The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2022
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: O Thou, my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.
Be merciful to me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.
Psalm. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without Thy help, preserve it evermore by Thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
Gradual
It is better to trust in the Lord:
than to put confidence in man.
V. It is better to trust in the Lord:
than to put confidence in princes.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Hallelujah!
The Epistle and Gradual The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Holy Spirit and the Word
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 #309 O Jesus Blessed Lord - Kingo
Announcements and Prayers
People ask about our Holy Communion.
Roman Catholics put an emphasis on the ordained priest. The presence of the priest validates the communion service. The forgiveness is partial; the elements become only the body and blood of Christ. The priest and his ordination make it effective.
Calvinists reject Baptism and Communion as sacraments. The elements remain bread and wine and do not convey forgiveness. Calvin mocked the Real Presence.
Lutheran Biblical teaching shows what 1 Corinthians 10:16 reveals. The Body of Christ is with the bread through the Consecrating Word; the Blood is with the wine through the consecrating Word. The Word is always effective.
Distance does not attenuate or weaken the power of the Word, which is always divine. When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish through His Word, the 5,000 families were stretched across the grassy oasis. Nevertheless, these miracles showed Jesus could create this miracle for the entire crowd. If the liturgy, hymns, creed, readings, and sermon are effective, then how could the Words of Consecration be ineffective? Those who agree with the Augsburg Confession are one with us and are welcome to join the distribution - after God's Word has consecrated the elements for those who hear and believe.
KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
The Holy Spirit and the Word
Background
Concentrating on the New Testament at the expense of the Old Testament is like floors on a high rise starting at the 25th floor. The two parts of the Bible are completely woven together, the Old predicts and describes the Son of God. The New anchors everything in the Promises of the Old. For example, Holy Communion comes from the Passover Meal, which became the Lord's Supper.
The Son is the Creating Word (Genesis 1, John 1:3) and the I AM of the Burning Bush (Exodus 3). The Word and the Holy Spirit are always at work together and never apart. This is emphasized in Isaiah 55:8ff.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
a) it shall not return unto me void,
b) but it shall accomplish that which I please, and
c) it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The Word always having an effect is a different way of saying that God's Word is always divine, always active, always accomplishing something (never void). Whatever the Word accomplishes is God's will, not man's. This means that to do God's will, we only need to teach and rely on God's Word. Spirit and wind are the same word in Hebrew and Greek (as in pneumonia - lung), invisible and yet powerful, as we notice in the hurricane season.
KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul is saying, living in the Word also means walking according to that Word.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
The Word is not something picked up on occasion but with us wherever we go, whatever we do. The Word governs our thoughts and therefore our actions. Our human nature is not always the best, but the Spirit moves us to walk with Jesus, to please others and to apologize. Husbands and wives have endless opportunities to practice this and to carry this out with children - and parents - as well.
I have noticed congregations, where people deliberately have provoked others and caused trouble for no reason, have become dental offices and small business locations, the church sign removed, the land sold to the highest bidder. My favorite example is the person denied the honor of serving the coffee at the church dinner and the final results years later.
6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
The 19th century Perryville, Missouri riot is a good example of this being violated. Bishop Stephan was known for his adultery. Instead of treating him in a Scriptural manner, Walther led a riot that stole the bishop's land, money, books, and personal possessions. On a smaller scale, instead of destroying someone, it is far better to be gentle but firm in dealing with the sin. "Meekness" is something Jesus described for Himself. Stephan, for example, should have been removed from his position rather than being removed from his house, savings, books, land, and personal possessions. The riot meant that felons were attacking a felon for being a felon. The damage continues to this day.
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
We all have burdens, and sometimes they are very difficult to endure - disease, loss of life, threats to our income, difficulties of all kinds. Some people can pick up a 100-pound weight, but everyone can share in that lifting if they have enough help. Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd has a flock, and we as sheep follow the Shepherd where He leads us (Psalm 23 and John 10).
Sometimes individuals swagger and other times they pull back from what they should be doing. We are a small group by the estimation of others, but we share various tasks according to our abilities and time. That by itself is clearly the work of the Holy Spirit bearing the fruits described in Galatians 5. So there is rejoicing for each one who helps. I sent the I AM book to one person who is a very good editor, and that person found about 30 things I overlooked, including one really bad one. The fact is, one can get so used to a project that blatant mistakes sail right by and only emerge in print. And I found a good list of parables and this came up from another - "I have all the parable graphics. Do you want me to send them?" Answer - Yes!
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
We can fool others and ourselves, but not God. What we sow in a carnal spirit will reap corruption - like the Joy (ELCA Lutheran) Church Growth Church that was all entertainment and collapsed once the pastor saw the light of day. It was a tofu church like the tofu skyscrapers in Red China.
What we sow in the Spirit, through God's Word, will be harvested in eternal life. That is why we distribute free books, free KJVs, because we cannot judge where the living seed of the Word will land, grow roots, and increase the final harvest. We do know, through Isaiah 55 and many other passages, that God's Word will have its effect, will never return empty, and will always prosper His will.
