The Fourteen Sunday after Trinity, 2021. Fruits of the Spirit.

 

  Norma A. Boeckler

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn # 528:10-15             If God Himself Be For Me               

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Behold, O God, our Shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed: 

for a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.

Psalm. How amiable are Thy tabernacles, 

O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, 

yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord.

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

Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy Church with Thy perpetual mercy; and because the frailty of man without Thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by Thy help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual 

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord: 

and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High.

V. To show forth Thy loving-kindness in the morning: 

and Thy faithfulness every night. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion: 

and unto Thee shall the vow be performed. Hallelujah!

      

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #288            Lord, Help Us Ever To Retain (Loy Translation)         
   

Inevitable Fruits of the Gospel

The Communion Hymn #224      Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord

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 # 189                   He Is Arisen, Glorious Word!

Announcements and In Our Prayers

• Andrea Anderson will celebrate her third birthday this week.
• Enzo Meyer has started college at Grand Canyon University campus in Phoenix.
• Diagnostics and treatment - Mary Howell, Kermit Way, Pastor Jim Shrader.
• 
  

 Norma A. Boeckler

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

KJV Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy blessed word and Thy holy baptism hast mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily dost grant us Thy gracious help in all our need: We beseech Thee so to enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forget these Thy blessings, but ever live in Thy fear, and, trusting fully in Thy grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify Thee; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Inevitable Fruits of the Gospel

Background for the Epistle Lesson - Galatians 5:16-24, Fruits of the Spirit

The nine-fold fruits of the Spirit, by their title, suggest two categories at the same time. The Spirit means - these come from the Spirit in the Word and in us. In other words, these fruits come from God, His power and grace. So many churches think they need more money, more smiles, more programs, more everything except the one thing needful - more Gospel. The other category is fruits. These qualities grow from the power of Gospel, so the hearing of the Gospel moves us to be fruitful. The four stages in plants are - seed, plant, flower, and fruit. More fruit comes from the living seed of the Gospel. For someone who does not believe, the broadcast of the Gospel is the start of that seed of faith. The plant grows, flowers, and produces the fruit of Christian life. The qualities listed are the beginnings of the blessings that come from the Gospel.

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Walk in the Spirit means walk in the Word, because those two are never separated. The believer should be used to dwelling on the Word (Torah, teaching, Psalm 1) day and night. Where the Word of God is present, the temptations of the flesh diminish.

When we have the Scriptures or Scriptural hymns on our minds, that moves against the desires of the Old Adam. That is not limited to the Prodigal Son's sins, which began with demanding his share of the estate, then losing it all to fast women and slow horses.

Many of the gravest sins are those which begin in the mind - and blossom into terrible actions. Coveting and jealousy are entirely inside of us at first, but they lead to crimes, as King David showed, Some people store up their evil and manipulate others to carry out the sin. Just as the Gospel of contrition and forgiveness yields fruit, so the tendencies of mortal people lead to death - hardness of heart, lack of forgiveness, rejection of the Christian Faith.

So they are contrary to each other - the Spirit in the Word and the flesh.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

This is where the Antinomians (anti-Law) get lost. I dealt with an obvious one long ago. He said the Ten Commandments were obsolete - and they were for him, a supposed Lutheran pastor. He also rejected the divine Creation. And then he rejected Christianity altogether.

Luther understood this quite well. We can act by compulsion or by our own desires. The Gospel moves us to act, in contrast to living by the Law, where everything is forced, a "must," commands, punishment, and even revenge.

If someone says to me, "You don't have to..." I say, "That's right. I want to."

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

There are ways to categorize the list, which is not intended to be complete. The first group is sexual because the pagan world thought little of their festivities (which are next) destroying the family. We have an enormous spread of these two groups in our world. The Word of God and Christianity are dismissed in the world around us while the most outrageous behavior is encouraged, praised, and even ordained into the "Gospel" ministry. Paganism has always been the rejection of anything divine, so that has great appeal as an excuse. As someone wrote, the Romans may not have believed the ancient stories, but that did not keep them away from the unrestrained hedonism that went with the ceremonies. Now we know the wealthiest around the world are united in the same kind of human sacrifice, trafficking, slavery, and prostitution. Draw a circle around Epstein's island to see who is connected. I am bidin my time until the truth comes out for everyone to see. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The works of the flesh are not an exact parallel to the fruits of the Spirit. The works come from us, from the Old Adam. The fruits are from God's work through the Spirit in the Gospel Word. Here is a simple program that does not cost more than a few dollars altogether.

1. Jesus Christ is acknowledged as the central subject of the entire Bible, from Genesis 1 to the end of Revelation.
2. Therefore, faith in Christ is always the topic of lessons, sermons, hymns, and the worship service. (That is seldom true today.)
3. The faith of Christ (belonging to Jesus, Romans, Galatians, Philippians) is part of this teaching because the Word wants to show us that Christianity began with the faith that belongs to the Son, faith in the will and works of the Father.
4. The extent and the benefits of the Gospel of forgiveness are always taught.
5. People pray for each other.
6. The efficacy of the Word and the visible Word of the Sacraments is always featured as basic to the Scriptures.

Gardening teaches us so much about the Word, because the Creation is the visible manifestation of the Word. How could anyone miss this?

The living seed we plant is very much like the living Seed of the Word. The planted seed is so alive that we can wrap it in damp paper towels and see the roots and first leaves popping out, as if from nowhere. The blackberry garden has become the borage and buckwheat garden for now, because sowing those seeds would immediately let them in the mulch.

Borage and buckwheat flower and fruit easily. As they say in the profession, "They drop seed and plant more of themselves, all the time." The flower invites the bees, which set them up to fruit - the seed.

In the same way, the Word of God takes root easily among people, and they grow spiritually in many different ways. What is taught from the Word multiplies in them - and the Gospel is multiplied in Word and deed. 

As many know who read and study Luther, his lessons from the Bible are so striking that they dwell in our minds and shape our thoughts and actions. Most denominations agree he is the greatest Biblical teacher of all time, but his Biblical wisdom is ignored or mocked.

Luther wrote something about loaning once and when the topic came up. loaning a neighbor, I thought, "Of course." And that worked beautifully.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

This is a striking figure of speech, reminding us of the crucifixion of Christ atoning for all our sins, not only the small ones but also the great and terrible sins. They are left behind and vanquished each day through faith in Christ cleansing us from sin. Instead of looking back at horrible times, we look forward, absolved of sin through faith in Christ, led by the faith of Christ, from faith TO faith.

 Norma A. Boeckler

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2020. Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5.

The Fourteenth 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 Hymn # 236                Creator Spirit, By Whose Aid                

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

Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy Church with Thy perpetual mercy; and because the frailty of man without Thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by Thy help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; 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 Sermon Hymn #288            Lord, Help Us Ever To Retain (Loy Translation)         
   

The Source for Evil vs. the Source for Good

The Communion Hymn #304                       An Awe-full Mystery Is Here

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 #660                                           I'm But a Stranger Here               

In Our Prayers

• In treatment - Mary Howell, Rush Limbaugh, Randy Anderson, Chris Jackson.
• Diagnostics - Pastor Shrader, Kermit Way.
• Recovering from a heart attack, Diane Popp's daughter, Joan Scott.
• Our Philippine Mission - Pastor and Mrs. Jordan Palangyos.

 Norma A. Boeckler

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

KJV Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy blessed word and Thy holy baptism hast mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily dost grant us Thy gracious help in all our need: We beseech Thee so to enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forget these Thy blessings, but ever live in Thy fear, and, trusting fully in Thy grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify Thee; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Background for the Epistle Lesson - Galatians 5:16-24, Fruits of the Spirit

The nine-fold fruits of the Spirit, by their title, suggest two categories at the same time. The Spirit means - these come from the Spirit in the Word and in us. In other words, these fruits come from God, His power and grace. So many churches think they need more money, more smiles, more programs, more everything except the one thing needful - more Gospel. The other category is fruits. These qualities grow from the power of Gospel, so the hearing of the Gospel moves us to be fruitful. The four stages in plants are - seed, plant, flower, and fruit. More fruit comes from the living seed of the Gospel. For someone who does not believe, the broadcast of the Gospel is the start of that seed of faith. The plant grows, flowers, and produces the fruit of Christian life. The qualities listed are the beginnings of the blessings that come from the Gospel.

The Source for Evil vs. the Source for Good

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

This short letter by Paul, written in his own hand (no secretary), had one purpose - to remove any excuse for returning to righteousness through the Law. That righteousness through the Law included customs, traditions, and outside sources of religion. This inspired letter was so successful that the issue was solved there. Galatians is recognized as the revelation of the Spirit through the hand of Paul. 

Luther:

"Because I exhort you to mutual love you are not to think that I have gone back on my teaching of justification by faith alone."

Yesterday my wife and I were joking about people claiming a higher station in life. "You are not a true member of that synod unless born in it." Counter - "No, you are not a true member unless born in a certain state." Counter-counter - "No, you are not a true member unless born in a parsonage in that most blessed state of the Union." Then we laughed, because people think it is true. It is the righteousness of custom and it is used today in various ways.

This lesson teaches the relationship between faith and good works. Faith is trust in God. Paul explained that in Romans 5:2 - as faith being access to grace through Christ. "Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Paul contrasts walking in the Spirit with following the lusts of the flesh. Walking in the Spirit means to live according to the Scriptures, to consider everything from God's point of view. That means beginning with forgiveness and understanding, since that is the example of Christ. The lusts of the flesh include all the ways in which we serve ourselves first, what we most want to do, such as getting even, shunning, using the stink-eye, everything noted so concisely in the Ten Commandments. What the unbelieving world urges as happiness is seldom anything but that in the long run. 

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

This is a life-long battle. Each individual thinks of himself first. That is why children jostle each other to be first in line, to get the biggest dessert, to get all the attention and rewards. The Spirit at work in us resists that, and with patient training we learn to consider others and to let others have what is best. Marriage teaches us much more about about sharing and concern for another. Children are another step in tutoring us about being selfless instead of selfish.

The Spirit resists our temptations to put ourselves first, but our human nature resists what the Spirit teaches us through the Word. One promises happiness but does not deliver in the long run. The other advocates for the needs and the happiness of others, but delivers more to us than what we give. 

Luther:

Do not despair if you feel the flesh battling against the Spirit or if you cannot make it behave. For you to follow the guidance of the Spirit in all things without interference on the part of the flesh is impossible. You are doing all you can if you resist the flesh and do not fulfill its demands.

When I was a monk I thought I was lost forever whenever I felt an evil emotion, carnal lust, wrath, hatred, or envy. I tried to quiet my conscience in many ways, but it did not work, because lust would always come back and give me no rest. I told myself: "You have permitted this and that sin, envy, impatience, and the like. Your joining this holy order has been in vain, and all your good works are good for nothing." If at that time I had understood this passage, "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh," I could have spared myself many a day of self-torment. I would have said to myself: "Martin, you will never be without sin, for you have flesh. Despair not, but resist the flesh."

I remember how Doctor Staupitz used to say to me: "I have promised God a thousand times that I would become a better man, but I never kept my promise. From now on I am not going to make any more vows. Experience has taught me that I cannot keep them. Unless God is merciful to me for Christ's sake and grants unto me a blessed departure, I shall not be able to stand before Him." His was a God-pleasing despair. No true believer trusts in his own righteousness, but says with David, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." (Psalm 143:2) Again, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (Psalm 130:3.)

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

This is the life-long struggle of living in a world of unbelievers, the majority, and yet submitting to the teaching of Christian Faith. The power of the Law and flesh will always be foremost in what we hear and see, but the most important is what the Scriptures teach us. To be under the Law means always measuring by the Law, which is why so many strive to be equal or better than others. "Your car is pathetic." Answer - "I am not my car. It is only transportation." One friend of my mother said, "Your son should join the ____ movement. That's the going thing right now." She replied, "He is doing OK without it."

One way to interpret this verse is to say, "Turn have-to into want-to." The action may be the same but the motivation is quite different. People will say, "You don't have to do this." One answer is, "I don't have to, I want to." Most of the day can be filled with want-to, and that turns the burden of the Law into the driving force of the Gospel. 

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance [fighting], emulations [jealousies], wrath, strife, seditions [dissensions], heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

This is life, reality, the world today. We can see it with special clarity since there is a great struggle going on for this country and for the West - the civilization that began in ancient Greece and became the nursery for Christianity and democratic republics. The works of the flesh can be called the works of unbelief, and they make the list the glamour and excitement of criminal enterprises on a global scale. The preaching of Paul and the Apostles pulled people out of this environment, and the world of paganism and witchcraft responded with violence. 

Although the Roman Empire had the power, authority, armies, ships, and traditions, the Christian Faith grew, became the new capital - Byzantium, Constantinople - and preserved what was best. Christianity was given a new tongue (Greek) because the Greek scholars escaped to Europe, starting the Renaissance. Erasmus and Luther learned Greek and turned that knowledge into direct translation of the New Testament into modern languages. Luther established the German language with his German Bible, just one benefit.

Just to show how powerful God is, all forces were against Him, even the death of His Son, but God used that to convert an entire civilization, turning the greatest evil into the greatest good for all mankind. Who can deny that Christian scholars preserved civilization (Irish monks included)? That missionaries brought food, education, and freedom to the rest of the world. I know the bad things that have happened because I enjoy reading histories of empires - Roman, British, Islamic, American. However, the Faith has always been the leaven which kept us from collapsing back into the old paganism and witchcraft of the past.

Let's not be naive. Witchcraft is around us today. Entertainment thrives on it. The richest and most powerful participate and brag about it, even at the family store's museum around the corner. Their symbolism is everywhere, but they are being found out.

Luther:

Every period of life has its own peculiar temptations. Not one true believer whom the flesh does not again and again incite to impatience, anger, pride. But it is one thing to be tempted by the flesh, and another thing to yield to the flesh, to do its bidding without fear or remorse, and to continue in sin.

Christians also fall and perform the lusts of the flesh. David fell horribly into adultery. Peter also fell grievously when he denied Christ. However great these sins were, they were not committed to spite God, but from weakness. When their sins were brought to their attention these men did not obstinately continue in their sin, but repented. Those who sin through weakness are not denied pardon as long as they rise again and cease to sin. There is nothing worse than to continue in sin. If they do not repent, but obstinately continue to fulfill the desires of the flesh, it is a sure sign that they are not sincere.

No person is free from temptations. Some are tempted in one way, others in another way. One person is more easily tempted to bitterness and sorrow of spirit, blasphemy, distrust, and despair. Another is more easily tempted to carnal lust, anger, envy, covetousness. But no matter to which sins we are disposed, we are to walk in the Spirit and resist the flesh. Those who are Christ's own crucify their flesh.

Some of the old saints labored so hard to attain perfection that they lost the capacity to feel anything. When I was a monk I often wished I could see a saint. I pictured him as living in the wilderness, abstaining from meat and drink and living on roots and herbs and cold water. This weird conception of those awesome saints I had gained out of the books of the scholastics and church fathers. But we know now from the Scriptures who the true saints are. Not those who live a single life, or make a fetish of days, meats, clothes, and such things. The true saints are those who believe that they are justified by the death of Christ. Whenever Paul writes to the Christians here and there he calls them the holy children and heirs of God. All who believe in Christ, whether male or female, bond or free, are saints; not in view of their own works, but in view of the merits of God which they appropriate by faith. Their holiness is a gift and not their own personal achievement.

Ministers of the Gospel, public officials, parents, children, masters, servants, etc., are true saints when they take Christ for their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and when they fulfill the duties of their several vocations according to the standard of God's Word and repress the lust and desires of the flesh by the Spirit. Not everybody can resist temptations with equal facility. Imperfections are bound to show up. But this does not prevent them from being holy. Their unintentional lapses are forgiven if they pull themselves together by faith in Christ. God forbid that we should sit in hasty judgment on those who are weak in faith and life, as long as they love the Word of God and make use of the supper of the Lord.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

This is definitely one of the great passages of the Bible and yet it consists of two verses and a closing. There is a gigantic gulf between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The first comes from us; the second comes from the Gospel bearing fruit in our lives. It is no surprise that those who teach forgiveness without faith (Objective Justification) are entirely lacking in love and the entire list of the fruit of the Spirit. Moreover, they brag about their political maneuvers, pranks, and sophomoric behavior.

Love

Love is the most discussed and least practiced quality today. This love is selfless love, not the same as romantic love, though the two go well together. Animals show us how the parents work hard to keep their delicate newborns fed and sheltered. I used to feed the Blue Jays near our house so the parents would have food for themselves when feeding their young. We actually watched them hatch, flutter their tiny wings, and take off. 

Luther:

It would have been enough to mention only the single fruit of love, for love embraces all the fruits of the Spirit. In I Corinthians 13, Paul attributes to love all the fruits of the Spirit: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind," etc. Here he lets love stand by itself among other fruits of the Spirit to remind the Christians to love one another, "in honor preferring one another," to esteem others more than themselves because they have Christ and the Holy Ghost within them.

Joy

Joy is almost as favored as love in this world. We respond when we see scenes of joy in paintings, in movies, in real life. Anyone with pets can see that God has instilled a sense of humor and joy in them. Joy does not come from material things, but from those intangible moments that happen before our eyes. Ranger Bob said, "You have a perfect rose. Did you know that?" I gave him the gimlet eye. Don't I dote on them daily. He led me to the one blooming near the mailbox. "There." He wanted to take it to someone and grinned when I cut it for him and put it in a McDonalds cup with water. That has been repeated many times over, and the more I cut, the more I have to share.

People experience joy when they see the hummingbirds and bees at work in the garden.

We can see why Luther wrote, "You have as much laughter as you have faith."

Luther:

Joy means sweet thoughts of Christ, melodious hymns and psalms, praises and thanksgiving, with which Christians instruct, inspire, and refresh themselves. God does not like doubt and dejection. He hates dreary doctrine, gloomy and melancholy thought. God likes cheerful hearts. He did not send His Son to fill us with sadness, but to gladden our hearts. For this reason the prophets, apostles, and Christ Himself urge, yes, command us to rejoice and be glad. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee." (Zechariah 9:9.) In the Psalms we are repeatedly told to be "joyful in the Lord." Paul says: "Rejoice in the Lord always." Christ says: "Rejoice, for your names are written in heaven."

Peace

Peace always accompanies Justification by Faith. As one person wrote, "I finally saw the cross as a reminder that He died for my sins, that I have forgiveness of sin." There is greater awareness of sin and forgiveness with age, and many episodes of long-suffering (patient endurance). Older people have more peace than younger people because of those experiences. 

Luther:

Peace towards God and men. Christians are to be peaceful and quiet. Not argumentative, not hateful, but thoughtful and patient. There can be no peace without longsuffering, and therefore Paul lists this virtue next.

Longsuffering

Most people can endure short periods of emotional and physical pain. If Satan cannot break us with direct assaults, he uses long, drawn-out periods of suffering, as if they will be never ending. The hymns of Gerhardt discuss this experience often - waiting for those times of joy and peace. I need to write some thankyou letters to those who got me to Springdale and made an independent church necessary. They could have imprisoned me as an editor or worse, but they gave me freedom and an endless supply of material to expose and explain. Everything is a lesson, even if the experience is cold and bitter at the time. If it forces us to study the Scriptures more closely, the great theologians (Luther, Chemnitz, Melanchthon, Krauth, Schmauk) more carefully, is that a loss?

Luther:

Longsuffering is that quality which enables a person to bear adversity, injury, reproach, and makes them patient to wait for the improvement of those who have done him wrong. When the devil finds that he cannot overcome certain persons by force he tries to overcome them in the long run. He knows that we are weak and cannot stand anything long. Therefore he repeats his temptation time and again until he succeeds. To withstand his continued assaults we must be longsuffering and patiently wait for the devil to get tired of his game.

Gentleness

I have known people who are always angry and anxious to start a fight at meetings. They look like junkyard dogs hoping to devour someone. 

Luther:

Gentleness in conduct and life. True followers of the Gospel must not be sharp and bitter, but gentle, mild, courteous, and soft-spoken, which should encourage others to seek their company. Gentleness can overlook other people's faults and cover them up. Gentleness is always glad to give in to others. Gentleness can get along with forward and difficult persons, according to the old pagan saying: "You must know the manners of your friends, but you must not hate them." Such a gentle person was our Savior Jesus Christ, as the Gospel portrays Him. Of Peter it is recorded that he wept whenever he remembered the sweet gentleness of Christ in His daily contact with people. Gentleness is an excellent virtue and very useful in every walk of life.

Goodness

A person is good when he is willing to help others in their need.

Faith

This is not faith in Christ but faithfulness. We appreciate people who are always friends, not just in the good times. Moving day is a good test. So is the hospital bed or the shut-in. Faithfulness means sticking to the task, to the person, to the truth. 

Luther:

In listing faith among the fruits of the Spirit, Paul obviously does not mean faith in Christ, but faith in men. Such faith is not suspicious of people but believes the best. Naturally the possessor of such faith will be deceived, but he lets it pass. He is ready to believe all men, but he will not trust all men. Where this virtue is lacking men are suspicious, forward, and wayward and will believe nothing nor yield to anybody. No matter how well a person says or does anything, they will find fault with it, and if you do not humor them you can never please them. It is quite impossible to get along with them. Such faith in people therefore, is quite necessary. What kind of life would this be if one person could not believe another person?

 Meekness

A person is meek when he is not quick to get angry. Many things occur in daily life to provoke a person's anger, but the Christian gets over his anger by meekness.

Temperance

Christians are to lead sober and chaste lives. They should not be adulterers, fornicators, or sensualists. They should not be quarrelers or drunkards. In the first and second chapters of the Epistle to Titus, the Apostle admonishes bishops, young women, and married folks to be chaste and pure.

against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

I have told young pastors who feel trapped, and older pastors who think they are owned by their synod - "Enjoy life. You are not a slave to people. Make up your own mind instead of being chained to a set of circumstances. In fact, you can enjoy the servitude if you change your mind."

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2018. The Fruitful Gospe. Galatians 5:16-24. Gospel Energy - Spiritual Fruits

 Norma A. Boeckler

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2018

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn # 292                 Lord Jesus Christ                

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 Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #192               Awake My Heart          
   

Gospel Energy - Spiritual Fruits

The Communion Hymn #277          I Heard the Voice of Jesus

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 #341                  Crown Him with Many Crowns                

 Norma A. Boeckler

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

KJV Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy blessed word and Thy holy baptism hast mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily dost grant us Thy gracious help in all our need: We beseech Thee so to enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forget these Thy blessings, but ever live in Thy fear, and, trusting fully in Thy grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify Thee; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 Norma A. Boeckler

Background for the Sermon
I have worked through the Gospel of John the last two weeks, verse by verse, almost finishing a first draft on The Gospel of Faith: From John, The Disciple Jesus Loved. Two themes basic to the Fourth Gospel are - faith in Jesus as the One Sent from God, witnessing to that faith. The two go together, and the Gospel keeps going back to the source - God the Father sent God the Son to do this work of teaching and performing miracles, to gather the flock and teach the disciples.

In the last decades, witnessing has really meant - we need more members. From that carnal need came lower and lower standards about evangelism. Now it is just a question of which gimmick works. The one qualification is missing - faithfulness to the Word. Instead, some count new adult members. According to Change or Die! - everyone can learn from ELCA pastors, whose sect is undergoing a complete nation-wide collapse, not unlike the others, just moving a lot faster downwards.

One issue excludes the other. If truth must be taught, then the carnal needs are neglected. If someone thinks success is a new building and measured results, then the truth is going to be neglected. Someone is always offended. The original word was scandalized - not as in a gossip magazine scandal - but as setting off a death trap by touching the trigger of the trap - the skandalon.

I was told not to include infant baptism in a sermon when an infant was baptized. The reason - Babtist relatives were offended so they went to council president (WELS). Claiming the truth is not very convincing when it is abandoned so readily.

Infant baptism and infant faith are directly related to the efficacy of the Word. If we hide the truth of infant faith, which is clearly taught in the Bible, then we are necessarily giving up on the Real Presence and the truth of absolution.

If error is introduced to Scriptural truths, then that error is either repudiated or protected for additional growth. The LCMS never had an official teaching on Objective Justification, only the Chief Article, Justification by Faith. Now under McCain-Harrison, the LCMS has two official books teach Objective Justification, their massive and unreadable dogmatics book and their Talmudic, useless "Small" Catechism.

The Gospel Word is not fruitful because of buildings, locations, personalities, or entertainment, but only because of the Word. Only a hopeless Calvinist could think we can improve upon or make more effective the Word of God.

Here is an interesting story about an LCA church about to be closed. I knew the parish and the pastor and his wife. The mission board said, "Nobody can find it. We put it in a bad location where the LCA pastors have trouble getting there. We'll sell it to the Pentecostals. They have no trouble with a bad location." He was saying the LCA prospects would no go to that location (one of the eternal verities of building missions) but the Pentecostals would.

That is why a liberal, apostate church will say, "We have all these programs to help the community" while they hide their actual doctrine. The apostate Church Growthers say, "We have all these appealing things, a praise band, fun groups, and all." They are two versions of the same thing.

The apostles only had the Word. They had very little else for establishing the Christian Church. One key asset was - the Old Testament. It was very expensive, so they had copies made to teach the Old Testament Gospel as a foundation for the ministry, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

Gospel Energy - Spiritual Fruits

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Paul quashed the Galatian's flirtation with the false teachers, a problem that gave us the best short essay on Justification by Faith. As he did with Romans, Paul moved from the Justificaiton by Faith issue to living the Christian life, - sanctification.

Walk in the Spirit

The Bible often uses either the Word or the Spirit, since the two are always together. As Hoenecke wrote, "The Word never without the Spirit, the Spirit never without the Word." When the mainline Lutherans abandoned the truth of God's Word and its efficacy, some adopted the teachings of the Pentecostals or charismatics. That was a reaction to denying - or not teaching - the miraculous, the divine in the Bible. Miracles have not stopped. God continues to work and has ultimate power to do so.

Walk in the Spirit is the same as walk in the Word. The phrase is a good one for emphasizing the way we live according to what we believe. Walking in the Word displaces walking according to our natural instincts.

Anyone can see this in gardening. The good plants can displace the bad ones, but the bad ones, when allowed to thrive, can easily overwhelm the good and productive plants. 

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

So when people become captivated by something new, what follows is this displacement. One offsets the other. One gambling staffer asked why the computer convention did not spend anything on their machines. I said, "They are computers, which are easy to rig." He said, "At least go to a show."

If someone thinks, I could leave here a millionaire, he forgets he is working against a programmed machine, owned by the managers. He would be better off learning tax law.

The Gospel is very powerful in our lives, if we let the Gospel nurture us. It reaches such a point of satiety in some that the treasure of the Gospel fades in importance. Most of my Old Testament students have gone through a lot of turmoil, grief, and trouble. They look at the Bible from the perspective of putting their lives together again. It is like that experience that Newton had on the slave ship. They were hauling bouyant cargo, so that cargo kept him afloat so the he lived, repented, became a Christian, and wrote famous hymns, like Amazing Grace.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

Doing what we have to do is Law. But the Spirit - the Gospel Word - means doing what we want to do. The Galatians were given an easy but misleading formula - submit to the Law and be just like Jesus and the disciples. Jesus and the disciples observed Jewish Law so real Christians had to do the same. That is an easy equation to teach and follow, but deceptively so. The Gospel Promises were given to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. The foundation of the New Testament is the Old Testament. Going back to Old Testament principles is the same as being under the Law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (fights), emulations (jealousies), wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

It has always been tempting to identify the worst and most obvious sins. Sometimes they branch out into many other areas, such as the sin of scouting, or dart-ball (a dart game banned by the ALC in Ohio, once). Obsession with the Law can easily displace the Gospel so there is no Gospel at all.

Paul identified sins of the flesh because the Roman Empire was full of temptations. Christianity was an unapproved minority perspective, as it is today.

Jesus said about the Spirit, that He would send the Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

1. Sin;

2. Righteousness;

3. Judgment.

• Sin is not believing in Jesus.

• Righteousness is the righteousness of faith, relying on the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord.

• Judgment means Satan is condemned.

The foundational sin is not believing in Christ, so the remedy is knowing the Gospel better, hearing the Gospel with sincere hearts.

Righteousness is the righteousness of faith because of the empty tomb and ascension of Jesus. What nurtures our faith more than anything else - faith in the risen Lord and knowing He rose that we might have eternal life too. Nothing is more convincing of the divinity of Christ than His resurrection.

The judgment of Satan is especially important today because he is the Prince of this  world, but he is condemned under the Law and Gospel. There are many Satanic cults and practices today. Many have found it appealing but almost impossible to escape. Worst of all is conceding the power to Satan just because he runs the media and the schools. He is all the more active today because his time is so short. Satan is only as powerful as the Word is silent. If no one weilds the Sword of the Spirit, Satan will triumph. But his castle has been taken and his treasures removed by a Stronger One than he. There is no reason to concede to him. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Most importantly, this fruit comes from the energy of the Gospel. See John 15. Take away the Means of Grace and the fruit cannot form. The fruit is not the result of programs but of hearing the Gospel and appreciating the Visible Gospel - our Baptism and our Holy Communion. These various ways of applying the Word of Jesus to our lives are the source of the fruits of the Spirit.

God has done all this for us. That is why we should say the Creeds with force and conviction and think about each phrase. The Fourth Gospel teaches - believing and witnessing to that faith.

 Let's look at two of the fruits of the Spirit.

Peace is the peace that comes from the forgiveness of sin. As Lenski says in his commentary on John, the Gospels give so much space to Peter's denial of Jesus is this - that is the ultimate sin. He promised to die for Jesus but denied Him three times. That he was absolved of his sin is the ultimate message of the Gospel, just as the resurrection is the ultimate proof of the divinity of Jesus.

Longsuffering goes with this peace, because it means putting up with aggravation, pain, medical crises, self-denial, persecution, all manner of evil with great patience - not just for years but for decades. It means trying to be faithful and seeing no results forever and ever, because that too is part of God's plan. 

Longsuffering comes from realizing that with the Gospel we have both heaven and earth. If God has taken care of our spiritual needs, then He surely will care for our material needs, which are no great task for Him. It is easy to think, "Why couldn't I..." as we see something so easily given to a rogue, a louse, a monster. But that is not for us to decide. 

Belonging to Christ means crucifying our natural reactions and substituting God's wisdom. The hymns and the Psalms (the hymns of the OT) are ideal for this.

Norma A. Boeckler