Sixth Sunday after Holy Trinity

Exodus 20:1–17                                                    The Ten Commandments

1And God spoke all these words, saying, 2“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  3“You shall have no other gods before me.  4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.  7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.  8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.  12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.  13“You shall not murder.  14“You shall not commit adultery.  15“You shall not steal.  16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.  17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Romans 6:1–11                                                                 You Are Baptized

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 5:20–26                              Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.WELCOME TO OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH - LCMS

2611 Lucas Street, Muscatine, IA 52761             Church Phone: 563-263-0347

  www.oursaviormuscatine.org     email: oslcp@machlink.com       text: 563-554-4488

PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these” [Matthew 19:13].  A child’s faith, like an adult’s, is fed and nourished by hearing God’s Word.  Their rustling and energy are gifts from God for us to enjoy for a little while.  Therefore, you are encouraged to worship with your children in the sanctuary because children are a blessing from the Lord.  If you desire, we have activity bags for use in the sanctuary. To calm your children during times of “distress” a Cry Room and a Playroom are available. The service is broadcast to these rooms so you may listen until you are ready to return.  Ask an Elder or a person near you for directions and assistance.

CLOSED COMMUNION The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but His very body and blood to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our union with Him and with one another.  Our Lord invites to His table those who trust His words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as He forgives and loves us, that they may show forth His death until He comes. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a public confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet baptized, instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation by membership in another church body, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked to first speak with the pastor or an elder.  For further study, see Matt 5:23f; 10:32f; 18:15-35; 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:17-34.

IF YOU ARE NOT COMMUNING TODAY but you have been baptized you are invited to come to the altar rail to receive a baptismal blessing.  Please, cross your arms over your chest to indicate to the pastor that you would like a blessing rather than the Lord’s Supper.

PRIVATE CONFESSION You are invited to stop in during Office Hours or call to meet with Pastor Pautz at a time that works for you.

THANK YOU FOR SERVING                                      Next Sunday

Pastor              Jeffrey Pautz                                       Pastor                 Jeffrey Pautz

Organist          Susan Eversmeyer                               Organist             Mary Francis

Elder Group   Aaron Eversmeyer                                Elder Group      John Buttke

Flowers           -                                                            Flowers        -

Greeters Neil & Kathy Prussman                                 Greeters            Seth Francis

INTROIT

The LORD | is their strength,*

    and He is the saving refuge of His a- | nointed.

Save Your people, and bless Your in- | heritance;*

    shepherd them also, and bear them up for- | ever. (Psalm 28:8-9)

To You I will cry, O | LORD my Rock:*

    do not be si- | lent to me,

lest, if You are si- | lent to me,*

    I become like those who go down | to the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications when I | cry to You,*

    when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctu- | ary.

The LORD is my strength | and my shield;*

    my heart trusted in Him, and | I am helped. (Psalm 28:1-2, 7)

Glory be to the Father and  | to the Son* and to the Holy  | Spirit;

     as it was in the be | ginning*, is now, and will be forever.   | Amen.

The LORD | is their strength,*

    and He is the saving refuge of His a- | nointed.

Save Your people, and bless Your in- | heritance;*

    shepherd them also, and bear them up for- | ever. (Psalm 28:8-9)

COLLECT FOR THE DAY

Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of Your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of Your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

GRADUAL

Return, O / LORD! How long?*

    And have compassion on Your / servants.

LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all gener- / ations.*

    Even from everlasting to everlasting, / You are God. (Psalm 90:13:1–2)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN OF THE MONTH - Let Me Be Thine Forever #689 is the featured hymn for July.  This hymn is a beautiful prayer asking God to keep us through His Word so that we never forsake Him nor wander away from His Word.  The author, Nikolaus Selnecker (1532-1592), was a Lutheran musician, theologian and reformer. He is now known mainly as a hymn writer. He is also known as one of the principal authors of the Formula of Concord along with Jakob Andreä and Martin Chemnitz. The same musical setting is used in hymn #746.

NEW ADDRESS - JOEL & BETSY HIRSCHFELD They wanted to let you know their new address.  It is 250 Pinnacle Dr., Lake Mills, WI, 53551. Cell phone numbers will not change.

NEW ELDER - DAVID LORD With the Hirschfeld family moving to WI, David Lord has been appointed to replace Joel on the Board of Elders. The Elder group will now be shown as the "Lord Group" on the schedule. An updated schedule is posted and copies are available if desired. The remainder of the group members and the serving schedule will remain the same. Please pray for David as he takes on his new role.

JULY NEWSLETTER is available in the magazine rack next to the mailboxes.

SUBSTITUTE ORGANIST SERVICE We have a need for volunteers to play the service music on the Ipad.  See Pastor Pautz for a demonstration. Thank you. Pastor

LISTEN TO WORLDWIDE KFUO.ORG, your radio station for practical Lutheran talk, daily Bible and Confession studies, daily worship opportunities, and current issues from a Lutheran worldview. Programs are archived at KFUO.org for 24/7 on-demand listening. You can also find our programming wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question or comment? Find us at @KFUOradio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  This week on KFUO.org, begin a new study on the book of Ephesians on Thy Strong Word (weekdays at 11:00 a.m. CT)., dig into the Daily Lectionary readings from Galatians with Rev. Jonathan Fisk on Sharper Iron (weekdays at 8:00 a.m. CT), and hear from Rev. Dr. Edward Naumann about life on the mission field in South Asia on The Coffee Hour (7/19 at 9:15 a.m. CT). Hear these programs on demand at kfuo.org or wherever you get your podcasts!

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER HOLY TRINITY

Sunday, July 8 at 9:00am  and Monday, July 9 at 6:00pm

Divine Service  184  Hymns  906, 562, 581, 689, 750, 575, 925

CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK

Morning Afternoon & Evening

Today     08:00 am  Private Confession Pastoral Home Visits

09:00 am  Divine Service                                 

             10:30 am  Bible Study   

Monday       Pastor’s Bible Study & 01:00 pm Sunnybrook

 Sermon Preparation Time 02:00 pm Homebound Visits

05:00 pm Office Hours

06:00 pm Divine Service

07:00 pm Church Council  

Tuesday Pastor’s Study & Sermon Prep Pastoral Home Visits

Wednesday 09:00 am  Matins Service Sunday Bulletin Printed    

09:30 am   Bible Study

Thursday Pastor’s Study & Sermon Prep  Pastoral Home Visits

Sunday 08:00 am  Private Confession Pastoral Home Visits

09:00 am  Divine Service                         

10:30 am   Bible Study

IN OUR PRAYERS

Travel +Jacob (Sandy Throm’s grandson) medical mission in East Africa Physical Illness +Isabella (Jerry & Peggy Hart’s granddaughter) need for second bone marrow transplant +Tom Fritz (Mary Francis’ brother) hospice care +Lillian Graf hospice care +John Francis (Mary’s husband) treatment +Juliette (John & Carolyn Yeater’s great-granddaughter) heart surgery Mental Illness   Seminary +Tom Van Hemert  (Liz’s husband) vicar Homebound +Lucille Wingerter  +Marvin (Bud) Plank

Fifth Sunday after Holy Trinity

WELCOME TO OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH - LCMS

2611 Lucas Street, Muscatine, IA 52761             Church Phone: 563-263-0347

  www.oursaviormuscatine.org     email: oslcp@machlink.com       text: 563-554-4488

PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these” [Matthew 19:13].  A child’s faith, like an adult’s, is fed and nourished by hearing God’s Word.  Their rustling and energy are gifts from God for us to enjoy for a little while.  Therefore, you are encouraged to worship with your children in the sanctuary because children are a blessing from the Lord.  If you desire, we have activity bags for use in the sanctuary. To calm your children during times of “distress” a Cry Room and a Playroom are available. The service is broadcast to these rooms so you may listen until you are ready to return.  Ask an Elder or a person near you for directions and assistance.

CLOSED COMMUNION The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but His very body and blood to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our union with Him and with one another.  Our Lord invites to His table those who trust His words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as He forgives and loves us, that they may show forth His death until He comes. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a public confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet baptized, instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation by membership in another church body, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked to first speak with the pastor or an elder.  For further study, see Matt 5:23f; 10:32f; 18:15-35; 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:17-34.

IF YOU ARE NOT COMMUNING TODAY but you have been baptized you are invited to come to the altar rail to receive a baptismal blessing.  Please, cross your arms over your chest to indicate to the pastor that you would like a blessing rather than the Lord’s Supper.

PRIVATE CONFESSION You are invited to stop in during Office Hours or call to meet with Pastor Pautz at a time that works for you.

THANK YOU FOR SERVING                             Next Sunday

Pastor              Jeffrey Pautz                            Pastor                 Jeffrey Pautz

Organist          Joel Hirschfeld                          Organist             Susan Eversmeyer

Elder Group   Joel Hirschfeld                           Elder Group      Aaron Eversmeyer

Flowers Aaron & Susan                                    Flowers        Carl & Bonnie Egger

Greeters Jean Dragon                                      Greeters           Neil & Kathy Prussman

INTROIT

Hear, O LORD, when I cry | with my voice!*

    Have mercy also upon me, and | answer me.

You have | been my help;*

    do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my sal- | vation. (Psalm 27:7, 9)

The LORD is my light and my sal- | vation;*

    whom | shall I fear?

Teach me Your | way, O LORD,*

    and lead me in a | smooth path.

Do not deliver me to the will of my adver- | saries;*

    for false witnesses have risen a- | gainst me.

Wait on the LORD; be of good | courage,*

    and He shall streng- | then your heart. (Psalm 27:1, 11-12, 14)

Glory be to the Father and  | to the Son* and to the Holy  | Spirit;

     as it was in the be | ginning*, is now, and will be forever.   | Amen.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry | with my voice!*

    Have mercy also upon me, and | answer me.

You have | been my help;*

    do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my sal- | vation. (Psalm 27:7, 9)

COLLECT FOR THE DAY

O God, You have prepared for those who love You good things that surpass all understanding. Pour into our hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

GRADUAL

O God, be- / hold our shield,*

    and look upon the face of Your a- / nointed.

O LORD God of hosts, / hear my prayer;*

    give ear, O God of / Jacob! (Psalm 84:9, 8)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW ELDER - DAVID LORD With the Hirschfeld family moving to WI, David Lord has been appointed to replace Joel on the Board of Elders. The Elder group will now be shown as the "Lord Group" on the schedule. An updated schedule is posted and copies are available if desired. The remainder of the group members and the serving schedule will remain the same. Please pray for David as he takes on his new role.

JULY NEWSLETTER is available in the magazine rack next to the mailboxes.

SUBSTITUTE ORGANIST SERVICE We have a need for volunteers to play the service music on the Ipad.  See Pastor Pautz for a demonstration. Thank you. Pastor

LUTHER COMMENTS ON TODAY’S SERMON TEXT: 11. Therefore if you wish to lead a truly Christian life, let thy God see to it how the fishes come into your net, and go and enter some calling in life that you may labour . But we all wish to fill such positions, where we do not need to labour ; that has ever been the trick of the devil. And because of this we became monks and priests, only in order that we might live like noblemen and would not need to work. Moved by this mothers left their children go to school, in order that they might have good days and serve God. In this way it came so far that people didn't know what good living was; and yet God commanded and took pleasure in it, that man should eat his bread in sweat; as he said to Adam: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," Gen. 3:19. And the deeper you stick in the law, the better It is. Therefore labour and believe, and let God rule unhindered. 12. If we speak of faith and are to lean upon God and let him care for us, then they say: Yes, I must believe a long time before a roasted dove flies into my mouth, if I do not labour . Yes it is true, you must toil, for you are commanded to do so: but let thy God provide for you. Believe and labour , then will not only a dove but a roasted goose fly into your mouth. 13. But to these belong also another part, namely, that we should hope, even if God does delay for a time. Hence Christ here left them toil all the night without catching anything and it seemed he would permit them to die of hunger. Peter might have well thought since he fished so long and caught nothing: now God will let the stomach languish. But he despairs not, continues to labour , and stands and hopes. Then God comes and gives him such a great multitude of fishes all at once, and more than he had been able to catch in eight days. 14. Therefore you must learn this part well, that you are to work and hope, even if God should delay a little and let you toil in your sweat, so that you imagine your labour is now lost. Then you must be wise and learn to know your God and to trust in him. Then he arrives and gives you more than you need, as he does here to Peter. Therefore if God has already delayed, only remember in the example of Peter there was also a little delay and yet it richly came. Thus it strikes in the time of his good pleasure; therefore do not despair, but hope and then thy works will be golden and pleasing to him; and then hope waits patiently, when God withdraws from us and does not do at once what we earnestly wish. Therefore he must make an appendix and hang on it a costly stone that thy works may become important. This precious stone is faith;

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER HOLY TRINITY

Sunday, July 1 at 9:00am  and Monday, July 2 at 6:00pm

Divine Service  184  Hymns  717, 688, 689, 662, 537, 724, 965

CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK

Today    

08:00 am    Private Confession

09:00 am   Divine Service                                 

10:30 am    Bible Study

11:15 am    Board of Elders - Monthly Meeting   

Monday                  

01:00 pm Sunnybrook

02:00 pm Homebound Visits

05:00 pm Office Hours

06:00 pm Divine Service   

Wednesday

09:00 am    Matins Service     

09:30 am     Bible Study (Law & Gospel)

Sunday

08:00 am     Private Confession

09:00 am    Divine Service                         

             10:30 am     Bible Study - The Gospel of St. John

IN OUR PRAYERS

For Those In Authority + National, State, & Local Government - especially the United States of America +One, Holy, Apostolic, & Catholic Church - especially the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

Physical Illness +Isabella (Jerry & Peggy Hart’s granddaughter) need for second bone marrow transplant +Tom Fritz (Mary Francis’ brother) hospice care +Lillian Graf is in hospice care +John Francis (Mary’s husband) treatment +Juliette (John & Carolyn Yeater’s great-granddaughter) heart surgery

Mental Illness + for all suffering in its many forms and their loved ones

Seminary +Tom Van Hemert  (Liz’s husband) vicar

Homebound +Lucille Wingerter +Marvin (Bud) Plank

Third Sunday after Holy Trinity

Third Sunday after Holy Trinity

Parable of the Lost Sheep & Coin

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It is written: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”  3 So he told them this parable:... Thus far the text.

Let us pray:  Gracious Father, who finds lost sheep and lost coins, find us and rejoice over us for we are lost without You; in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

JESUS FOUND YOU.  THANKS BE TO GOD.

Like lost lost sheep, Jesus is the Shepherd who found you.

Like the lost coin, Jesus is the Woman who found you.

And now what does the Lord do?  He rejoices over you with singing (Zech).  For you were lost but now are found.

BUT SOME OF YOU STILL GRUMBLE AT SUCH GRACE.

The Wednesday Bible study group had a good discussion about accepting a repentant sinner back into the fold.  It is as difficult to discipline unrepentant Christians as it is to demonstrate love and forgiveness to the Christian who has repented.

The particular public unrepentant sin that St. Paul addressed in the Corinthian letters concerned a family in the Corinthian congregation.  The sin was that a young man had his mother…It’s called incest. (I’m being discreet). The congregation did not want to deal with the problem.  Could we blame them? The family was in all other respects a good family. St. Paul needed to persuade them that it was unloving to let this ongoing, publicly known sin continue in the congregation.  The effect of breaking God’s Word in such a way brings grief to all involved. False teaching and unrepentant lifestyles cause people to fall from the faith. So, the congregation, reluctantly, removed the young man from the Lord’s table and rebuked him SO THAT he might repent and return to the Lord.

And so it happened.  The young man repented.  He agreed with God’s Law that his action was against the will of the Lord.  He agreed with the Lord that his action was born from sin and unbelief. He stopped the action and asked for mercy.

Which lead us back to the Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.

It is written: And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “(Jesus) receives sinners and eats with them.”

It could easily be said this way:  And the Corinthian congregation grumbled, saying, “St. Paul receives practicers of incest and eats with them in Holy Communion.”

But, the Law has worked repentance in the man.  The incest is stopped. He is now despairing of the grace and mercy of God.

So it is with the “tax collectors and sinners (who) were all drawing near to hear (Jesus)”.  They were despairing under the weight of their sin.  They needed the Gospel. They needed to be found by the Lord.

So Jesus speaks a parable to the Pharisees and scribes, the Corinthian congregation, and to the whole church on earth including Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine.  The parable is this:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

WHAT IS OUR REPENTANCE FOR THIS MORNING?

What is our repentance for this morning?  It might be to forgive a repentant homosexual and accept him back into the fold of our congregation.  If you are that repentant homosexual you are welcome in the Lord’s house because Jesus found you with His Word like a Shepherd finding His lost sheep.  

What is our repentance for this morning?  It might be to forgive a woman who is repentant of her abortion and accept her back into the fold of our congregation.  If you are that repentant lady (or repentant boyfriend, or repentant husband, or repentant family member who supported the abortion) you are welcome in the Lord’s house because Jesus found you with His Word like a Woman finding her lost coin.  

Finally, and most importantly, what is our repentance for this morning?  It might be be to forgive a person who is repentant of denying the inerrancy and power of God’s Word and parables and accept that person back into the fold of the congregation.  If you are that person you are welcome in the Lord’s house because Jesus found you with His Word.

As Jesus says in first Peter:  6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of (our Father) so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on (Me, Jesus), because (I, Jesus, am taking care of you).

JESUS IS TAKING CARE OF YOU

Jesus is taking care of you.  He is like a mother who finds her baby crying.  What does she do? She cradles the baby in her arms.  She comforts her baby. She takes care of her baby.

Jesus pardons your iniquity.

Jesus does not retain his anger (against you) forever.

Rather, Jesus delights in steadfast love toward you.   

Jesus will again have compassion on you.

Jesus will tread (your) iniquities underfoot.  

Jesus will cast all (your) sins into the depths of the sea.  

Jesus will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham and to Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Jesus has sworn this to our fathers from the days of old.

JESUS FOUND YOU.  THANKS BE TO GOD.

Like a lost sheep, Jesus is the Shepherd who found you.

Like a lost coin, Jesus is the Woman who found you.

And now what does the Lord do?  He rejoices over you with singing (Zech).  For you were lost but now are found; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  (Amen)

The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard and keep you in Jesus Christ, our Savior.  (Amen)

First Sunday after Holy Trinity

Sermon Notes:

It is written: And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Thus far the text.

Let us pray:

Our Lord sees two kinds of people. He doesn't look at outward appearances like we tend to do. Rather, it is the Lord alone who can look into the heart. He sees the rich kind of person and the poor kind of person but again this is the Lord's view of the state of your soul.

You can have no money and yet be rich like the rich man in today's parable.

Live paycheck by paycheck and angry you don't have more.

Not included by the popular kids at school but will do anything to be liked

Not included by the powerful managers and bosses at work and it gnaws at you.

Waste money playing the lottery hoping to make it rich one day.

There is a difference between being broke and being poor. If you are broke you might not make a mortgage or rent payment. Poor is a state of the mind and soul. The poor are never content; always need more. Broke can be fixed by saving and increasing income. If you are poor, whether wealthy or broke, whether popular or not, whether powerful or not, you will never have enough wealth, popularity, or power. If this is you then have found your repentance for this morning. Our Lord calls of you rich men. You were born rich. Rich in unbelief.

You can have a lot of money and still be a poor Lazarus but its really hard.

King David was wealthy but preferred to remain a shepherd than a king. He was content to trust Christ

Job was the richest and wisest man in the east but he clung to the Lord even when he lost

everything.

The Law of God exposes the richness of your soul. You were born rich to yourself. Like the rich man in today's parable, you feasted sumptuously on rich food in Sunday School, Divine Service, and confirmation classes but do not believe in Jesus. You are the rich men who come to the Lord's Table but care nothing about the unbelievers in your midst. John the Baptist is correct.

10  Jesus was in the world, and the world was made through Jesus, yet the world did not know Jesus. 11  Jesus came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

These rich souls are within Jesus' own people, the church. The rich souls look to externals. Rich souls look at an empty pew but do not pray to the Lord of the harvest. Rather, they jump to strategory such as Friendship Sundays, build a new more attractive sanctuary, or plan a service in the park to witness to the surrounding community. What is neglected are those within the congregation who did receive Jesus. What is wrong with that? Because...

The good news is that the Gospel of God makes you poor. Again, John the Baptist is correct.

12 But as many as received Jesus, to them Jesus gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Lord has made you poor to the wealth of your own soul. Poor souls are in Christ. They look into their souls and find only a wealth of sin and unbelief. You recognize that you are so poor toward God that you fear you will even remain in the faith. Poor believing souls look at an empty pew and pray to our Father and beg Him for things like: O Father, keep in the faith. O Lord, have mercy on my friend who does not believe in You. Almighty God, thank you for granting us this holy place and making it beautiful with Your presence and continue to grant us the scraps that fall from Your altar. Lord of the Church on earth, call poor men from around the world to preach and teach Your Word here at Our Savior and in Your assembly of poor souls around the world to the repentance of rich unbelievers and for the faith of poor believers.

How is this done? Returning to the Gospel of Luke: The rich man died in his unbelief and his body was buried. Now, hell is his home. Hell is a place of torment. Hell is an eternal lake of fire. The Lord says in Hebrews 9:

27It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

The death of your body is the seal of your judgment. But it gets worse. It is written in Acts 24:15;

There will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

Yes, the rich unbelievers will only suffer the torment of their souls for a time. On the Last Day, they too will be bodily resurrected from the dead only to return to hell, bodily, after the judgment. All rich unbelievers will die to all good things from the Lord. They share in good things now. They will die to all good things upon the death of their bodies. They will eventually die to all bodily good things as well.

What about poor believing Lazarus?

The Gospel calls you to a poor faith in Jesus. The parable says that in this life dogs licked Lazarus' sores. Your faith is a poor faith because right now your only comfort is to have your sins licked clean by hearing Moses and the prophets.

And poor Lazarus died in Christ and was carried to the bosom of Abraham. The bosom of Abraham in this parable is Moses and the prophets. We prefer to call it God's Word. Both God's Law and Gospel. The Law convicts you of your rich unbelief. The Gospel calls you to poor faith in Jesus. Poor because in this life your sores are licked, not by dogs, but with God's Word and Sacrament. This is your only comfort.

so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

The death of your body is the seal of your judgment unto eternal life. But it gets better. As I just mentioned, it is written