Seventeenth Sunday after Holy Trinity

Seventeenth Sunday after Holy Trinity

Seventeenth Sunday after Holy Trinity

Luke 14:1-11; Ephesians 4:1-6; Psalm 2; Proverbs 25:6-14

Hymn #628 Your Table I Approach

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

The Lord has written:  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  11 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Thus far the text.

Let us pray:  Dear Savior, our peace and light, whose holy table we approach, let no unrepented sin prove hurtful to us here; for humble hearts are sure to find forgiveness at Your hands; in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

You are hereby invited to a wedding feast!  I am not talking about the wedding for your best friend, or your niece or nephew, or even a grandchild.  You are invited to be the bride of Christ. There is no more glorious place at the feast than to be the bride.  You are the bride. Jesus is the groom. He robes you in white without spot or wrinkle for He removes the dirty old work clothes and gives a dress to impress.

Last night was the homecoming dance.  Lots of beautiful dresses. Future brides.  Future grooms. But today, whether you are single or married, male or female, awake or asleep, you are the bride of Christ.

What does a bride do?  

First, she’s thankful because she’s at her groom’s side.  It’s her day. She had it planned in detail by the end of her Kindergarden year in school.  She’s at the groom’s side, but all eyes are on the bride. She lets all the people look at her.  She glows. Hair, makeup, the dress. It’s her day. She’s thankful.

Second, she is gracious.  I’ve been to many wedding receptions.  At almost all of them, the bride and groom visit with the guests.  It’s the bride’s day but she is gracious and giving to those around her.  She introduces her groom to family members near and far.

Which makes the Pharisees in today’s text such a sad sight.  The Pharisees are not glowing in the presence of Jesus. The Pharisees watch Jesus closely.  

They all see the certain man before Jesus who had dropsy.

And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  They don’t sound like glowing brides of Christ, do they?

And Jesus took him and healed him, and let him go.

Jesus is teaching you two things in this story.

First, what the Bride of Christ do to keep the Sabbath holy?

She listens to Jesus.  She stays at His side. And she listens to Him again.  She listens to how much Jesus loves her. She hears again how Jesus laid down His life to dress her in righteousness.  She hears again how Jesus has defeated her sin and death.

You are the Bride of Christ.  How do you keep the Sabbath holy?

You listen to Jesus.  You come to this holy house.  You hear His Word again. You hear how much Jesus loves you that He even laid down His life on the cross to forgive you your sins and give you eternal life and salvation.

If you are not glowing at Jesus’ side, then you have found your repentance for today.  He is the only one who stoops down on one knee and baptizes you into His death. Turn away from all other bride-grooms; all other gods; and Jesus will receive you back.  Always.

Second, how does the bride of Christ treat others?

She is gracious.  She is kind. If someone has too much too drink at her wedding reception, she calls him a cab so he gets home safely.  If someone eats more than their fair share at her wedding reception, she encourages him to not go home hungry.

You are the bride of Christ.  How do you treat others?

You are gracious.  You are kind. If someone asks you if you have signed the guest register because you haven’t been in church for a few Sundays, you aren’t offended but thank them for asking.  If someone criticizes you before the Divine Service for any number of things, you also don’t get offended. Why? Because you are gracious. And you are kind. You are the bride of Christ.

A gracious and kind Christian is content to take the low positions among the body of Christ.  You show kindness to the elderly and patience with the busy and hardworking.

However, when your proper place during the wedding feast is at the head table with the groom in the middle of the wedding party.

This morning, as the best-man to your wedding day, in the stead and by the command of our groom Jesus Christ, I invite you to the Lord’s Table.

You are beautiful.  The Lord delights over you with thanksgiving.

Come to the feast; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard your body and soul in the Bridegroom Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Galatians 1:6 - 2:1 No Other Gospel

Galatians 1:6 - 2:1

Wednesday Bible Study Notes

Galatians 1:6-2:1

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Only One Gospel

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.  10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

1. How can anybody say there is only one Gospel when there is so much division within the Christian church?  We talk about denominations but our fathers did not speak of denominations; they spoke of confessions of the faith.  Denominations focus on social groups like German Lutherans, Swiss Reformed, Irish Catholics. Then the Lutheran, Reformed, Catholic terms were dropped so we are American Christians.  Confessions are the content of what is believed. Where the confessions are ignored then there is the resulting situation that the Bible is also ignored in preference for the preacher.

2. The response God & Paul have to anyone who has “any other gospel” is - be accursed, which means be damned to hell.  What other gospels have you heard; from whom? Were they declared as “accursed”?

Here are some of my examples:  

1. Instead of Justification (forgiveness, life, and salvation) by faith alone

   1. The Roman church teaches “faith formed by love”

   2. The liberal Protestant churches teach “deeds not creeds”

   3. The conservative Protestant churches teach “a decision for Christ”

     b. Other gospels exist. This is not good.

Call to Apostleship

11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.  15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

3.   The Gospel which was preached to us is also not according to man.  We neither received it from man, nor were we taught it (by men), but it came to us through the revelation of Jesus Christ - Holy Scripture.

Contacts at Jerusalem

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)  21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.

5.  How long did it take before Paul went to Jerusalem to meet Peter?  How long did Paul remain?

6.  What did Paul do during those three years?  He preached the Gospel.

Defending the Gospel

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.

7.  How long before Paul returned to Jerusalem?

8.  What did Paul do during those fourteen years?  He preached the Gospel.

9.  So, a little over 17 years after Christ’s Ascension brings us to the Jerusalem Council/Synod (Galatians 2, Acts 15) to address the first major division within the Christian church.  Should Gentile Christians be circumcised as the Jewish Christians insist? After the council concluded “no” then came the official separation of the disagreeing parties.

Let us close this Bible study by praying the Lord’s Prayer together.

Galatians Introduction

Galatians Introduction

Wednesday Bible Study Notes

Galatians - Introduction

Why read the Epistle to the Galatians?  God wants to establish the righteousness of faith, so that we may have a perfect knowledge and know the difference between Christian righteousness and all other kinds of righteousness.

What other kinds of righteousness are there?  

1. There is a political righteousness, which the emperor, the princes of the world, philosophers, and lawyers consider

2. There is also a ceremonial righteousness, which human traditions teach.  Parents and teachers may teach this righteousness without danger, because they do not attribute to it any power to make satisfaction for sin, to placate God, and to earn grace; but they teach that these ceremonies are necessary only for moral discipline and for certain observances.

3. There is, in addition to these, yet another righteousness, the righteousness of [the Law or of ]the Decalog, which Moses teaches. We, too, teach this, but after the doctrine of faith.

Note:  these kinds of the righteousness of works are gifts of God, as are all the things we have.

God will teach us faith-righteousness in this Bible study.  Therefore it is appropriate to call the righteousness of faith [or christian righteousness] “passive.” This is a righteousness hidden in a mystery, which the world does not understand. in fact, christians themselves do not adequately understand it or grasp it in the midst of their temptations. therefore it must always be taught and continually exercised. and anyone who does not grasp or take hold of it in afflictions and terrors of conscience cannot stand. For there is no comfort of conscience so solid and certain as is this passive righteousness.

What is the problem?  When the Law shows us our sin, our past life immediately comes to our mind. Then the sinner, in his great anguish of mind, groans and says to himself: “Oh, how damnably I have lived!  If only I could live longer! Then I would amend my life.” Thus human reason cannot refrain from looking at active righteousness, that is, its own righteousness; nor can it shift its gaze to passive, that is, Christian righteousness, but it simply rests in the active righteousness. So deeply is this evil rooted in us, and so completely have we acquired this unhappy habit!

It is a marvelous thing and unknown to the world to teach Christians to ignore the Law and to live before God as though there were no Law whatever. For if you do not ignore the Law and thus direct your thoughts to grace as though there were no Law but as though there were nothing but grace, you cannot be saved. “For through the Law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). On the other hand, works and the performance of the Law must be demanded in the world as though there were no promise or grace. This is because of the stubborn, proud, and hardhearted, before whose eyes nothing must be set except the Law, in order that they may be terrified and humbled. For the Law was given to terrify and kill the stubborn and to exercise the old man.  Both words must be correctly divided, according to the apostle (2 Tim. 2:25 ff.).

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 26 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 6.

Acts 1:6-14 The Ascension

Acts 1 6-14 The Ascension

Sunday Bible Study

Acts 1:6-14

September 16, 2018

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Kingdom of Israel. The apostles are understanding this phrase as a restoration of religious teaching at the temple and their release from Roman rule.

Lord. It is more than a title but also has the Biblical meaning of Savior.  (Yahweh)

Times or seasons.  Times are long stretches.  Since Christ’s Ascension, we live in the End Times until the Last Day.  Some groups speak of the ages. Some argue that the New Testament doesn’t concern us because Jesus was teaching to a different age.  Some speak of “millenia” and are concerned about the pre or post millenium return of Jesus. The New Testament (and Old) are for all times.  The majority of the Christian church around the world holds to a solid Scriptural “amilenialism”. Seasons are shorter stretches of time, for example, the summer season or the winter season.  All of these times are seasons are known only to our Father.

You will receive power.  The apostles will receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  The Holy Spirit will give them a specific power - they are witnesses to proclaim Christ.  The apostles will fill the world with their preaching and writing. Their witness is not just for their time but for the church in all times and places until the coming of Jesus.

You shall be witnesses to Me.  In the sense that the apostles were witnesses to Christ no one else can be.  They were eyewitnesses to all Jesus to all the great things Jesus said and did that cannot be repeated.  They received the gift of inspiration (John 14:26; 15:26-27) to witness about Jesus, not themselves. No one else has received this gift since the apostles.  However, the apostle Peter tells us that we have something better than their eyewitness, we have the Holy Scriptures which are inspired and inerrant (2Peter 1:19-21).  So the apostles confirmed the miracles with their eyewitness and recorded that confirmed eyewitness for all in this end time. And now you have the inspired and inerrant eyewitness recorded which gives all baptized and believing people to be witnesses of all that Jesus said and did.  The witness continues. You have received this power (Holy Spirit) who gives faith through this witness (Holy Scripture).

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

He was taken up Jesus bodily rises until hidden by a cloud.  This is as much as a miracle as Jesus’ conception (by Holy Spirit) birth (of the virgin Mary) crucified, suffered, and died (under Pontius Pilate) descended (into hell) rose from the dead (on the third day) ascended (into heaven) seated (at the right hand of God).  He didn’t keep going up and up. He bodily entered heaven (unseen creation).

While they looked...two men stood by them in white apparel  Angels confirm this mighty act of Jesus even while it is occuring.  Luke also records two angels appearing in Luke 24:4 to confirm the resurrection of Jesus.  Great artists depict angels as men, both beautiful and strong. This is Biblical.

This same Jesus...will also come in like manner.  Jesus will return bodily from heaven on the last day too.  We speak of Jesus coming to us bodily in three ways. He came the first time at His birth (Christmas).  He will come on the Last Day in the same manner He ascended into heaven. Third, He comes to us bodily in the mean of grace, most specifically in Holy Communion.  The culmination of Luke Gospel is that Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus. He explained the Scriptures (preach and teach) but their eyes were opened and they knew Him in the breaking of the bread (Holy Communion).

The Upper Room Church Service

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Unlike the saints, Jesus is both in heaven and on earth, even in His resurrected body.  Heaven is where Jesus is. Jesus continues to serve on earth by means of His Word. Jesus is bodily with us.  He is Immanuel - God with us. Let us pray…..