Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing; And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep Until Thy reappearing.
My body safe in peaceful sleep Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429
The First Sunday after Trinity, 2021
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The melodies are linked in the hymn name.
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.
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| The video for the Trinity 1 service is linked here. |
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
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
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
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
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #429 Lord, Thee I Love - Winkworth translation
Deluxe Doubt - and Faith
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 #658 Onward Christian Soldiers
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 #658 Onward Christian Soldiers
Prayers and Announcements
- Those being forced to receive the Wuhan vaccine as a requirement for work or travel.
- In treatment - Kermit Way, Christina Jackson's brother-in-law (her sister's husband),
- Christina Jackson will have a CAT scan this month and see the oncologist at the end of June.
- Those continuing in treatment and therapy.
- Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader are fixin' to come here in June. Glen Kotten is visiting and traveling with them.
- Pastor Jackson will download previous videos for cloud storage and for editing. That and a new online learning system are the challenges for this coming week.
- Norma A. Boeckler is illustrating The Bible Book, which will be full color.
KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
First Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Thy word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with surfeiting and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Thy fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Deluxe Doubt - and Faith
Background for the Gospel, Luke 16:19ff
Parables are timeless, so they teach today's lessons as well as they did in the time of Jesus. This one begins with a contrast. The rich man has no name, but his habits are familiar. The Roman Empire had many like this rich man, and we do today. We hear about vast sums of money for influence, for friendships, and for making even more money because what they have is not enough. Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress is an extended parable, so we call it an allegory.
Parables teach well because we can visualize them as we hear the details. How is this wealthy man described, to show how self-centered he is. He wears the finest and most expensive robes (purple - for royalty) and linen for his undergarments. Nothing is too good for him. He dines sumptuously every day, but Lazarus ("God a help") is dumped at his gate to beg for food. The only help on earth he receives comes from the scavenger dogs licking his wounds. Just as there is a contrast between two men, so is the contrast between their lives in the future.
KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
The phrases are short, but full of detail. A quiz could ask questions about the two men. Why does one man have no name but the poor beggar has a name? What three descriptions reveal how rich one man was? How poor was Lazarus, and what three descriptions describe his state?
1. We have hitherto heard in our Gospel lessons of various examples of faith and of love; for as they all teach faith and love, I hope you are abundantly and sufficiently informed that no human being can be pleasing to God unless he believes and loves. Now in this Gospel text the Lord presents to us at the same time an example of faith and of unbelief or of the state of the godless, in order that we also may abhor the contrary and the opposite of faith and love, and that we may cleave to faith and love more diligently. For here we see the judgment of God upon the believers and the unbelievers, which is both dreadful and comforting. Dreadful to the faithless and comforting to the faithful. But in order that we may the better grasp the meaning of this text we must picture to ourselves both the rich man and poor Lazarus. In the rich man we see the nature of unbelief and in Lazarus the nature of belief.
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Verse 21 gives us the stark contrast in only a few words. Lazarus only wanted some leftovers from the rich man's house, but his sole comfort came from the skinny, wandering scavenger dogs, which licked his wounds. The dogs were not the pets cited by the Canaanite woman ("the little dogs eat what falls from the master's table") but the dusty, dirty, smelly, skinny dogs of the street, despised by everyone and kicked aside when they got in the way.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
In this verse we see the stark contrast between the poor beggar carried to Abraham's bosom; the rich man also died. The beggar died and received an escort by God's angels to deliver him to Abraham. The naming of Abraham should wake up a lot of people who imagine they are orthodox, confessional, conservative, hidebound Lutherans. Abraham is the symbol and the reality of Justification by Faith. He is the human example of Justification by Faith throughout the New Testament - not just here and there but many times (listed in The Bible Book).
A conversion story is not needed within the parable. Only those who believe in the Messiah go to heaven.
3. But we must look into his [the rich man's] heart and judge his spirit. For the Gospel has penetrating eyes and sees deep into the secret recesses of the soul; reproves also the works which reason cannot reprove, and looks not at the sheep’s clothing, but at the true fruit of the tree to learn whether it is good or not, as the Lord teaches in Matthew 7:17. Hence if we judge this rich man according to the fruits of faith, we will find a heart and a tree of unbelief. For the Gospel chastises him that he fares sumptuously every day and clothes himself so richly, which reason never considers as especially great sins. Besides, the work-righteous people think it is right, and that they are worthy of it, and have merited it by virtue of their holy lives, and they do not see how they thus sin by their unbelief.
4. For this rich man is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes; since many saints, kings and queens in ancient times wore costly apparel, as Solomon, Esther, David, Daniel and others; but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols. This Christ indicates by the words “every day,” that he lived thus sumptuously daily, continuously. From this is seen that he diligently’ sought and chose such a life, was not forced to it nor was he in it by accident, or because of his office or to serve his neighbor; but he only thereby gratified his own . lust, and lived to himself and served only himself.
5. Here one traces the secret sins of his heart as the evil fruit. For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting, yea, there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone; it is the same to him whether his food be dainty or plain, whether his clothing be fine or homespun. For although they even do wear costly clothes, possess great influence and honor, yet they esteem none of these things; but are forced to them, or come to them by accident, or they are compelled to use them in the service of others.
4. For this rich man is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes; since many saints, kings and queens in ancient times wore costly apparel, as Solomon, Esther, David, Daniel and others; but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols. This Christ indicates by the words “every day,” that he lived thus sumptuously daily, continuously. From this is seen that he diligently’ sought and chose such a life, was not forced to it nor was he in it by accident, or because of his office or to serve his neighbor; but he only thereby gratified his own . lust, and lived to himself and served only himself.
5. Here one traces the secret sins of his heart as the evil fruit. For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting, yea, there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone; it is the same to him whether his food be dainty or plain, whether his clothing be fine or homespun. For although they even do wear costly clothes, possess great influence and honor, yet they esteem none of these things; but are forced to them, or come to them by accident, or they are compelled to use them in the service of others.
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Many make their confessions today - that they only live for the present and do not take into consideration the wonders of God's Creation and our lives as a blessing from Him.
The rich man finds that the least little gesture from Lazarus would give him comfort, the comfort he never gave the poor beggar. Why is Father Abraham the person addressed? That adds irony to the story. Abraham was a wealthy man too, with vast possessions. He and Sarah grew old thinking a son of theirs was beyond hope. One of my friends from Moline had a son at age 48, not equal to Abraham but a wonderful surprise. I know he went through really tough times from a debilitating illness and loss of his business. But this weekend he emphasized the joy of having a son graduate from college, an unexpected son. He was all grins.
Likewise, God gave Abraham a son through Sarah, his wife. The biological reality was - impossible! But he was promised more than a son, a son who would start the line that led to the Savior, so his family tree (by faith) would be as great as the stars in heaven and the sands on the shores. That is why the faith of Abraham is emphasized throughout the New Testament and especially in Romans 4 - Abraham is not the only example but the prime example for all believers that they might be forgiven through faith in Jesus.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Abraham calls him a child in this address, because the rich man always lived in a dream world and still does, ignoring the needs of his neighbor and now demanding relief from the neighbor he disavowed as someone to comfort. God has the ultimate plan, and that plan is good for us, even when it seems the opposite. As they joke today, "It's all about the rich man," what someone else can do for him.
We often had a certain rich man at the donut shop. That was difficult to miss. Once he parked his Cadillac land yacht at the gas station, across the street, and ordered the owner of the station to shovel a walk through the half-inch snow. The owner said, "Here's a shovel. Do it yourself."
The rich man demanded the impossible but Lazarus had faith in the possible. Many had the perfect reason not to believe and confess their faith. They had the most to lose, like Nicodemus (at Night, John 3), but they risked all.
I wonder about Lutherans who will risk their family name or comfortable position by teaching the truth. As I tell students getting the vapors over grades, "When are you ever going to brag to people that you got an A in this course? 'Governor, I got an A in communication!'" Probably no one will ask or care.
So it is with earth-bound achievements.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
This parable includes one of the most powerful statements about the efficacy and power of God's Word. All the brothers need is Moses and the prophets.
Luke 24: 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
After the resurrection, Jesus made sure to teach His followers everything in Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Old Testament has plenty of Gospel, and it is the Son of God Savior who reveals that to us, through the Holy Spirit in the Word.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
This is the most powerful ending, the rich man imagining the impossible (for himself and his family). If they can ignore all the groundwork for the Gospel, they will certainly ignore someone coming to them from the dead.
And contrariwise, if we know a fraction of the passages in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the New Testament, our faith is strengthened by what God can do and has done, beyond all hope.
I pray for many different people, assuming God will perform his miracles in His time. With all threats to our freedom, sanity, and health, we must face them as nothing, nothing in the eyes of God. Therefore, they are nothing in our eyes as well.
