Trinity 4, 2020 Videotape Holy Communion Service and Bible Study Luke 15

July 5, 2020 

Holy Communion Service


For Mequon graduates -
 https://video.ibm.com/recorded/127148852

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2020

Norma A. Boeckler

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2020

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

·        The melody site is linked here.

·        TLH lyrics come from the the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog.

The Hymn #520:1-6             Commit Whatever Grieves Thee
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me: they stumbled and fell.

Psalm. Though an host should encamp against me: my heart shall not fear.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by Thy governance that Thy Church may joyfully serve Thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ. Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual 
The Gospel 
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Hymn #520:7-12          Commit Whatever Grieves Thee

 The Struggle Continues

The Communion Hymn # 307      Draw Nigh
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 # 436                  The Lord's My Shepherd

In Our Prayers - Announcements

• In treatment - Mary Howell, Rush Limbaugh, Christina Jackson
• Being tested - Pastor Jim Shrader
• New Lenski pdfs - Ask Pastor Jackson
• Luther's Galatians almost ready for print

KJV Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

KJV Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

Fourth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who art merciful, and through Christ didst promise us, that Thou wilt neither judge nor condemn us, but graciously forgive us all our sins, and abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul: We pray Thee, that by Thy Holy Spirit Thou wilt establish in our hearts a confident faith in Thy mercy, and teach us also to be merciful to our neighbor, that we may not judge or condemn others, but willingly forgive all men, and, Judging only ourselves, lead blessed lives in Thy fear, through Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Struggle Continues

KJV Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The normal attitude toward suffering is to get rid of it in various ways. School is tough - drop out. Work is dreary or painful - find another vocation. Physical pain - find relief. Emotional pain - that is  much harder to address. The Roman Empire added confiscation of property, persecution, torture, and death to this list.

When Paul or another writer says "For...", it means that the current passage explains what went before. We suffer with Christ so that we are glorified with Him.

Suffering should not be a shock to the Christian, because Jesus said, "Take up My cross and follow Me." If someone refuses to do that, he is not a follower, but more of a renter, someone who can go away at any moment and leave a mess behind. 

Luther:

3. The high prerogative of heirship, Paul faithfully enjoins, is dependent on a sacred duty. Let him who would be Christ’s brother, and joint-heir with him, remember he must also be a joint-martyr and joint-sufferer with Christ. The apostle’s meaning is: Many are the Christians, indeed, who would be joint-heirs with Christ and gladly enjoy the privilege of sharing his inheritance, but who object to suffering with him; they separate themselves from him because unwilling to participate in his pain. But Paul says this will not do. The inheritance follows only as a consequence of the suffering. Since Christ, our dear Lord and Savior, had to suffer before he could be glorified, we must be martyrs with him, with him be mocked by the world, despised, spit upon, crowned with thorns and put to death, before the inheritance will be ours. It cannot be otherwise.

A consistent sympathy is essential to Christian faith and doctrine. He who would be Christ’s brother and fellow-heir must also suffer with him. He who would live with Christ must first die with him. The members of a family not only enjoy good together but also share in their ills. As the saying is, “He who would be a companion in eating must also be a companion in labor.”

In Pilgrim's Progress, the burden carried is sin, life is a great struggle, and life continues as a struggle until crossing over. However, to compare struggles is no good. As one lady said when people told her they had it worse - "Your pneumonia will not cure my cold."

We do not like to struggle. We have a word for struggle, based on the Greek word - agony.

For example, many people say they do not publish what they want to write because they are afraid of rejection. A writer's magazine taught me how to make a game of it. 

1. Create an album of rejection letters.
2. Tend it carefully.
3. Keep going until it is plenty large.
4. The fear will go away and checks will come it.

Lenski, Romans, p. 529:

“For” = in order that you may understand the better what has just been said about our suffering together with Christ and our also being glorified together with him. All of this will become clearer when we view ourselves in the midst of the entire suffering creature world which longs for our glorification at the last day.

Do not occupy your mind exclusively with the little suffering which you individually endure but see this vast creature world groaning, and we with it, but having all its hope centered in us as the sons of God, centered upon us and on our deliverance. 

Fear is so prevalent in us that people will become afraid even when they have already proven their ability. For example, I have had many adult students who were articulate, humorous, and clear in class discussions, while seated in the room. However, when they stood up to deliver a talk, they looked at the same people and began to feel terrorized, so much they could barely talk. That could be described as a trust issue - they were so inflamed by fear they did not trust their classmates enjoying the talk.

That also paralyzes the frustrated perfectionist - "If I publish this, people will laugh and be scornful about its faults, my faults."

There are countless nasty experiences and horrible people to endure in life, so the Spirit teaches us through Paul that suffering can be faced and will be reality whether we choose to name it or not. 

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

There are many kinds of afflictions but the worst ones are connected with the Faith, bearing the cross. For the innocent, it is shocking that supposed good citizens and good church members would lie in wait to pounce on a minister. However, that is a universal experience. Whenever the Gospel begins to take hold and show results, people become suddenly alarmed and angry, always finding something to attack. As Luther said, those who love the Word will love the person who brings it to them. Those who hate the Word will also hate the one who teaches it.

Denominational leaders will say, "Don't get people upset. You can always read sermons out of a book." Ministers tell themselves, "If I avoid being so strong on the Scriptures, I will be more popular and get the benefits popularity.

Likewise, people gain from being part of the crowd instead of opposing the wrong direction our society is taking. The Seventh Day Adventists talked about this over 25 years ago. They pointed out how vast numbers of people could be changed by introducing new concepts steadily. Although I only have old family connections with SDA, their observations were exactly what happened to Lutherans. A liberal from a Left-wing denomination (Donald McGavran, Disciples of Christ, World Council of Churches) introduced concepts and terms that took all of Protestantism and some Catholics into another field altogether, so these terms are now "scripture" and the critics of it should be burned at the stake:

• "God wants HIS Church to grow."
• Test the soil before sowing the seed.
• Form cell groups (aka koinonia, small, lay-led, affinity)
• Pipe organs are last century instruments.
• Church Growth eyes see what the church needs to grow.
• Making people busy keeps them in church.

Luther:

16. Here is the second point of consolation. Paul holds up as an example to us the condition of the whole creation. He exhorts us to endure patiently, as the creature does, all the violence and injustice we suffer from the devil and the world, and to comfort ourselves with the hope of future redemption. Remarkable doctrine this, unlike anything elsewhere found in the Scriptures, that heaven and earth, sun, moon and stars, leaf and blade, every living thing, waits with sighing and groaning for the revelation of our glory.

Creation itself is waiting for the completion of God's plan, so we naturally participate in the universal experience of groaning in labor (travail).

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 

There is a vast difference between humans and creatures. We think about our lives, look back at the past, consider the future. Creatures simple do their assigned work. Earthworms do not register disgust at eating soil and rotting vegetation. Bacteria actually digest the food for earthworms and get free rides everywhere. But worms do not say, "Whee! We went several inches yesterday. This is getting to be exciting."

The reason we can eat is this patient adherence to the software embedded in every living thing. We have that but always in a way that is changed by our attitudes. Our supervisors would like us to be like soil creatures that are always improving the soil, never unhappy, never stopping to wonder about their purpose.

But we do that because God gave us minds for reflection and thoughts about the future. Because this world is in its labor pains,

we can watch and participate to some extent, being faithful to the Word of God.

It is not a delusion. Everything is going downhill. There is a final point, but it may be 100 or a thousand years away, maybe tomorrow too. 

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

The difference between man and the creatures is this - we have free will and can sin. The animals do not sin but carry out their duties as embedded in them from Creation. But everyone is in this together, so the difference in mankind is not only faith but willingness to bear the cross.

Some people think sympathy only means saying, "I feel your pain" while moving on. But sympathy means literally to "suffer with" someone, not to be the religious person who takes note and walks on the other side of the street.

Some people even delight in the pain of others and rub it in. That is not walking with the Savior, the way of the cross, but joining with the bystanders in mocking.

If we trust in God and find ourselves mired in a painful situation - such as illness, rejection, lack of income, etc - we should rejoice that God has given us this particular cross to bear.

Rejoice may seem too strong but Luther called it the "dear, holy cross" - not an obstacle but a blessing. When this is connected with the Word itself (not simply an affliction), then we know it is being awarded great glory by the unbelieving world. Being a Lutheran, for example, is like bearing all the crosses but never given any credit for any good thing. Example - academics should be Left-wing apostates: they are approved. A faithful Lutheran is under suspicion. 

Having a disorder is not the cross by itself, but hearing the attitudes of others is. Some blame the patient or the parents or the hometown or the food eaten or not eaten. It is an automatic, always on, connection with heaven, because it leads or forces one into thinking about eternal life and the meaning of our time on earth.

Emotional disorders can certainly be a cross because our emotions bend and move us in so many ways. What others see as weakness can be the greatest strength or paradoxical blessing in someone. Being able to connect with someone on an emotional level is not automatic and does not come easily. But those who are  most attuned to emotions can quickly communicate with others in pain. That communication might be with words, but it also includes many other factors or approaches,such as prayers, hymns, presents, etc.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Luther:

23. We have plain authority for the interpretation of the groaning of creation in Paul’s further words, “the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will.” He thus makes all creation — sun and moon, fire, air, water, heaven and earth with all they contain — merely poor, captive servants. And whom do they serve? Not our Lord God; not for the most part his children, for they are a minority among those ministered unto. To whom, then, is their service given? To the wicked — to vanity. The created things are not, as they would be, in righteous service. The sun, for instance, would choose to shine for Paul, Peter and other godly ones. It begrudges to wicked characters like Judas, Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas the least ray of light; for it is useless service, yielding no good. To serve Peter and Paul would be productive of pleasure and profit; well may its benefit be bestowed upon these godly ones. But the sun must shine as well for the wicked as for the ungodly. Indeed, where it fittingly serves one godly individual, thousands abuse its service.

The case is similar with gold and other minerals, and with all the articles of food, drink and clothing. To whom do these minister? Wicked desperadoes, who in return blaspheme and dishonor God, condemn his holy Gospel and murder his Christians. This is wasted service.

Gold animates the entire world. Right now people are looking for the fabled Lost Dutchman's Goldmine, outside Phoenix, and spend years exploring the desert for it. Like all the treasures of earth, gold serves a great and noble purpose but is mostly abused by the greedy. The People's Republic of China has been caught using over $1 billion in fake gold to generate real income.

We should not be surprised at all about the suffering we experience and see around us. We should be like nurses (a figure used by Paul) and be eager to listen and to help when others have pain of any kind. No one likes to see it because we suffer with it. I had the chance to see people after operations. They got sick from time to time. I held the pan and went wup-wup with them, almost joining them. But that is part of visiting. Our neighbor is Christ, even the least of them.