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| The Lamb of God - by Norma A. Boeckler |
The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2019
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The flower arrangement on the altar today is in memory of Gary Meyer, who died September 17, 2014.
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 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
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Justification by Faith of Jesus Christ
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 #658 Onward Christian Soldiers
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 #658 Onward Christian Soldiers
In Our Prayers
- Andrea is one. She is being taught Braille early.
- Carl Roper, who is being treated and tested. His wife Lynda fell and broke her shoulder.
- Elizabeth Mior - has cancer. She is the mother of two small children.
- Those looking for work and a better income.
- Glen Kotten plans to visit the Philippines. We will meet him at the Shraders in early October. Pastor Shrader continues his battle with cancer.
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| Norma A. Boeckler |
KJV Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
KJV Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Click here for Luther’s Sermons on the Good Samaritan
Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Thy holy gospel, know Thy fatherly will, and behold Thy Son, Jesus Christ! We pray Thee, most merciful Father: Let the light of Thy holy word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forsake Thy word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Background on the Sermon on Galatians 3:15-22
Paul wrote this letter in his own hand, not waiting for a secretary to copy it, so the epistle was sent in a hurry to deal with the most basic attack on the Gospel. Luther divided all heresies into three categories:
- Against the humanity of Christ - in the early days of the Church.
- Against the divinity of Christ - in modern times, the fruit of rationalism and various philosophies.
- Against Justification by Faith - in many forms among Lutherans, first from Samuel Huber, then from the Halle Pietists. Stephan was a Pietist who trained at Halle, and his Pietist pupil was CFW Walther and his circle of pastors.
Justification by Faith has been a target because it is the Chief Article of Christianity. In many ways the topic is the trigger of the death-trap that leads people away from Christianity and even helps people hate the unique, grace-filled message of salvation. Justification by Faith is not the trigger, but the temptations to reject it - in many forms - is the trigger.
For example, adding good works "to complete the message" is the same as eliminating the Gospel of grace.
A popular diversion is simply claiming - in the name of grace - that everyone is already forgiven and saved. Universalists and mainline liberals say that often. The claim is even made in the CPH mega-dud Confessing the Gospel - "one cannot make faith a contingency or there is no grace." In other words, they forbid teaching "if we believe..." so they are in harmony with the rationalists and the Universalists. When the Chief Article is denied, Creation and the divinity of Christ soon follow.
Galatians has often been called the Justification by Faith epistle, because Paul wrote it for one occasion through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the problem there did not erupt again. This letter became Luther's model in dealing with this topic, so he had earlier Lectures on Galatians and then his later Lectures on Galatians (often called the Galatians Commentary). He was very concerned that this teaching not be lost.
The authors of the Formula of Concord recommended Luther's Galatians for those who needed additional insights about Justification by Faith.
Earlier, in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Melanchthon wrote a brilliant essay on Justification by Faith. The Concordists considered themselves - like Luther - "theologians of the Augsburg Confession." That is why we call our congregation - and those who agree with us (in many synods) - The Church of the Augsburg Confession. We have no assessments, no meetings, no fish-hats.
Justification by Faith of Jesus Christ
KJV Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
The address - brothers - means Paul is starting a new section and wants them to know he is doing so in a friendly, loving manner - as a fellow-Christian, a member of the same family.
His comparison is one which everyone should follow. He is making an important distinction - man's covenant. Covenant is the KJV translation for this term diatheke διαθηκη - which in this context means testament, like a last will and testament. A genuine document (probated, tested in court) cannot be changed in any way. In Arkansas, someone can write out a will by hand and have it notarized - and that testament is accepted by the court.
Note - the Calvinists are always stuck on the word covenant and define the Bible - not by Justification by Faith - but by covenant. "God won't bless you if you don't keep your side of the covenant." Clearly Paul is using the tradition legal definition where a man can write out a will, often called Last Will and Testament, and that becomes true upon his death, whether certain things were intended or not. Some stipulations are like that, such as naming the recipient of an insurance policy or annuity, no matter what the will might say. So, when a Lutheran publication favors covenant and uses it when the word is clearly wrong, that is actually a concession to the Calvinists - and it is done on purpose.
The Greek name for the New Testament is diatheke διαθηκη - but we never say, "This is written in the New Covenant" or "We are offering a New Covenant Greek class."
We can see that Paul's analogy here is exactly the same as the Last Will and Testament. God's Testament was enacted before and without our knowledge. That is what makes His message grace rather than Law.
Lenski, Galatians, p. 156
"Here the touch of affection is added which reaches out to win the readers. "In human fashion" means in a way so simple that anyone can understand. Paul will in particular use an ordi nary illustration, the inviolability of a confirmed human will and testament. That illustration will help to make the main thought clear. By drawing attention to the fact that this is a human illustration Paul does
not excuse his use of it but rather states in advance just what it is so that his readers may at once catch the point he presents."
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Where is the central message located? Answer - in the story of Abraham - not Moses - and the specific Promise of the seed. Thanks to weak sermons or my own misunderstanding, I thought the Promise to Abraham concerned having a son by his wife.
That is clearly explained in Genesis. When God promised Abraham an eternal and ever-growing kingdom, He was not predicting a human empire. No human government has ever grown and lasted forever. "Eternal Rome" lasted about 1100 years. The second Rome, Byzantium (Byzantine Empire) lasted the same amount of time. Both were vast, wealthy, and powerful. Hitler called his government the Third Reich or Kingdom, and it was even shorter.
God's Promise to Abraham was Messianic - "and his seed" - so God was saying that the Messiah, one person, would come from his line and establish the Kingdom of God through the Gospel. This is what Abraham believed - and it was counted as righteousness - Justification by Faith.
Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Moses is quite important in the New Testament, but Abraham is even more important - Abraham is central to the Promise. That is why the false teachers studiously ignore Abraham and this lesson. As ponderous and verbose are their philosophies and reasons, they still violate this central message - faith in Christ is counted as righteousness. The new CPH dogmatics book makes their error clear by warning against faith (a battle they have won in their blindness). CPH - "Faith should not be a contingency" (no ifs) as all the mainline apostates say, but do we follow the adulterers like Tillich and Barth who adulterated the Gospel? - or should we follow the Gospel itself?
Paul is telling the Galatians, To see the message of Christ, begin with Abraham, the beginning of the clear Messianic Promise. Of course, there is also the Promise given Adam and Eve, when they were expelled from Paradise (Genesis 3:15). So much is condensed in Genesis to give us the foundation for the giving of the Law in Exodus. Where does salvation begin? - we should ask. The answer is in the Promise to Abraham. There is the everlasting and ever-growing government, never duplicated, and there is the Savior promised.
To understand this, we must have a virtual memory that takes us forward to the Gospel and Epistles - and back again to the Old Testament. They are two parts of the same unified Truth. Those who chop it up into pieces and select the ones they want - they are the sectarians who will build their cathedral of thought on half of one verse while ignoring the entire message.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
This is very plain - a Last Will and Testament, when probated before God in Christ, cannot be annulled, or thrown out. The Testament remains in effect and the Law given through Moses cannot cancel it.
Luther makes the point that Moses "borrowed" the teaching of the ancients. That means, the principles of the Law were taught before, but they were formally revealed and written down during the Exodus.
The initial impression of the entire Exodus anyone might have is the grandeur and power of the Law, and that makes people think of the Law coming first and the New Testament later. But Abraham was first and that Promise could not be erased or forgotten.
To show this to be true, the Five Books of Moses are the ore from which the divinity of Christ is fashioned (Luther). In one reading after another, the Four Gospels are foreshadowed - especially John - so we should see the Gospel Promise first and foremost - and the Law in relation to it.
Examples of the Divinity of Christ in Exodus
- Moses was drawn to the Burning Bush, where the Angel of the Lord spoke to him. This is not just an angel, but The Angel, Who is God. The two natures of the bush (burning, yet not consumed) foreshadow the Two Natures in Christ, divine and human. The Angel says, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Trinitarian).
- When Moses asked for the Name of God, the answer was - "I AM WHO AM. Tell them I AM sent you." John 8 - Before Abraham was, I AM.
- The angel of death passed over the homes of first-born sons because the blood of the lamb was painted on the doorposts. "Behold the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world." John 1
- The Passover Meal featured and still features a spotless lamb. The Last Supper is a passover meal.
- The cloud and pillar were Christ.
- The water from the rock - John 4.
- The bread from heaven - John 6.
- The serpent raised up to heal people - John 3:16.
- Peter being called Rocky and Jesus saying on this bedrock (not Peter but Christ) I will build My Church. Mark 8. "And the bedrock which followed them was Christ." 1 Corinthians 10
One of the sharpest debating and learning tools today is to erase something from memory. In history, no one knows the Constitution or Bill of Rights. In Lutherdom, no one knows the true history of Stephan, Walther, and their hoodlum gang of clergy-felons. If the history is not taught, there is no debate - the key figures simply fade from memory. How can someone debate what is not there? What did the British do in America as they fought back against the Revolution? Answer - they took away the American's guns, rifles, all the instruments of freedom from tyranny. That is not known because it is not taught.
Abraham is forgotten because he is not taught, though he is the most important Old Testament figure in the New Testament. Why is that so? One reason is sermons written or plagiarized for those with short attention spans. The other is that Abraham represents faith in God beyond all human reason and experience. Pastor Worldly Wise (Pilgrim's Progress) wants to keep the message close to the culture of the times. The best way is to tell irrelevant stories rather than teach the Word of God.
If they want to make their point about everyone forgiven their sins without faith, Abraham blocks their way.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Paul's argument here eliminates the righteousness of the Law. The Last Will and Testament is one-sided, not a two-sided covenant. The Testament is Gospel, based upon God's Promise, which Abraham believed. It was counted as righteousness.
This is summarized in Romans 3, 4, and 5. Romans 4 concentrates on Abraham, so that was his second major effort in teaching Abraham and the Gospel. Romans was his ultimate summary doctrinal epistle. Galatians was earlier. And yet the opponents of Paul's teaching manage to ignore Abraham completely and focus on their favorite apostle (apostate) - Walther.
What Paul opposed in Galatians was the adding of requirements (which seemed logical) to faith in order to be real Christians. The legalists could argue that Jesus and the disciples followed Jewish law in circumcision and kosher foods, so the new Christians should do the same. Forgiveness comes through faith in Christ, not through obedience to the Law.
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Notice - the Law was added to the Gospel, not the reverse. The Law was revealed and carved in stone. Meanwhile, the Israelites went anti-Law in their revelry and pagan worship. Moses was very angry and smashed the originals. Punishment followed.
The Law reveals transgressions. God gave them the clear and very concise Law because the promised Seed (Jesus) would not come for many centuries. The grandeur of the giving of the Law was emphasized, along with the worship traditions of the Jews.
I am not a smells and bells high church pastor, but there is a clear division between traditional worship, based on Judaism, and "a sermon surrounded by four white walls" (Calvinism). Efforts to remove everything liturgical from Lutheran worship are really the same reaction as Zwingli and Calvin to traditional worship - they kept destroying until almost nothing remained.
On the other hand, those confused clergy who long to be Roman priests think of every gesture, brand of incense, and robe being mandatory - to the exclusion of the Gospel, which they necessarily hate. (He will hate the one and serve the other.) There is only must, must, must in their language, except for doctrine. Then, everybody knows, anything goes.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
This seems obscure at first - as Paul often does - but the point is simple. God gave a Promise to Abraham and the Law through Moses, so the Promise is first and most important. The Law is guide, not the means of salvation.
In piling on law requirements, the Galatians abandoned the Gospel as if the Law could make them righteous. But in fact, the Law is a guide that reveals our transgressions. The Law has the power to condemn, to admonish, to crush our arrogance and self-centeredness. But the Law is not the means of forgiveness. The lesser must give way to the greater, not the reverse as the Galatians were doing under the self-sent false teachers. (They always send themselves, and they only want "to improve and clarify." Luther calls them the most dangerous, clearly foretelling the Church Growth pests and parasites.)
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
The first clause destroys the claims of Objective Justification, an argument that "God declared the entire world righteous." Just the opposite is stated here - The Scripture has concluded that all are under sin..." That is the most the Law can do toward forgiveness of sin, and it is naturally very important by itself. However, that work of the Law, which is also by the Holy Spirit, is overshadowed by the work of the Gospel conveyed by the Spirit - the righteousness of faith.
ινα η επαγγελια εκ πιστεως ιησου χριστου δοθη τοις πιστευουσιν
Literal - so the Promise by faith of Jesus Christ is given to the believers.
When Greek does not use the article (the), it can be seen as emphasis. We normally speak of faith in Jesus Christ, which is personal and individual. And that is stated many times. This answers the question - what did Paul mean later in Romans - from faith to faith?
I agree with those who emphasis the faith that belongs to Jesus Christ, which is in harmony with the two objects of the Promise (as emphasized by Lenski). The Promise was made to Abraham and to the Seed - Christ.
The faith of Jesus places an emphasis upon His human nature.
Is there a parallel? Yes - in Mark. How could Jesus keep the fig tree from ever fruiting again.
Mark 11
22 και αποκριθεις ιησους λεγει αυτοις εχετε πιστιν θεου
And answering, Jesus says, "Have God-faith" - or have faith that belongs to God.
This could be seen as God's faith or divine faith. I see the lack of the article as forming a special emphasis on that faith that ignores and rejects all human conditions, based on experience, logic, and intelligence.
That is a very difficult task. When all the experts say, "Your child cannot live," the praying family says, "This is up to God alone." To think "God cannot do this" is to say "Jesus did not rise from the dead" and "the Lord did not raise three people from death."
I am pointing this out to show how great the contrast is between the transgressions revealed and the sins forgiven through individual faith in our Savior.
The more we study and know, the more we trust in this forgiveness. When the burden is removed by God's grace through faith in His Son, life is filled with joy and thanksgiving.
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| Butterfly graphic by Norma A. Boeckler |
