
So, what do these particular good works teach us about the Christian faith and life? First, they teaches us that Jesus identifies Himself with His Christians, so that whatever you do for one of His Christians, you do for Him. Jesus identifies Himself with His ministers. Jesus said to His disciples when He sent them out to preach, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40). For this reason, St. Paul instructs us, “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.” When Christians support the preaching of the Word and missions, they are supporting Christ Himself. And although these works are quickly forgotten by the world, Christ remembers them. Every cup of cold water offered to one of His preachers, Christ remembers with gratitude (Matthew 10:42).
Christ identifies Himself with little children who believe in Him. Christ said in Matthew 18, ““Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” So, Christian parents, never think that your labor for your children is in vain. God remembers every diaper you change, the hours you stay up at night with a crying child, the meals you prepare and then clean, and the owies you kiss. This is why Christian parents should recognize that their greatest duty is to teach their children the Gospel of Jesus Christ, bringing them to church on Sunday and teaching them the faith at home, including how to pray. Jesus identifies Himself with your children who trust in Him. And He will not forget the love you show Him through them.
Jesus identifies Himself with all His Christians. In Acts chapter 9, Saul, later known as St. Paul, was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of Jesus, as he traveled to Damascus with papers to arrest any Christians he found, to bring them bound to Jerusalem. Christ Jesus met Saul on the way and said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul asked who He was, and Jesus said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Saul persecuted Jesus by persecuting His Christians. So, Jesus recognizes the abuse against His Christians as abuse against Himself, and He recognizes kindness done to His Christians as kindness done to Himself.
Therefore, we should be diligent to show love to our fellow Christians as we should be diligent to show love to Christ! If we do not, then we should examine whether we have true faith in Christ, which is never dead, but produces the fruits God prepared for it to produce. St. John admonishes us in His first letter, “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17) and St. Paul writes, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)
So, how can we do these works, which Christ finds so praiseworthy? First, we must make use of the means of grace, meaning, we should regularly hear the preaching of God’s Word and receive the Sacrament. This is not only how we receive and sustain our faith in Christ, but it also gives us the most obvious opportunities to show love to Christ’s Christians! How do you receive Christ’s minister and show love to him if you do not receive his preaching and teaching? The Apostle exhorts us in Hebrews 10 not to neglect gathering for church, so that we may encourage our fellow Christians! It is gathered around the means of grace, where Christ forgives and strengthens His Christians through the Word and Sacraments, where Christians are given the greatest opportunity to love each other.
Second, we should be friends with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said that His brothers and sisters and mother are those who hear the word of God and do it (Luke 8:19; Matthew 12:50). And so, we should pay attention to those who worship with us, and see them as our friends. Do not hold grudges against them, but forgive and live at peace with them. Pay attention to when they are in need. And show them love. Those who will be cast into eternal punishment, who with astonishment will ask Christ, “When did we see you in need and did not minister to you?” are those who have ignored the preaching of God’s Word and ignored the household of God. They may have even thought they had faith, but their dead faith did not produce the fruits of true faith.
Saving faith is not dead, but it produces beautiful fruit, which God prepared beforehand, which glorify God on the Last Day. However, these good works do not always look beautiful to the world or even to us! They are often ignored completely by the world or even maligned. And we ourselves are often unaware of them. Even the saints on the Last Day asked Christ, “When did we do these things for you?” And our sins often overshadow the good we do in our mind! Yet, God forgives our sins for Christ’s sake, so that they do not appear before God’s judgment throne. And the good works, which we don’t even notice, and which the world despises are not forgotten by God purely by grace for the sake of Christ’s shed blood, which not only cleanses our souls from sin, but also our works.
When we stand before Christ’s judgment throne, we will say, “To God alone be glory!” God alone has rescued us from our sins by Jesus’ shed blood. God alone has granted us faith in Christ, having chosen us from the foundation of the world. God alone has prepared the good works in us from the foundation of the world, which glorify the name of Christ. And God alone has prepared for us a kingdom from the foundation of the world. May we believe this with our whole hearts, so that we may have certainty of our salvation through Christ Jesus alone and glorify His name now and in eternity. Amen.

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Comfort at Death and the End of the World

11/18/2023

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Third to Last Sunday
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 24:15-28
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church

St. Paul offers to the church in Thessalonica and to us comfort concerning our dead. He does not want us to be ignorant about our loved ones who’ve died, so that we do not mourn as the unbelievers do. Paul doesn’t forbid us from mourning for our dead. Rather, it is good to mourn our dead. Abraham mourned the death of Sarah, the children of Israel mourned the deaths of Aaron and Moses, even Jesus mourned the death of Lazarus. You should not feel ashamed for mourning the death of those you love. Yet, there is a right and wrong way to mourn. As a Christian, you must not mourn as a non-Christian, that is, as one who has no hope. St. Paul, following in the steps of his Lord Jesus, says that Christians who have died have fallen asleep. He uses this euphemism to emphasize that death for the Christian is not eternal. Rather, Christians who die rest from their labors. Their bodies await the resurrection and their souls go to be with Christ. Elsewhere, St. Paul speaks of dying as “to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Philippians 1:23) And Jesus promised the thief on the cross, that when he died, he would be with Him in paradise (Luke 23:43).
So, as we mourn our dead, we should do so with hope in Christ. They are indeed better off than we are now. They neither hunger, thirst, nor suffer in any way, but are with Christ awaiting the glorious resurrection from the dead. And we will see them and be together with them with Christ in the air. Paul exhorts us to comfort one another with these words. However, this comfort is only for those who die in the faith, for only Christ has died for our sins. For those who die trusting in Christ, death is turned into a portal to paradise, where they will with joy and comfort wait for the resurrection. But for those who reject Christ, death is a portal to eternal suffering in hell, where they will wait for the final judgement.
Those who have died with Christ have come out of the great tribulation with robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb and now wait for the resurrection in comfort. We who are alive, who are left until the coming of Christ, will continue to go through this tribulation until Christ redeems what He has purchased with His blood.
In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus juxtaposes the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD with the end of the world, the coming of Christ, and the final judgment. There is good reason for this. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple is a type of the end of the world, because it shares so many similarities. Before the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, there were signs in nature, politics, and the church: famines, celestial signs, wars and rumors of wars, false christs and false prophets, and apostasy. All these became signs that God would carry out his judgment upon His city Jerusalem and His house, the temple, as Jesus predicted.
And so, it is today. We are going through the tribulation of the end of the world right now. We are currently living in the end times. In Matthew 24, Jesus warns of wars and rumors of wars. And that is exactly what we are going through. Russia invaded Ukraine. Israel is at war with Hamas. Experts and wannabe experts are warning us about war with Iran, China, and North Korea. World War Three is a frequent topic of discussion even among sober-minded and educated people. There are signs in the church, as Christians face persecution for their faith, and the love of many has grown cold, meaning, many have abandoned the true faith. Abandoning the faith is called apostasy. Jesus warned about famines and earthquakes in various places. In Luke chapter 21, Jesus says that the nations will be distressed because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and foreboding. Jesus predicted climate change hysteria nearly two-thousand years ago. And so, we should consider the signs in heaven of moon and sun and the signs in the sea and earth, storms, earthquakes, and fires, as signs of Christ’s coming.
Yet, the most threatening sign in this tribulation is the arising of false christs and false prophets. Since Christ Jesus has rescued us from death and hell, we have no fear of fire, earthquakes, storms, famine, or wars. As the Psalmist says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6) Yet, if we lose faith in Christ Jesus, then all is lost! These false christs and false prophets are sent by Satan himself, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect! A prophet is one who speaks for God. False prophets are those who claim to speak for God, but really lead people astray. We have many false prophets today. Christ is Greek for the Hebrew Messiah, both of which mean anointed one. A false christ is one who claims to be anointed by God to lead His Church on earth. Sometimes these false christs claim to be Jesus himself. More often, these false christs claim the authority of Christ to establish doctrine in the Church.
This is where we get the teaching of antichrist. St. John writes in his first and second epistles that antichrists are those who deny that Jesus came in the flesh or who deny the Father and the Son. John tells us that there are many antichrists. And so, looking through history, we can see many antichrists and false christs, who have arisen to lead Christians astray. Arius arose in the fourth century, denying the divinity of Christ Jesus. Mohammad arose in the seventh century, claiming to be God’s prophet, who had seen an angel, telling people that Jesus was not God’s son, nor did He die for our sins. Joseph Smith arose in our own country in the nineteenth century, claiming to have seen an angel, denying that Jesus is the only begotten of the Father, denying the Holy Trinity, and denying that sinners are saved through faith in Christ alone. These were false christs and false prophets, who led many astray.
St. Paul, trying to correct lies written to the church in Thessalonica concerning the coming of Christ, said that Christ would not come until the man of lawlessness came first. This man of lawlessness is recognized as the antichrist. He places himself in the temple of God and claims to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Lutherans have traditionally considered this man of lawlessness to be the office of pope, because the pope calls himself the vicar of Christ on earth and forbids the pure Gospel that sinners are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone apart from their works, and instead has taught salvation by works and has even sold salvation for money in the form of indulgences and masses.
Yet, the pope is not the only one who has fit the description of antichrist. You can’t avoid the antichrist simply by not being a Roman Catholic. There are antichrists throughout Christianity, taking high positions in the church, claiming to speak for God, and leading many astray to damnation. These false christs tell Jesus’ sheep that the Bible is not really the inerrant Word of God, but an assortment of men’s words written about God, of which you can pick and choose what you believe. They’ll follow the example of the false prophets in the time of Jeremiah, saying, “peace, peace,” when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14), telling people to embrace their sin, instead of repenting of it. These false christs will attack the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments, throwing Christians into confusion over what to believe and where to find true comfort.
The greatest attack of the antichrist is to place the abomination of desolation into the holy place. There have been several historical events, which theologians have suggested to be the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel. Some claim it to be when Antiochus IV Epiphanes sacrificed pigs on a pagan altar in the temple. Others claim it to be when Caius Caligula placed an idol in the temple. And there are other fitting examples in history. What all these events have in common is that they take away the blood of atonement from the holy place. They put an end to sacrifices for a time.
Yet, how do we recognize the abomination of desolation today? The temple, where bloody sacrifices were offered, has been destroyed for over nineteen centuries. How can the holy place be desolated, when the holy place is no more? The temple has been replaced by Christ Jesus, who is the living temple, God in the flesh. The sacrifices of the temple were accomplished once and for all by Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the altar of the cross for all our sins. Jesus’ blood now cleanses our hearts through faith (Acts 15:9). Therefore, the abomination of desolation today is when anything replaces the blood of Jesus as the object of our faith.
The abomination of desolation is when anything replaces Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for your sins as the one and only atonement for sins. When your hope of salvation is placed in anything other than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, that is the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. This is why the rise of the antichrist, false christs and false prophets leading mass apostasy is the greatest sign of the end of the world and Christ’s second coming. Christ must come to put away all false christs and the man of lawlessness once and for all. As God destroyed the very city, which He loved and the temple, which was His dwelling, because of their apostasy, so Christ will destroy the false churches on earth, which claim to be the very house of God.
Just as you do not know when you will die, so you do not know when Christ will return. The signs of the end do not tell you when the end will come, but they are signs of the end, graciously revealed to us by our Savior Jesus, so that you can be prepared. Yet, Jesus promises salvation to His elect. Although the tribulation of the end times seems chaotic and out of control, Christ always remains in control. He is even able to shorten the time for the sake of His elect.
Jesus’ elect are saved through faith alone in Christ alone. The elect are chosen in Christ to be saved through faith in Christ. So, while the tribulation of the end times should awaken us from slumber, idleness, and apathy, so that we seek Christ’s grace in the Gospel, we, Christ’s elect should not fear the tribulation of the end times. As assuredly as we have washed our robes in the blood of Christ, so will we come out of this great tribulation for Christ’s sake to join our departed loved ones in paradise. Amen.

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The Marks of a Saint

11/11/2023

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All Saints Day (Observed)
Matthew 5:1-12 and Revelation 7:9-17
Pastor James Preus
November 5, 2023

Every one of us is living on the edge of eternity. No one knows when he will die, but we do know that our existence is not over when we die. God has endowed each of you with a living soul, which will live on even after your body dies. When you die, your soul will be separated from your body, and you will go either to heaven or hell. Yet, your soul will not remain separated from your body forever. Though your body rot away to dust, Christ will raise everybody from the dead, some to the resurrection of eternal life, others to the resurrection of judgment. Even as your soul enjoys paradise in heaven, you still wait for the resurrection of the dead (Rev. 6:9-11).
There is no end to heaven and there is no end to hell. Jesus describes hell as eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46), the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30), where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48). Jesus describes heaven as eternal life (John 5:29), Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22), the kingdom and the wedding banquet. Although the hope of the entire Scripture is to reach paradise, there are scant descriptions of heaven in Holy Scripture. Perhaps the most succinct description is in Psalm 73, where the Psalmist cries out to God “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” (vs25) Heaven, quite plainly, is to be with God our Savior.
Perhaps the most beautiful vision Scripture does give of heaven is found in Revelation chapter 7, where St. John sees a great multitude that no one can number from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne of God and the Lamb with palm branches in their hands clothed in white robes singing praises to God. John is told that this multitude clothed in white robes are those who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They neither hunger nor thirst anymore, the sun does not strike them, nor any scorching heat. And God wipes away every tear from their eyes.
What a beautiful description of heaven! Whatever it lacks in detail, it more than makes up for with the promise of eternal contentment with Christ. The saints will be in Christ’s presence. Their suffering will be over. There will be no pain, anxiety, physical or emotional distress; not a tear of sorrow will ever be shed by them again! Rather, they will enjoy the presence of their Savior and God for eternity! And John recognizes this multitude as coming from every nation, tribe, and language. I have no doubt that each one of them could recognize each other, and that when you see this crowd in heaven, you will have no trouble recognizing your loved ones in Christ as well as many more, you never met on earth.
Yet, how will they come to such a blessed place after trudging through this tribulation here on earth? They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! Now obviously, blood does not make linen white. It stains it! But these robes are not linen, they clothe the souls of the saints. And our consciences can be washed clean in no other detergent than in the innocent, pure, and holy blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Yet, this is John’s vision. We have not seen it. We’ve only read it. For the time being, this vision is hidden from our eyes. We cannot see the white robes. The host of saints remains invisible, because faith is invisible. This is why we confess that the church by nature is invisible, because the church is the community of saints, who are saints through faith in Christ, a faith which abides in the heart.
Yet, that does not mean that we cannot recognize the Church here on earth. Christ has provided His Christians on earth with signs to recognize His Church. We call these signs the Marks of the Church. The marks of the church are the signs by which Christians can recognize where the true Church is. The marks of the church are the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments. Where the Gospel is proclaimed that a sinner is saved through faith in Christ alone, who by His death made satisfaction for all our sins, there is Christ’s Church. Where sinners are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for rebirth, forgiveness of sins, and salvation, there is Christ’s Church. Where Christ’s ministers in the stead and by the command of their Chief Shepherd forgive the sins of repentant sinners, there is Christ’s Church. Where Christ’s true body and blood are fed to the faithful in the Sacrament, there gathered is the multitude of white-robed saints.
How can I assert this? Because this is how the blood of the Lamb Christ Jesus is applied to our souls here on earth, so that they may be washed clean, so that we may stand faultless without spot or wrinkle before Christ our Savior on His throne. You cannot separate the marks of the church, Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, and the preaching of the Gospel from the marks of Christ. Remember that Christ Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). It is by His stripes, His wounds that we are healed. The marks of the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet, of the spear in His side, of the lashes on His back, and of the thorns on His brow are revealed to us in the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of Christ’s Sacraments. There we get access to His sacred blood, which washes our sins away.
If you do not recognize the visible marks of the Church, then you cannot be a member of the church invisible, that great multitude of white-robed saints, whom no one can number. But when you recognize the marks of Christ in the marks of the church, you have confidence that you too are robed in a clean white garment and will join that multitude in heaven.
Yet, that is not what we see. As often as we hear the Gospel preached, as we believe the forgiveness of sins proclaimed to us, and eat Christ’s body and blood, our eyes cannot see the glorious vision St. John describes in Revelation seven. We don't see ourselves and our fellow Christians clothed in white robes, which guarantee an eternity of heavenly contentment with Christ. So, our gracious Lord Jesus, who is superabundantly generous in His grace, has given us additional signs here on earth. We can call them the marks of a Christian, or the marks of a saint. These are the signs which identify the saints here on earth. Saints are those set apart by God for eternal salvation.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus says, “blessed nine” times in this Gospel lesson, which is why these sayings of Jesus are called the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes describe the marks of the saints. To be blessed means to have contentment in the Lord. Those who are blessed are those, who will come out of the great tribulation, wearing white robes before the throne of Christ in heaven. The first of those listed as blessed are the poor in spirit. The poor in spirit are those who do not store up treasures here on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but who store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. The poor in spirit long for nothing in heaven or on earth besides Christ their Lord and God. They take seriously Jesus’ warning, “What profits it a man, if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul?” These poor in spirit possess the very kingdom of heaven for eternity.
Those who mourn over their sins and the attacks of the devil, world, and sinful flesh against Christ’s Church instead of rejoicing with the unbelieving world will be comforted with comfort no alcohol, drug, or fancy feast can give. They will be comforted by the Father of all mercies and God of all comforts with a consolation, which will never end. The meek, who confess with Martin Luther, “We are beggars; this is true,” will inherit the earth. The meek gain very little in this life. But in the kingdom of heaven, it is the humble who are exalted and those who exalt themselves who are humbled. The Psalmist promises, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land.” (Psalm 37:34) The meek are those who receive from the Lord by grace as a gift through faith. They will indeed inherit the new heavens and the new earth.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be blessed, because they will be satisfied. John tells us that they will hunger and thirst no more. Not only will they not hunger and thirst for food and drink, but they will no longer be lacking in the righteousness of a saint. In this life, we live as justified sinners. We are declared righteous through faith, but we still struggle with sin. In heaven, our greatest desire will be satisfied. We will sin no more! We will dwell in perfect love and harmony with God and one another.
The merciful are blessed, because they will receive eternal mercy from God. As God forgave them in Christ, so they forgive those who have sinned against them. Every time a saint forgives the one who sins against him, he confesses that God has forgiven him in heaven. The pure in heart are those who hold Christ in faith. They will see God, because they will be like Him. The peacemakers are called sons of God, because God is a peacemaker. Like a father, so are his children. Peacemakers proclaim the Gospel that God is at peace with us for the sake of Christ’s shed blood. And peacemakers seek to be at peace with everyone for the sake of that blood.
Finally, the saints are blessed, because they are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. They suffer for holding to Christ’s teaching. This is perhaps the most painful mark to bear, yet it gives the clearest sign to the Christian that he is blessed in heaven. To suffer in this life, to be maligned, insulted, and even beaten or killed for confessing the truth puts you in good company with the prophets, apostles, and especially with Christ Jesus your Savior. Jesus said, “whoever would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” The cross of persecution is a clear sign of heavenly blessedness.
Yet, it is important to note that none of these marks of a saint can be separated from the marks of the church, otherwise, they are separated from the marks of Christ! The unbelieving world, who hates Christ, will try to ascribe these marks of a saint to unbelievers, who perform noble works in this life and even suffer for them. But there is no mark of a saint without faith in the marks of Christ, that is, without faith in Christ’s shed blood for you. And so, there is no mark of a saint without the marks of the church, which apply Christ’s blood to you. The purpose of the marks of the saints is to give encouragement to Christ’s Christians while they go through the great tribulation here on earth. You are not forgotten. Your poverty and meekness are Christ’s poverty and meekness. Your hunger is His hunger. Your suffering is Christ’s suffering. And so, when the marks of a saint accompany Christians as they use the marks of the church, Christ’s saints are comforted even on earth by the marks of Christ. Amen.

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Thank God You Are Lutheran

11/3/2023

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Reformation Sunday
Rev. 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-38
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
October 29, 2023

The Reformation of the Church happened during one of the most exciting times in world history, the age of exploration and discovery. In 1492, Columbus discovered the Caribbean Islands, stepping foot on land that no European had ever set foot on before. In 1497, Cabot sailed from England to Canada. In 1522, Magellan’s fleet completed the first trip around the world. Continents and peoples separated by oceans for thousands of years were now united by shipping routes, which led to global trade, colonization, settlements, missions, and conquests. And everything we know and have, is joined to these historical events. The nation we live in, the land we love, all of it we received because of the expeditions and discoveries of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. And on October 31, 1517, amid this age of exploration and discovery, a monk named Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theological theses on a church door in Germany.
Well, which is more worthy of our celebration? The age of exploration and discovery, which has given us the world as we know it, our geography, government, and nation? Or the Reformation of the Church, which was kept largely isolated to northern Europe in the sixteenth century, and consisted of church men writing and arguing about the teachings of the Bible? It’s not even close. The Reformation was by far a greater and more significant event, because it dealt with a greater and more significant matter.
The age of exploration and discovery led to the transfer and building of incredible wealth, the tearing down and building up of great nations, and the taking and preserving of much human life. Yet, all of this pales in comparison to the importance of the preaching of the pure Word of God, which brings sinners into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Lutheran hymnist Paul Gerhardt expresses it well in his hymn, Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me:
What is all this life possesses?
But a hand Full of sand
That the heart distresses.
Noble gifts that pall me never
Christ, our Lord, Will accord
To His saints forever.

The Reformation does not deal with the hand full of sand, which distresses the heart, but with the noble gifts, which never pall1 Christ’s saints. The Reformation deals with the Gospel of Christ, which St. Paul says is the very power of salvation to all who believe! What will all this life offers be able to offer you when you face death? What can your land or wealth or nation do for you, when you face God’s judgment? What can the advancements in science and medicine do for you, when death has taken his firm grasp on the one whom you love, when you stand on the edge of eternity? Vanity, vanity, all is vanity! the preacher cries (Eccl. 1). That’s all the age of exploration and discovery, the age of enlightenment, the age of industrial revolution, the age of science, and the age of technology can offer us. But the Gospel is never vanity. The Gospel is never helpless. The Gospel of Christ offers us eternal salvation, an escape from death and hell, an answer to our greatest fears and guilt. And so, the Reformation, which deals with preserving the Gospel is worth celebrating.
We call ourselves Lutherans, but that’s just the name we were given. We’d happily be known simply as Christians, but so many false teachers also claim that name, so we need to clarify what type of Christians we are. We’d be happy to be known as catholic, which simply means to confess what the whole church has always confessed, but for obvious reasons calling ourselves catholic would be confusing. We are certainly orthodox, which means, right teaching, but the Eastern Orthodox have claimed that name. We used to call ourselves evangelicals, which means those who hold to the Gospel, but a faction of American Christianity took that name from us. We could rightly be called Reformed, since Luther was the great Reformer, but the reformers who came after Luther got that title for some reason. We’re the true Baptists, because we hold to the promises of Baptism, but those who deny that Baptism does anything got the name Baptist. So, we’ll have to be content being called Lutheran, as unattractive as it may sound.
But what does it mean to be Lutheran, and should you celebrate it? Yes, you should celebrate it. You should thank God you are Lutheran. And I’ll give you two reasons to do so.
First, because being Lutheran means to trust solely on the promises of God and not to lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). If you will be a Christian, you must hold firmly to the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God. Do not waste your time with a church, which denies that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God. If the Bible is not God’s Word, then we have no sure foundation on which to stand. But our Lord Jesus clearly tells us that Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). Jesus’ Apostle Paul tells us that the household of God is built on the foundation of Scripture (Ephesians 2:19-20). And both St. Peter and St. Paul tell us that the Holy Spirit caused all Scripture to be written (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16). Yet, it is not enough to hold the Bible as God’s Word, you must keep the Bible pure from the perverted ideas of man.
This was one of the major problems Luther and his colleagues had with the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Church had no problem saying that the Bible is God’s Word, but they also wanted to say that the writings of the pope and other councils were also sources of divine teaching. But this is to mix straw and chaff into the solid foundation of God’s Word, and so make it weak. The Lutherans echoed, “Scripture alone!” because Scripture alone is God’s Word. They took seriously Jesus’ warning against the Pharisees, who were “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9)
Yet, many who claim to hold to Scripture alone still place their own opinions over Scripture. Baptists and others who deny that Baptism saves and say that we should not baptize babies cannot find a single passage in Scripture concerning Baptism, which suggests that Baptism does not save or that babies shouldn’t be baptized. Instead, they pit their reason against the teaching of Scripture. “Babies can’t have faith,” they say, “so babies shouldn’t be baptized.” But Scripture says, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies, you have established praise” (Matthew 21:16) And Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” (Matthew 11:25) So, there is nothing in Scripture that suggests that babies cannot have faith. They also deny that Baptism saves, because Baptism is our work, and our works don’t save. Yet, no where in Scripture does it say that Baptism is our work. Rather, Scripture says that Baptism forgives sins and gives the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 22:16), that it works new birth (John 3:5; Titus 3:5-8), and grants salvation to all who believe (Mark 16:16). These are all things that only God can do, so Baptism must be God’s work, not ours.
Others, who claim to believe the Bible is God’s Word, deny that the Lord’s Supper is Jesus’ true body and blood, despite Scripture recording four times that Jesus says, “This is my body; this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26, 28; Mark 14:22, 24; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25) They do not believe it is Christ’s body and blood, not because of what Scripture says about the Lord’s Supper, but because it is impossible to human reason. Yet, if Jesus is true God as well as true man, we cannot place any limits on Him.
So, Lutherans take seriously the words of Scripture, which say, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) and the words of God from Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) and what St. Paul writes in Ephesians 3, “To him who is able to do far more abundantly that all that we ask or think…” Lutherans believe that God’s Word is clear, and we believe the promises in God’s Word, even if our human reason butts against it.
Whenever you let human reason or human authorities try to correct what Scripture clearly says, God’s promises and grace are robbed from you. Baptism is a great source of comfort to us. Those who let human reason dismiss the clear promises of Baptism in Scripture are robbed of that comfort. The Lord’s Supper is a great source of consolation and strengthening of faith for us. Those who let human reason deny the power of the Lord’s Supper lose that consolation and strengthening of faith. Nowhere does human reason rob comfort and grace from the Christian’s heart more cruelly, than in the teaching that we are justified and saved not by faith alone, but also through our works.
This leads us to the second and greatest reason to thank God you are Lutheran. Being Lutheran means you have certainty of your salvation. Our Lutheran confessions declare, “Our churches teach that men are not justified by their own strength, merit, or works but are freely justified for Christ’s sake through faith when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ, who by His death made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God [credits] for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3, 4).” [AC IV] We confess this, because St. Paul writes in Romans 3, “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” To be justified means to be declared righteous by God. That means that you are innocent in God’s sight and will inherit eternal life! Human reason says that you can only be righteous before God by doing works of the Law. But Scripture clearly says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in God’s sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The Law brings knowledge of sin! The more you learn what you should do, the more you learn how much you have failed to do it! St. Paul declares, “For apart from the law, sin lies dead.” (Romans 7:8) “But when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.” (vs. 9)
The Law kills, but human reason insists that the Law gives life. And so, human reason and every manmade religion and Christian sect, pushes you to that which cannot give life to get life. And so, there is no certainty of salvation where salvation by works it taught! But Scripture does not teach salvation by works! Scripture teaches that Christ Jesus God’s own Son made satisfaction for all your sins by His blood on the cross. Scripture teaches that the satisfaction Christ made for your sins earns you righteousness, which is given to you as a gift! Paul writes again, “Now to him who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to him who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:4-5)
Faith is simply trusting in the promise of Christ. The law condemns, because the law depends on your works. Because you are a sinner, you can never be confident in your salvation based on the law. The Gospel does not depend on your works, but on Christ’s work. Christ cannot fail. And so, your faith in Christ cannot fail. We thank God that we are Lutherans, because we thank God that we know Christ as our only Savior. Scripture reveals no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. And in Jesus Christ, we have certainty of salvation. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

Keep Oil in Your Lamps!

The Works Prepared Beforehand

Comfort at Death and the End of the World

The Marks of a Saint

Thank God You Are Lutheran

Rev. James Preus

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