Bethany Lutheran Church
Springdale, Arkansas
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
O Lord, I have trusted in Thy mercy:
my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
I will sing unto the Lord:
because He hath dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm. How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord?
How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O God, the Strength of all them that put their trust in Thee,
mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do nothing without Thee, grant us the help of Thy grace that in keeping Thy commandments we may please Thee both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Gradual
I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul,
for I have sinned against Thee.
V. Blessed is he that considereth the poor:
the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Give ear to my words, O Lord: consider my meditation. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Battle Against Satan Must Continue
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
Announcements and Prayer
- Zach Engleman is in the Philippines. Last year, he was just home from the trip.
- Our nation, built upon the sacrifices of patriots and the faith of its Founders, has a Constitution that has outlived all others.
- Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader, Dr. Lito Cruz' family, Kermit Way, Sarah Buck - diagnosis and treatment, those with emotional distress and metabolic disorders.
- Today, Bible John is getting his own, inscribed Giant Print KJV plus a book about the Bible for children.
KJV 1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
KJV Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
Second Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks unto Thee, that through Thy holy word Thou hast called us to Thy great supper, and we beseech Thee: Quicken our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not hear Thy word without fruit, but that we may prepare ourselves rightly for Thy kingdom, and not suffer ourselves to be hindered by any worldly care, 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.
The Sermon
"Through its own evil works, unbelief, pride, contempt for the Word and grace of God, and the persecution of the godly, the world has become by this time the victim of Satan and eternal death." Luther's Sermons, Epistle for Trinity 2.
KJV Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
The Gospel must be proclaimed, no matter what the circumstances may be. This parable makes it very clear. A certain man is God, so readers and listeners, and the Great Supper represent all the ways the Christian Faith can be proclaimed.
I enjoy a photo of two lambs, after being washed clean by rain, pure white.
As we all know, a truly great feast is going to offer many different ways to satisfy and delight people. I was invited to one where the food was never-ending and the choices were more than anyone could imagine. The next year, all that was gone, except for some crackers.
The ruins of churches are everywhere and they also go back through the ages. Many are fallen down but still more are emptied or transformed - for drama (Yale Drama), book stores, and other uses. I served three LCA congregations which no longer exist, two of them being an apartment house and a local business.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
This may be the funniest response, because the purchased land is not going to move. That is reflected now in the material view of the church. One minister got on TV and said he tried everything and failed. I yelled at the screen, "Try faith!" because I knew how addicted the Pasadena Popes were to gimmicks, trends, numbers, glorious buildings, and food courts. That has been forced onto so many that they only think in material ways - needing more parking, needing the "right place" for the church, needing a puppet ministry (I'm not kidding). One Church Growth genius emphasized "felt needs" as the way to draw members, not faith, but felt needs - time management, stress management, etc.
The reverse of the Gospel is the carnal mind. However, the Apostles did nothing to accumulate those carnal needs. Three years of listening to Christ and seeing His miracles, with the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension on their minds, guided by the Holy Spirit, they went wherever they could. Their lives did not last very long, but the Gospel kept moving to new places, usually by persecution, as they did in escaping from Jerusalem. They had Roman roads and ships to carry them.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
Notice that the first two excuses were based on business. The oxen needed a test-drive, so he wanted to be excused. They were less volatile than the unmoved land, so that must be considered.
The most powerful force on earth is God Himself. I know that is true, because many insurance policies include an "act of God." They must believe because the policy may or may not cover a building when it stipulates an act of God. "Many acts of God are covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy, though some may require a separate insurance rider." (I passed a test on this one and nine others, earning a CLU.)
The only way we can have access to God's grace is through faith in Jesus Christ. Let's count the instruments that do not include God's grace - bricks and mortar, snacks during the service, parking service, car repairs (Midland Michigan), selling coffee. The building where I earned an MDiv is now almost completely a counseling center named after the one of the deans. The truly hip congregations in Chicago organize a trip so people can visit a variety of pagan temples.
God's grace is so powerful and mentioned so often - why is everything crumbling? A highly respected theologian pointed out what Paul did not teach. The old-fashioned ones, now forgotten, described methods (the name meaning tricks) to lure people to the Gospel.
Grace comes only from faith in Jesus Christ and His whole teaching, not something fancied up as philosophy or as lures. As one Fuller expert said about many things, "Do this and you will have happy campers."
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
There is a lot of romance in that verse, perhaps more ironic. The excuse is hollow, but believe me, I have heard every excuse in the world. Where does forgiveness come from? A house, a bigger house, the right neighbors? Love is highly rated - often praised in songs, movies, short stories, and drama. But lacking faith, love does not continue.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
These are not the right demographics, but my professor said to our education class - "You are my favorite demographic!" How many congregations have been set up to be in the right place and yet have never figured out the true energy (efficacy) of the Word and Sacraments? The short-hand phrase is the efficacy of the Means/Instruments of God's grace. The great wise ones say, "Gather them together with lures, with sugar-coating, with fun things for everyone."
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
That is an exact portrait of American Christianity today, which is even worse because of events that began with attacks on the Bible from 1871 onward, based on phony sources - Vaticanus (kept locked up) and Sinaiticus - (world's youngest forgery). Those two are portrayed as the bestest and used to remove the divinity of Christ and faith in Him.
Luther often observed that Satan is always at work against the Christian Faith. Satan will never let up against the faithful. There are many counter-attacks to suppress him and his assistants.
1. Emotions. Paul had his thorn in the flesh, which by itself is worthy of a pamphlet. If it is depression, as some think, it is reasonable to think that his opponents and his exhaustion leveled him, even after his beseeching prayers. Even when we feel weak and worried, God provides for us and lifts us up in thankfulness.
2. Fears. Especially in these days, with so much uncertainty, fears are easily stirred up. The opposite of fear is not courage, but faith in the Promises of God. Fear makes us cower, give up, go into a paralysis. Who is on our side? The Good Shepherd, who provides for us and counter-attacks Satan.
3. Mockery. People have plenty of ways to make fun of us for being faithful. But those attacks are not poison but energy (efficacy=energy=Spirit in the Word) pills. The energy of the Gospel Word in all its forms will always work and accomplish God's will.
4. Satan. He is given the highest form of praise and adulation. It is now common to wear a Satan face tattooed on a shoulder. Our national curse of abortion and drug addiction are used against our society, and there is so much worse to be said. The demolition of the mainline Protestants - Lutherans especially - is matched by the wretched Jesuit Pope, who cleverly named himself Francis, so people would think he is Franciscan. Wrong! And the Pope's superior is the head of all Jesuits, who must obey the General of their organization.
The Reformation led to many kinds of horrible torture and abuse, but it also spread the Gospel even more. The agitation of Satanic powers should only encourage us to laugh at him, to respond with the Gospel, to say, "You are nothing. You cannot disturb me, because my Good Shepherd will take care of me and crush your head, as He did on the cross, the empty grave, and the Ascension.
