ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Behold, God is mine Helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord.
Psalm. Save me, O God, by Thy name: and judge me by Thy strength.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Gradual
O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth:
who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord:
that delighteth greatly in His commandments. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Praise be to Thee, O Christ! The Nicene Creed p. 22
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 #46 On What Has Now Been Sown
Prayers and Announcements
Sarah Buck; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader; Kermit Way.
Grand Canyon University is adjusting its faculty.
KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
Ninth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast bountifully given us Thy blessing and our daily bread: We beseech Thee, preserve us from covetousness, and so quicken our hearts that we willingly share Thy blessed gifts with our needy brethren; that we may be found faithful stewards of Thy gifts, and abide in Thy grace when we shall be removed from our stewardship, and shall come before Thy judgment, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end, Amen.
KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
At first people are going to wonder about - or even ignore - what was happening in Corinth. We just finished the Acts of the Apostles, featuring Luke and Paul and other great saints. But the Corinth of those days is very much like today. There is a parallel today, with thinking America is above discipline and God's established Commandments. This balance goes back to the 10 Commandments, which are Gospel mixed in with the Law. (Torah means Teaching, which is central to the Old Testament.)
KJV Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
KJV Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Sometimes Paul is difficult to understand. These suggests complete - three-fold like the Holy Trinity. Every single one was baptized into Moses on the great Exodus - (with a feast that would foretell the Innocent Lamb and miracles as well). Every single event is part of God's plan and impossible to refute. However, in the midst of great miracles in the Exodus and the giving of the Ten Commandments, everything fell apart.
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
Luther - At night a beautiful pillar of fire, an intense lightning-like brilliance, protected them. In addition, their bread came daily from heaven and they drank water from the rock. These providences were their Sacrament, and their sign that God was with them to protect. They believed on the promised Christ, the Son of God, their guide in the wilderness. Thus they were a noble, highly-favored and holy people. But with the great mass of the people, how long did faith last? No longer than until they came into the wilderness. There they began to despise God’s Word, to murmur against Moses and against God and to fall into idolatry.
That is the same issue today. Those people seeking freedom risked their lives just to cross the ocean. Upon arrival, they had to find food, clothing, and shelter. They were often ravaged with disease as well. They looked back 100 years and saw how great that battle was. I learned that one of my forefathers in America was part of the battle for freedom.
America seems to be more involved with hedonism than anything else, reminding us of the idol fashioned when the 10 Commandments were established in stone. It only took a little time away from Moses before they went crazy. The tablets were smashed!
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
This is an extraordinary statement, which teaches us that everything belongs to God and that the Son of God was not only in that great Exodus but already there at the Passover Meal, before they left, and moving ahead of them and behind them, protecting and guiding them.
Many catch the meaning of this because the Rock was Christ. Jesus said to Peter (the small rock) On this Rock(ledge) I will build My Church.
KJV Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter(rock), and upon this rock(ledge) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
The two Corinthians letters were written to discuss the problems they were having in many areas. They were not personal - for just a few people - but for the early Christian Church as a whole. On the positive side, the clashes were good for people to be wise about the many troubles they were having and addressing.
But we do not have to look far today to see how well known leaders have lusted after their own evil desires.
