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Jesus desires to save all people through faith.

8/27/2019

Luke 19:41-48

August 25, 2019

Jesus wept over Jerusalem as he made a horrifying prediction concerning this ancient city, beloved by God. Jesus spoke of an event that would happen less than 40 years later, when Roman troops would surround the city and besiege it for months causing mass starvation, then they would break down the city walls, kill thousands of Jews both inside and outside the city, and finally raze the temple itself, burning it to the ground.
The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was the worst defeat the Jewish people had ever experienced. It effectively ended their hope of ever securing an earthly kingdom again, scattering them throughout the world. It changed their way of worship forever; to this day no sacrifices are offered in the temple, because it is no more. And the loss of human life was innumerable.
And for this Jesus weeps. He weeps, because he loves Jerusalem. He loves the Jewish people. He weeps, because he came to save them, to bring peace on earth and good will to men, yet he was rejected and despised by the people he came to save. Jesus makes this mournful prophecy on Palm Sunday, just a few days before he would be tried by the high priest and leaders of the Jews and delivered over to the Gentile governor Pontius Pilate to be crucified. Jesus knows full well that he is about to suffer more than any man ever has or ever will, yet he mourns for this city and its people, because they did not recognize him as the Messiah who came to visit them and make peace between them and God.
We cannot look at the destruction of Jerusalem without looking at the end of the age. God’s judgment against Jerusalem for her disobedience is a warning against the whole world to repent, because God’s judgment is coming. Yet, Jesus’ weeping teaches us a lot about this final judgment and how we should prepare for it.
First, God’s judgment will come. Jerusalem developed a false sense of security. The Jewish religious leaders infatuated themselves with their own self-importance. They thought that they would remain forever. When the Messiah came, they thought they didn’t need him. They had the temple, made of giant stones. It could not be moved. They had their traditions and the respect of the people. They didn’t need what God offered, so they rejected God and paid no attention to his warnings neither from the prophets, John the Baptist, nor even his Son. So, we should heed the warnings God sends us, so that we are not caught unaware.
Second, Jesus’ weeping teaches us that God loves the world. He loves the people who live in it. God does not desire the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus shed his blood to make propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Jesus’ weeping teaches us that God desires to save all people. He did not elect some from eternity to go to hell. Jesus did not die for a select few. Rather, Jesus came to earth, took on the flesh of all mankind, and he died for all sins of all people. Jesus weeps, because though he has paid the price to give eternal life to all people, many still reject him and reject the life that he gives.
You cannot blame God for your own sins. No one can blame God for his own unbelief. When people reject God, it is their own fault. Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And God has won salvation for all people through Jesus Christ, who made atonement through his blood. Yet, this must be received by faith. It is through faith, that is, through trusting in this forgiveness and salvation for Christ’s sake, that one receives eternal life. Yet, if someone rejects the faith, there is no salvation.
Jesus said that Jerusalem, a name which means possessor of peace, did not know the things that make for peace. It is Jesus who makes for peace. His suffering and death for our sins forgives our sins and makes peace between us and God. Jesus said that Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed, because they did not know the time of their visitation. It is said that God visits his people when a mighty miracle is done, like when Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain from the dead. God visited his people in Jerusalem when he sent Jesus to do the mightiest miracle in history, dying on the cross to defeat sin, death, and the devil. Jesus’ death on the cross was a mighty miracle, because by it he did what no human being could ever do, make atonement for all sins. And Jesus himself rose from the dead, assuring us that forgiveness and salvation are indeed won for us whose sins he bore.
And God visits us today through his Son. God reveals to us the makings of peace. And as with Jerusalem, many reject this visitation. Yet, just as there were crowds that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna” and “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” so also do many accept God’s visitation today and receive the peace from God, which surpasses all understanding.
Yet, how does God visit us today through his Son? How do we recognize our visitation? Jesus doesn’t walk into our town as he did into Jerusalem. Yet, Jesus did promise us that he would be with us even to the end of the age. God visits us through his holy Word and Sacraments. God has visited Lane and Drew through Baptism. By the power of the word of God that washing that Lane and Drew received was not just one of water, but a washing of the Holy Spirit! God joined those two children to the death and resurrection of Christ. Scripture promises that all who have been baptized have put on Christ; that Baptism washes away sins, gives new birth in the Holy Spirit, and indeed, gives eternal salvation. So closely has God joined Jesus to the promise of Baptism that we can rightly say that those who have received Baptism have received Jesus Christ.
Yet, Baptism is not the only way that God visits his people. He continues to visit us through the preaching of his Word. When the pastor declares the forgiveness of sins, Jesus promises that he himself is forgiving you through your pastor’s words. Christ’s true body and blood, the same that were pierced and shed on the cross, Jesus feeds us under bread and wine. Jesus visits us today. He visits us throughout our life. And in every that he visits us, he joins us to his cross, where he died to take away our sins; and he joins us to his resurrection, where he secured for us our victory over death. Baptism, the Absolution, the preaching of the Gospel, the Sacrament of the Altar are all means by which God gives us the same Jesus, who died and rose for us.
This visitation can only be received by faith. Yet, most reject the faith. Why do most reject it? Because mankind is totally corrupted by sin. Since our first parents’ fall, we have all been born in sin. The common refrain that children are not born haters, but that they learn to hate is simply not true. Everyone is born with hate in his heart. It is called original sin. Original sin produces actual sins. It makes us selfish. Children certainly don’t need to be taught to be selfish. They are selfish. And if that selfishness is not curbed by rules and laws, then selfishness leads to worse and worse behavior.
Original sin rejects God. Scripture says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked...” and “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath.” It is impossible for children of wrath, who are dead in their trespasses to accept God. This is why our Epistle lesson said, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit must in his mercy create faith in our hearts. He must make us alive in Christ Jesus, so that we can receive him as the one who makes peace between us and God.
The Holy Spirit makes us alive in Christ Jesus through the Gospel, that is, the good news that Jesus bore our sins and rescued us from hell. But sinners reject this good news if they don’t think they need it. And that is our natural state in original sin. We don’t think we need Jesus. We don’t need forgiveness. We don’t need atonement. We don’t need our sins to be covered and washed away in Christ’s blood. We’re doing just fine without it.
This is how Jerusalem was. And this is how our world today is. God laments through Jeremiah that his people do not recognize their sins. They continue headlong like horses into battle into all types of idolatry, adultery, and other abominations. And they aren’t ashamed. They aren’t in the least bit embarrassed that they have offended God. They have no fear of God, because they believe the lies of the prophets and priests, who tell them that God is at peace with them. God is fine with them living their life the way they want.
Does that sound familiar? That is the prevailing teaching of most religious institutions today. And this is a dangerous teaching, that we don’t need to repent and turn from our sins. We need God’s Law. We need to be told that we are sinners. We need to be told when we are doing wrong; when we are not placing God as first in our life; when we are living contrary to his Law; when what we are doing is hurting our neighbor. We need to know that the wages of our sin is death and eternal damnation. We need to be warned about God’s judgment against sin. If not, then we will not see our need for Jesus, his cross and forgiveness. Without the preaching of the Law, we will be content without Jesus.
Jesus preached the Law. He told the scribes and Pharisees that they were not as good as they thought they were, but were whitewashed tombs with no true righteousness within them. When he wept for Jerusalem, he was warning them to turn from their unbelief. Jesus drove out the sellers and moneychangers from the temple, so that people would learn what the temple was there for. And Jesus wants us to hear the preaching of the Law today, so that we never forget that we need him. So that we recognize his visitation as a precious treasure that takes away our sin.
It is Christ’s visitation itself that creates saving faith in sinners, who mourn their sinful condition. The Holy Spirit works through the preaching of the Gospel to create saving faith in your heart. God’s word is powerful. And God’s word is comforting to those sorry for their sins.
If you reject Christ’s invitation, that is your own fault. Yet, if you accept Jesus’ visitation, all credit goes to God, who created faith in your heart through the preaching of the Gospel. Many question how God can at the same time desire all people to be saved, yet not all are saved. Yet, we have no right nor ability to delve into the hidden will of God. We can only know God and his message as he reveals it to us. And the message God reveals to you is this: though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. This is done through the atoning death and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through faith in the work of Christ Jesus, you have certainty that God is pleased with you, that your sins are forgiven, that God has chosen you to be an heir of his kingdom. Through faith in Jesus, you know that your Baptism washed away your sins and clothed you with Christ. Through faith in Christ, you know that he does not weep over you, but rejoices over you, even as he prepares a place for you in the heavenly Jerusalem, where there will be no weeping forever. Amen.

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Making Friends for Eternity

8/19/2019

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Luke 16:1-13
August 18, 2019

“You cannot serve God and mammon.” Jesus here is clearly teaching the First Commandment: You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Mammon is a false god. Mammon is often translated as money, but it refers to any type of riches or property. Martin Luther says that mammon is riches or temporal goods anyone owns over and above what his needs require, and with which he can benefit others without injuring himself. Of course, what one’s needs require is difficult to discern. Three-year-olds are not the only ones who use the phrase, “I need” quite liberally. The more money we have, generally, the more needs we seem to have.
But money, property, riches, all mammon are false gods. There is only one God, whom we should worship. The Father, who created all things through his Son, who died for us, and the Holy Spirit, who makes us holy through his word: three distinct Persons inseparably united in one Godhead. Apart from this Holy Trinity, there is no god. You make something your god when you fear, love, or trust in it most. This is why mammon is a false god. People fear, love, and trust in money and possessions more than the one true God, from whom come all good gifts. Your god is that which you fear losing most. Your god is that, which you serve. And far more people serve mammon than serve the one true God, who alone is deserving of service and adoration.
The First Commandment is law. When Jesus teaches us the First Commandment by telling us that we cannot serve both God and mammon, he is confronting us with our own sin. That is what the law does. “The law is but a mirror bright/ To bring the inbred sin to light/ That lurks within our nature.” (LSB 555:3) Through the law comes knowledge of sin. We serve mammon. We work hard to get it. We guard it. We prize is. We fear losing it. We are much more concerned that we might lose some of our extra mammon than that others lack what they need. Mammon is a false god that draws us away from the true God and his word and keeps us from serving our neighbor in love. This is a sin.
The law confronts us with our own sins, so that we repent. To repent means to turn from our sin. We must turn from serving mammon and serve the only true God. Yet, how can this be done? How can we make God our only master? The temptation to serve other gods we can feel, touch, and count are much too alluring to this sinful flesh!
The truth is, we cannot make God our master. Rather, he makes himself our Master, that is, our Lord. You are taught in your Small Catechism:
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord,
who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and his innocent suffering and death,
that I may be his own and live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This is most certainly true.
Jesus became our Master by purchasing us from sin, death, and the devil with his precious blood and innocent suffering and death. Jesus becomes our one and only Master, our God and Lord through faith, when we believe that he has forgiven our sins and rescued us from the condemnation of the law. And even this faith, he gives to us as a gift through the Holy Spirit, who works in our hearts through the Gospel.
You cannot make God your one and only Master by serving him. You are much too sinful to do that. You will fail. Rather, you serve God, because he has made himself your Master through Jesus Christ, whom you receive through faith.
Yet, what should we do with all this mammon? It still exists, doesn’t it? We cannot just act like it doesn’t. Yet, since Christ Jesus has become our only Master through faith, we certainly can’t serve it either. So, what ought we do with it?
Mammon is a gift from God. It shows us that God not only provides us with what we need to support this body and life, but he supplies us with much more than we need. Yet, he does not supply us with these gifts in order for us to abandon him and serve the gifts. Rather, since we are now God’s servants and he is our Master, everything we own becomes in the service of God’s kingdom. We do not serve unrighteous mammon, rather, unrighteous mammon serves us to the glory of God.
Jesus tells a strange parable. And it is made all the stranger by the approval of this dishonest steward, who stole from his master in order to be welcomed into the homes of his debtors. Yet, the master does not commend the steward for his lying and cheating, but rather for his shrewdness, because he worked diligently to secure room and board for himself by means of mammon, fifty measures of oil here and twenty measures of wheat there. Jesus does not want us Christians to emulate this shrewd steward in his dishonesty, but rather in his shrewdness and diligence. Make your mammon work for the kingdom of God as diligently as this man made his master’s mammon work for himself.
Jesus says, “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Many falsely claim that here Jesus teaches us to earn our way to heaven by giving to the poor or giving to the church. Yet, we have already learned that we cannot earn our way to heaven, but rather, Jesus has purchased us from all sin, from death and hell, and has made himself our Master. And we his servants, live under him in his kingdom forever. We do not serve in order to get to heaven, but rather, we serve, because we are already heirs of God’s kingdom in heaven through faith in Jesus’ blood. Rather, here Jesus is teaching us how to serve him even now.
The chief use of the law is to show us our sin. This is the chief use, because it shows us our need for a Savior. The law condemns us for our sin, in order that we see our need for Jesus’ blood and forgiveness. Yet, since we are Christians redeemed by Christ and no longer under the threats of the law, we do not fear the condemnation of the law. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are forgiven for Christ’s sake. Yet, the law still has its use for us Christians. Now, instead of condemning us, the law teaches us. Here Jesus teaches the law in order to teach us Christians how to serve our Master with the unrighteous wealth he gives us.
Mammon is called unrighteous, because it can be used for evil. That is why people steal. Mammon is a very disloyal god. It helps whomever happens to have it in his possession. Stolen money will buy a car just as well as hard earned money. And money can be used to satisfy sinners’ most vile desires just as easily as it can be used to feed hungry children and build churches. But you can use mammon for good, and that is what God calls us to do.
Mammon always fails, but God calls us to use it to make friends we will have for eternity. Who are these friends? They are our fellow Christians, who will receive an eternal dwelling with Christ on the basis of His merits, His suffering, death, and resurrection. Scripture teaches us to do good to everyone, especially to those who belong to the household of faith. We are going to live with them for eternity, so we should start getting along with them now.
The steward in Jesus’ parable was not working with his own money. He was playing with his master’s money. He used his master’s money to his own advantage. Yet, he made his master look generous. News surely spread that this master forgives debts, is merciful, kind and patient. We too do not work with our own property. Everything we own comes from God. And in reality, God owns all that we have. We are stewards, managers.
This realization should result in two things: great confidence in God and great generosity toward those in need. We should have great confidence in God, because God has given us all that we have and he promises to not let you starve, or be in need, but to provide you with everything you need in this body and life. You can be confident that you will not lose anything by using your unrighteous mammon to help those in need, because God will richly supply you and will make up for whatever you need. This should result in us being generous and eager to help. This truly is a fruit of faith, which shows that we have confidence in God.
Generosity with unrighteous mammon glorifies God. Scripture says, “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). Yet, what is the result when the opposite happens? Then instead of God’s love being hidden, God’s love is revealed. All good gifts come from God. When you help those in need, particularly those who are members with you in Christ, what is their response? Is it not thanksgiving to God for his ever-enduring mercy? Yes, by your actions you can cause someone to praise God and to have confidence that God does indeed provide daily bread.
Your generosity also should extend to the Church and her mission to proclaim the Gospel both at home and abroad. The Lord commands in Scripture that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14) and that those who are taught should share all good things with their teacher (Galatians 6:6). Yet, the Lord does not want you to give out of compulsion, but with a free heart. As Scripture says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
This can only be done as a fruit of faith by one who has confidence that God will supply him with every good thing. This is what our fathers Abraham and Jacob did. Melchizedek did not command Abraham to give him a tenth of all he had, nor did God command this of Jacob, yet they did it with a free heart, because they trusted in God’s goodness and protection. Likewise, Moses had to command that the people of Israel stop bringing free will offerings for the construction of the tabernacle, because they brought gifts according to their hearts desire every morning in such abundance that they had much more than they needed to build God’s sanctuary.
This is how God uses unrighteous mammon, which fails in all its endeavors, to do work that will last through eternity. Through free-will gifts given by previous generations, we all have established churches where we have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through which we are saved for eternity. And through our free-will offerings now, God helps friends in future generations, whom we may never know in this life, but who will be our friends in our eternal dwellings.
Yet, this generous spirit has an adversary. Our old sinful flesh. And when we examine ourselves, the law which we should use as an example to live in service to Christ, again convicts us for having a less generous spirit than we ought. The law tells us that we aren’t good enough servants in Christ’s kingdom. That instead of putting our mammon to work for God, we serve it. The law causes us to doubt our place in God’s kingdom.
This is why we must always remember how God becomes our one and only master. It is through faith in Jesus Christ, who has purchased and won us by his suffering and death. That is the only way that we are placed in his kingdom and it is the only way we will remain in his kingdom. And this faith will produce fruit. Christ will work in you. But this fruit only comes when your heart believes that you have a generous God, who willingly forgives all your sins for Christ’s sake and gladly provides you with all you need both now and for eternity. May such faith in Christ produce fruit from us, so that we may make friends now, who will greet us when we enter our eternal home. Amen.

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A Case for Pure Doctrine

8/13/2019

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Christ Denouncing False Prophets and Pharisees: Illustration to Matthew 7: 15-21, 1530s, Daniel Hopfer, German, metmuseum.org, Public Domain

Matthew 7:15-23
August 11, 2019

Should we care about pure doctrine? Should we pursue it? Well, first, what is pure doctrine. You know what it means to be pure. Your water purifier purifies your water by taking out all the stuff, the chemicals and microbes that you don’t want to consume, out of your water. Silver is purified when all the dross is removed from it. Doctrine means teaching. So, pure doctrine refers to teaching that is true; teaching that doesn’t have any foreign stuff in it; teaching that agrees fully with our Lord Jesus Christ.
We’re concerned about purity when we shop for our food. Everywhere in the grocery store you find ads on boxes promising “No artificial ingredients,” “All natural,” and so forth. So, should we be concerned with the purity of our doctrine? It seems obvious, but most think that devotion to pure doctrine is too extreme. What’s really important is that we all love Jesus. That’s where the true unity is. But when you start focusing too much on doctrine and ask too many questions, like “Who is Jesus?”, and “What did he do?” and “What exactly does he teach?” well, then we start to get divided. People are concerned that when you focus too much on pure doctrine then instead of Jesus being this great source of unity, he becomes a sword that divides households and sets sons against fathers, daughters against mothers, and daughters-in-law against mothers-in-law.
But of course, we should be concerned with pure doctrine! Jesus tells us to. Christ commands us to beware of false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing. And he tells us we will recognize them by their fruits. Their fruits are their teaching; their doctrine. If a preacher’s doctrine is not pure, Jesus tells you to mark and avoid him. Even in your Small Catechism you are taught that when you pray, “Hallowed be thy name.” you are praying that the word of God be taught in its truth and purity and that we as the children of God also lead holy lives according to it.
Well, is that even possible? I mean, is it possible to have pure doctrine? Or are we setting ourselves up for a pipe dream to obtain the unobtainable? Well, of course it’s possible. Pure doctrine is not something you must obtain through your own great intelligence or hard work. Pure doctrine is a gift from God. God gave us pure doctrine when he gave us his holy Scriptures, which were caused to be written by the Holy Spirit himself, which are profitable for teaching, for reproof, and for training in righteousness. Pure doctrine was given to us as a gift, when the Word of God became flesh, fulfilled all Scriptures by dying and rising again for our salvation, and taught his Church that all Scripture teaches of him. Yes, pure doctrine is possible, because the God by whom all things are possible, who cannot lie and is the source of all truth has given us pure doctrine through the Holy Scriptures.
Yet, you might object, “But lots of churches have the Holy Scriptures, yet they don’t all have the same teaching!” And this here is the source of great doubt, which causes many to say, “There are so many different churches, how can you possibly know which one, if any, teaches the truth? Can we Lutherans possibly make such a claim without being completely arrogant?” Well, yes, we can.
Yes, there are innumerable churches that teach lots of different things. And even if you discount those church bodies that reject that the Bible is without errors, there are still many different churches, that all claim loyalty to the Scriptures. So, how do we know that we have the pure doctrine?
First, you must understand that Scripture not only is the pure doctrine given by God, but it is the purifier of all doctrine. We heard God speak through Jeremiah, “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” God’s word is like the fire that melts the silver, so that the dross can be removed. God’s word is a hammer. Miners must crush rock to separate the valuable minerals from the waste. This is what God’s word does. When Scripture rules and is the source of all your teaching, your teaching is pure. Yet, when Scripture is ruled over, then your teaching is not pure.
The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church both claim that the holy Scriptures are part of the tradition which the Church has handed down to us. This means that they deny that the holy Scriptures are the only source of pure doctrine. That is how they are able to deny that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone apart from our works, even though Scripture clearly teaches this in Romans chapters 3 and 4, Ephesians 2, and other places. They give the Church the authority to interpret the Scriptures. Whatever the Church says the Scriptures mean, that is what they mean, even if the Church says the opposite of Scripture. In other words, they do not let the Scriptures act like a fire that removes all dross or a hammer that separates the waste. They place the Church and human traditions above the authority of the holy Scriptures.
Although the protestant churches differ in many ways, they are all the same in one regard: they place human reason above the holy Scriptures. One example of this is the teaching, “The finite cannot contain the infinite.” This is a very simple statement. Finite means limited. A 20 oz bottle is finite. It can only contain 20 oz. If you try to pour 30 oz into it, it will over flow. The finite 20 oz bottle cannot contain an infinite amount of liquid. Human beings are also finite. A human can only be so big and can only be in one place at one time. This is true. So, protestant churches use this argument to prove that Jesus’ body and blood are not present in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus is a human being. True. A human being cannot be in more than one place at a time. Also, true. Therefore, they conclude that Jesus Christ cannot be present at numerous altars with his body and blood while also ruling at the right hand of God the Father.
The problem is that this teaching is nowhere taught in Scripture. It is a logical syllogism, which contradicts the clear teaching of Jesus in holy Scripture. Holy Scripture teaches us that Jesus’ body and blood are given to Christians to eat and drink in the Sacrament. Human reason disputes this clear teaching. But if God’s word is a fire and hammer, then human reason must give way to the pure teaching of Scripture.
You can be confident in what you have been taught in your Small Catechism, because the Small Catechism is not some additional teaching to the pure teaching of Scripture. Rather, the Small Catechism is the pure teaching of Christ, which has been purified by the fire and hammer of Scripture. It teaches what God’s word teaches without the dross of human reason or tradition.
This is why we must always learn our Catechism. It is the job of every one of you to judge what I preach to you. Not to judge it based on your own personal preference or feelings, or thoughts, but to judge my preaching based on the pure word of God, which is clearly laid out for you in your Small Catechism. In order to recognize whether the fruit I dish out to you is good or bad, you must know what good fruit looks like. Your Catechism teaches you what good fruit is.
Now, this is not to say that only those who belong to Lutheran congregations will go to heaven. You are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone. There are many who belong to churches that do not have entirely pure doctrine, who still trust in Jesus Christ their Savior for forgiveness and salvation. Yet, just because you can be saved while attending a church that teaches falsely, does not mean that it doesn’t matter where you attend church and what teaching you listen to. Jesus warns against false teaching, because it is harmful.
God speaks in Jeremiah concerning the false prophets, “So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.” False teaching does not profit you. It hurts you. The false prophets in Jeremiah’s day told the people that it would be well with them when they stubbornly followed their own hearts. I’m sure that made them feel good for a moment, but it did them no good. God remained displeased with their idolatry and sexual immorality and he punished them for it. The false prophets harmed the people they lied to by not warning them to repent!
Would you go to a doctor, who would only give you a clean bill of health, even if you were sick? Do you want your dentist to lie to you and say you have no cavities while your teeth rot away? Would you be pleased with your lawyer if he told you, you had a winning case, even though he knew you would lose when you got to court? Of course, not! Then why would you want a preacher to lie to you in order to make you feel good?
It is a sin to skip church. That is to despise God’s preaching and word. It is breaking the Third Commandment. But saying that upsets people. So, should we stop saying it? It would still be a sin. It is a sin to have sex outside of marriage. Couples should get married before they move in together. Scripture is abundantly clear on this. But saying that upsets people. So, should we stop saying it? Should we stop preaching the Ten Commandments, because we might offend someone? Many churches do. They have stopped condemning sin as sin, so as not to offend. Are they helping anyone? No. God tells us that refusing to preach the law does not profit anyone. Rather, it hurts sinners worse by not warning them to repent, so that they can receive forgiveness.
Pure doctrine is important, because it gives true comfort. False teaching does not comfort you. Rather, it robs you of comfort. Why is it important that we teach that we are only saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by our own works? Because if we trusted in our works, we would lose the comfort that Christ gives by dying for our sins. Does it matter whether we baptize babies or not? Or is it just a tradition we have? Yes, it does matter. Baptizing babies gives great comfort. It tells us that Baptism is God’s work, not ours. It assures us that God has washed away our sins and the sins of our little children. It assures us that God has given them faith even before they can speak. Denying baptism to babies denies them God’s grace and forgiveness. Yet, baptizing them gives them and their parents confidence in Christ.
Does it matter whether Jesus’ true body and blood are present in the Lord’s Supper or not? Yes, it matters. If Jesus’ body and blood are not present in the Lord’s Supper, then we are just eating a remembrance meal out of obedience. It means the meal does not give us the forgiveness of sins. It means that we must judge Jesus’ teaching against our own reason. It means that Christ is as far away from us as the heavens are from the earth. But, if Jesus’ words are true and we can trust them even against our own eyes and reason, then we have confidence that Jesus is with us with his peace even today.
Although, every one of us should continue to be a student of the Catechism and faithfully hear the word of God taught and preached regularly, you do not need to be a scholar for pure doctrine to benefit you. Pure doctrine benefits the newborn baby when he’s baptized just as it benefits the elderly grandmother in the hospital bed when she hears that Jesus died for her and that her sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. Pure doctrine benefits all who have faith in Christ, because pure doctrine gives Christ, his forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation.
The other week I said that no one has died with greater certainty that he’ll go to heaven than the thief on the cross to whom Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Despite the fact that Jesus was nailed to the cross next to him as a condemned criminal, the man was confident enough to acknowledge that Jesus was the king of heaven and to ask him to remember him. And the pure words of Jesus gave this repentant criminal confidence to die upon his cross.
Now, I don’t know if that man knew anything about Baptism. I doubt he knew that Jesus had just hours earlier fed his disciples his very body and blood under the forms of bread and wine for the first time. Yet, I have no doubt that had he survived the cross, he would have devoted himself to the apostles teaching, the fellowship, and the breaking of bread, and prayers, been baptized and learned all these things. Yet, even with that one sentence the man benefited from Jesus’ pure teaching. And with those words he gained eternal life.
Pure doctrine saves, because Jesus saves. When we speak of pure doctrine, we are not speaking of a science formulated by men. We’re speaking about the words of our Savior, which are the words of eternal life. We want to hear pure doctrine, because we only want to hear Jesus. Jesus teaches us to watch out for false prophets, because he loves us. He is our Good Shepherd, who speaks to us. And we, his sheep, want to hear only his voice, because only he gives us eternal life. Amen.

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August 05th, 2019

8/5/2019

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Mark 8:1-9
August 4, 2019

When I was in high school health class, we learned about a disorder called anorexia. A person who suffers from anorexia has an intense fear of gaining weight, often thinks of herself as fat or overweight, and usually copes with this fear by refusing to eat and constantly trying to lose weight. As immature high schoolers, we found this a bit funny. We loved food. Who on earth would refuse to eat? But this condition is no laughing matter. Those who suffer from anorexia can comit great harm to their bodies. They'll even starve themselves to death trying to obtain the unobtainable. They are delusional. I don’t mean that in an offensive way; it’s simply a fact. They believe that they do not need food and need to lose weight, even when presented with all the facts to the contrary. Those who suffer from anorexia need intervention from those who love them, careful counseling to identify the underlying cause of their condition, and they need to eat a healthy amount of food.
We all know the importance of eating food. Our whole lives revolve around food. A young mother worries when she brings her young children for their well-child check-ups, whether her children have gained the appropriate amount of weight. It can be a moment of pride or great worry when a young child is set on the scale at the doctor’s office. Yet, horrifyingly, there are some parents who aren’t concerned with how much their children eat. Although, they are perfectly capable, they don’t feed their children healthy food and let them go hungry and malnourished. What do we call such parents? We call them negligent, don’t we? Depriving your children of food is a form of child abuse.
Now consider this great crowd that stays with Jesus in the wilderness for three days. Jesus is concerned that they might faint on their way home for some of them had traveled from far away. And in St. Matthew’s account of this story we learn that this 4,000 did not include the number of women and children with them. So, this great crowd was not only filled with people, who traveled out into the wilderness without enough food to get them home, but they even brought their children into this dangerous situation! How reckless! And what does Jesus say to them? Does he call them delusional for neglecting to see the importance of food for their body? Does he call them negligent and abusive parents for depriving their children of food? No. Jesus has compassion on them.
Compassion. That is, Jesus felt for them in his gut. As they were undoubtedly hungry, including the children, so Jesus’ stomach ached for them. And of course, he provided food for them in abundance, so that they had seven baskets left over after every man, woman, and child was fully satisfied. And with this miracle, Jesus teaches all of us an important lesson: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The crowd ran out of food, because they were listening to the word of God from Jesus’ mouth. They considered Jesus’ words more important than food for their bellies. And they were right. The food you eat helps you live for a moment, but it is later expelled from your body and you eventually die. No matter how healthily you eat, you cannot outrun death. Yet, the words Jesus speaks give eternal life. Those who believe in Jesus will never die. Though their bodies sleep in the grave for a little while, Jesus will raise them up to eternal life. The words of Jesus are true spiritual food that everyone needs. Jesus’ words give salvation and eternal life to all who believe them.
So, this crowd was not delusional for neglecting their need for physical food. Rather, it is those who do not see their need for the words of Jesus who are delusional. They are deluded by sin and unbelief that craves that which can only lead to death. And, if we call them negligent, who deprive their children of physical food for their bodies, how much worse is it to deprive them the spiritual food for their souls?
From the day God placed the first man into the Garden in the east, he has provided food and drink for our race. God willingly and abundantly provides for all that our bodies need. This is why Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things: food, clothing, home, will be added unto you. God provides for your bodily needs, so that you can seek the greater need.
The words of Jesus offer the most precious treasure you could ever imagine: forgiveness of sins, peace with God, eternal life. And these words are offered freely to anyone who will listen. Yet, amazingly, few do listen. And it’s not just those other people who refuse to come to church, who are delusional in this regard. We all are deluded by the old Adam, who still lives within our heart. Like horse and mule, who must be curbed with bit and bridle, we need to be coerced into feeding on words of eternal life. We force ourselves to go to church and listen. We force ourselves to read our devotions. We make our kids go to church and behave. Because each of us suffers from the delusion of thinking that we don’t need what need the most.
This delusion comes from our sinful nature, that is, our old sinful Adam. By nature, we think that we don’t need God. We value stuffing our faces more than filling our hearts. And so, when we feel this delusion overpowering us, and we think we don’t need to feast on Jesus’ words, what we need to do is grab that old sinful Adam by the back of the neck, tell him that he is delusional, and dunk him under with all sins and evil desires. We need to repent. And we need to hear those words that strengthen our new self to live forever.
What are these words that we should prize so highly? These words are Jesus. They give you your Lord and Savior. Jesus says, “Search the Scriptures, for … in them you have eternal life. And it is they that testify of me.” God’s word gives you eternal life, because it gives you Jesus. It reveals to you how God sent his Son to become and remain a human being, so that he might be your advocate for all eternity. Jesus Christ bore your sins for your sake. He died for you that you might live. Through the work of Jesus Christ, his work of atonement, you have peace with your Father in heaven. As Jesus rose again from the grave, you have the promise through Jesus’ words to follow in his train. Jesus came into the world to give life abundantly to all who believe his words, and so his words are our greatest treasure in this life. We cannot grasp Jesus with our hands, but we hold him in our heart through faith in his word.
Jesus is very liberal. That is, he generously pours out his grace on us. He baptizes us, so that we might be clothed in Christ every day. Under the form of bread and wine, he feeds us his true body and blood, which were sacrificed for our sins and even now intercede for us before the Father in heaven. Jesus richly provides for our spiritual nourishment, so that we might always satisfy our hunger while we live here in this desolate place.
You are what you eat. Your whole body is made up of the food you have consumed throughout your life. And to what has that brought you? Sickness? Frailty? Sinful urges each day of your life? And finally, death. To think that such food is your greatest need is nonsense. Through the hearing of Jesus’ words, you feast on Jesus Christ himself, the very bread of life. You become as he is. Jesus passed through death and now lives immortal, imperishable, sinless, and righteous forever. You are what you eat. When you feast on Christ, you share in his righteousness and glory. You become as he is.
God knows that you need physical food. He knows all of your needs. And he provides them for every living creature. And he assures you that you are much more valuable than they. God has compassion on those who hunger, especially for those who hunger, because they neglect their body for a moment, so that they might feast to feed their souls. Is it possible that you might suffer for a while, because of your pursuit to feast on Christ? Sure. For a moment. It might mean going hungry for a while, not getting your dream job, not making the sports team, losing friends, losing family. But it is impossible for you to lose, if you feast on Christ. He promises to add all these things unto you along with the kingdom of God and his righteousness. God assures you that you will not be neglected feasting on Christ through his word.
Sometimes children don’t want to eat what’s best for them. But good parents still give them healthy food to eat, so that they grow big and strong. A person recovering from anorexia will have to fight against the delusion that she shouldn’t eat food. But eventually she’ll enjoy the healthy feeling she gets from eating a well-balanced meal. There is no greater comfort than that which comes from hearing the words of Jesus. Our deluded old Adam might try to distract from these words. Our body, which is made up of perishable food will get easily distracted and at times confused. Yet, nothing roots out the fear of hell other than the blood shed for you by Jesus Christ. Nothing soothes your conscience like the peace God sends you from the mouth of your risen Lord. And there is no food or medicine or gadget on this earth that can give you eternal life, but only the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which you receive through faith in his words and sacrament.
Let us pray.
My Lord, You here have led me/ To this most holy place
And with Yourself have fed me/ The treasures of Your grace;
For you have freely given/ What earth could never buy,
The bread of life from heaven, That now I shall not die.
(O Living Bread from Heaven, Johann Rist, LSB 642:2)
Amen.

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

Jesus desires to save all people through faith.

Making Friends for Eternity

A Case for Pure Doctrine

August 05th, 2019

Rev. James Preus

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