The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
John 8:31-36
Free Indeed
Reformation Sunday, 26 October 2014
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
O church, arise and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the devil's lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"
Reaching out to those in darkness.
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the devil's lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"
Reaching out to those in darkness.
If ever there was a time for the Church to arise and put on the armor
of Christ, it is now. The Church does two things at once. We defend the faith
once delivered to the saints and confess the Truth of Holy Scripture, God’s
Word, especially the law of God that convicts us of our sin and the Gospel of
God in Christ that gives peace to the conscience, reconciliation with God, and
the promise of eternal life.
O Church, Arise! This hymn was written by non-Lutherans to honor the
tradition of Lutheran hymnody in the life of the Christian church. It
encourages me to speak up for truth and defend God’s word against all enemies,
foreign and domestic, secular and supposedly “sacred.” God’s truth sets free.
Most dangerous are those who lie in God’s name.
There are days we are on defense because the Church and Christians are
under attack. There are days we are primarily on offense. That is when we make
ourselves known primarily for what we are FOR rather than AGAINST. That is when
the Church is known for making disciples of all nations by baptizing and
teaching God’s Word.
These two things that the Church does are not at war with one another.
That would be silly. We are faithful and care about mission. We wish to
preserve pure teaching and preserve human life. We oppose abortion, euthanasia,
suicide, and murder, yet see a purpose in Romans 13 for just war, self-defense
and even capital punishment. The Church can walk and chew gum at the same time.
We are the baptized people of God, given to care about Gospel Outreach and
Human Care. As President Harrison and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
emphasizes, the work of the Church is Witness, Mercy, and Life Together.
The Church does these things because of Who God is and What He has done
for us in Christ Jesus. We are forgiven that we may forgive. We are blessed so
that we may be a blessing. As we abide in God’s Word, He abides in us. Hear
again a portion of John 8:
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed
him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free.” 33 They
answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to
anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever;
the son remains forever. 36 So
if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet
you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and
you do what you have heard from your father.”
Free indeed. We are
free indeed in Christ. Even when mischaracterized or lied about, persecuted or
praised, vilified or seen as a partner by communities or governments, in Christ
you are free indeed.
It may not always
feel that way when a Houston mayor and City Council cross the line on common
sense, free speech, the free exercise of religion, and threaten the liberties
of pastors under the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution by sending subpoenas
for their sermons and communications with members. We may well yearn for the
whole armor of God in Ephesians 6 when Christian ministers in Idaho in a
for-profit marriage chapel are ordered to conduct same-sex so-called weddings.
Granted, their business is not a church, but the religious liberty of wedding
photographers and cake bakeries is similarlythreatened.
Our call to war, to
love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev'ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev'ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.
Hold on to the Word
of Christ this Reformation Sunday and always. The Reformation was never really
about Luther or Germany or only protesting ecclesiastical authority. It was and
is all about Jesus, a return to Scripture, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and reforming human traditions on the basis of Scripture and the Gospel: Grace
alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, all to God’s glory alone!
Consider again how
you felt when you first heard that Wyoming’s ban on issuing marriage licenses
to same-sex couples was overturned by one Federal judge in Casper. I have great
pity, concern, and compassion for anyone struggling with their gender identity
or any sexual temptation. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He
did not come that any of us would remain trapped by any sin, whether it is
habitual gossip and slander or fornication and adultery. The simple practical
reality that some sins have less consequences than others does not mean that
such sins are harmless. If one keeps the whole law, as James writes, but fails
at one point, he has become accountable for breaking all of the Commandments of
God.
As a pastor I will
continue to do premarital counseling for the kind of couple God has promised in
Scripture to bless, one man and one woman. Whether Synod and legal counsel will
advise us to visit a Justice of the Peace for the actual legal ceremony remains
to be seen. Some fear that a pastor’s name on a wedding license may open him
and his congregation up to lawsuits if he and his congregation will not also
perform Christian ceremonies for same-sex couples contrary to Scripture. In
Luther’s Germany, the pattern was to get a civil marriage and then have a
Church ceremony. In Luther’s case, his church wedding was two weeks after the civil
ceremony, the equivalent of our “marriage license” from the county court house.
Please do not
misunderstand me. I do on occasion speak from the pulpit about political
matters. I speak up when religious liberty is at stake, when a governing authority
threatens your and my right under heaven and the Constitution of the United
States to freely assemble, speak, and exercise our religious freedom in
accordance with the Holy Bible. Are such concerns political? Yes. Are they
coming from a partisan perspective? No. My Call as your pastor is to preach and
teach the Word of God. And my Bible still includes Romans 1 and Genesis 18-19,
just to mention two relevant passages.
In Acts 5:29, Peter
reminds us that “We must obey God rather than men.” Do not be surprised if a
government gives citizens the legal freedom under the authority of the state to
do something condemned by the Lord in His Word, something prohibited by the Ten
Commandments, something clearly identified as sin. Jesus said, “What God has
joined together, let not man separate.” We could also say, “What God has not
joined together, let not man dare join together.”
Anyone caught in any
sin should not be given permission to keep on sinning. Sin separates a person
from God. Christ Jesus, by atoning for sin, is the mediator between God and
man, the bridge to the Father, the Reconciler, our Savior. Out of true love,
the love taught in God’s Word, sin is to be pointed out. Sinners are confronted
with their affront to God and His will. This is done so that sinners would be
brought to repentance. And that the Holy Spirit, by the preaching of the Gospel
and the Spirit working as He wills, to bring that sinner to faith and the
status of “saint” because of Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection
for that person, that dear child of God.
Come, see the cross
where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict'ry march continues till the day
Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him.
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict'ry march continues till the day
Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him.
That is why we abide
in God’s Word. That is why we are not surprised at the threats of Al Qaeda,
ISIS, or other Islamic terrorists.
Did you know that
militant Islamists have been at war with America since the Jefferson administration?
Today we hear the name “ISIS” or “Islamic State” in the news. Back then they
heard “Barbary Pirates.” They are the reason why “the shores of Tripoli” are
mentioned in the Marine hymn. American marines fought in Libya back then. And
some Marines tell me that the reason why Marines today are called
“leathernecks” is because of the wide strips of leather worn around the neck at
that time. A leather collar like that would help keep your head up straight. It
would also make it harder for Muslim foes to behead you.
In Luther’s day,
Muslim Turks had besieged the city of Vienna in what we call Austria today.
That is why the original text of his hymn, “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy
Word,” went like this in its first English translation: LORD, keep us in Thy Word and work, Restrain the murderous Pope and Turk, Who fain would tear from off Thy
throne Christ Jesus, Thy beloved Son. (ELHB)
If someone opposes
the clear teachings of Scripture by removing portions offensive to them, adding
human ideas and declaring them equal to or superior to Scripture, or lives or
encourages others to live contrary to God’s Word, we must speak up. We dare not
remain silent. Too much is at stake spiritually. As Lutheran Christians, our
concern for religious liberty is a real and practical part of our Christian
heritage. Defending the faith and speaking up for Bible Truth is necessary for
every generation of Christians. It has been said that God does not have
grandchildren—only children. Spiritually, it doesn’t matter whose genetic offspring
you are. You don’t get faith or eternal life or salvation merely because your
ancestors were faithful practicing Christians. By God the Holy Spirit you have
been called to faith in Christ and reconciled to the Father. Thanks be to God!
So Spirit, come, put
strength in ev'ry stride,
Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.
Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.
Jesus said, “If you
abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed.” O Church, Arise. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep
your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
