The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2017
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Hymn # 292 - Selnecker, Concordist 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 #657 Beautiful Savior
Holy Communion - Litmus Test for Biblical Doctrine
The Communion Hymn #249 Luther - Isaiah Mighty Seer
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 #261 Luther - Lord Keep Us Steadfast
Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity
O mighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Son Jesus Christ didst mercifully help the palsied man both in body and soul: We beseech Thee, for the sake of Thy great mercy: Be gracious also unto us; forgive us all our sins, and so govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not ourselves be the cause of sickness and other afflictions; keep us in Thy fear, and strengthen us by Thy grace that we may escape temporal and eternal wrath and punishment, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
KJV Matthew 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Holy Communion - Litmus Test for Biblical Doctrine
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
After the same manner also He took the cup when He had supped, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it; this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you and the remission of sins. This do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Litmus Test
My landscaper-neighbor was telling me about a litmus test for soil, something I never do. The test indicates whether the soil is more acidic or more base (sweet). That will show what kinds of plants will thrive in the soil or what to do to change it.
Holy Communion is a litmus test, so it is good to review during this season and year of the Lutheran Reformation.
Luther did not set out to define a denomination, but others did make a point of defining themselves as against his Biblical teaching. The issue is not the group but the Biblical interpretation.
Once I would have gone over the Roman Catholic portion quickly, because Lutheran pastors and laity did not become Romanists, did they? But now they do, and there is just as much aping of Romanism as there is of Fuller Seminary claptrap.
So the litmus test in this case concerns what Holy Communion means, compared to the others. The answer lies in the definition of Enthusiasm, separating the Holy Spirit from the Word. All false doctrine comes from this divorce, because the Bible always teaches them as belonging together in each and every case. In short:
- The Word is always effective, thus having the divine energy of the Spirit.
- The Spirit only works through the Word.
- Having a personal revelation or an insight contrary to the Bible is divorcing the Spirit from the Word.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed,
This harkens to the Old Testament practice - not just remembering but re-enacting the sacred events of the past. The original Passover is repeated to this day and carried out in the same way. Jesus instituted Holy Communion so we would receive His forgiveness individually while remembering His atoning sacrifice for our sins.
He was betrayed and yet He strengthened the disciples with His body and blood. We read of the stark contrast between the weaknesses of the disciples and His nurturing Promises, which ultimately kept them together, except for the one who belonged to Satan.
took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it and gave it to His disciples
The wording is quite similar to the Feeding of the Multitude, for good reason. The first miracle prepares us to understand the Sacrament. How could Jesus multiply the food and have leftovers? Answer - the divine Word that created the universe can accomplish anything. Those who doubt the Feeding also doubt Communion, and vice versa. Ultimately such thinking turns into Unitarianism (Jesus a mere man) and atheism.
Not by accident Jesus taught Himself as the bread of life coming down from heaven, as the manna did in the Exodus.
saying, “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
Here the Enthusiasm agree to oppose the Scriptures. The Romanists say that a priest has the unique office to consecrate the elements. They make this Sacrament central rather than the Word, so their traditions are placed above the Word and thousands of pages can be cited to support them. Also, because they emphasize the form, faith has very little meaning in connection with this Sacrament. Obedience is the most important element.
The non-Lutheran Protestants are similar, constantly chanting "There is no is in Hebrew and Aramaic." But this Scripture and all the other citations are Greek, the basis for Western Civilization, and the verb is is used here - and abundantly in the Greek New Testament. No Aramaic New Testament has ever been found. Ditto Hebrew. Aramaic is a form of Hebrew.
The Protestant argument makes Holy Communion merely symbolic. Of course the Sacrament is symbolic of death, atonement, the Exodus, and resurrection - but it is not merely symbolic.
The worse insult again Holy Communion is calling it (and Baptism) "an ordinance," which relegates it to the Law. Protestants - "We commune because we have to commune - it is a law." Or they say - "We commune as a witness to others." But witnessing what one does not believe is rather weak and found to fail in that respect.
Rationalism about Holy Communion leads to the same vice of human reason being used against everything that is a mystery (revealed only by the Holy Spirit). They ask - How can Jesus give His body to millions over time? Answer - How could Jesus feed the multitudes with almost nothing? The Word belongs to God and retains His power.
Therefore, the Words of Consecration impart the Promises. The power does not belong to the priest or to those who receive it (Receptionist position, Synodical Conference, still taught by some yahoos today. Receptionists say - It is not the body or blood of Christ until it is received!)
Given for you
This is a vivid statement of the Atonement. When the ELCA was forming, all the divine Promises were mocked in the Braaten-Jenson Christian Dogmatics. What happens from such thinking, then, is a focus on grand, colorful, incensed ceremonies that are conducted without faith
This do in remembrance of Me.”
The Romanists defy the meaning the Gospel when they say that sins are forgiven but not paid for. Thus someone must always add works to faith and that too is not enough. Every faithful Roman Catholic is promised Purgatory for hundreds or thousands of years - torture to pay for those sins. Thus like many others, they can grasp the words of the Bible and make them say the opposite.
The non-Lutheran Protestants teach the same methods. They do not like the words - Sacrament, Means of Grace. They take away infant faith, which Jesus taught, and say "How do we know an infant who has died is in heaven? Because he was innocent and not yet at the age of accountability."
The Disciples of Christ in Moline had this on their altar - "Do this in remembrance of Me." It was just a remembrance, but celebrated with the elements distributed in the pews - unleavened bread and grape juice.
Therefore, the Romanists have people communing daily, because it is never enough - even then. And the Protestants hardly ever have communion because it is just an ordinance, a Law. They even package kits for people, which WELS ended up promoting.
After the same manner also He took the cup when He had supped, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it; this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you and the remission of sins.
Did Paul believe in the Real Presence in Holy Communion? In 1 Corinthians 10:16, he makes that point exactly.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
Did Jesus? Mark 10
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
The Roman Catholics teach, "This is necessary but your sins are not completely forgiven."
The Protestants teach, "This is required, and your sins are not forgiven.''
Also - "Why so many Means of Grace? God does not need them." That is a typical changing of the subject. God does not need them - we do.
