Mid-Week
Lenten Vespers, 2013
Pastor
Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM
Central Time
The Hymn #656 Behold a Host 2:39
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Hymn #656 Behold a Host 2:39
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm p.
128
The Lection The Passion History
The Sermon Hymn # 520:1, 8-12 Commit 2:55
The Lection The Passion History
The Sermon Hymn # 520:1, 8-12 Commit 2:55
The Sermon – Paul,
Grace, and Faith
The Prayers
The Lord’s
Prayer
The Collect
for Grace p.
45
The Hymn # 558 All Praise 2:9
The Hymn # 558 All Praise 2:9
KJV Romans
10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they
might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not
according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For
Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which
doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the
righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart,
Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from
the dead.)
8 But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee, even
in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we
preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
10 For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed.
12 For there
is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring
glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For
Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Paul, Grace, and Faith
Martin Chemnitz (like Tyndale, the translator behind the
King James Version) studied under Luther and Melanchthon. Decades after the
death of Luther, his heirs trusted Chemnitz to be the senior editor of the
Formula of Concord, the Book of Concord.
That should prove that Chemnitz can define faith properly,
so I turned to his textbook for preparing men for the pastoral ministry. There
Chemnitz emphasized that the Bible teaches faith in the Word. Enchiridion, p.
75.
What is justifying faith?
The definition of faith is well known; but to the unlearned
(WELS) it can most simply be explained thus: The object of faith in general is
the Word of God; for we ought to apply faith to every Word divinely given and revealed.
But justifying faith has its own and special object that it seeks in Holy
Scriptures and that it regards and apprehends, namely Christ our Mediator and
the promise of grace, which is given for the sake of Christ. Romans 3:24-25;
4:13, 16; Gal 3:22.
Today people are trying separate the Word, God’s grace, and
faith, as if they are sorting various foods or colors or animals that do not
belong together. They are not teaching justification by teaching against it.
Righteousness is another name for forgiveness, but this is
most clearly understood as the righteousness of God. It is outside of us and
given to us through faith.
KJV Romans
10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they
might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not
according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.
How are people ignorant of God’s righteousness? This passage
alone teaches clearly about this righteousness.
One only obtains this righteousness through faith in God’s
Word, which conveys the atonement of Christ to us.
How can anyone assure another of forgiveness? Christ has
died for your sins. For you as an individual. That is the Gospel, especially in
so many ways, the same message each time. This divinely powered Word stirs up
faith and increases faith so we grasp its truth as our own.
Faith is not opposed to grace, and grace is not opposed to
faith, because faith is God’s creation, not ours. It is the will of God (not
our will). We cannot use our own power, will, or intellect to believe in the
Gospel, but the Holy Spirit enters our hearts through the Word and enlivens
that trust.
4 For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For
Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which
doeth those things shall live by them.
The Gospel fulfills the Law. We must be perfect, and God
makes us perfect, righteous, and innocent through faith in His Son Jesus. The
only way we can live (eternally) is through Christ. Otherwise, any form of the
Law, whether Mosaic or man’s invented law, will condemn us apart from faith.
Yet we have that paradox, that contradiction, that we are
both forgiven and yet remain capable of sin. So there is an constant need for
repentance and trust in the Gospel. When people go astray, they use the Gospel
as an excuse, harden their hearts against the Word, and finally give up their
hypocritical abuse of the Gospel.
6 But the
righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart,
Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from
the dead.)
This great work is accomplished in the Word of God, almost
always through speaking and hearing. The Word of God enters us through hearing
and changes us. It must, because of its divine power. If it works on us and we
stubbornly reject it, the Word hardens us and blinds us. This has happened to
many ministers who toy with the Word and decide what they believe or reject.
Finally they reject all of it but find it a convenient way to make an easy
living. They teach positive thinking or social action or self-centeredness, all
popular masks for the law. No one objects because the cross is taken away. In time the obvious appeals to God are dropped
and the Father Below is revealed more clearly.
8 But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee, even
in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we
preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
The clever ones today work over Chapter 3 or 4 in Romans,
twisting them into knots, but definitely (defiantly too) ignore these verses,
which destroy their fantasies.
How clear is justification by faith? Salvation comes from
the Word of faith. Believe in the Gospel, confess its truth, and you will be
forgiven and saved.
Where has the entire world confessed faith in Christ?
Nowhere. Just the opposite is truth. In the visible church many reject faith in
Christ, substituting all kinds of false doctrines and works instead. But here,
the message is abundantly clear, plain, and easy to grasp.
The Word is near to you. Even in your mouth and your heart. People
confess what they believe with their mouths. I ask false teachers questions
that cannot be avoided. They give themselves away. Not – do not believe the
Bible is God’s Word? But – are there any contradictions in God’s Word? The
second question gets Old Nick going right away.
I asked one false teacher, If an evangelism campaign does
not get the results desired, is it the fault of the methods used? Right away,
the false teacher said, “Yes,” and began defending that answer. So did the
district VP, chiming in.
So the Word of God is ineffective, but the right methods of
man are effective? That is a heavy burden for man to bear, to help Almighty
God, Creator of the Universe, with His work. Our Heavenly Father must be
grateful for the help. Those who adulterate the Word also adulterate their own
lives and families.
10 For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed.
I am looking for the loophole that eliminates justification
by faith from these two verses. How does anyone “believe unto righteousness”
and have justification by faith excluded. It is a puzzle too great for me. I
will stick with the clear Word of God. What do we fear – condemnation and
shame. That is often the last state of the condemned person who pleads his own
innocence and makes up excuses. We are guilty of sin but not ashamed, because
God grants us pardon and peace in His Gospel of peace.
12 For there
is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
We are exploring the Gospel among Jews and Gentiles in
Romans, and Paul teaches how this applies to both groups. Calling on Christ is
a product of faith. Only believers call upon Christ as Savior. And whoever
believes with his heart and calls upon Him with his mouth will be saved.
14 How then
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring
glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For
Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
And here is the pastoral ministry. Nothing is said about
keeping everyone happy, organizing pleasant little groups, balancing the
budget, or cell groups. This profound passage reverses the order from the grand
conclusion already established. How can this happen without people who proclaim
the Word of God. That is their sole mission, to proclaim the Gospel of peace,
to produce a harvest of faith with the Word of God, and to raise up eternal
life with the Great I AM.
I Am the Resurrection and the Life.
I AM the Bread of Life.
I AM the True Vine.
I AM the Good Shepherd.
I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the
Father, except through Me.
Quotations
"Since,
therefore, so much depends upon God's Word that without it no holy day can be
sanctified, we must know that God insists upon a strict observance of this
commandment, and will punish all who despise His Word and are not willing to
hear and learn it, especially at the time appointed for the purpose."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #95, The
Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 607.
Tappert, p. 378. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"Note,
therefore, that the force and power of this commandment lies not in the
resting, but in the sanctifying, so that to this day belongs a special holy
exercise. For other works
and occupations are not properly called holy exercises, unless the man himself
be first holy. But here a
work is to be done by which man is himself made holy, which is done (as we have
heard) alone through God's Word. For
this, then, fixed places, times, persons, and the entire external order of
worship have been created and appointed, so that it may be publicly in
operation."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #94, The
Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
607. Tappert, p. 378. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"On the
contrary, any observance or work that is practised without God's Word is unholy
before God, no matter how brilliantly it may shine, even though it be covered
with relics, such as the fictitious spiritual orders, which know nothing of
God's Word and seek holiness in their own works."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #93, The
Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
607. Tappert, p. 377. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"For the Word
of God is the sanctuary above all sanctuaries, yea, the only one which we
Christians know and have. For
though we had the bones of all the saints or all holy and consecrated garments
upon a heap, still that would help us nothing; for all that is a dead thing
which can sanctify nobody. But
God's Word is the treasure which sanctifies everything, and by which even all
the saints themselves were sanctified. At
whatever hour, then, God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read or meditated
upon, there the person, day, and work are sanctified thereby, not because of
the external work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us
all. Therefore I constantly say that all our life and work must be ordered
according to God's Word, if it is to be God‑pleasing or holy. Where this is done, this commandment
is in force and being fulfilled."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #91‑2,
The Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
607. Tappert, p. 377. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"For these
words are not inoperative or dead, but creative, living words. And even though
no other interest or necessity impel us, yet this ought to urge every one
thereunto, because thereby the devil is put to flight and driven away, and,
besides, this commandment is fulfilled, and [this exercise in the Word] is more
pleasing to God than any work of hypocrisy, however brilliant."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #102,
The Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
609. Tappert, p. 379. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"For let me
tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be already master in all
things, still you are daily in the dominion of the devil, who ceases neither
day nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle in your heart unbelief and
wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you must always have God's
Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears. But where the heart is idle, and the
Word does not sound, he breaks in and has done the damage before we are
aware. On the other
hand, such is the efficacy of the Word, whenever it is seriously contemplated,
heard, and used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens
new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness, and produces a pure heart and pure
thoughts."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #100‑1,
The Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
609. Tappert, p.
378. . Exodus 20:8‑11.
"Likewise those
fastidious spirits are to be reproved who, when they have heard a sermon or
two, find it tedious and dull, thinking that they know all that well enough,
and need no more instruction. For
just that is the sin which has been hitherto reckoned among mortal sins, and is
called akedia, i. e., torpor or satiety, a malignant, dangerous plague with
which the devil bewitches and deceives the hearts of many, that he may surprise
us and secretly withdraw God's Word from us."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #99, The
Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
609. Tappert, p. 378. Akedia:
Aristotle's Ethics, IV. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"Know,
therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about
learning and retaining it in memory, and do not think that it is optional with
you of no great importance, but that it is God's commandment, who will require
of you how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #98, The
Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
609. Tappert, p. 378. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"Therefore not
only those sin against this commandment who grossly misuse and desecrate the
holy day, as those who on account of their greed or frivolity neglect to hear
God's Word or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine; but also that other
crowd, who listen to God's Word as to any other trifle, and only from custom
come to preaching, and go away again, and at the end of the year know as little
of it as at the beginning. For
hitherto the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you
had heard a mass or the Gospel read; but no one cared for God's Word, as also
no one taught it. Now,
while we have God's Word, we nevertheless do not correct the abuse; we suffer
ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we listen without seriousness
and care."
The Large Catechism, Preface, #96‑7,
The Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
609. Tappert, p. 378. Exodus 20:8‑11.
"For let me
tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be already master in all
things, still you are daily in the dominion of the devil, who ceases neither
day nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle in your heart unbelief and
wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you must always have God's
Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears. But where the heart is idle, and the
Word does not sound, he breaks in and has done the damage before we are
aware. On the other hand,
such is the efficacy of the Word, whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard,
and used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens new
understanding, pleasure, and devoutness, and produces a pure heart and pure
thoughts. For these words are
not inoperative or dead, but creative, living words."
The Large Catechism, #100, Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1921, p. 609. J. T. Mueller, Christian Dog, p.
133.
