My Word Won’t Pass Away
My Word Will Not Pass Away
My Word Will Not Pass Away is the title of this Sunday’s sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent. The theme is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The signs are among us. The heavens will shake. The nations will be distressed. Unbelief sees these as normal, but God has given them for our comfort so that you know He is near at the Last Day is at hand. Faith in Jesus responds, Thy kingdom come & Come quickly Lord Jesus..
Divine Service
Lutheran Service Book (LSB) hymnal
Opening Hymn 350 Come , Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Confession Absolution
Invocation p. 184
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Psalm 50:1-15
The Gloria Patri
The Service of the Word p.186
The Kyrie p. 186
The Salutation and Collect p. 189
First Reading Malachi 4:1-6 The Great Day of the Lord
Epistle Romans 15:4-13 Exhortation to Bear with the Weak
Gospel Luke 21:25-36 The Coming of the Son of Man
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 191
Hymn of the Day #336 Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending
The Sermon
The Offertory p. 192
Prayer of the Church
The Service of the Sacrament p.194
Preface
Sanctus p. 195
The Lord’s Prayer p. 196
The Words of Our Lord p. 197
The Pax Domini
The Agnus Dei p. 198
Distribution
Distribution Hymn 618 I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table
Distribution Hymn 355 O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide
Distribution Hymn 354 Arise, O Christian People
Distribution Hymn 346 When All the World Was Cursed
The Nunc Dimittis p. 199
The Thanksgiving p. 200
The Salutation
The Benedicamus p. 201
The Benediction p 202
Closing Hymn 454 Sing My Tongue The Glorious Battle
December 9-10, 2018
Second Sunday in Advent
Luke 21:25-36
Title: My Word will not pass away
Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lord has spoken and His evangelist has written: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Thus far the text.
Let us pray: Almighty Lord, who has promised that even though heaven and earth will pass away, His words will not. O Lord keep us in Your Word that we not perish; in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Jesus will return bodily and everybody will see Him. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, you will see Jesus, true God begotten of the Father from eternity, and true man born of the Virgin Mary. You will see God in the flesh, who is Jesus.
And you pray, “Thy Kingdom Come”
It is Jesus who is preaching a fire and brimstone sermon. Why? To scare you into the Christian faith? No. To force unbelievers in the Christian faith? No. They why?
Jesus preaches to comfort you who already believe in Him.
Comfort? Yes, Jesus is showing you the signs to point to the nearness of His second coming so that you will be comforted with the knowledge that Jesus is coming soon. So that you may sincerely pray. So that you may rejoice in the nearness of the Last Day.
There are two kinds of signs God gives announcing Jesus Christ’s Second Coming.
The world will laugh at the signs because they seem so ordinary. But Your Father has given them as signs for your comport.
The Shaking of the Heavens
Our Father will shake all He made in those first six days of creation.
The Sun will dim. And you pray, Thy kingdom come
The moon will eclipse. And you pray, Thy kingdom come.
The stars will shoot as even you have seen shooting stars from time to time; the waters will hurricane; the winds will tornado; the animals will go extinct. And you pray, Thy kingdom coming rejoicing that your Savior is nearer now than when you first believed.
The unbelievers laugh signs of Christ’s Second Coming because they are so normal. Yes, they are normal. They are also mini-judgements as a prelude to the final judgement. BUT for you who believe in Jesus, it is meant for your comfort because you know your Savior is nearer now that when you first believed.
The Distress of Nations
Our Father will shake nations and governments.
Riots will erupt. And you pray, Thy kingdom come.
Wars will be rumored. And you pray, Thy kingdom come.
Buildings will be bombed; wars will flash and long endure; revolutions will rise and governments will fall; and you pray, Thy kingdom come.
The unbelievers will laugh at theses signs of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming and the End of Days. The unbelievers will laugh because these signs are happening all the time.
Yes, they are normal from our experience but they are the signs of the End. And you know that your Savior is nearer now than when you first believed. This is your comfort.
If you are not comforted by the increased frequency of these signs, well, then you may have found your repentance for today!
Stop praying Thy kingdom come from lack of faith meaning in your heart you are saying, ‘Lord, stop shaking the heavens and stop distressing the nations.’ When what your really mean is, ‘Lord, I don’t want Your Kingdom to come; Lord, my life would be perfect except that You keep shaking the heavens and distressing the nations; Lord, let me live in this fallen creation forever - except without all the problems You cause by shaking the heavens and distressing the nations.
Stop praying with a double-mind. Repent this Advent Season and believe again that even though this heaven and this earth be rolled up and burned in a lake of fire with all the demons and unbelievers.
Rather, His Word will never pass away which mean you will never pass away; you will in no way be harmed.
Your Creator Father wants all to believe in His Son Jesus and come into His Kingdom. This is why He has given you to pray, ‘Thy kingdom come.”
What does this mean? God’s kingdom comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. So lift up your heads and see the signs increasing. God is shaking the heavens so when you see eclipses, and hurricanes, and tornadoes, and such occurring anywhere in the world, be comforted that the Lord has not forgotten to return to you. God is distressing the nations, so when you see riots and revolutions and bombings and wars, lift up your heads and be comforted that the Lord is coming and bringing you into His kingdom.
How does God’s kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes when our Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and we lead godly lives - here in time and there in eternity.
Repent from your fears and believe in Jesus; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Second Sunday in Advent
Second Sunday in Advent
Second Sunday in Advent
December 10, 2017
Title: Jesus Christ is Our Hope & Our Harmony
Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is written in Romans 15: 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. Thus far the text.
Let us pray: O Lord, You word is written for our instruction that we might have hope in You and harmony among each other. Grant us this hope and harmony; in the name of Jesus. Amen.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction
Adam never read the Bible about his fall into sin. The account of Adam & Eve was written by Moses centuries later. What is written about Adam and Eve is written for our instruction.
Noah never read the Bible about a worldwide flood and the ark he build. The account was written later for our instruction.
Jesus never read the New Testament. He gave the words to be written to His evangelists and apostles who wrote but the New Testament was written after Jesus’ death and resurrection for our instruction.
How are you instructed? You are instructed by the Lord through (the) endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures.
You are instructed every time you hear the Holy Scriptures. You are instructed every Sunday through the public readings and preaching and Bible study. You are instructed every time you hear the Words of Institution which explains what you are about to eat and drink and why the Lord wants you to eat and drink and what it is that you publicly declare each time you eat and drink. You are instructed every Weekday reading of Bible. Your instructor is the Holy Spirit who has bound His work to the Lord’s Holy Bible.
You endure week after week because the Lord is the Lord of endurance.
You are encouraged week after week because the Lord is the Lord of encouragement.
This advent season, hear the Voice of your Savior in what is Written for your instruction.
Today, the Lord is promising you two gifts. The first gift is hope.
The common dictionary defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Hope is defined as a feeling of certainty; a feeling of trust.
How is this hope received?
Hope is received through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures.
Do you doubt the Lord’s no in His good Law? Do you doubt the Lord’s yes in His good Gospel? Do you doubt that the Lord does not hold your sins against for Christ’s sake? Well, tis the season of Advent to repent of this doubt that so easily entangles and hear the Scripture again. Cast your doubt upon Jesus and believe that Jesus is the Christ. Cast your doubt upon Jesus and put your faith in His death and resurrection to save you. Hear again the encouragement Jesus gives you in His Scripture. Hear again the encouragement He has for you in those same Scriptures. Remain hearing Jesus and He will grant you hope in Jesus through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures. For this is the work of God; that you believe in Jesus (John 6:29).
The second gift for you today is harmony with one another.
How is harmony with one another received?
Harmony with one another is received through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures.
Do you doubt divisions in Christianity can be healed? Do you doubt family conflicts about faith in Jesus have no end? Well, tis the season of Advent to repent of this doubt that so easily entangles and hear the Scripture again. Hear again the encouragement Jesus gives you in His Scripture. Hear again the encouragement He has for you in those same Scriptures. Remain hearing Jesus and He will grant you harmony with one another through (that) endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures. For this is the work of God; that you believe in Jesus (John 6:29).
Faith in Jesus is the source for both your hope in the Lord and harmony with your neighbors.
The apostle Paul blesses His hearers, saying 5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This issue of harmony was important to the Lutheran Reformers. They did not want to give up their hope in Christ for the purpose of harmony. But they did want to live in harmony within the church of the past, present, and future. They wrote a book called the Book of Harmony. You know it better by its Latinized name: The Book of Concord.
They wrote: [16] We take no pleasure in discord (disharmony), nor are we unaware of our danger, the extent of which is evident from the bitter hatred inflaming the opponents. But we cannot surrender truth that is so clear and necessary for the (hope of the) church.
We believe, therefore, that we must endure difficulties and dangers for the glory of Christ and the good of the church. We trust that God approves our dutiful action, and we hope that posterity (the future generations of Christians) will judge us more equitably...
(Finally), we pray that Christ will help his afflicted and scattered churches and restore them to a godly and lasting concord (harmony).
Do you hear their desire for concord; for harmony?
Our Savior Lutheran Church is one of about 6,000 churches that desires harmony in Christ with other Christians. Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. The Concordia Universities. All of them teach what the Lord has written for our instruction. The day they lose hope in what is written will be a sad day for harmony among church bodies near and far.
Our Savior Lutheran Church is you. People instructed in what is written. People who believe in Jesus. You have hope in Christ. You have harmony among one another because you are in Christ.
I encourage you to continue to endure and find encouragement in the Scriptures. This is how your hope in Christ and your harmony among one another will remain.
Finally, it is written: welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. I am proud of all of you. You have a reputation in the community as a warm and welcoming congregation. People stop in for service. They go away amazed at how kind you are to them. Not every Christian congregation has this reputation. Why you? I am convinced it is because you continue to endure and find encouragement in the Scriptures; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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