The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 6:10-20
The Full Armor of God
Proper [17] B, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 30 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
In the legend, Lancelot is a noble knight of the Round Table, brave and gallant, known throughout the land for his heroics. Guinevere is the wife of King Arthur. Lancelot and Guinevere had “fallen in love” on the day Lancelot was knighted. He had apparently forgotten his sword, and upon noticing, Queen Guinevere was able to provide it to him unnoticed, saving Lancelot from great embarrassment. Lancelot and Guinevere are allowed to continue a sinful, adulterous relationship for many years. Eventually, some of the knights grow envious and jealous of Lancelot, and decide to reveal the affair to the King. Even in fiction, most of Lancelot’s problems would have been prevented if he had only kept his armor on.
In our day, we insure our property, protect our possessions, guard our family members, and take care of our own bodies. But what of heart, mind, and soul? In those areas we often let our guard down.
“Two little eyes to look to God, Two little ears to hear His word, Two little feet to walk in His ways, Two little lips to sing His praise, Two little hands to do His will, And one little heart to love Him still.”
What happens when eyes, like Lancelot’s look elsewhere? How does what we hear from the world change our mind? When do our own feet lead us into temptation? Who or what do we praise in the place of God? Why do our hands move to sin instead of serve? What of heart, mind, and soul? In those areas we often let our guard down.
Conceived and born with original sin and also sinful because of our own thoughts, words, deeds, actions, and inaction, we have no strength. We are easy prey. True strength can only come from outside of ourselves. We don’t want to admit it, but we are outmatched, overwhelmed, and far out of our league.
The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is on Your Side. Christ is the Victor over sin, death, and the devil. And a good thing, too! We need exactly that kind of help!
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We are tempted to think that our enemies are the human beings that face us on the other side of a conflict. Not so—especially in the church. True, human beings can be used to carry out evil, but the devil is still the author of evil schemes. By no means does this let someone like Nero or Hitler or Bin Laden off the hook! They are guilty of their own sin, atrocities, and ultimately, unbelief. The Devil is no mere symbol or legend. The devil is the father of lies, a spiritual force, ruler, authority, and cosmic power. We are no match for Him, but Jesus is. The devil is only an angel—a fallen angel. God is the Creator and Victor. You need the Lord and the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand. Stand. Stand. Sometimes it is all we can do to stand upright. In this text, God is not asking you to take the next hill in battle. You are given to stand firm and preserve, protect, and defend what He has given you. Like a tree planted by streams of water we stand. Like Martin Luther we say, “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.” On Christ the solid rock we stand—all other ground is sinking sand. We stand upon Christ and His Word.
A Church Body’s official public confession is important. When you hear the headline that “Lutherans” approve of homosexual activity, so-called marriages and clergy, do not mistake the public teaching of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for our Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. When you hear that “Lutherans” share communion and pulpits with the Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Reformed Church in America, the Moravian Church, and the Presbyterian Church in the USA, do not mistake the practice of the ELCA with our LCMS.
I say this not out of smugness. Nor do I claim that all pastors, congregations, or people of the ELCA are “liberal.” Two-thirds of the delegates at their recent convention appear to be. Not all in the LCMS are Biblically conservative.
We should greet such headlines and news with repentance, prayer for all involved, and by making a clear confession that the LCMS stands upon Christ and His Word, not popular opinion or political correctness.
14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
This is the armor of God. Is it any wonder that many Christians include this reading from Ephesians 6 in their devotions every morning? Seven pieces: truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, the faith, salvation, the Word of God. The armor is buckled on in order. (Borrowing from Lenski…)
14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth… Divine truth grounds us in battle. And yes, there is such a thing as one truth—not just a “truth” for me and a “truth” for you. God’s truth exists and rules over all.
...and having put on the breastplate of righteousness… Dr. Luther saw this as the moral righteousness of the Christian. To be sure, this should be the carefully guarded possession and lifestyle of all the Baptized. This is also the righteousness of Christ we put on by faith. As a breastplate protects all the vital organs, God’s verdict in Christ acquits us of all sin and guilt and declares us righteous for Christ’s sake. It is the central part of all saving truth, spiritual Kevlar. The heart of the message of the Word, righteousness in Christ, makes our heart invulnerable to the devil.
15...and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Eager courage that is due to the Gospel fills you with the peace of God. “World Peace” is elusive. You have peace with God won for you by the Prince of Peace and delivered by the Holy Spirit. We are given to be at peace with all, but we always need to be ready when others war on us. Until the Lord calls us home, we are the Church Militant—the Church at War with the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.
16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one… The shield needs to be carried, too. Reason is a poor substitute, a man-made shield that readily catches fire. “Faith” can refer both to the content of the Holy Christian faith, what we believe, as well as the believing trust in Christ that the Lord gives you as a gift. The arrows are temptation—especially the temptation to doubt, the oldest temptation there is: “Did God really say?” It worked so well against Eve, the devil still has that arrow in his quiver. The burning arrows of devilish doubt are ineffective against faith—faith created and nurtured by Baptism, Absolution, the Word of Gospel, and the Lord’s Supper.
17…and take the helmet of salvation… Our present salvation in Christ protects the head from a fatal or disabling blow. So far the defensive armor.
…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God… This is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal. Spiritus Gladius Verbum Domini. The Word of God is the sword of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is living and active like a two-edged sword. Hebrews fits well with this message of Ephesians.
God’s Word is our great heritage. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. The Word is the best evidence we have that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Spirit’s Sword is invincible. Resist the devil, especially with the Word, and he will flee from you. Remember the Word in your day of temptation. Yet, the Word is not only used on offense.
Remember the defensive armor? As truth the Word belts us; as the Gospel of peace it puts the readiness of courage into our hearts; as the faith, the doctrines which we believe, teach and confess, it shields us against any and all of the wicked one’s lies. In addition to all this, the Word and utterance of God smites and defeats our [old evil] foe himself. (Lenski)
18…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Often, this is the forgotten part of the whole armor of God: prayer. Bird: Hear us Father, when we pray, Through Your Son and in Your Spirit. By Your Spirit’s Word convey All that we through Christ inherit, That as baptized heirs we may Truly pray.
To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
The prayer list is included in our bulletin each week, even though we do not always pray specifically for everyone by name each week in the Prayer of the Church. You are given to pray for the whole people of God and for all people according to their needs. You may wish to start with our congregational prayer list from the bulletin.
Pray for those in authority and your enemies. Every political leader is covered that way—go ahead and giggle. J We regularly pray for our sister congregations in the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. As a congregation, we pray for and regularly visit our shut-ins. We pray for our young people, especially those who will soon begin or continue Catechism instruction. We pray for our families and congregational family, especially those who have been away from the Lord’s house and His gifts. We pray they will accept an invitation to come home.
And we pray for peace. Since the 6th Century, Christians have prayed in the following way. Dr. Luther adapted this prayer and saw to it that it was set to music (LSB 778). It is a fitting prayer as we conclude our eight-week study of Ephesians:
Grant peace, we pray, in mercy, Lord; Peace in our time, O send us! For there is none on earth but You, None other to defend us. You only, Lord, can fight for us. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sermon for 23 August 2009, Proper 16B
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 5:21-6:4
Husbands & Wives, Parents & Children
Proper [16] B, Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, 23 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
For a Lay Reader
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
The creator of heaven and earth
Commanded the human race to increase
That it might worship Him
And sing His praises.
Therefore the Creator of mankind
Established marriage
And united man and woman
In the marital bond,
Not wishing that there be errant lusts among mankind.
Marriage, an honorable estate,
Has the Lord as its founder;
God the Father sanctified it
And Jesus the Son honored it.
…
Praise and honor be to Thee, O Lord,
Who takest delight in holy weddings.
But restrain Thou the devil,
Who attacks marriage,
So that the Christian man and wife
May sing Thy praises eternally,
Enjoying with their dear children
The joys of heaven. Singing the Gospel, p. 63-64
This 16th Century text sets the stage for a Biblical discussion of the vocations of husband and wife and how Christian parents best care for their children. It is a much better place to start than just complaining about the current state of marriage in America and the world today. Let’s get back to basics. How did God institute Holy Matrimony? With the varied voices of the world calling us to changing definitions of marriage—or even no definition at all, we pick up where we left off last Sunday, with Ephesians 5:21: …submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. [Submit] (submitting) to one another out of reverence for Christ.
In Christ there is no male or female, Paul teaches the Galatian congregations. But we dare not take that teaching out of context. When it comes to salvation, all are truly equal—equally sinners, equally in need of God’s gracious forgiveness in Christ, equally forgiven. And yet, men and women are different. Modern documents and politically correct opinions cannot change the biology of how God has made humanity male and female.
A husband won’t get far if he ignores his wife. Men are not superior to women, and women are not inferior to men. God created men and women differently on purpose. God has given different roles and vocations to women and men. All are given to submit first to God, His will, and His Word. We must be careful to say what the text says and neither read past nor present cultural practices into the text. Instead, we sit at Paul’s feet and listen to God’s design, based in the order of creation.
22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Women are given to submit to their husbands, but not blindly. Rather, wives submit to their own husbands as to the Lord. Verse 22 must not be taken out of context. Verses 23 and 24 are that important context, as well as verse 21, explaining the whole phrase as to the Lord. All are under authority. As 1 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV) says: But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Without the phrase as to the Lord, the command to women is easily misunderstood and misused.
Women are given to submit to their husbands, but not blindly. St. Peter taught us in Acts that we must obey God rather than men. If a husband commands his wife to sin, she has a higher authority—God—whose Word she is given to follow.
These verses are the foundation of what we hear in the rite of Holy Matrimony. The pastor asks the bride: Name, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ? Will you love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to him alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will. LSB, p. 276
“I will” is different from the “I do” we usually hear in weddings on TV or in the movies. “I do” could give the impression, “Well, I do today, but tomorrow…I’m not so sure.” “I will” speaks of an action that begins and continues as long as both shall live.
The usual word found in the traditional marriage rite is “obey.” This is unfortunate, and has only added to misunderstandings. “Submit” more accurately gives the meaning of the Greek. A yield sign is another good illustration. And while women are given to submit to their husbands as to the Lord, nowhere are men given to make them submit. Wives simply submit to their husbands as to the Lord. Refusing to submit on the one hand and playing king or dictator to one’s wife on the other hand are both sinful and not what the Lord or St. Paul had in mind. Instead men are given to love their wives, be protective, willing to die for them and also willing to live with them.
25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body. 31"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Pastor Cain usually asks prospective grooms if they are willing to die for their bride. The groom’s answer—and the time it takes for him to think of one and get it out—tells him a lot about the couple’s relationship. And so does the response of the bride! Another question is also important. It’s relatively easy for a Christian to say they would be willing to die for the faith. The hard part is dealing with persecution or ridicule over a long period of time. Death might well be preferable to a long, painful illness. The question, “Are you willing to die for her?” should be followed up with “Are you willing to stay with her ‘til death do you part?”
The Pastor asks the Groom: Name, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you nourish and cherish her as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her? Will you love, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to her alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will. LSB, 276
It would be pointless to debate which vocation is tougher: husband or wife. Both face extreme challenges in our day. And often, we readily use our culture and its wayward practices to attempt to justify our personal sins against God, His Will, and His Word.
The Biblical text before us does not address everything we would like to know about marriage, or the divine ordering of male and female relationships. Scripture has much more. What we are given is the foundation—Holy Matrimony. By itself, this would be more than enough for us to work on, to discover where we individually need to repent, and ultimately receive forgiveness for our past sinful thoughts, words, and deeds.
Lutherans don’t consider Holy Matrimony a sacrament because we define the word sacrament differently than Rome. For Lutherans, a sacrament must also deliver the forgiveness of sins. Marriage doesn’t deliver the forgiveness of sins, but it cannot survive without mutual repentance and forgiveness. No relationship can survive without confession and absolution. Husbands are given to forgive their wives. Wives are given to forgive their husbands. Together they receive God’s forgiveness and sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs each Sunday at Divine Service and daily in family devotions. In this way, they both submit to one another out of reverence to Christ.
The rite of Holy Matrimony summarizes what God has instituted in the following way: In marriage we see a picture of the communion between Christ and His bride, the Church. Our Lord blessed and honored marriage with His presence and first miracle at Cana in Galilee. This estate is also commended by the apostle Paul as good and honorable. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into inadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for the mutual companionship, help, and support that each person ought to receive from the other, both in prosperity and adversity. Marriage was also ordained so that man and woman may find delight in one another. Therefore, all persons who marry shall take a spouse in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, for God has not called us to impurity but in holiness. God also established marriage for the procreation of children who are to be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord so that they may offer Him their praise. LSB, p. 275
This is what St. Paul addresses in the opening four verses of Ephesians 6: 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
The fourth commandment is usually seen from only one side—what children are given to do. St. Paul also teaches us the active role that parents are to take in raising their children as Christians. Parents must carefully avoid our culture’s temptation to be a “buddy” rather than a Biblical parent. When the children decide what the family watches, eats, plays, and whether or not Sunday morning is spent with God, who is really running the household?
In many households today, women are acting spiritual head of household. They may be widowed, single mothers, single people, or married to men with little or no interest in Christianity or congregational life. This is nothing new. In the 16th Century German town where this morning’s opening thoughts on marriage were written, 1/3 of those households were temporarily headed by women. The book went on to explain that after the government banned Lutheran books, preachers, and worship services, women were largely responsible for preserving the Gospel in their homes for another generation.
Some Christians question seeing God as male or as a “Father” because of negative experiences with their earthly father or other men. Instead, our heavenly Father teaches earthly fathers—physical and spiritual—how they are given to care for their families. The introductions to the chief parts of Luther’s Small Catechism, as well as the section on daily prayers say this: “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.” (LSB, p. 326)
Researchers from Switzerland examined whether parents' religious habits were transmitted to their offspring…Consider these findings: When Mom is a regular churchgoer but Dad attends infrequently, just 3 percent of their kids go on to become regular churchgoers. When Mom is regular but Dad never attends, just 2 percent become regular attenders.
Now, let's flip the chart. What if Dad is faithful? When both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 33 percent of kids grow up to attend regularly. When Dad is regular but Mom only goes once in a while, the figure jumps to 38 percent. Here's the real bombshell: when Dad is faithful but Mom never attends, 44 percent of the kids end up as regular church attenders!
Bottom line: in spiritual matters, kids take their cues from Dad. If Papa doesn't go to church, chances are very slim that his children will become regular worshippers. If the kids see religion as "Mom's thing" they are more likely to become disenchanted. But if Dad leads by example, children are twenty-two times more likely to become lifelong churchgoers. David Murrow, 2005
Fathers have an important responsibility as spiritual head of household to conduct family devotions, to bring family members to Holy Baptism, and to bring the baptized to Church and other Christian instruction.
Pastor Cain has been called to share with parents this responsibility in catechizing the children of the congregation. Vacation Bible School, regular Sunday School attendance, and Catechism instruction are part of this. But catechesis does not end with Confirmation Day. It’s not graduation. It means, “Now you’re ready to study the Bible as a maturing Christian.” Our Sunday Bible Classes and Sunday School will return to its usual 9:15 time followed Divine Service at 10:30 on September 6th.
Another 16th Century text again reminds us that a Christian does not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God. This is true for Christian families, where parents bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
A Christian is not satisfied
To see his [pantry] (larder) well supplied;
Instead it is his foremost thought
How his children may be taught
To know aright their God and Lord
And keep before their eyes His Word.
Therefore for them he spares no pains,
But ever teaches and explains.
And on Sunday especially,
When all from daily work are free,
He sits with them, and they repeat
What they have learned at school that week;
He has them say their Catechism
In answer to the questions given,
And listens to them as they tell
What of the sermon they recall,
And then he sings a thankful hymn
To Christ the Lord to honor Him,
And thus he ends the day of rest
Who does likewise, keeps Sunday best. Singing the Gospel, p. 107-108
Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Ephesians 5:21-6:4
Husbands & Wives, Parents & Children
Proper [16] B, Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, 23 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
For a Lay Reader
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
The creator of heaven and earth
Commanded the human race to increase
That it might worship Him
And sing His praises.
Therefore the Creator of mankind
Established marriage
And united man and woman
In the marital bond,
Not wishing that there be errant lusts among mankind.
Marriage, an honorable estate,
Has the Lord as its founder;
God the Father sanctified it
And Jesus the Son honored it.
…
Praise and honor be to Thee, O Lord,
Who takest delight in holy weddings.
But restrain Thou the devil,
Who attacks marriage,
So that the Christian man and wife
May sing Thy praises eternally,
Enjoying with their dear children
The joys of heaven. Singing the Gospel, p. 63-64
This 16th Century text sets the stage for a Biblical discussion of the vocations of husband and wife and how Christian parents best care for their children. It is a much better place to start than just complaining about the current state of marriage in America and the world today. Let’s get back to basics. How did God institute Holy Matrimony? With the varied voices of the world calling us to changing definitions of marriage—or even no definition at all, we pick up where we left off last Sunday, with Ephesians 5:21: …submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. [Submit] (submitting) to one another out of reverence for Christ.
In Christ there is no male or female, Paul teaches the Galatian congregations. But we dare not take that teaching out of context. When it comes to salvation, all are truly equal—equally sinners, equally in need of God’s gracious forgiveness in Christ, equally forgiven. And yet, men and women are different. Modern documents and politically correct opinions cannot change the biology of how God has made humanity male and female.
A husband won’t get far if he ignores his wife. Men are not superior to women, and women are not inferior to men. God created men and women differently on purpose. God has given different roles and vocations to women and men. All are given to submit first to God, His will, and His Word. We must be careful to say what the text says and neither read past nor present cultural practices into the text. Instead, we sit at Paul’s feet and listen to God’s design, based in the order of creation.
22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Women are given to submit to their husbands, but not blindly. Rather, wives submit to their own husbands as to the Lord. Verse 22 must not be taken out of context. Verses 23 and 24 are that important context, as well as verse 21, explaining the whole phrase as to the Lord. All are under authority. As 1 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV) says: But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Without the phrase as to the Lord, the command to women is easily misunderstood and misused.
Women are given to submit to their husbands, but not blindly. St. Peter taught us in Acts that we must obey God rather than men. If a husband commands his wife to sin, she has a higher authority—God—whose Word she is given to follow.
These verses are the foundation of what we hear in the rite of Holy Matrimony. The pastor asks the bride: Name, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ? Will you love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to him alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will. LSB, p. 276
“I will” is different from the “I do” we usually hear in weddings on TV or in the movies. “I do” could give the impression, “Well, I do today, but tomorrow…I’m not so sure.” “I will” speaks of an action that begins and continues as long as both shall live.
The usual word found in the traditional marriage rite is “obey.” This is unfortunate, and has only added to misunderstandings. “Submit” more accurately gives the meaning of the Greek. A yield sign is another good illustration. And while women are given to submit to their husbands as to the Lord, nowhere are men given to make them submit. Wives simply submit to their husbands as to the Lord. Refusing to submit on the one hand and playing king or dictator to one’s wife on the other hand are both sinful and not what the Lord or St. Paul had in mind. Instead men are given to love their wives, be protective, willing to die for them and also willing to live with them.
25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body. 31"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Pastor Cain usually asks prospective grooms if they are willing to die for their bride. The groom’s answer—and the time it takes for him to think of one and get it out—tells him a lot about the couple’s relationship. And so does the response of the bride! Another question is also important. It’s relatively easy for a Christian to say they would be willing to die for the faith. The hard part is dealing with persecution or ridicule over a long period of time. Death might well be preferable to a long, painful illness. The question, “Are you willing to die for her?” should be followed up with “Are you willing to stay with her ‘til death do you part?”
The Pastor asks the Groom: Name, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you nourish and cherish her as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her? Will you love, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to her alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will. LSB, 276
It would be pointless to debate which vocation is tougher: husband or wife. Both face extreme challenges in our day. And often, we readily use our culture and its wayward practices to attempt to justify our personal sins against God, His Will, and His Word.
The Biblical text before us does not address everything we would like to know about marriage, or the divine ordering of male and female relationships. Scripture has much more. What we are given is the foundation—Holy Matrimony. By itself, this would be more than enough for us to work on, to discover where we individually need to repent, and ultimately receive forgiveness for our past sinful thoughts, words, and deeds.
Lutherans don’t consider Holy Matrimony a sacrament because we define the word sacrament differently than Rome. For Lutherans, a sacrament must also deliver the forgiveness of sins. Marriage doesn’t deliver the forgiveness of sins, but it cannot survive without mutual repentance and forgiveness. No relationship can survive without confession and absolution. Husbands are given to forgive their wives. Wives are given to forgive their husbands. Together they receive God’s forgiveness and sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs each Sunday at Divine Service and daily in family devotions. In this way, they both submit to one another out of reverence to Christ.
The rite of Holy Matrimony summarizes what God has instituted in the following way: In marriage we see a picture of the communion between Christ and His bride, the Church. Our Lord blessed and honored marriage with His presence and first miracle at Cana in Galilee. This estate is also commended by the apostle Paul as good and honorable. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into inadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for the mutual companionship, help, and support that each person ought to receive from the other, both in prosperity and adversity. Marriage was also ordained so that man and woman may find delight in one another. Therefore, all persons who marry shall take a spouse in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, for God has not called us to impurity but in holiness. God also established marriage for the procreation of children who are to be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord so that they may offer Him their praise. LSB, p. 275
This is what St. Paul addresses in the opening four verses of Ephesians 6: 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
The fourth commandment is usually seen from only one side—what children are given to do. St. Paul also teaches us the active role that parents are to take in raising their children as Christians. Parents must carefully avoid our culture’s temptation to be a “buddy” rather than a Biblical parent. When the children decide what the family watches, eats, plays, and whether or not Sunday morning is spent with God, who is really running the household?
In many households today, women are acting spiritual head of household. They may be widowed, single mothers, single people, or married to men with little or no interest in Christianity or congregational life. This is nothing new. In the 16th Century German town where this morning’s opening thoughts on marriage were written, 1/3 of those households were temporarily headed by women. The book went on to explain that after the government banned Lutheran books, preachers, and worship services, women were largely responsible for preserving the Gospel in their homes for another generation.
Some Christians question seeing God as male or as a “Father” because of negative experiences with their earthly father or other men. Instead, our heavenly Father teaches earthly fathers—physical and spiritual—how they are given to care for their families. The introductions to the chief parts of Luther’s Small Catechism, as well as the section on daily prayers say this: “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.” (LSB, p. 326)
Researchers from Switzerland examined whether parents' religious habits were transmitted to their offspring…Consider these findings: When Mom is a regular churchgoer but Dad attends infrequently, just 3 percent of their kids go on to become regular churchgoers. When Mom is regular but Dad never attends, just 2 percent become regular attenders.
Now, let's flip the chart. What if Dad is faithful? When both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 33 percent of kids grow up to attend regularly. When Dad is regular but Mom only goes once in a while, the figure jumps to 38 percent. Here's the real bombshell: when Dad is faithful but Mom never attends, 44 percent of the kids end up as regular church attenders!
Bottom line: in spiritual matters, kids take their cues from Dad. If Papa doesn't go to church, chances are very slim that his children will become regular worshippers. If the kids see religion as "Mom's thing" they are more likely to become disenchanted. But if Dad leads by example, children are twenty-two times more likely to become lifelong churchgoers. David Murrow, 2005
Fathers have an important responsibility as spiritual head of household to conduct family devotions, to bring family members to Holy Baptism, and to bring the baptized to Church and other Christian instruction.
Pastor Cain has been called to share with parents this responsibility in catechizing the children of the congregation. Vacation Bible School, regular Sunday School attendance, and Catechism instruction are part of this. But catechesis does not end with Confirmation Day. It’s not graduation. It means, “Now you’re ready to study the Bible as a maturing Christian.” Our Sunday Bible Classes and Sunday School will return to its usual 9:15 time followed Divine Service at 10:30 on September 6th.
Another 16th Century text again reminds us that a Christian does not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God. This is true for Christian families, where parents bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
A Christian is not satisfied
To see his [pantry] (larder) well supplied;
Instead it is his foremost thought
How his children may be taught
To know aright their God and Lord
And keep before their eyes His Word.
Therefore for them he spares no pains,
But ever teaches and explains.
And on Sunday especially,
When all from daily work are free,
He sits with them, and they repeat
What they have learned at school that week;
He has them say their Catechism
In answer to the questions given,
And listens to them as they tell
What of the sermon they recall,
And then he sings a thankful hymn
To Christ the Lord to honor Him,
And thus he ends the day of rest
Who does likewise, keeps Sunday best. Singing the Gospel, p. 107-108
Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sermon for 16 August 2009, Proper 15B
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 5:6-21
Filled with the Spirit
Proper [15] B, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, 16 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
The theology of worship is rather simple to understand.
Nagel: Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. Music is drawn into this thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God.
Saying back to Him what he has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure. Most true and sure is His name, which he put upon us with the water of our Baptism. We are His. This we acknowledge at the beginning of the Divine Service. Where His name is, there is He. Before Him we acknowledge that we are sinners, and we plead for forgiveness. His forgiveness is given us, and we, freed and forgiven, acclaim Him as our great and gracious God as we apply to ourselves the words He has used to make Himself known to us.
The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol them. We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us His Body to eat and His Blood to drink. Finally His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their fruition.
How best to do this we may learn from His Word and from the way His Word has prompted His worship throughout the centuries. We are heirs of an astonishingly rich tradition. Each generation receives from those who went before and, in making that tradition of the Divine Service its own, adds what best may serve in its own day—the living heritage and something new. (LW, p. 6)
God’s Words are His Words of Service to us. The Holy Spirit works with the Word of God to create, sustain, and nourish faith within us. The Spirit fills us through the Holy Bible. God’s Words are living, active, holy, and true. They prepare us to walk as children of the light. We therefore know for sure what is most true and sure, a good preparation for what St. Paul has in store for you in Ephesians chapter 5: 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Darkness. Secret. Dead. In contrast, God’s Word is a word that says: Light. Visible. Awake! Christ shines on us in His holy Word. He forgives you your past sins, calls you to walk in the Holy Spirit now, and promises the eternal light of heaven in the world to come. A Christian has been given to walk carefully. St. Paul warns us of this for our own good because of the fallen world we live in.
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…
What Paul has just said is said alongside 1 Tim. 5:23. (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy and here in Ephesians provide bookends for any discussion of alcohol. One could state them both another way: everything in moderation. A little wine, beer, or other alcohol may be helpful—even healthy. For others, even a little is too much. Drinking too much for anyone means that the health risks soon outweigh any potential benefits. We are also careful to avoid harmful substances, like illegal drugs, and never misuse legal substances or prescription medications. St. Paul and your Lord have in mind to protect you from hurt or harm and to help and support you in every physical need. We care for our bodies because as Christians, they are temples of the Holy Spirit.
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
God’s Word—our sermon text this morning—speaks specifically of how you and I may be filled with the Spirit: Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. That’s the sound of Sunday morning and midweek services, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, the Church Picnic, and gives more than enough motivation for each home—each Christian—to have a copy of a good Lutheran hymnal at home!
LCMS CoW: “Our Lord is the Lord who serves. Jesus Christ came into the flesh not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. On the cross He offered Himself as a spotless sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Through His perfect life and death, He accomplished forgiveness and salvation for all before the Father in heaven. By His empty tomb and ascension into heaven, He declared His victory over sin and death to all the world. Seated now at the Father’s right hand, He graciously gives His Church with the gifts of salvation. On the Last Day, He will come again to gather His elect from every nation to celebrate the feast that will have no end.
“Our Lord serves us today through His holy Word and Sacraments. Through these means, He comes among us to deliver His forgiveness and salvation, freeing us from our sins and strengthening us for service to one another and to the world. At Holy Baptism, He puts His name upon us, pours His Holy Spirit into our hearts, and rescues us from sin, death, and the devil. Through Holy Absolution, He pronounces His forgiveness again and again. With His Holy Word, written in Scripture and preached into our ears, He daily proclaims His abiding love for us through all the joys and sorrows of life in this world. In His Holy Supper, He gives us His own body and blood to eat and to drink as a priceless gift to nourish and strengthen us in both body and soul.
“The Lord’s service calls forth our service—in sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to Him and in loving service to one another. Having been called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we receive His gifts with thankfulness and praise. With psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we joyfully confess all that God has done for us, declaring the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Our song joins with the song of every saint from every age, the new song of Christ’s holy people, declaring: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. (Rev. 5:12)
“Within the Lutheran tradition, the wedding of the Word of God to melody was modeled by the reformer himself. Martin Luther had a high regard for music and urged the Church to use it wisely as a vehicle for proclaiming the Gospel. ‘Next to theology,’ he wrote, ‘I accord to music the highest place and the greatest honor.’ Retaining the best of pre-Reformation hymnody, as well as adding a great number of new hymns to the Church’s song, Luther and succeeding generations of hymnwriters continue to inspire the faithful to lift their voices in praise and thanksgiving to the triune God…” (LSB, p. viii)
God’s Words are His Words of Service to us. The Holy Spirit works with the Word of God to create, sustain, and nourish faith within us. The Spirit fills us through God’s Word: living, active, holy, and true. The Word of God prepares us to walk as children of the light, no matter our place in life, be it a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, or wife. More on those vocations next week. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Ephesians 5:6-21
Filled with the Spirit
Proper [15] B, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, 16 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
The theology of worship is rather simple to understand.
Nagel: Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. Music is drawn into this thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God.
Saying back to Him what he has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure. Most true and sure is His name, which he put upon us with the water of our Baptism. We are His. This we acknowledge at the beginning of the Divine Service. Where His name is, there is He. Before Him we acknowledge that we are sinners, and we plead for forgiveness. His forgiveness is given us, and we, freed and forgiven, acclaim Him as our great and gracious God as we apply to ourselves the words He has used to make Himself known to us.
The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol them. We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us His Body to eat and His Blood to drink. Finally His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their fruition.
How best to do this we may learn from His Word and from the way His Word has prompted His worship throughout the centuries. We are heirs of an astonishingly rich tradition. Each generation receives from those who went before and, in making that tradition of the Divine Service its own, adds what best may serve in its own day—the living heritage and something new. (LW, p. 6)
God’s Words are His Words of Service to us. The Holy Spirit works with the Word of God to create, sustain, and nourish faith within us. The Spirit fills us through the Holy Bible. God’s Words are living, active, holy, and true. They prepare us to walk as children of the light. We therefore know for sure what is most true and sure, a good preparation for what St. Paul has in store for you in Ephesians chapter 5: 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Darkness. Secret. Dead. In contrast, God’s Word is a word that says: Light. Visible. Awake! Christ shines on us in His holy Word. He forgives you your past sins, calls you to walk in the Holy Spirit now, and promises the eternal light of heaven in the world to come. A Christian has been given to walk carefully. St. Paul warns us of this for our own good because of the fallen world we live in.
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…
What Paul has just said is said alongside 1 Tim. 5:23. (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy and here in Ephesians provide bookends for any discussion of alcohol. One could state them both another way: everything in moderation. A little wine, beer, or other alcohol may be helpful—even healthy. For others, even a little is too much. Drinking too much for anyone means that the health risks soon outweigh any potential benefits. We are also careful to avoid harmful substances, like illegal drugs, and never misuse legal substances or prescription medications. St. Paul and your Lord have in mind to protect you from hurt or harm and to help and support you in every physical need. We care for our bodies because as Christians, they are temples of the Holy Spirit.
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
God’s Word—our sermon text this morning—speaks specifically of how you and I may be filled with the Spirit: Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. That’s the sound of Sunday morning and midweek services, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, the Church Picnic, and gives more than enough motivation for each home—each Christian—to have a copy of a good Lutheran hymnal at home!
LCMS CoW: “Our Lord is the Lord who serves. Jesus Christ came into the flesh not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. On the cross He offered Himself as a spotless sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Through His perfect life and death, He accomplished forgiveness and salvation for all before the Father in heaven. By His empty tomb and ascension into heaven, He declared His victory over sin and death to all the world. Seated now at the Father’s right hand, He graciously gives His Church with the gifts of salvation. On the Last Day, He will come again to gather His elect from every nation to celebrate the feast that will have no end.
“Our Lord serves us today through His holy Word and Sacraments. Through these means, He comes among us to deliver His forgiveness and salvation, freeing us from our sins and strengthening us for service to one another and to the world. At Holy Baptism, He puts His name upon us, pours His Holy Spirit into our hearts, and rescues us from sin, death, and the devil. Through Holy Absolution, He pronounces His forgiveness again and again. With His Holy Word, written in Scripture and preached into our ears, He daily proclaims His abiding love for us through all the joys and sorrows of life in this world. In His Holy Supper, He gives us His own body and blood to eat and to drink as a priceless gift to nourish and strengthen us in both body and soul.
“The Lord’s service calls forth our service—in sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to Him and in loving service to one another. Having been called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we receive His gifts with thankfulness and praise. With psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we joyfully confess all that God has done for us, declaring the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Our song joins with the song of every saint from every age, the new song of Christ’s holy people, declaring: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. (Rev. 5:12)
“Within the Lutheran tradition, the wedding of the Word of God to melody was modeled by the reformer himself. Martin Luther had a high regard for music and urged the Church to use it wisely as a vehicle for proclaiming the Gospel. ‘Next to theology,’ he wrote, ‘I accord to music the highest place and the greatest honor.’ Retaining the best of pre-Reformation hymnody, as well as adding a great number of new hymns to the Church’s song, Luther and succeeding generations of hymnwriters continue to inspire the faithful to lift their voices in praise and thanksgiving to the triune God…” (LSB, p. viii)
God’s Words are His Words of Service to us. The Holy Spirit works with the Word of God to create, sustain, and nourish faith within us. The Spirit fills us through God’s Word: living, active, holy, and true. The Word of God prepares us to walk as children of the light, no matter our place in life, be it a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, or wife. More on those vocations next week. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sermon for 09 August 2009, Proper 14B
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 4:17—5:2
Walk in Jesus’ Love
Proper [14] B, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, 09 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!—21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil. 28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
In the late 1920’s a couple married and moved into the husband’s old family home. It was a clapboard house with a hall down the middle. In the ‘30s they decided to tear down the old house and build another to be their home for the rest of their lives.
Much to the young bride’s dismay, many of the materials of the old house were reused in the new house. They used old facings and doors, and many other pieces of the finishing lumber. Everywhere she looked, she saw that old house—old doors that wouldn’t shut properly, crown molding split and riddled with nail holes, unfinished window trimming. It was a source of grief to her. All her life she longed for a new house.
Sometimes, recycling is not the best idea. It wasn’t when it came to the new “old” house. And recycling is spiritually deadly in the life of a Christian.
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
The Christian life is often called a “walk.” We walk in love—Jesus’ love—because of His love for us first, shown in His life, death, and resurrection. We walk in love—Jesus’ love—because of His love for us delivered in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, Holy Scripture, and Holy Communion. We walk, but the focus is always off of us and on to Jesus and His completed work for you.
Why isn’t the focus on us and what we do? Jesus takes sin seriously. If it wasn’t a mortal enemy, then why did Jesus have to die? If sin was just something minor, a cosmetic defect, then Jesus could have remained in heaven, and would just wait for us to clean up our act and build our own stairway to heaven. Sin is something serious. The focus isn’t on us or on our actions, because we cannot get rid of sin! Listen to the words St. Paul used to describe the manner of life of those outside of Christ: Futility. Darkened. Alienated. Ignorance. Hardness of heart. Callous. Impurity. The “old self.” Deceitful. Falsehood. Anger. Sin. Opportunity for the Devil. Thief. Corrupting talk. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Not a pretty list.
Dealing with sin is not a matter of training, discipline, or education. If you train a sinner, you get a trained sinner. Discipline a sinner and the result is a disciplined sinner. Educate a sinner, and you get an educated sinner. A sinner forgiven in Christ is still a sinner, but that sinner is now also a saint. Training, discipline, and education cannot accomplish that! Only Jesus’ love can! Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
We forgive because we have already been forgiven. Sometimes, forgiving others is hard. It really is. But then we remember that God has forgiven each of us for all of our sins. If God can forgive all of our sins, and He has forgiven the person who sinned against us, certainly we can forgive.
Yet, even with this business of forgiving others, we get into trouble when we focus so much on our actions—our forgiving of the other person. Forgiving means forgetting—or at least, daily choosing not to remember. That takes work. You have the Holy Spirit abiding within you. And you forgive with the overflowing cup of forgiveness with which you have already been forgiven.
Christians walk in love. We abide in the love of Jesus. We also live out and share the love of Jesus. It’s who we are. It’s what we have been given to do. But always, always, we abide in the love of Jesus.
While Jesus is an example—the best there is, for we are called to be imitators of God—that is not Jesus’ primary purpose. Most important is this: Christ loved you and gave Himself up for you. We love because we have been loved. We love as we have been loved.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Jeff had just accepted a teaching position at a Junior High in Seattle. The family had endured month’s of Jeff’s driving to and from work before the family could relocated from their previous home.
As winter struggled toward spring in 1992, Jeff & Kristi heard the devastating news: “Your baby boy has cancer. Michael needs a bone-marrow transplant.: The good news was that Michael’s six-year-old sister, Amy, was a perfect match for the transplant. But Jeff’s insurance company wouldn’t pay for it. A tiny clause in the contract coldly stated that Jeff had to be on the job for at least a year before they could cover a transplant. He have been teaching in the new job for only six months.
By March, Michael’s need for a transplant became urgent. If he couldn’t receive the new marrow soon, his illness would progress quickly, and he would die. The family needed to raise an impossible sum of $200,000 by May.
Joe, a fellow teacher, told his class about the situation. Dameon, a seventh-grade boy who walked with a limp and struggled in special education classes, heard about Michael, and made a visit to Jeff’s house.
“Don’t make a big deal out of this…if your baby’s in trouble, I want to help out.” Dameon, the kid others teased, reached out his hand and stuffed 12 five-dollar bills into the hand of a teacher who had made a difference in his life. It was the boy’s savings.
Word got out about “Dameon’s Gift.” Some kids organized a walk-a-thon. Others contacted a local newspaper. Others held a car wash. “Teenagers,” Jeff says, “are pre-adults in limbo-land, waiting around for something important to do.” Michael became important.
The kids’ wave of compassion poured out across Seattle. One week after the first gift, Michael’s fund grew to $16,000. A man walked into the bank with a check for ten thousand dollars. By late May, area TV stations picked up the story. The response from the news stories was overwhelming.
Michael’s parents received another boost in hope when the hospital moved the transplant back two weeks.
Four weeks after Dameon’s $60 gift, the fund totaled over $220,000. Michael got the marrow transplant. He lived. Dameon, the boy who gave so another could live, learned of Jesus Christ and believed in Him after becoming so close to Michael’s family. Having struggled for years with physical problems of his own, Dameon died from complications after he got an infection in his legs.
Dameon, the unlikely hero, gave his all to save the live of another. And in the process, he received the gift of life everlasting. Michael lives on to tell Dameon’s story, and in so doing, tells Jesus’ story.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Ephesians 4:17—5:2
Walk in Jesus’ Love
Proper [14] B, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, 09 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!—21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil. 28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
In the late 1920’s a couple married and moved into the husband’s old family home. It was a clapboard house with a hall down the middle. In the ‘30s they decided to tear down the old house and build another to be their home for the rest of their lives.
Much to the young bride’s dismay, many of the materials of the old house were reused in the new house. They used old facings and doors, and many other pieces of the finishing lumber. Everywhere she looked, she saw that old house—old doors that wouldn’t shut properly, crown molding split and riddled with nail holes, unfinished window trimming. It was a source of grief to her. All her life she longed for a new house.
Sometimes, recycling is not the best idea. It wasn’t when it came to the new “old” house. And recycling is spiritually deadly in the life of a Christian.
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
The Christian life is often called a “walk.” We walk in love—Jesus’ love—because of His love for us first, shown in His life, death, and resurrection. We walk in love—Jesus’ love—because of His love for us delivered in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, Holy Scripture, and Holy Communion. We walk, but the focus is always off of us and on to Jesus and His completed work for you.
Why isn’t the focus on us and what we do? Jesus takes sin seriously. If it wasn’t a mortal enemy, then why did Jesus have to die? If sin was just something minor, a cosmetic defect, then Jesus could have remained in heaven, and would just wait for us to clean up our act and build our own stairway to heaven. Sin is something serious. The focus isn’t on us or on our actions, because we cannot get rid of sin! Listen to the words St. Paul used to describe the manner of life of those outside of Christ: Futility. Darkened. Alienated. Ignorance. Hardness of heart. Callous. Impurity. The “old self.” Deceitful. Falsehood. Anger. Sin. Opportunity for the Devil. Thief. Corrupting talk. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Not a pretty list.
Dealing with sin is not a matter of training, discipline, or education. If you train a sinner, you get a trained sinner. Discipline a sinner and the result is a disciplined sinner. Educate a sinner, and you get an educated sinner. A sinner forgiven in Christ is still a sinner, but that sinner is now also a saint. Training, discipline, and education cannot accomplish that! Only Jesus’ love can! Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
We forgive because we have already been forgiven. Sometimes, forgiving others is hard. It really is. But then we remember that God has forgiven each of us for all of our sins. If God can forgive all of our sins, and He has forgiven the person who sinned against us, certainly we can forgive.
Yet, even with this business of forgiving others, we get into trouble when we focus so much on our actions—our forgiving of the other person. Forgiving means forgetting—or at least, daily choosing not to remember. That takes work. You have the Holy Spirit abiding within you. And you forgive with the overflowing cup of forgiveness with which you have already been forgiven.
Christians walk in love. We abide in the love of Jesus. We also live out and share the love of Jesus. It’s who we are. It’s what we have been given to do. But always, always, we abide in the love of Jesus.
While Jesus is an example—the best there is, for we are called to be imitators of God—that is not Jesus’ primary purpose. Most important is this: Christ loved you and gave Himself up for you. We love because we have been loved. We love as we have been loved.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Jeff had just accepted a teaching position at a Junior High in Seattle. The family had endured month’s of Jeff’s driving to and from work before the family could relocated from their previous home.
As winter struggled toward spring in 1992, Jeff & Kristi heard the devastating news: “Your baby boy has cancer. Michael needs a bone-marrow transplant.: The good news was that Michael’s six-year-old sister, Amy, was a perfect match for the transplant. But Jeff’s insurance company wouldn’t pay for it. A tiny clause in the contract coldly stated that Jeff had to be on the job for at least a year before they could cover a transplant. He have been teaching in the new job for only six months.
By March, Michael’s need for a transplant became urgent. If he couldn’t receive the new marrow soon, his illness would progress quickly, and he would die. The family needed to raise an impossible sum of $200,000 by May.
Joe, a fellow teacher, told his class about the situation. Dameon, a seventh-grade boy who walked with a limp and struggled in special education classes, heard about Michael, and made a visit to Jeff’s house.
“Don’t make a big deal out of this…if your baby’s in trouble, I want to help out.” Dameon, the kid others teased, reached out his hand and stuffed 12 five-dollar bills into the hand of a teacher who had made a difference in his life. It was the boy’s savings.
Word got out about “Dameon’s Gift.” Some kids organized a walk-a-thon. Others contacted a local newspaper. Others held a car wash. “Teenagers,” Jeff says, “are pre-adults in limbo-land, waiting around for something important to do.” Michael became important.
The kids’ wave of compassion poured out across Seattle. One week after the first gift, Michael’s fund grew to $16,000. A man walked into the bank with a check for ten thousand dollars. By late May, area TV stations picked up the story. The response from the news stories was overwhelming.
Michael’s parents received another boost in hope when the hospital moved the transplant back two weeks.
Four weeks after Dameon’s $60 gift, the fund totaled over $220,000. Michael got the marrow transplant. He lived. Dameon, the boy who gave so another could live, learned of Jesus Christ and believed in Him after becoming so close to Michael’s family. Having struggled for years with physical problems of his own, Dameon died from complications after he got an infection in his legs.
Dameon, the unlikely hero, gave his all to save the live of another. And in the process, he received the gift of life everlasting. Michael lives on to tell Dameon’s story, and in so doing, tells Jesus’ story.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Funeral Sermon for George "Scotty" Schuman, 06 August 2009
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Isaiah 26
The Lord God is an Everlasting Rock
Thursday of Pentecost IX, 06 August 2009
Funeral Sermon for George “Scotty” Schuman
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
We miss George already. And we should. There’s nothing wrong with that. We miss people because we love them, whether we are separated by distance, disagreement, or even death.
Many of you were blessed by him for many years. I had four months. His strength lasted nearly 97 years, far beyond the expectation of 70 or perhaps 80 of Psalm 90.
George—Scotty—trusted in the Lord. The Lord God was and still is his everlasting rock. George clung to that Rock of Ages we sang about, the Rock of Ages, the Lord, to whom we give thanks this day for George.
We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Things had been hard for George in the last few years. Some might say they’ve been hard since 1982 and his heart surgery and all that followed. George might say that things were hard since he and Mollie left the ranch in 1972. (One winter in Story was enough. They moved to Sheridan in ’73.) Then again, George would have agreed with the Scriptures when they say that life in this valley of the shadow of death is always hard. “In this world you will have trouble.”
St. Paul wrote words that also apply to Scotty: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
That is faith speaking of its Lord, Jesus Christ, the crucified one, He who opens the gates that the righteous may enter in. He gives perfect peace. He makes level the way of the righteous and our souls yearn for Him. He is our dwelling place in all generations. Those of you here this afternoon that are related to George by blood and faith are testimony to that.
You knew him as a father, grandfather, great grandfather, even a great-great grandfather, a friend, or somewhere in between. He knew me as his pastor. When I did my rounds to shut-ins, he was always available. He may have been asleep, and he did give me permission to wake him up, and then he was available for a visit, a devotion, or for the Lord’s Supper. We spent some time together talking or watching a little Fox News, and then it was time to pray, hear the Word of the Lord, and receive the Lord’s gifts.
George heard of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for him, for his loved ones, and for the whole world. He heard that when Jesus said “It is finished!” He meant it. And that atoning once-for-all sacrifice was accomplished on a rugged Roman wood cross raised on a hill outside of Jerusalem. Jesus brings the peace Isaiah predicts: “O Lord, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all works.” Salvation is God’s work, God’s work alone.
In this life, George was a hard worker. Yet, he knew the Bible truth that good works were not necessary for salvation. They are necessary to make sure the ranch is properly worked, the land is conserved, the animals are cared for, and the sugar beets develop enough sugar to make them worth the trouble of harvesting. George worked hard because his hard work had the good purpose of serving you, his family, his neighbors, and his community. And from what I’m told, Scotty was really good at delegating some of that hard work to his children. Water needed to be set. And chores wouldn’t do themselves.
We lay George’s body to rest today. His soul is with the Lord. He is at peace, at rest, with Jesus, and with all who have fallen asleep in Christian faith. Isaiah points us to the Christian hope we have because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!”
Can you imagine that day, the day of unknown date in which the dead will rise to life, bodies and souls will be restored and reunited, all will be judged, and we who live in Christ now will dwell with Him forever in the New Heaven and New Earth.
On that Day, the Last Day, this song will be sung by all who, by faith, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ: We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
We thank the Lord Jesus for His life and work for us and His ongoing work of creating, nourishing, and sustaining faith in His Christians until life everlasting. We also thank the Lord for George “Scotty” Schuman. We thank God for the gifts given to George in this life and for the gifts God gave us through him. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus Amen.
Isaiah 26
The Lord God is an Everlasting Rock
Thursday of Pentecost IX, 06 August 2009
Funeral Sermon for George “Scotty” Schuman
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
We miss George already. And we should. There’s nothing wrong with that. We miss people because we love them, whether we are separated by distance, disagreement, or even death.
Many of you were blessed by him for many years. I had four months. His strength lasted nearly 97 years, far beyond the expectation of 70 or perhaps 80 of Psalm 90.
George—Scotty—trusted in the Lord. The Lord God was and still is his everlasting rock. George clung to that Rock of Ages we sang about, the Rock of Ages, the Lord, to whom we give thanks this day for George.
We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Things had been hard for George in the last few years. Some might say they’ve been hard since 1982 and his heart surgery and all that followed. George might say that things were hard since he and Mollie left the ranch in 1972. (One winter in Story was enough. They moved to Sheridan in ’73.) Then again, George would have agreed with the Scriptures when they say that life in this valley of the shadow of death is always hard. “In this world you will have trouble.”
St. Paul wrote words that also apply to Scotty: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
That is faith speaking of its Lord, Jesus Christ, the crucified one, He who opens the gates that the righteous may enter in. He gives perfect peace. He makes level the way of the righteous and our souls yearn for Him. He is our dwelling place in all generations. Those of you here this afternoon that are related to George by blood and faith are testimony to that.
You knew him as a father, grandfather, great grandfather, even a great-great grandfather, a friend, or somewhere in between. He knew me as his pastor. When I did my rounds to shut-ins, he was always available. He may have been asleep, and he did give me permission to wake him up, and then he was available for a visit, a devotion, or for the Lord’s Supper. We spent some time together talking or watching a little Fox News, and then it was time to pray, hear the Word of the Lord, and receive the Lord’s gifts.
George heard of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for him, for his loved ones, and for the whole world. He heard that when Jesus said “It is finished!” He meant it. And that atoning once-for-all sacrifice was accomplished on a rugged Roman wood cross raised on a hill outside of Jerusalem. Jesus brings the peace Isaiah predicts: “O Lord, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all works.” Salvation is God’s work, God’s work alone.
In this life, George was a hard worker. Yet, he knew the Bible truth that good works were not necessary for salvation. They are necessary to make sure the ranch is properly worked, the land is conserved, the animals are cared for, and the sugar beets develop enough sugar to make them worth the trouble of harvesting. George worked hard because his hard work had the good purpose of serving you, his family, his neighbors, and his community. And from what I’m told, Scotty was really good at delegating some of that hard work to his children. Water needed to be set. And chores wouldn’t do themselves.
We lay George’s body to rest today. His soul is with the Lord. He is at peace, at rest, with Jesus, and with all who have fallen asleep in Christian faith. Isaiah points us to the Christian hope we have because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!”
Can you imagine that day, the day of unknown date in which the dead will rise to life, bodies and souls will be restored and reunited, all will be judged, and we who live in Christ now will dwell with Him forever in the New Heaven and New Earth.
On that Day, the Last Day, this song will be sung by all who, by faith, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ: We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
We thank the Lord Jesus for His life and work for us and His ongoing work of creating, nourishing, and sustaining faith in His Christians until life everlasting. We also thank the Lord for George “Scotty” Schuman. We thank God for the gifts given to George in this life and for the gifts God gave us through him. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus Amen.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sermon for 02 August 2009, Proper 13B
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 4:1-16
One
Proper [13] B, Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, 02 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
This morning, we begin with an Amen. Yes, yes, it shall be so, he means. And then St. Paul builds on the foundation of all that has gone on before.
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
The Holy Spirit has called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified you, and keeps you and the whole Church with Jesus Christ in the true faith. You are the baptized. God’s gracious working in you has consequences.
Living in habitual sins is not walking in a manner worthy of God’s call. Insisting on our own way is the opposite of bearing with one another in love. Asserting human thinking or human traditions, or political correctness over God’s Word is not how one maintains the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
What peace is there when people disagree on the fundamentals of Christianity? Is Jesus primarily an example, or first and foremost the Savior from sin, death, and hell? Is Jesus the illegitimate son of a Roman solider, or truly begotten of the Father from eternity, Virgin-born Son of God? Was it all faked—the biggest cover-up of human history, or was the tomb truly empty because of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead?
Faith knows the difference between true Biblical history and the devil’s seductive lie. Secular historical evidence is on our side. Archaeology is on our side. Leave it to the modern and post-modern world to throw the faith in the trash.
Unity means something significant in common. Tolerating false teaching alongside truth does not foster unity. Two is not the same as One. How can the mainline denominations survive while there are both Christians proclaiming the Biblical message, and also those who insist on positions exactly opposite of what the Bible says: accepting and promoting homosexual behavior, ordinations, and so-called “marriages”, demanding the ordination of women as pastors, ignoring cohabitation, and replacing historic worship with entertainment, spectacle, and psychobabble. St. Paul would shout, “No!”
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
The unity our congregation enjoys, the unity the Wyoming District defends, and the unity the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod largely has, is a gift from God. Sadly, it is a gift some in the LCMS don’t see as a gift.
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints [ , ] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…
The One message the Lord has given to the Church in Christ, in the Word is proclaimed in these diverse ways. We should heed the advice of our late Synod President Barry: “Keep the message straight…Get the message out…”
11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints [ , ] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
St. Paul calls for Christian maturity. We are to avoid “every wind of doctrine.” A Lutheran radio host calls this the “Fad-Driven Church.”
See http://www.issuesetcarchive.org/issues_site/resource/archives/wilken4.htm for the full article.
Pastor Todd Wilken writes: The dictionary defines a fad as "a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal." This could just as well be a description of congregational life of many Christian churches today. There is a new book, a new program or a new emphasis every year or so. It’s all anyone can talk about; it's all the preacher preaches about - for a while. Then, as quickly as it came, it's gone. As eagerly as it was received, it's abandoned and forgotten. Welcome to the Fad-Driven church.
At first this might not sound like a problem. Some Christians can remember when the Church didn't jump from bandwagon to bandwagon every year or two. But for others, this is all they have ever known. For them, it is hard to imagine what the Church would be like without the constant ebb and flow of church fads. For them, the long list of church fads represents their personal history as a Christian: Spiritual Gift inventories, Spiritual Warfare, Promise Keepers, Weigh Down Workshop, The Prayer of Jabez; the Left Behind Series, Becoming a Contagious Christian, a long succession of evangelism and stewardship programs, and most recently, The Purpose-Driven Life and 40 Days of Purpose. There are many Christians for whom this list (give or take one or two) is Christianity. Some church fads come and go, some come and stay. A few are genuinely harmless; most contain serious theological error. All are popular - while they last In the fad-driven church, “exaggerated zeal” has replaced "the faith once for all delivered to the Saints."
Wilken continues: In the course of hosting Issues, Etc. I've examined most if not all of the recent church fads. I am always surprised - not by the fads themselves, but by something else. I am always surprised by how uncritically churches accept a fad, how enthusiastically churches embrace a fad and how carelessly churches abandon a fad. That is why this article isn't about the fads themselves, but about the kind of churches that accept, embrace and abandon fads.
Every fad has a life cycle. The fad is first accepted, then embraced and finally abandoned. For the fad-driven church, this life cycle is a way life.
The cycle begins with acceptance. The fad-driven church is practiced at this. Too close an examination of the fad at the outset might raise too many questions. "After all, this book is a best-seller!" "Thousands of churches are doing it, how can we go wrong?" Accept first, examine later, if at all. This acceptance may come through the pastor's active promotion or through grassroots popularity. Either way, the fad spreads like wildfire in the congregation.
The cycle continues with enthusiastic embrace. By "enthusiastic" I don't mean excitement or emotion, although those things may be involved. What I mean is that the fad-driven church embraces its latest fad with creedal intensity. While the fad has currency, it is an article of faith. Belief in the fad becomes a mark of loyalty to the church. During this phase of the fad's life cycle, critics of the fad may be dismissed as unloving, judgmental or unconcerned for saving souls. At the very least, they are viewed as troublemakers and obstacles to the church's mission. During this phase, in some cases, the fad may dictate what is preached, the content of bible study or even the focus of congregational life.
The life cycle ends with the abandonment of the fad. Some fads have a built-in expiration date... most simply linger until something better comes along. The fad-driven church may cling with a martyr's fervor to the fad while it lasts, but everyone knows that its days are numbered. Sooner or later it will have to be abandoned. Accept the fad, embrace the fad and abandon the fad. This is the life of a fad-driven church. There are exceptions to this life cycle. In a few cases a fad doesn't die; it grows into something bigger than a fad. It grows into a movement... [Pastor Wilken says,]I have often been critical of church fads at the height of their popularity. After several encounters with fad defenders, I noticed something. The seasoned member of the fad-driven church will defend his fad today. But he will happily abandon the same fad six months from now. I realized that the fad itself is inconsequential; everyone knows that it will be forgotten sooner or later. Christians caught in the cycle of church fads must defend a particular fad, because by doing so, they are defending their willingness to accept, embrace and abandon fads in general. They are defending their fad-driven-ness.
The need of discernment in the Church is one of the most frequent admonitions in Scripture. Paul's warning to the Ephesians is typical: We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, but speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects unto Him, who is the head even Christ.
The church is supposed to stand immovable against “every wind of doctrine." By contrast the fad-driven church is a windsock. If you want to know which way the wind is blowing, the latest teachings, the newest programs or the most current methods, just look at the fad-driven church. If you want to know what the fad-driven church will be doing next, just walk through your local Christian bookstore or page through a Christian publisher's catalogue.
In the fad-driven church, books, programs and seminars are evaluated primarily by their sales, popularity and attendance records, rather than on their theological merit, "False teaching? Why would so many churches be reading this book if it contained false teaching?” Can millions of Christians be wrong? Yes, they can. [End Quote.]
Therefore, it is important for Biblical Christians to be ready to speak / the truth / in love. Our sharing is done with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience. We share the truth in love, that is, lovingly and out of a loving motivation. We're not about winning arguments. We're not about shoving religion down someone's throat. Being obnoxious or pushy is out of line.
We show respect by asking questions and genuinely caring about their answers. We want to find out about them, their hurts, concerns, needs. And we bring the Word of God to bear upon those hurts, concerns and needs to bring about healing, understanding, and reconciliation with God.
Finally, we do all of this out of a good conscience. We speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God! We don't sugar-coat the truth. We don't rewrite the truth to fit what they want to hear. We don't add to God's Word or cut anything out. All of those actions would be lying, and unloving.
So, we are to be prepared. If we are to be prepared to share our hope in Christ, we ourselves should know of that hope and be comforted. That takes time in the Word, individual prayer and Bible Study, family devotions, Bible Classes, time reading good Christian books or articles, and time each Sunday at the Divine Service and Sunday School.
Telling the Good News about Jesus is not a burden, but a privilege. Consider yourself. Someone told you about the hope they had in Christ Jesus. That Word took root in you and the Holy Spirit brought about the fruit of faith. You believe because someone told you the good news about Jesus. You may have heard this Word from infancy. It may have happened later in life. You may have fallen away and then returned. Whatever the occasions God used to draw you to Himself through His Word and Spirit, He used someone who was prepared to share Christ's hope with you.
Therefore…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Ephesians 4:1-16
One
Proper [13] B, Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, 02 August 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
This morning, we begin with an Amen. Yes, yes, it shall be so, he means. And then St. Paul builds on the foundation of all that has gone on before.
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
The Holy Spirit has called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified you, and keeps you and the whole Church with Jesus Christ in the true faith. You are the baptized. God’s gracious working in you has consequences.
Living in habitual sins is not walking in a manner worthy of God’s call. Insisting on our own way is the opposite of bearing with one another in love. Asserting human thinking or human traditions, or political correctness over God’s Word is not how one maintains the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
What peace is there when people disagree on the fundamentals of Christianity? Is Jesus primarily an example, or first and foremost the Savior from sin, death, and hell? Is Jesus the illegitimate son of a Roman solider, or truly begotten of the Father from eternity, Virgin-born Son of God? Was it all faked—the biggest cover-up of human history, or was the tomb truly empty because of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead?
Faith knows the difference between true Biblical history and the devil’s seductive lie. Secular historical evidence is on our side. Archaeology is on our side. Leave it to the modern and post-modern world to throw the faith in the trash.
Unity means something significant in common. Tolerating false teaching alongside truth does not foster unity. Two is not the same as One. How can the mainline denominations survive while there are both Christians proclaiming the Biblical message, and also those who insist on positions exactly opposite of what the Bible says: accepting and promoting homosexual behavior, ordinations, and so-called “marriages”, demanding the ordination of women as pastors, ignoring cohabitation, and replacing historic worship with entertainment, spectacle, and psychobabble. St. Paul would shout, “No!”
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
The unity our congregation enjoys, the unity the Wyoming District defends, and the unity the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod largely has, is a gift from God. Sadly, it is a gift some in the LCMS don’t see as a gift.
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints [ , ] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…
The One message the Lord has given to the Church in Christ, in the Word is proclaimed in these diverse ways. We should heed the advice of our late Synod President Barry: “Keep the message straight…Get the message out…”
11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints [ , ] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
St. Paul calls for Christian maturity. We are to avoid “every wind of doctrine.” A Lutheran radio host calls this the “Fad-Driven Church.”
See http://www.issuesetcarchive.org/issues_site/resource/archives/wilken4.htm for the full article.
Pastor Todd Wilken writes: The dictionary defines a fad as "a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal." This could just as well be a description of congregational life of many Christian churches today. There is a new book, a new program or a new emphasis every year or so. It’s all anyone can talk about; it's all the preacher preaches about - for a while. Then, as quickly as it came, it's gone. As eagerly as it was received, it's abandoned and forgotten. Welcome to the Fad-Driven church.
At first this might not sound like a problem. Some Christians can remember when the Church didn't jump from bandwagon to bandwagon every year or two. But for others, this is all they have ever known. For them, it is hard to imagine what the Church would be like without the constant ebb and flow of church fads. For them, the long list of church fads represents their personal history as a Christian: Spiritual Gift inventories, Spiritual Warfare, Promise Keepers, Weigh Down Workshop, The Prayer of Jabez; the Left Behind Series, Becoming a Contagious Christian, a long succession of evangelism and stewardship programs, and most recently, The Purpose-Driven Life and 40 Days of Purpose. There are many Christians for whom this list (give or take one or two) is Christianity. Some church fads come and go, some come and stay. A few are genuinely harmless; most contain serious theological error. All are popular - while they last In the fad-driven church, “exaggerated zeal” has replaced "the faith once for all delivered to the Saints."
Wilken continues: In the course of hosting Issues, Etc. I've examined most if not all of the recent church fads. I am always surprised - not by the fads themselves, but by something else. I am always surprised by how uncritically churches accept a fad, how enthusiastically churches embrace a fad and how carelessly churches abandon a fad. That is why this article isn't about the fads themselves, but about the kind of churches that accept, embrace and abandon fads.
Every fad has a life cycle. The fad is first accepted, then embraced and finally abandoned. For the fad-driven church, this life cycle is a way life.
The cycle begins with acceptance. The fad-driven church is practiced at this. Too close an examination of the fad at the outset might raise too many questions. "After all, this book is a best-seller!" "Thousands of churches are doing it, how can we go wrong?" Accept first, examine later, if at all. This acceptance may come through the pastor's active promotion or through grassroots popularity. Either way, the fad spreads like wildfire in the congregation.
The cycle continues with enthusiastic embrace. By "enthusiastic" I don't mean excitement or emotion, although those things may be involved. What I mean is that the fad-driven church embraces its latest fad with creedal intensity. While the fad has currency, it is an article of faith. Belief in the fad becomes a mark of loyalty to the church. During this phase of the fad's life cycle, critics of the fad may be dismissed as unloving, judgmental or unconcerned for saving souls. At the very least, they are viewed as troublemakers and obstacles to the church's mission. During this phase, in some cases, the fad may dictate what is preached, the content of bible study or even the focus of congregational life.
The life cycle ends with the abandonment of the fad. Some fads have a built-in expiration date... most simply linger until something better comes along. The fad-driven church may cling with a martyr's fervor to the fad while it lasts, but everyone knows that its days are numbered. Sooner or later it will have to be abandoned. Accept the fad, embrace the fad and abandon the fad. This is the life of a fad-driven church. There are exceptions to this life cycle. In a few cases a fad doesn't die; it grows into something bigger than a fad. It grows into a movement... [Pastor Wilken says,]I have often been critical of church fads at the height of their popularity. After several encounters with fad defenders, I noticed something. The seasoned member of the fad-driven church will defend his fad today. But he will happily abandon the same fad six months from now. I realized that the fad itself is inconsequential; everyone knows that it will be forgotten sooner or later. Christians caught in the cycle of church fads must defend a particular fad, because by doing so, they are defending their willingness to accept, embrace and abandon fads in general. They are defending their fad-driven-ness.
The need of discernment in the Church is one of the most frequent admonitions in Scripture. Paul's warning to the Ephesians is typical: We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, but speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects unto Him, who is the head even Christ.
The church is supposed to stand immovable against “every wind of doctrine." By contrast the fad-driven church is a windsock. If you want to know which way the wind is blowing, the latest teachings, the newest programs or the most current methods, just look at the fad-driven church. If you want to know what the fad-driven church will be doing next, just walk through your local Christian bookstore or page through a Christian publisher's catalogue.
In the fad-driven church, books, programs and seminars are evaluated primarily by their sales, popularity and attendance records, rather than on their theological merit, "False teaching? Why would so many churches be reading this book if it contained false teaching?” Can millions of Christians be wrong? Yes, they can. [End Quote.]
Therefore, it is important for Biblical Christians to be ready to speak / the truth / in love. Our sharing is done with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience. We share the truth in love, that is, lovingly and out of a loving motivation. We're not about winning arguments. We're not about shoving religion down someone's throat. Being obnoxious or pushy is out of line.
We show respect by asking questions and genuinely caring about their answers. We want to find out about them, their hurts, concerns, needs. And we bring the Word of God to bear upon those hurts, concerns and needs to bring about healing, understanding, and reconciliation with God.
Finally, we do all of this out of a good conscience. We speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God! We don't sugar-coat the truth. We don't rewrite the truth to fit what they want to hear. We don't add to God's Word or cut anything out. All of those actions would be lying, and unloving.
So, we are to be prepared. If we are to be prepared to share our hope in Christ, we ourselves should know of that hope and be comforted. That takes time in the Word, individual prayer and Bible Study, family devotions, Bible Classes, time reading good Christian books or articles, and time each Sunday at the Divine Service and Sunday School.
Telling the Good News about Jesus is not a burden, but a privilege. Consider yourself. Someone told you about the hope they had in Christ Jesus. That Word took root in you and the Holy Spirit brought about the fruit of faith. You believe because someone told you the good news about Jesus. You may have heard this Word from infancy. It may have happened later in life. You may have fallen away and then returned. Whatever the occasions God used to draw you to Himself through His Word and Spirit, He used someone who was prepared to share Christ's hope with you.
Therefore…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Sermon for 26 July 2009, Proper 12B
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 3:14-21
The Love of Christ
Proper [12] B, Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, 26 July 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
…You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
So ends Ephesians two. God has been gracious to the Gentiles. Unless you are of Jewish descent, Paul is speaking about you—a Gentile. The love of God in Christ is the message that Paul preaches. He preaches the Gospel to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul writes:
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
This is the reason Paul responds as he does in Ephesians 3:
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Amen? Amen? That’s it? But Ephesians isn’t done yet! Why is there an Amen here in the middle? We find this odd probably because we have been conditioned to only expect “Amen” at the end. Consider our hymns. Neither the 1982 hymnal nor the 1941 hymnal got the “Amen”s quite right. TLH, the red hymnal, put them at the end of every hymn. LW, the blue hymnal, didn’t print them at all. At least Lutheran Service Book tells us which hymns’ concluding stanzas praise the Holy Trinity. Look for the triangle. Those hymns, and hymns written as prayers should end with an “Amen.” We’re used to an “Amen” at the end of a hymn and at the conclusion of a service.
Consider our prayers. Whether it is the collect of the day or the Prayer of the Church, we know an “Amen” comes at the end—not in the middle. Maybe we should reconsider that. Luther taught us that “Amen” means, “Yes, yes, it shall be so!” Do not Paul’s words give ample reason for all God’s people to say…”Amen!”?
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. [And all God’s people said,] Amen.
Sometimes we think of God as small. We really do. We impose our limits upon God because we just don’t think God would care about that, or forgive that kind of sin. And we even commit the additional sin of doubting God’s loving care for us.
And so we find yet another reason to be in the Word, to regularly hear God’s Word, and to spend time encouraging and being encouraged by other Christians. We forget the Love of God in Christ. He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
How does the Holy Spirit dwell in the hearts of Christians? Through faith—faith that the Holy Spirit, God Himself, delivers, creates, and nourishes. Christ dwells in your hearts through faith for the purpose that you would be rooted and grounded in love.
We speak of Love—not the lust of our culture that all-too-often masquerades as love. This is the love of Christ—the reason we can pray to our Father in heaven as dear children speak to their dear father.
The love of Christ means that God is our Father not only because He created every family on earth, including us—He recreates His Christians as He recreated you in Holy Baptism. His Word is given you that every thought may be held captive to Christ.
The love of Christ means that when our reason fails us, especially when it fails to understand the Word of God—then faith holds on to the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
(Preus, Just Words) The love of Christ is the Gospel, the good news Paul preaches. Thinking of the Gospel always and only as “forgiveness” limits the fullness of how Holy Scripture proclaims the love of God in Christ. The Gospel can be spoken of as creation: birth, life, salvation, light, bread, and water. The Gospel is expressed using the words of commerce: ransom, redemption, property, forgiveness, remission. The Gospel is proclaimed as legal fact: justification, intercession, adoption, inheritance. The Gospel creates, renews, and sustains personal relationships: reconciliation, peace, forgiveness, marriage. And the Gospel means deliverance: salvation, liberation, victory. The love of Christ is the Gospel, the good news Paul preaches. Thinking of the Gospel always and only as “forgiveness” limits the fullness of how Holy Scripture proclaims the love of God in Christ.
The Love of Christ was won on Calvary. The Love of Christ is delivered to you here and now, right where God has promised to be.
To be sure, God is everywhere. Here’s the point: The love of Christ is not to be found everywhere. Where do we turn when we want to find God according to the Gospel, where God is for you? Only in Christ. Here, in a place like this, God the Holy Spirit delivers the love of Christ.
God has been gracious to you in Christ. This is the message that Paul preaches. For this cause Paul is a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Paul sets the stage for next week in Ephesians 4.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. [And the people said,] Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21
The Love of Christ
Proper [12] B, Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, 26 July 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
…You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
So ends Ephesians two. God has been gracious to the Gentiles. Unless you are of Jewish descent, Paul is speaking about you—a Gentile. The love of God in Christ is the message that Paul preaches. He preaches the Gospel to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul writes:
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
This is the reason Paul responds as he does in Ephesians 3:
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Amen? Amen? That’s it? But Ephesians isn’t done yet! Why is there an Amen here in the middle? We find this odd probably because we have been conditioned to only expect “Amen” at the end. Consider our hymns. Neither the 1982 hymnal nor the 1941 hymnal got the “Amen”s quite right. TLH, the red hymnal, put them at the end of every hymn. LW, the blue hymnal, didn’t print them at all. At least Lutheran Service Book tells us which hymns’ concluding stanzas praise the Holy Trinity. Look for the triangle. Those hymns, and hymns written as prayers should end with an “Amen.” We’re used to an “Amen” at the end of a hymn and at the conclusion of a service.
Consider our prayers. Whether it is the collect of the day or the Prayer of the Church, we know an “Amen” comes at the end—not in the middle. Maybe we should reconsider that. Luther taught us that “Amen” means, “Yes, yes, it shall be so!” Do not Paul’s words give ample reason for all God’s people to say…”Amen!”?
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. [And all God’s people said,] Amen.
Sometimes we think of God as small. We really do. We impose our limits upon God because we just don’t think God would care about that, or forgive that kind of sin. And we even commit the additional sin of doubting God’s loving care for us.
And so we find yet another reason to be in the Word, to regularly hear God’s Word, and to spend time encouraging and being encouraged by other Christians. We forget the Love of God in Christ. He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
How does the Holy Spirit dwell in the hearts of Christians? Through faith—faith that the Holy Spirit, God Himself, delivers, creates, and nourishes. Christ dwells in your hearts through faith for the purpose that you would be rooted and grounded in love.
We speak of Love—not the lust of our culture that all-too-often masquerades as love. This is the love of Christ—the reason we can pray to our Father in heaven as dear children speak to their dear father.
The love of Christ means that God is our Father not only because He created every family on earth, including us—He recreates His Christians as He recreated you in Holy Baptism. His Word is given you that every thought may be held captive to Christ.
The love of Christ means that when our reason fails us, especially when it fails to understand the Word of God—then faith holds on to the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
(Preus, Just Words) The love of Christ is the Gospel, the good news Paul preaches. Thinking of the Gospel always and only as “forgiveness” limits the fullness of how Holy Scripture proclaims the love of God in Christ. The Gospel can be spoken of as creation: birth, life, salvation, light, bread, and water. The Gospel is expressed using the words of commerce: ransom, redemption, property, forgiveness, remission. The Gospel is proclaimed as legal fact: justification, intercession, adoption, inheritance. The Gospel creates, renews, and sustains personal relationships: reconciliation, peace, forgiveness, marriage. And the Gospel means deliverance: salvation, liberation, victory. The love of Christ is the Gospel, the good news Paul preaches. Thinking of the Gospel always and only as “forgiveness” limits the fullness of how Holy Scripture proclaims the love of God in Christ.
The Love of Christ was won on Calvary. The Love of Christ is delivered to you here and now, right where God has promised to be.
To be sure, God is everywhere. Here’s the point: The love of Christ is not to be found everywhere. Where do we turn when we want to find God according to the Gospel, where God is for you? Only in Christ. Here, in a place like this, God the Holy Spirit delivers the love of Christ.
God has been gracious to you in Christ. This is the message that Paul preaches. For this cause Paul is a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Paul sets the stage for next week in Ephesians 4.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. [And the people said,] Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wedding Sermon for Jacob Clouthier and Sarah Fack
The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
1 Corinthians 13
Love in Christ
Wedding Sermon for Jacob Clouthier and Sarah Fack
Saturday of Pentecost VII, St. James the Elder, Apostle, 25 July 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
Kendrick Mansion Rose Garden
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
There are few things more misunderstood in this world than love. And, it only complicates things that one word in the English language covers so much emotional territory. We should first consider how love is defined by its context in Holy Scripture.
Christians know the truth of 1 John 4:19.We love because He [Jesus] first loved us. In addition, you know John 3:16. For God so loved the world, including both of you, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jake and Sarah, you have the love of Christ. Therefore, you are given to love one another. Those of us gathered here have anticipated this day for a long time. We celebrate with you today, and pray the Lord’s blessings for you. A Christian wedding is not primarily about the wedding day. A Christian wedding is about spending the rest of your lives together, in the love of Christ. God’s love for you in Jesus never ends.
The love of God in Christ puts a Gospel understanding upon the sermon text you chose for this day, 1 Corinthians 13. By itself, we hear law, condemnation, where we have failed to love perfectly in the past. Even hearing the word “love” is a command to every listener. We fail daily by thought, word, deed, and by what we leave undone. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
So, then, is this beautiful, traditional wedding text only law? No. God is love. Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Now listen again in the light of Christ’s love for you: Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; He is not arrogant or rude. He does not insist on its own way, because He followed His Father’s way; Jesus is not irritable or resentful; Jesus does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. He is truth. Jesus bears all things, including your sin and that of the whole world, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, even the cross and grave. Jesus never ends. He is the eternal Son of God begotten of His Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, who died and was raised for you and for your salvation. All because of God’s love. God’s love for you in Jesus never ends.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Your engagement has come to an end. That is the partial. Today you become man and wife. That is a perfect, holy union of heart, body, and mind. You were friends first, and then “noticed” each other. That is a special beginning. Your wedding at Trail End (Kendrick Mansion) has been planned as the beginning of a life together. Therefore, your dating days, though, should never be over. Continue to date, dress up for one another, work to impress each other. Nurture the loving feelings you have through loving actions. Love as you have already been loved in Christ.
I pray that you found premarital preparation classes to be a blessing. Your deep, long-term love for one another has allowed you to let go of less important things so that you may hold on to one another. This is how mature commitment-love shows itself. Commitment love endures when romantic love fades, and leads to the renewal of romantic love.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” These words echo part of the traditional epistle reading for Christian weddings, Ephesians 5: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor …."Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Marriage is a mystery. It is the honorable estate instituted and blessed by God in a beautiful garden before humanity’s fall into sin. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “It is not your love which sustains the marriage, but from now on the marriage that sustains your love.” Again:“It is not your love which sustains the marriage, but from now on the marriage that sustains your love.” Holy Matrimony is also the picture of Christ and His bride, the Church. Today’s feasting after this ceremony merely anticipates the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Why is love the greatest? That is a great question. Faith and hope are always “in” something, or rather Someone, capital S, named Jesus. Faith and hope both trust in what is not seen. They look toward the future, as we do today. Love is greatest, because of faith and hope are in Christ Jesus. We love because He first loved us. We have faith and hope in Him because He first loved us. His love and His Word endure forever and are among the few things we have in this life that we will be able to take with us to heaven. Because of His love and His Word, His people dwell with Him forever.
Jesus told Mary and Martha that one thing is necessary in this life—hearing Him and His Word, sitting at His feet. My prayer for you both is that you will continue to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of your life, together. When we abide in Him, He abides in us. If we cut ourselves off from Him, our faith would eventually die. Daily hear or read His Word together. Pray together and for one another. Receive His Gifts together regularly at Divine Service where the Lord delivers His gifts. Nothing in all of creation is more valuable because the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation you receive by faith through Word and Sacrament will go with you to the life to come and nourish your faith live and married life. Forgive one another as you have been forgiven and dwell in the house of the Lord forever, for God’s love for you in Jesus never ends. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13
Love in Christ
Wedding Sermon for Jacob Clouthier and Sarah Fack
Saturday of Pentecost VII, St. James the Elder, Apostle, 25 July 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
Kendrick Mansion Rose Garden
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
There are few things more misunderstood in this world than love. And, it only complicates things that one word in the English language covers so much emotional territory. We should first consider how love is defined by its context in Holy Scripture.
Christians know the truth of 1 John 4:19.We love because He [Jesus] first loved us. In addition, you know John 3:16. For God so loved the world, including both of you, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jake and Sarah, you have the love of Christ. Therefore, you are given to love one another. Those of us gathered here have anticipated this day for a long time. We celebrate with you today, and pray the Lord’s blessings for you. A Christian wedding is not primarily about the wedding day. A Christian wedding is about spending the rest of your lives together, in the love of Christ. God’s love for you in Jesus never ends.
The love of God in Christ puts a Gospel understanding upon the sermon text you chose for this day, 1 Corinthians 13. By itself, we hear law, condemnation, where we have failed to love perfectly in the past. Even hearing the word “love” is a command to every listener. We fail daily by thought, word, deed, and by what we leave undone. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
So, then, is this beautiful, traditional wedding text only law? No. God is love. Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Now listen again in the light of Christ’s love for you: Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; He is not arrogant or rude. He does not insist on its own way, because He followed His Father’s way; Jesus is not irritable or resentful; Jesus does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. He is truth. Jesus bears all things, including your sin and that of the whole world, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, even the cross and grave. Jesus never ends. He is the eternal Son of God begotten of His Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, who died and was raised for you and for your salvation. All because of God’s love. God’s love for you in Jesus never ends.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Your engagement has come to an end. That is the partial. Today you become man and wife. That is a perfect, holy union of heart, body, and mind. You were friends first, and then “noticed” each other. That is a special beginning. Your wedding at Trail End (Kendrick Mansion) has been planned as the beginning of a life together. Therefore, your dating days, though, should never be over. Continue to date, dress up for one another, work to impress each other. Nurture the loving feelings you have through loving actions. Love as you have already been loved in Christ.
I pray that you found premarital preparation classes to be a blessing. Your deep, long-term love for one another has allowed you to let go of less important things so that you may hold on to one another. This is how mature commitment-love shows itself. Commitment love endures when romantic love fades, and leads to the renewal of romantic love.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” These words echo part of the traditional epistle reading for Christian weddings, Ephesians 5: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor …."Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Marriage is a mystery. It is the honorable estate instituted and blessed by God in a beautiful garden before humanity’s fall into sin. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “It is not your love which sustains the marriage, but from now on the marriage that sustains your love.” Again:“It is not your love which sustains the marriage, but from now on the marriage that sustains your love.” Holy Matrimony is also the picture of Christ and His bride, the Church. Today’s feasting after this ceremony merely anticipates the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Why is love the greatest? That is a great question. Faith and hope are always “in” something, or rather Someone, capital S, named Jesus. Faith and hope both trust in what is not seen. They look toward the future, as we do today. Love is greatest, because of faith and hope are in Christ Jesus. We love because He first loved us. We have faith and hope in Him because He first loved us. His love and His Word endure forever and are among the few things we have in this life that we will be able to take with us to heaven. Because of His love and His Word, His people dwell with Him forever.
Jesus told Mary and Martha that one thing is necessary in this life—hearing Him and His Word, sitting at His feet. My prayer for you both is that you will continue to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of your life, together. When we abide in Him, He abides in us. If we cut ourselves off from Him, our faith would eventually die. Daily hear or read His Word together. Pray together and for one another. Receive His Gifts together regularly at Divine Service where the Lord delivers His gifts. Nothing in all of creation is more valuable because the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation you receive by faith through Word and Sacrament will go with you to the life to come and nourish your faith live and married life. Forgive one another as you have been forgiven and dwell in the house of the Lord forever, for God’s love for you in Jesus never ends. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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