The Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 2018
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The melodies are linked in the hymn title.
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Justification Begins the Christian Life
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 209 Who is This
Sixth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess that we are poor, wretched sinners, and that there is no good in us, our hearts, flesh and blood being so corrupted by sin, that we never in this life can be without sinful lust and concupiscence; therefore we beseech Thee, dear Father, forgive us these sins, and let Thy Holy Spirit so cleanse our hearts that we may desire and love Thy word, abide by it, and thus by Thy grace be forever saved; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
KJV Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Justification Begins the Christian Life
Justification by Faith
Starting with Romans 3, Paul develops his case from Scripture about Abraham being the example of Justification by Faith rather than the righteousness of the Law.
He begins with Justification by Faith in Romans 3, develops the example of Abraham in Genesis 15 in chapter 4 of Romans, and emphasized Justification by Faith in Romans 5.
As Hoenecke observes, the Pietists make a crucial mistake. They confuse the Christian Life (sanctification) with Justification and make the Christin Life the cause of Justification. That sounds complicated, but we all know examples of that. Someone cannot join a church unless he gives up alcoholic drinks completely. Or - one must prove a exemplary life before being allowed to join a church. And - as evidence of this - the proof of this - "I never touched a drop in my life."
That changes forgiveness from faith in Christ to the righteousness of the Law, whether people realize it or not. And Lutherans have similar flawed concepts, such as saying, "I am a fifth generation Lutheran." Or "My family has done so much for this synod."
KJV Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
The temptation in pagan Rome is the same as Pagan America - to see Justification by Faith as an excuse to do anything and everything.
Paul even brings that up - should we continue sinning than grace may abound? As Luther writes in his sermon, sin is so great that God has provided an answer which is even more powerful.
We are all familiar with over-the-counter cures, and some of them actually help. However, when we have a major medical issue, we do not trust in minor medicines or the advice of a neighbor. We want the most powerful antidote against that disease.
Against cancer - surgery, radiation, and medicine. The best hope is to remove all diseased cells and kill off what might start the bad growth again.
Against infections - even more powerful antibiotics. Against structural defects - surgery to repair the problems.
Against sin, God's own Son stood in our stead to bear the wrath of the state and the false teachers of Judaism. Suffering alone was not enough, but suffering and death. This punishment was so great that it almost destroyed the disciples, they were driven to so much despair.
God allowed the disciples to share the grief and torment, which made them better teachers of faith in Christ and His mercy. They were dragged as far down as anyone could go, from the joy of traveling with Him, hearing Him teach, and observing His miracles - to the arrest, the torture, and the death.
Therefore, faith in Him means forgiveness and death to sin. As powerful as sin is, God's grace is even more powerful. However, losing faith in Him means falling away from this grace, from the Means of Grace, the Gospel Word and Sacraments.
God did not stop with the proclamation of all that Christ has done for us. If we think about the Good Samaritan - Who is Christ - so much more is done than conversion. The Christ-figure treats the wounds, carries the stricken to a place of healing, tends to him, and asks that more be done to bring him back, offering to pay extra for that labor.
Does anyone miss that Christ works through the Christian Church and the Means of Grace, which He has appointed and managed through ordinary people? (Yes, most do miss that. They are taught this is a Righteousness of the Law parable, teaching us to feel guilty for not "making the world a better place.")
2. Such argument Paul now confutes. He says: It is not the intention of the Gospel to teach sin or to allow it; it teaches the very opposite — how we may escape from sin and from the awful wrath of God which it incurs.
Escape is not effected by any doings of our own, but by the fact that God, out of pure grace, forgives us our sins for his Son’s sake; for God finds in us nothing but sin and condemnation. How then can this doctrine give occasion or permission to sin when it is so diametrically opposed to it and teaches how it is to be blotted out and put away P 3. Paul does not teach that grace is acquired through sin, nor that sin brings grace; he says quite the opposite — that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,” Romans 1:18. But because the sins of men which are taken away are so grievous and numerous, the grace which drowns and destroys them must be mighty and abundant also. Where there is great thirst, a great draft is needed to quench it. Where there is a mighty conflagration, powerful streams of water are necessary to extinguish it. In cases of severe illness, strong medicine is essential to a cure. But these facts do not give us authority to say: Let us cheerfully drink to satiety that we may become more thirsty for good wine; or, Let us injure ourselves and make ourselves ill that medicine may do us more good. Still less does it follow that we may heap up and multiply sins for the purpose of receiving more abundant grace. Grace is opposed to sin and destroys it; how then should it strengthen or increase it ?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Paul uses figurative language so we see the power of the Gospel in baptism, whether as infants or as adults. Forgiveness is so powerful that it begins a new life in following Christ, from death to resurrection.
The reason is - the believer now has heaven and earth, and God's power to guide him is no longer a mystery. If all else fails, we still have God's Word to guide us.
Man's wisdom has us going over the past and reviewing everything to fix up the future. But baptism and faith in Christ promise us forgiveness and a daily renewal in grace. Here is a great example from Alec Satin's publications -
Thought you might
appreciate this quote from Simon Peter Long, from a sermon he
gave on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity in (I believe) 1903.
Alec
When Superintendent
Weller got so despondent and so melancholy that all the pastors
of the city could give him no comfort, they sent for Luther.
Luther went to the superintendent and tried to comfort him with
one verse after another, but the poor man lay there so
despondent that like a worm in the dust he could not get any
comfort. At last Dr. Luther said to him:
“Weller, I want you
to stop this nonsense. Are you not baptized?” And in that
moment, like a flash of lightning, Weller received light. Of
course he is baptized, and baptized in the name of the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, into Christ’s death and resurrection; why
should he be unhappy? why melancholy? Why not remember it is a
good thing to be a child of God, and cheer up? There is a
wonderful power in baptism. Consider your baptismal covenant.
The more you think it over the more you will find that one of
the greatest acts of God in the history of the world, after
Jesus had died to save us, was to apply that redemption by the
means of grace.
One great trouble in
the present day is that many people know nothing about the means
of grace. They want to build a house, but they do not want to
know anything about stone or lumber; they want to build a ship,
but they do not want to know anything about the vessel; they
want to cross the ocean, but do not want to know anything about
the boat; they want to do things, but they want to do them their
own way. God has His way to save souls, and His way is to give
us the Word and the holy sacraments, and it is our duty to be
true to them; and when in those holy sacraments He pours out a
blessing, it is our duty to receive it. God help you not to
serve sin, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Amen.
From “The Eternal
Epistle: Sermons On The Epistles For The Church Year” by Long,
Simon Peter, (1860-1929)
So when someone bothers us, for example, the immediate temptation is to be upset, resentful, and eager to make things right - by getting even. Sometimes we even get annoyed when those are typical habits and not in any way intentionally harmful or hurtful. The antidote is to dwell on Christ's forgiveness of our all our sins, daily, through faith in Him.
Resentment is a prison we build for ourselves. No one else does that to us. It is simply an attitude within, and it can really pile up. So dwelling on our forgiveness first makes us realize that we have many similar faults, which we really hope are overlooked. Instead of building resentment, we think about how we can be more thoughtful and considerate ourselves.
Sometimes, dysfunctional people are just plain mean all the time. For various reasons, they go out of their way to be difficult, insulting, and harmful. I run into this with online classes because we do not know each other well. Some student will start working me over. I remember a TV character saying, "I would understand your loathing if you knew me better." I can actually say to myself, "This is not about me," although it does steam me up at times. When my response is calm and helpful, the issue dissolves and there is often a big apology.
My best boss said, "Imagine that person is coming for dinner at your house today. How would you talk to that person?"
It is not for nothing the Proverb says, "A soft answer turns away wrath." If someone hates us for being faithful to the Gospel, the best answer to hatefulness is patience. In that way, sourness can be converted, but that is the power of the Gospel, not our own power.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
I like this planting allegory, because a gardener often starts new life by digging a hole and burying something in that hole. Sometimes they are bulbs, corms, or pips. They may be tiny slivers of plants placed in the ground before the winter frosts, tiny leaves just above the ground. In two instances, I planted three tiny bushes together - Crepe Myrtle - so they grow together as they mature and produce three kinds of flowers.
There is always a sense of death with these plantings, because no one knows what will come up. So Paul was speaking to the orchardist, I think, someone growing olives or grapes, planting in the ground with the hopes of new life from that effort. So when we die to sin in baptism, there is only a hint of the future, a person, but only a slip of a person, not developed, full of potential in both ways.
There is no claim that the believer will be perfect and without sin. That will always be with us as long as we live. However, we do not need to let sin dominate and control our lives. When people engage in what is easy to do, such as lying, then that begins the control, because the temptation becomes the habit, and the habit becomes the ruler.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
I think of the old nature of these plants. What dies in being buried in the soil is not what we want. Instead, it is a hint of what may come forth in the future. A weak little slip becomes a big plant with flower stalks. An ugly bulb (hiding the flower already formed) becomes a colorful plant that reminds people of their homeland - Wales, or the flowers their mother grew - "buttercups."
The old life keeps the new life away, so it is crucified and left behind.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Baptism only happens once, so that death to sin is onetime, but living in God, in the Gospel, that goes on forever through faith.
Paul's motivating words are not the condemnation of sin but the grace of forgiveness. There is no doubt about the enslaving power of sin, but far greater is the freeing power of the new life in Christ.
Luther:
14. The apostle speaks consolingly of the death of the Christian as a being planted, to show that the Christian’s death and sufferings on earth are not really death and harm, but a planting unto life; being redeemed, by the resurrection, from death and sin, we shall live eternally. For that which is planted is not planted unto death and destruction, but planted that it may sprout and grow. So Christ was planted, through death, unto life; for not until he was released from this mortal life and from the sin which rested on him and brought him into death on our account, did he come into his divine glory and power. Since this planting begins in baptism, as said, and we .by faith possess life in Christ, it is evident that this life must strike root in us and bear fruit. For that which is planted is not planted without purpose; it is to grow and bear fruit. So must we prove, by our new conversation and by our fruits, that we are planted in Christ unto life.
To bear fruit - that glorifies God, because we only bear fruit through the Gospel Word, by remaining with the True Vine through the Means of Grace.
The neighbor boys were fascinated by Sassy and by the gardening I was doing. I said, "Do you want flowers for your moms?" They did, so I snipped five or six daisies for each one. "Give that to your mom and tell her you love her." They were grinning, waiting for their bunch, and each one ran off. They quickly ran back and said, "She said thank you." Either two or three moms were there to help with the group yard sale.
My wife said, "Include some daisies if you have any left, tomorrow." I counted 50 daisies in bloom.
That is how the Gospel bears fruit. It multiplies through growth and sharing. There is no way to know how far it goes. People fear pruning because it means removes part of the plants and some of the flowers. But God created the plants to be even more abundant when cleansed, as John 15 teaches.
The Means of Grace make us more fruitful because the power of the Gospel Word is always effective and always accomplishes God's purpose. Not only that, it prospers God's will.
