United Church of Christ

WELS published this with great opposition from the Church Growthers. Tolja, tolja, tolja. It sold faster than lutefisk at an ELS picnic, and WELS withdrew it.

 

UCC Shows Mainline Protestantism’s Future: Unrelenting Decline

John Lomperis on July 13, 2022

Hebrews 6

 

KJV Hebrews 6

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Explanation

In this passage the author is assuming that the readers understand the milk. The should know the basics and do, but the author urges them to deal with the deeper matters of the Faith.

 Cho gave new meaning to the word "cell."

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 6 - "Here We Must Beware Not To Abuse This Power, As the Pope Has Been Guilty of Doing Against Those Attacking His Person or Rule..."

 

Click for -> Complete Sermon for Trinity 6 - Anger and Its Signs, Third Sermon

19. The Christian Church must act on the same principles, when putting a person under the ban and “delivering such a one unto Satan,” as St. Paul did at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 5:5; also when denying him the sacrament and all fellowship, so as not to participate in his sin. This indeed is a dreadful sentence and terrific wrath; still it is not the wrath of man but of God. For the Church would much rather see man converted and be saved; as she shows by her actions, for where one repents and is converted, she gladly receives him back as her dear son and rejoices over him with all the angels, as Christ says of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. Luke 15:6f.

20. Here we must beware not to abuse this power, as the Pope has been guilty of doing against those attacking his person or rule, thus confounding his person with his office, making out that his wrath is God’s wrath, thereby spoiling both and pouring poison into the wine. For thus the Pope has, under the name of divine wrath, threatened and stunned emperors and kings, and yet he accomplished nothing more than to pour out his own wrath and spite. For this reason his church is in Scripture called a church of blasphemies, Revelation 13:5,16, having the marks of blasphemies written on her forehead, in all her words and deeds.

21. This now is the wrath we call the divine or paternal wrath. Then there is another, called the brotherly wrath, of the same nature because it proceeds from love. For instance when I am angry at a person whom I heartily love and to whom I wish all manner of good, and I am grieved because he will not forsake his sins and do better, so that I always distinguish between the person and the sin, to help the person and restrain the sin, doing all I can by exhorting, warning, threatening and correcting, in order to lead him to forsake his sins.

22. But it is well here also to be on one’s guard, lest a rogue be back of this, in the sense of one’s own wrath intermingling. For our wrath should be so wholly absent that not a speck of it be found; but that God’s wrath alone hold sway, which is to flow either from the office assigned, or from brotherly love, which here would mean from the wrath of God. For it is God’s command that we admonish, correct, reform and help one another, so that our neighbor desists from his sins and receives our admonitions gladly and with thanks. This is the “wrath” of that common Christian love of which Christ says, Matthew 18:15: “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone,” and in Scripture it is called an excellent, godly jealousy. St. Paul in Corinthians 11:2 says’ “I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy.” For a wrath of this nature does not seek your disgrace or disadvantage, but your honor and advantage; it would regret to see you injure the prospects of your soul’s salvation.

Corporations Killed Your Synod - And All the Denominations - They Borrowed the Sears Roebuck Plan

 

When Sears Roebuck was collapsing, one clever fellow bought it for the real estate. Some stores were left open for laughs, but the only real product was real estate.

The denominations - and your own dear synod - have been following the same recipe since the 1930s. That is when the Social Gospel Movement insisted that the Great Depression was caused by lack of social(istic) activism in the denominations. The Methodists, Presbyterians, and liberal Northern Baptists were first at the trough. Lutherans followed, reluctantly, slowly. Fuller Seminary, the sewer of the synods, joined in the 9th inning. 

A century ago, the denominations had large seminaries, gothic churches, and large groups of future ministers. The denominations and synods found ways to work together for the cause, even while pretending they shuddered at the thought of a more conservative group defiling them. When I told a WELS pastor that his district president, Robert Mueller, was on the board of the ELCA relief committee, he came close to crying. He said something like this - "I know nothing about any dealings with them, and I grew up in the WELS! How do you know?"

That cry of desolation was magnified when The Lutheran (ELCA) magazine featured WELS SP Mischke, LCMS SP Bohlmann, and ELCA's Lord High Bishop Herb Chilstrom meeting as a trio ("Chiefs Confer" in The Lutheran). Leaders of all three synods participated, too. The WELS denials were comical after I strongly encouraged Otten's Christian News  to reprint the photo and article.

Some are wondering, "How does this fit into the topic of corporations?" 

Answer - The denominations and synods began to mimic the corporations of big business, milking the assets of each church body for glorious business offices, travels everywhere, plush salaries, juicy benefits, and almost unlimited powers.

Many corporations are run by junior executives who come and go, a few being promoted, the rest being jettisoned like watermelon seeds. I remember one from a large university, one of many I knew because they changed every two years. The boss went to the wedding of one and canned her soon after. The rotten junior executive lasted two years. The nice one who got married - two years. The exceptional one - two years.

If we look at the vast expanse of denomination and synod officials, they are like the lower of Sears. They know their schools and seminaries and large churches are collapsing. Their statistics are as hollow and gurgling as child's stomach just before lunch. The projections look like the descent of a C-5 cargo jet.

What a great opportunity to liquidate and keep as much of the loot as possible, to cover up debt and reward the hard work of executives. If they have a large property with a lot of real estate value, they will place an incompetent in the call, wait for him or her to prepare it for closing, and harvest the bounty. The closer may even get a choice call as a reward. How sweet. I know of several situations where closing meant or means $1 million.

Sometimes they get rough, as they did with Historic St. John's in Milwaukee, which did not belong to any synod. 

Church officials with long faces show up to coach and flatter the tiny congregation on how to share the funds with charity, justice, and blessings for all its previous work. "We will never forget what your parish did for our synod. Now get off our property!" 

Beginning The Book of Concord Series. Luther- Melanchthon - Chemnitz.

 

A Sparkle creed link can be found - lower down -  extreme left column, and it is

1. blessed by your synod presidents, 
2. funded by your Thrivent sugar daddy, 
3. ignored or supported by your pastor.

 Martin Chemnitz copied Origen's statement, and I copied Chemnitz.

A reader asked if I could also start a series about the Book of Concord, writing, "Hardly anyone knows much about it." I always learn from such ventures, so I am happy to do that. The Luther Sermons (Lenker) are daily. The Biblical series and the Book of Concord will be a little slower.

One way to tell if it is new - look for a new graphic. I also add a summary statement from the material in the left column, which will change with newest topic.

Happy Fourth of July!

 

More Evidence - "Yes, the World’s a Ship on Its Passage Out, And Not a Voyage Complete; And the Pulpit Is Its Prow."

This video may also disappear as fast as the discussion on the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau Forum Online (the Ovaltines).

More of the same garbage is described from various denominations.

What could be more full of meaning?- for the pulpit is ever this earth’s foremost part; all the rest comes in its rear; the pulpit leads the world. From thence it is the storm of God’s quick wrath is first descried, and the bow must bear the earliest brunt. From thence it is the God of breezes fair or foul is first invoked for favorable winds. Yes, the world’s a ship on its passage out, and not a voyage complete; and the pulpit is its prow.

Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chapter 8

The information - 50 Plus Years of Pride - came from the links I found about the "Sparkle creed" being used at an ELCA congregation in wealthy Edina, Minnesota. The mocking blasphemous creed is nothing more than the accumulated toxins of 

1. Objective Faithless Justification (born forgiven and saved), 
2. Church Growth (rationalistic destroyers), and 
3. Ignorance about the Reformation (Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz - for those who graduated from Mequon).

"I believe in the church of everyday saints, as numerous, creative, and resilient as patches on the AIDS quilt, whose feet are grounded in mud and whose eyes gaze at the stars in Wonder." Sparkle creed.

The Sparkle creed had to have decades of development to have female clergy lead it in public - with a smirk - and the videos published on YouTube. Years back, the same style of nonsense and perversion was featured, bragged about, protected, and awarded with calls - "Party in the MLC" (WELS). 

Pardon my lack of ignorance - I saw it coming in the early stages in the LCA, even as a lad at Plymouth Congregational (UCC) Church, Moline - a woman dressed in a man's suit.

50 Plus Years of Pride is not the end but just another marker on the road to perdition. If people do not make themselves aware of what it happening now, and act on it, everything will be far worse. I gave up income at one school because it was embracing DEI. However, that left me open for only teaching the Bible. I will write more about the topic, based on the corporate style of self-destruction.

 The patron saint of Fuller Seminary - Peter Drucker.

50 Plus Years of Pride - ALC/LCA/AELC/ELCA -

From LGBTQ Exhibits

Lutheranism

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) experienced a slow and steady transformation in terms of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Scholar of queer religious history R.W. Holmen refers to the activist movement within Lutheranism as being "subtle" (231), but revolutionary nonetheless. ALC Pastor Jim Siefkes was a leader of the movement toward affirmation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals. He demonstrated true allyship to the LGBT+ community, first by developing a ministry program called Matrix which tackled the subject of human sexuality, alongside other potentially controversial topics, forthrightly and openly. 

In June of 1970, Siefkes helped organize an experimental seminar discussing human sexuality in a theological context. The University of Minnesota medical school was enthusiastic about the programming Siefkes had designed, and began running a similar program under its own institutional auspices. As Siefkes became more heavily involved in the university's programming, he also aided in the formation of a Committee on Religion and Ethics at the university's medical school, reinforcing his original goal of tying sexuality and religion together in a meaningful fashion. Many people affiliated with religous communities at the university were appalled by the programming's sexually explicit materials and objected vehemently to church finances backing programming they considered lewd and inappropriate. However, many others found the programming illuminating, and were willing to enter into an open conversation about homosexuality and faith. 

Jim Siefkes

The foremost organization pushing for LGBT+ inclusion within the Lutheran Church, called Lutherans Concerned for Gay People, was formed on June 16, 1974, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Lutherans Concerned for Gay People's first newsletter was released a mere month after the group's formation. The organization's viewpoint was neatly encapsulated within this very first issue, as the authors wrote, 

As gay Lutherans, we affirm with joy the goodness of human sexuality which God has given us. We are to be found in the pulpits and pews, the schools and offices of Lutheran churches and organizations throughout the land. We have received the sacraments, listened to the preaching of God's word, taught in the schools, and worked in the committees and organizations of Lutheran churches.

The organization faced almost instant backlash in 1975, as indignation over the success of Pastor Siefkes' request for financing for Lutherans Concerned for Gay People spread among a conservative element within the Lutheran church. The headline "Dollars for Disobedience" was disseminated within the church, condemning the use of the church's funds for LGBT+ advocates. 

Pastor Chuck Lewis was responsible for forming a particularly active chapter of Lutherans Concerned in San Francisco, California (the organization's name evolved to Lutherans Concerned, and then Lutherans Concerned/North America, frequently abbreviated to LC/NA). 

Chuck Lewis

In 1980, the LCA and ALC both released statements dealing with human sexuality. Both statements condemned homosexuality as contrary to God's plan. The church still had a long way to go towards full inclusion. 

However, in 1987, it was reported in the Los Angeles Times that three out gay Lutheran seminarians were certified for call and ordination. These seminarians were Joel Workin, James Lancaster, and Jeff Johnson. Yet, the case was not at all open and shut, as the Times seemed to imply. The candidates for ministry were asked if they would vow to remain celibate for the rest of their lives. Jeff Johnson answered that, while he was currently celibate, he couldn't promise that he wouldn't fall in love with a man one day. His fellow ordinands answered similarly. As R.W. Holmen wrote, "The courage of the candidates stood in stark contrast to the timidity of the church. The integrity of the candidates embarrassed the church that reneged on its agreement" (253). Sadly, these three men were denied ordination.

Jeff R. Johnson

The church has since made tremendous strides, as Dr. Guy Barron, a Native American and gay man, was elected as a bishop within the Lutheran church in 2013. [Guy Erwin is the correct name.]

Richard Jungkuntz, WELS, was a pioneer. He was fired for being a historical-critical professor, taught at Springfield's (future Ft. Wayne) seminary, served as the head of the doctrinal board in the LCMS, became chairman of the board of the breakaway Seminex seminary, which sponsored the Metropolitan Community Church (gay) Seminary at their location.

Guy Erwin was a professor in ELCA, then a part-time pastor, then a bishop, and now the President of United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 6 - "Just As Also These Three - To Judge, To Avenge And To Glory, Have Been Taken From Us, And No Person Should Share in Them..."

Click for -> Complete Sermon for Trinity 6 - Anger and Its Signs, Third Sermon

6. Hence you must in this instance so tune the organ as to have the pipes sound in harmony, and so as to prevent two from clashing. For what kind of justice would you call it when one offends you by a mere word, or pilfers a penny’s worth, and you go and cut off his arm or burn down his house, crying angrily the while: Well, he did me wrong, and I have good reasons, etc.! In such a case your murderous wrath, that does tenfold more violence and injustice to me, is not to be called a sin, but righteousness and holiness, while I am to be considered unrighteous aria suffer wrong.

7. This now I am not saying for the benefit of strangers, who are without, except merely for an illustration to show how this vice rules in the world; but concerning us, both teachers and scholars, who pride ourselves on being evangelical and still want the liberty of becoming angry and to rage when we please; and not permit ourselves to be punished nor reproved, but rather than that everything may go to pieces, if only we be considered to be in the right, and pious, despite the fact that such a despicable farce of right causes a hundredfold more wrong.

8. Therefore Christ here takes energetic action, and abolishes anger wholly and completely in the entire world, draws it to himself and says: I do not merely say, Thou shalt not kill, nor say Raca to thy brother, but thou shalt in no case be angry; the one is as solemnly and earnestly prohibited as the other.

For you are not told to judge or avenge yourself, and even though you are right and have a just cause, still your wrath is of the devil; as St. James in his James 1:20, says: “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Hence all anger is to be abolished entirely from us and the wrath of God alone is to work; otherwise it will turn out to be the devil’s wrath and it certainly does not cool down without sin. Just as also these three: to judge, to avenge and to glory, have been taken from us, and no person should share in them, though they have ever so good a cause and ever so great holiness. But to God alone belong honor, judgment and vengeance, hence also wrath.

9. Now, I fear, this will not be done by us as long as we are here in this life, and yet it would be grace, if we only became so pious as to make a beginning; for as soon as we suffer an injury, flesh and blood at once act as flesh and blood; they begin to rage and rave in anger and impatience. It is natural for us to feel hurt when suffering injustice and violence, hence it is necessary to check and restrain the feelings of anger and resist them. The feeling that you are injured will pass away; but that you in addition desire to avenge yourself in this or that way, is prohibited. Therefore see to it that one fits well into the other, that one claim does not conflict with the other nor cancel it, but let the two harmonize, so that both may continue. If you cannot secure your rights without doing greater harm, let it go. For it is not good to check or punish one wrong with another, nor is God willing to have universal justice perish because of your petty claims.

WELS-LCMS-ELS Delighted about Their Objective Faithless Justification:Only One Dissenter

 

"Every time I bark about Justification by Faith, they muffle my message!"

C. Peter Wagner's Mushroom-Based Gospel - The NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION Translation.

 

WELS, Missouri, and ELCA devoured Wagner and McGavran. The founder of Church Growth, McGavran, tickled Olson and Valleskey pink, even though the Founder promoted congregations sponsoring Planned Parenthood. Wagner was a Pentecostal Space Cadet, endorsed by WELS in their little Milwaukee magazine - The Popes Speak.

Protestia link

The author of The Passion Translation version of the Bible is up and arms after Bible Gateway removed it from their list of available resources, claiming that the snub is a result of “cancel culture” in the church.

While Bible Gateway has yet to publicly comment on their motivation for doing so, we can’t say that we’re surprised.

This Bible “translation” might as well have been called “The New Apostolic Reformation Translation” given that it’s pretty much exclusively endorsed by NAR folk, from Bethel to Bobbie Houston, James Goll, John and Lisa Bevere, Patricia King, Chuck Pierce, and is infused with their special kind of theology.

The Passion is a single-author “translation” of the scriptures by NAR “Apostle” Dr. Brian Simmons of Stairway Ministries, who claimed that Jesus appeared to him and gave him “secrets” of the Hebrew language. Lest you be confused about the “Dr.” in front of his name, it wasn’t due to his scholarly prowess.

Rather, he received it from Wagner Leadership Institute – an NAR organization founded by C. Peter Wagner that offers courses in subjects like dream interpretation and miracle-working and where you can get a “Masters of Spiritual Healing, Deliverance, and Warfare” or a “Masters of Apostolic Leadership and Applied Ministry.”

Not to be rude, but that dude is as crazy as a rat in a coffee can." 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 6, Third Sermon. "Envy And Hatred Do Not Want To Be Reprimanded, But Rather Extolled As Being True Earnestness And Godly Zeal Against Wickedness."

 

Click for -> Complete Sermon for Trinity 6 - Anger and Its Signs, Third Sermon

1. This Gospel we have fully and sufficiently explained on other occasions, when treating of the entire sermon of Christ, which Matthew the Evangelist records in three chapters; for today we will take a part of it, where Christ expounds and explains the fifth commandment. For here we observe first, that Christ attacks a sin called anger, which is very common and powerfully rules the world.

And it is not one of the gross, public vices punished also by the world, but one of those fine sins of the devil that do not want to pass for sin. For they sail under false colors, so that no one can rebuke and punish them. For instance, pride will not be called pride, but truth and justice; envy and hatred do not want to be reprimanded, but rather extolled as being true earnestness and godly zeal against wickedness. These are really the two colors the devil carries in his realm, namely, lying and murder, which in the eyes of the world claim the honor and praise of being holiness and righteousness in the highest degree.

2. For this reason our Lord and Savior singles out the Pharisees, who fain would be the holiest and most pious, and be so considered by everybody; he even calls their doings by the beautiful name of righteousness, but he pictures and judges it as one not leading to heaven but into the abyss of perdition, a veritable fruit of Satan. And this he does for the reason that they wanted to be called righteous and pious, defying the whole world to prove the contrary, and at the same time were filled with venomous wrath, envy and hate. The world cannot see nor judge in such matters, therefore Christ alone is the judge here who dare and can pass such a sentence of judgment. Even if this righteousness of the Pharisees be ever so beautiful and holy, yet, they shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven; for I do not desire nor will have a righteousness that stamps itself as such, and will not be called sin, but struts about in the fine coat of divine righteousness, so that we must call them Christian, pious people, holy spiritual fathers, etc.

3. Now, on what is this righteousness of the Pharisees based and where does it derive its name? On the fact that God said, “Thou shalt not kill,” etc. On these words they planted themselves and stood. The text says nothing more than “Thou shalt not kill;” hence it follows that whoever does not kill, is righteous. But when my feelings are hurt and I am wronged, I have good grounds and reasons for being wrought up and for resenting the injustice; at the same time my wrath appears doubly justified because it suffers violence and injustice without actually killing. This wrath of mine advances a step by embellishing its cause in proclaiming its innocence and parading its piety before God and the world thus: Have I not good reasons for being angry? This and that my neighbor has done to me in return for my many favors, and I would have gladly given him my life’s blood; this is the thanks, the returns, with which he pays me. Am I to suffer all this and pass such malice by? And at this point a Pharisee boldly proceeds to malign and persecute his neighbor in the highest degree, wherever he can, inflicting harm and injury; and all this is claimed to be done justly, he himself being pious and holy, yea, extolled as a martyr in the sight of God and men.

4. In like manner, when the Pope and his followers condemn, burn and murder all who will not worship their abominations, counting them as disobedient to the Christian Church and obstinate, this of course must be called genuine service of God, and God should feel elated over becoming worthy of such saints. Our great noblemen act much in the same way, who boast so loudly they are friends of God and of the whole world, but enemies to iniquity. Indeed, what a great friendship we here have with God and with mankind! Where shall God stand before such saints in order to raise them high enough heavenward?

5. Behold the excellent, grand and sacred anger of the cavalier or nobleman, who cannot possibly be guilty of a transgression or an injustice; and whoever is not of this opinion is evidently not a godly man. This sermon of Christ seems therefore very peculiar to the world, in fact it is unknown in use and practice, though heard often enough and well known as to its words. For the world does not consider it a sin for a man to resent a wrong, when he is innocent; and it is true that he who has a clear case against his offender can also seek redress in court, all this we must admit.

But in adding his personal wrath to matters and trying to avenge himself, he overdoes it; one law now conflicts with the other, and a small right develops into a great wrong.

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 2023. Luke 5. First the Word, Then Faith

 

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 2023

Bethany Lutheran Church, Springdale

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

 

Click for -> Worship Service, 

Trinity 5, 2023

The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH Lyrics site is linked here.

The Hymn #613        Jerusalem the Golden
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

The Introit

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: 

Thou hast been my Help.

Leave me not, neither forsake me: 

O God of my salvation.

Psalm. The Lord is my Light and my Salvation: whom shall I fear?

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

Collect

O God, who hast prepared for them that love Thee such good things as pass man’s understanding, pour into our hearts such love toward Thee that we, loving Thee above all things, may obtain Thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual   

Gradual

Behold, O God, our Shield: and look upon Thy servants.

V. O Lord God of hosts: hear our prayer. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. The king shall joy in Thy strength: and in Thy salvation, how greatly shall he rejoice! Hallelujah!

The Gospel             
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 649 Jesus Savior Pilot Me

First the Word, Then Faith

The Communion Hymn #307 Draw Now and Take
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 #577          God Bless Our Native Land

Prayers and Announcements

• Esther Estrada landed in America on July 20th, last year. Glen Kotten and Esther married on July 23rd. May God continue His richest blessings on them.
• Christina Jackson's birthday is July 20th.
• In our prayers - Sarah Buck, Kermit and Maria Way, Christina's brother-in-law. Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris.
• 
  

 By Norma A. Boeckler

KJV 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Fifth Sunday After Trinity

O Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the living God, who hast given us Thy holy word, and hast bountifully provided for all our temporal wants, we confess that we are unworthy of all these mercies, and that we have rather deserved punishment: But we beseech Thee, forgive us our sins, and prosper and bless us in our several callings, that by Thy strength we may be sustained and defended, now and forever, and so praise and glorify Thee eternally, Thou who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

First the Word, Then Faith

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

Biographies or Gospels?

Some people get discouraged that the Biblical readings are so concise, and they are not filled with details, unlike some recent biographies 1,200 pages long. My funniest bookstore experience was a massive new biography of Shakespeare, which starts "We know next to nothing about Shakespeare" and proceeds to speculate about what they do not know - for hundreds of pages. 

My Yale professor, Nils Dahl, said, "The only thing we know about Jesus? The text! The text!"

I told a member I was not longing for a bunch of commentaries, because the best sources - besides the Scriptures - are Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz. The Book of Concord is the best one-volume companion to the Bible, yet the hungry book printers want to sell even more commentaries. The CPH commentary on Mark is bigger than the Chicago phone book.

The Gospels, through the Holy Spirit, deliver the material Jesus promised - everything needed to carry out His work when He was enthroned on the Right Hand of God and managing the Kingdom on earth.

Luke passes onto us the details of this great miracle, early in the preaching of Jesus Christ, showing the power of the Word upon the crowd and upon Simon who would be called Peter (Rocky Johnson in American English).

People followed Jesus wherever He went, a special emphasis in Mark, the second Gospel very important in describing the activities of Jesus as a miracle worker. They were crowded up against Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (aka Lake Gennesaret; two names, like Simon/Peter).

If speaking there, He could only reach a few rows because the crowd would absorb most of the sound. Instead, His eye was on the fishing boats, the fishermen already repairing the nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 

This was a great solution in dealing with an eager crowd, being filled with joy about His Word and works. As fishermen know, sound travels easily across the water, so the crowd could use the rising ground to hear and see Jesus as a whole. The Akron Plan was once a church feature where one person taught and classrooms rose up around the speaker. When the main person was done, the individual classes were closed by enormous roll-top partitions for the subordinate teachers and their classes.

The Akron plan reproduced the audience for the miraculous catch of fish.

Jesus had two boats available, and He chose Simon, so they were out on the lake together. They were out just a little ways from the shore, and Jesus sat down. Rabbis sat down to teach, which is described also in Matthew 5:1. Jesus sat down and taught from the ship, not a little rowboat for two or three, but a large, stable vessel for rowing and a catch of fish.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

Jesus spoke the Gospel to the crowd and to Jesus. Today people would rather ask for - or demand - a miracle, and say "I will believe if it happens." That is the reverse of God's order but ideal for filling the cattle-pens of Satan. Nothing is better for that bovine harvest than being dis-couraged, dis-heartened, dis-contented, and finally dis-interested. The scary part of those hyphenated words is the crowd of successful media preachers who make their demands on the Savior but do not believe, taking their flocks with them and scattering them.

Simon, as a pro-fisherman, knew that there were no fish to be had, especially in the daytime. However, because Jesus taught the message of faith and grace, forgiveness of sin, he said, "I trust your Word, so I will let down the net."

First God plants the Word of the Gospel, then He begins to help the believer -  nourishing, encouraging, blessing, and creating miracles for the believer. As Luther says, there is no mandate for God to do this or that, because believers are already in His flock. However, God also promises good things according to His will and timing. I wanted to publish books, but after the first book sold out, the publisher canceled the second book they had already approved and gave back the first book! That made it possible to publish any book via Amazon, and many titles float around the used book market too. That includes the first and second books, now printed by Amazon.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

The nets were already being mended when Jesus arrived, and they had to be rugged, long-lasting nets. But so many fish were in the net that it began to break. They asked for more help, and got it, with both ships full, they began to sink.

First Jesus planted faith in their hearts. Then, with all the superstitions and fears removed, Simon agreed to do what seemed impossible. After all, they were all out there toiling. They were like farmers trying to raise a crop during a drought. What's the use?

And suddenly the haul was not just full, but overflowing, and heavy enough to sink the ships.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 

The miracle, which I have seen too, was not only great and marvelous, but far beyond anyone's imagination. Simon was crushed by his own sense of weakness, doubt, and sin. He knew he was with God Himself - Lord.

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Luther:

22. In short, our work produces and bestows nothing. Yet it is necessary as a means through which we may receive what God gives. The disciples must use their hands to let down the nets and to draw them in, if they wish to secure anything, and must be willing to do so. Yet they are obliged to acknowledge that their labor did not bring about the result, otherwise they would have succeeded, in the first place, without Christ. He therefore permits them to make a sufficient trial, and to discover by experience that the toil of this entire night has been in vain and to no purpose.

Whatever we do as believers is blessed by God. Just as Satan wishes us ill to join his band of burglars and liars, so God wishes to provide us with blessings - and better yet - blessings upon those we know. Because of the Lord Jesus in Heaven, we benefit those we know, those who have special needs, those going through pain, sorry, and loss.