Sunday, June 26, 2022

Trinity 2 2022

 The Second Sunday after Trinity, 2022


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson


The player is here:



The video will be linked here shortly after the service.





The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit
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

Collect
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

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
        
Why the World Hates

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 #411                        From Eternity O God
        

In Our Prayers
  • Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Lynda Roper, Callie and her mother Peggy, C. and her family.
  • Those working to protect the unborn, the weakest of the weak, the poorest of the poor.
  • Our nation, built upon the sacrifices of patriots and the faith of its Founders, has a Constitution that has outlived all others.
  • KJVs are being requested by Springdale neighbors, who also want Spanish Bibles.



KJV 1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

KJV Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Second Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks unto Thee, that through Thy holy word Thou hast called us to Thy great supper, and we beseech Thee: Quicken our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not hear Thy word without fruit, but that we may prepare ourselves rightly for Thy kingdom, and not suffer ourselves to be hindered by any worldly care, through Thy beloved Son. Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen. 




Why the World Hates


KJV 1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Introduction
Luther's sermon on this passage includes the verses just before 1 John 3:13 - about Cain killing Abel. That serves as an allegory of the world hating Christian believers. Cain was haughty and wanted all the glory of his works. However, when the two brothers offered their sacrifices, God honored Abel's because of the man's faith and humility. God did not honor Cain's because of Cain's pride and lack of faith in God.

1 John 3: 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

This is now being played out in America, and echoed throughout the unbelieving world. Protecting the unborn enrages unbelievers, who respond by destroying buildings where people are counseled about keeping the unborn child.

I volunteered at a pro-life center in Columbus. Of all the young women I met there, only one came with the prospective father of the child. All the rest came alone, except for the married couple hoping a child was on the way. Where were all the teen-age boys? They were never along.

We live in a world where the righteousness of works has taken over, not only disconnected from the concept of God (Natural Law - God commands what is good for us - basic to the US Constitution) but antagonistic toward anything Christian. Therefore, the highly praised works are not derived from God's Commandments but from the destructive power of Satan. Cain belonged to Satan, so he hated Abel. Thus, the works become more destructive because of this power.

John's Gospel and Letters state clearly that the unbelieving world will hate Christians just as they hated Jesus Christ. Nothing is too absurd and destructive for this generation, so we should not be filled with wonder ("do not marvel") that the world hates Christians since that has been a theme since the very beginning. 

And it is important to discern that Cain and Abel were brothers, that opposition and hatred are not simply from enemies far away but also from the incense-scented halls of the visible church. We find the opposition in the Church of Rome and in the denominations (Lutherans too) that hate the teaching of their founders and do their best to show their unChristian works to the world. 

We should expect that the world hates us for loving the Gospel Word, which includes the Bible in its various parts and the whole. No one can water down the Scriptures enough to please unbelievers, sceptics, and rationalists. When I sit in the garden to work on the flowers and weeds, I am surrounded by creatures, even a bunny walking casually by, not by evolutes.

We know we belong to the invisible Christian Church because we love those who are also believers. That tie unites a bewildering variety of people drawn by the Word. 

He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Many can carry on with the outward signs of the Christian Church, which vary in a hundred different ways. But when the unbeliever is loyal to his Father Below, he works against the Gospel and persecutes the believer. The radicals took over ELCA starting in 1987 and completed the victory in 2009, driving out several million members and pastors. The radicals will never let go of their prize, and yet WELS-LCMS-ELS will continue to work with them for the Thrivent money. 

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

The two go together. When people are proud and haughty, obsessed with keeping what they have and the honors they think they deserve, they do their best to crush their opposition, very much like Cain and Abel. Here John is using the same term that Jesus did in John 8.

Lenski, 1 John, p. 469.

Man-murderer (ανθρωποκτονος) is the very word that Jesus used with reference to the devil in John 8:44; it applies to all the devil’s children (v. 10b); included among these are the antichristians who have gone out from us (2:19). John has called the latter liars (1:6, 10; 2:22) and combines liar and man-murderer as Jesus does in John 8:44.

Faith and eternal life go together. Expressing one is proclaiming the other. I have found that the "conservative" Lutherans will do everything possible to promote universal forgiveness without faith and to condemn and silence Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ. I noticed that two "conservative" graduates of the Jesuit Marquette University (John Brenner, WELS, and Gregory Schulz, LCMS) write about the "justification of the world," as if every person is forgiven, no matter what. Everyone who writes for Christian News promotes this anti-Scriptural dogma and anyone who teaches Justification by Faith is excommunicated. Ask me how I know.

This is what we see in secular life. There are trigger-words and snares that catch anyone who is pro-life, or can only count to two with genders, etc. The watchers keep track of terms they do not like and silence those people, one way or the other. The "goals" are scared to them, so when something new "aligns with our goals," any offense means automatic dismissal.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

This was automatic in the Apostolic Church. Because Jesus gave up His life, the believers gave up theirs. False brothers fell away, and it is easy to see why, but the martyrs increased the numbers across the known world. Now we do not have "laying down our lives" but "lifting a finger," and hardly a finger is lifted. The official charities do some of the works, but the most important efforts should be for our next-door neighbor or relative. 

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Some might say, "This is a passage about works," but it is really about the fruit of the Spirit, works that naturally grow from the Gospel taught and believed. Years ago, in the LCA, a bunch of members agreed to visit and spend time in the home for handicapped adults. Only one or two actually did. I was one. The other person had a chronic and fatal disease and died young. She always visited Erin Joy too and had so much fun with her. I often felt sorry for those who never stopped to be with life-long handicapped people. 


Sunday, June 19, 2022

Trinity 1, 2022

 





The First Sunday after Trinity, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
 Vimeo player is below when activated:


Bethany Lutheran Church, 
10AM Central Daylight Time

The saved video will be linked here, shortly after the service is over.

The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.




The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit
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

Collect
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    

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
The Sermon Hymn #429              Lord, Thee I Love   - Winkworth translation

 Division - One or the Other


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     
     


Prayers and Announcements         
  •  Happy Fathers' Day. The two stems totaling 18 roses are in recognition of our fathers.
  • Those continuing in treatment and therapy - Kermit and Maria Way, Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris, Lynda Roper.
  • We have a number of Biblical resource books and KJVs, concordances for those who want them.


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.










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. 
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, 
Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429


 Division - One or the Other


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.

Introduction

This parable is a comparison, not between rich and poor, but between faith in Jesus Christ and faith in the righteousness of the Law.

Parables are from the Jewish tradition, where a story is told to teach some points about the Word of God. The parables are short stories, and very special coming from the Son of God. No one else can teach so much in a few words. 

The rationalists and apostates get this mixed up. They teach that the miracles are fictional stories, which have some kind of meaning apart from Jesus being able to cure terrible diseases and raise the dead. To prove this, they mistakenly call all miracles "myths" so that the New Testament will be true if only we remove all the miracles from it. They are not too sure about parables either. My New Testament professor at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary published a book about parables - and said no one could understand them. Apparently, that included him.

The parables of Jesus often have several points, and Luther was exceptional about explaining them. The New Testament is concise, stingy with words, so every phrase of a parable from Jesus should be considered and remembered for its powerful lessons. Some of this is from removing false ideas about a parable. The other part is about seeing how the parable is part of the great harmony of the Scriptures, from Creation to the end of time.

This parable has a dramatic comparison, not between rich and poor, but between faith and unbelief. Or to be more blunt, between faith in Christ and faith in works. The ultimate sin, the foundational sin, is not placing our trust in Christ (John 16:8).

a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day
First of all, we know Lazarus is rich, because he wore clothes that very few could afford. Purple was the color used by royalty or by those few who could afford it. This does not mean Lazarus is being portrayed as evil because of his wealth. The key point is that he dined on the best foods every day. Taking the two together, this is a man truly in love with himself and glad to put on a show of his wealth. A man with so much to spend would gather many people around him, feeling very sure of himself because of his possessions and having that established by his ability to entertain so many people. A regular at his estate could save a lot of money and make important and influential friends

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

The repetition of "certain" makes it clear that this parable will concern two people. While food is being dished out every day for the rich man's friends and boot-lickers, poor Lazarus is placed at the gate in the hopes of left-overs. He was so malnourished that his skin had painful sores, which are difficult to heal, even today in modern medicine.

We stopped at a restaurant on Christmas Eve, because we were cold (Aerostar Van - hot all summer, cold all winter) and very hungry. We got to a Chinese restaurant, which was closing, and we begged for food, anything! We'll pay. They couldn't, then relented, a bucket of hot rice and chicken, with two plastic sporks. The van warmed up a bit and we had a meal which we talked about forever after. 

Being hungry is bad enough, but being turned away or ignored when a large house has a festival each day - that is pure cruelty.

moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

These were not the cute indoor puppies of the Canaanite woman's miracle story. The filthy roaming dogs were scavengers who either took pity on his plight or sought to get some nourishment from the beggar's fading life. This detail is revolting for anyone, and enhances the thought of cruel shunning by the oh-so-well-fed hangers-on who walked by Lazarus every day. 

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.

The great separation between the rich man and Lazarus is emphasized again, only Lazarus is carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. That by itself is a mark of great honor. Abraham - not Moses - is the Old Testament star in the New Testament. 

One person complained that I spent too much time on Abraham in The King James Version book (24 pages!). No, I was stunned by how often Abraham came up, because the patriarch is the Father of Faith (Hebrews 11) and the example of Justification by Faith in Romans 4-5. Being brought to Abraham is a way of teaching us that salvation is faith in Christ, forgiveness is faith in Christ, eternal life is faith in Christ.

The rich man's torment is experiencing the nothingness of Hell, as Luther expressed it. By placing all his interest in honoring himself, the rich man was shown where that led when the hangers-on are gone, the food does not matter, and one has universal and infinite loneliness. 


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.

The Rich Man's First Request
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.

The rich man is no longer rich, but he would like the beggar he ignored to wait on him, sooth his burning tongue with some water. Abraham answering said, "No you had nothing but good in your life and Lazarus nothing but evil, so it is only fair that he has comfort and you have torment. Not only that, there is no travel between your place and his." That reminds us that the rich man stepped over or past Lazarus whenever he went out and came back. 

Second Request
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. 

There is a long list of things which contribute nothing to salvation. 
  1. One is a long list of organizations, often devoted to building themselves up. 
  2. Another is a list of programs, and of course, new programs that will generate results.
  3. Some organizations feel a bit guilty about their endowments, so they tell everyone how much good they do with the money, which goes to organizations and programs.
  4. Bishop Pike told his mother they needed to become Episcopalians because "the best people go there."
  5. The ex-bishop of San Francisco slept on city streets to emphasize the plight of the homeless, somewhat like Lazarus before the final curtain.
Seldom mentioned is that One Thing Which Is Needful - the Gospel Word of faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Abraham represents faith in Gospel Promise that his son would start a family tree leading to the Messiah and the ever-growing Kingdom of God.

The Promise of Genesis 15:6, Galatians, Romans 4

Astonishing or not, this is ignored and rejected by the vast majority today. For many, it is because the wrong thing is emphasized:
  • You are in the correct church body.
  • You are following a carefully conceived plan that will yield super results if you deploy it the right way.
  • You have all the church officials, college presidents, 3 Synod Presidents (3!), District Presidents, annuity salesmen (Thrivent) praising you for the gifts and ignoring the Sixth Commandment. 
Only one thing is needful, Jesus said, praising the sister who dwelt on His Word of grace, admonishing the sister who was so busy being busy that she neglected the Word.

Final Request Denied
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.

Here is one of the great ironies of the Bible - and there are many. The Gospel of John is full of them, but this Luke parable is the most memorable. The rich man is proposing that Lazarus be sent to his brothers, because that would scare them into repenting when they found out how bad their circumstances are after death.

Which is more powerful? A person rising from the dead? Or hearing Moses and the Prophets?

Moses and the Prophets are more powerful, because hearing the Gospel in the Scriptures has the effect of creating and sustaining faith in the Messiah. Before the death and resurrection of Christ, it was faith in the future Savior. Afterwards, it is the Gospel we have experienced - or ignored.

What will prove more valuable in the end? I have been reading the stories of the French Protestants and their persecution at the hands of popes, bishops, and the armies. They identified with the truth of the Gospel and gave their lives for that truth.





KJV Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.


Sunday, June 12, 2022

Holy Trinity

The Feast of the Holy Trinity, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson


The saved video will be linked here, after the service is over and the file converted.



Bethany Lutheran Church 


The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 
The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

The Hymn # 246               Holy, Holy, Holy               
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit
Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity: let us give glory to Him because He hath shown His mercy to us.
Psalm. O Lord, our Lord: how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Colllect

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity - and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity, we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst lump us steadfast in this faith and evermore defend us from all adversities; who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who beholdest the deep; 
and who dwellest between the cherubim.
V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven: 
and greatly to be praised forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers: 
and greatly to be praised and glorified forever. Hallelujah!


The Gospel               
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed             p. 53
The Sermon Hymn #250      Holy God We Praise Thy Name

       
Hidden in Plain Sight

 


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 #660               I'm But a Stranger Here  

Enchanted Peace Rose


            Prayers and Announcements

  • Lynda Roper is undergoing diagnostic tests; Pastor Jim Shrader and Christ Shrader; Virginia Roper is being tested.
  • We have a flock of KJV Bibles, books about the KJV Bible; doctrinal books, and CPH commentaries to give away.


 By Norma A. Boeckler

Luther’s Trinity Sermons Linked Here


Romans 11 33 ω βαθος - O the depth
  1. πλουτου 0f the riches
  2. και σοφιας  and of the wisdom
  3. και γνωσεως θεου and of the knowledge of God.
ως ανεξερευνητα τα κριματα αυτου και ανεξιχνιαστοι αι οδοι αυτου.

34 τις γαρ εγνω νουν κυριου η τις συμβουλος αυτου εγενετο
35 η τις προεδωκεν αυτω και ανταποδοθησεται αυτω
36 οτι 
  1. εξ αυτου και - from Him and
  2. δι αυτου και - through Him and
  3. εις αυτον τα παντα αυτω - in Him are all things.
 η δοξα εις τους αιωνας. αμην.

KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.


KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Hidden in Plain Sight


KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the (1riches both of the (2) wisdom and (3) knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 

We can begin with the denial of the Holy Trinity, within the Christian Church, and see how much this has influenced our Western culture.

There is a distinction. The Scriptures are the revelation of God through the Holy Spirit, so the Bible is unique, written down by many but unified by the guidance of the Spirit. God Himself directed this unity - and also the preservation of the Word. This revelation does not change, though many try their best to do that, mostly by removing verses they do not like and by scoffing at what remains.

What we teach and preach about the Scriptures is our witness to the Christian Faith. In many cases we use short-cuts, which condense the meaning of hundreds of passages. The word Trinity is not in the Hebrew or Greek original texts, but the concept of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is found throughout the Bible.

This section from Romans reveals the Trinity, using different terms to show the Unity of the Three Persons and the Threefold nature of the One God. Paul is guided by the Spirit to show a way of expressing the Trinity without suggesting something pagan. 

ELCA and the LCA did that long ago by changing the Trinitarian blessing at baptism - making it Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Lately the ELCA bishops talked about the Spirit being locked up and "She" would soon be getting out. For pagans, especially pagan false bishops, creating and worshiping false gods is a special cause, the platform for their unbelief system.

But in one verse alone we can see and hear two expressions of the Trinity while also revealing the unity of God.

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

As soon as people begin judging the Scriptures as not equal to their wisdom, they start hardening themselves against the Word. My best professor in the Scriptures said, "Don't buy those commentaries. They are packed with opinions, not with studying the text itself."

When people do well, they say, "I worked hard and I was smart."

When calamity falls upon them, they say, "God is punishing me, but why?" Having a shallow opinion about God, they are quick to desert Him. Many cult leaders and outright Satanists are glad to help out. I do not doubt that Satan has great power and uses it, but the Holy Spirit's power is 1000 times greater.

We can collect wisdom from every part of the Bible, and we can concentrate on a few of the greatest parts. 


35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For (1) of him, and (2) through him, and (3) to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

People can argue the grammar (as Lenski does) and yet we can hardly exterminate the Trinity from our language. Just count how many times people use groups of threes to describe something! Why is that so pervasive? And why do we stick with a seven-day week when freedom allows us to use a format different from the Six Days of Creation plus a day of rest and worship?

The Holy Trinity is explicit (plain as the nose on your face) in hundreds of places and implicit (subtle, like a hint) in hundreds more. Just as Jesus promised, the Spirit has preserved the Word of God and guided Christians.

We should not ever downplay the grace of God the Father, the love of God the Son, or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God is with us through the Word and keeps His promises.

This is clearly defined in the Old Testament - including especially the Trinity from Day One - Genesis 1. God did not need to give us the New Testament, but like all the Promises, one proof after another is revealed to us. If we only study the Word of God and honor His Day, all this will come together for our benefit, blessings, forgiveness, and fruits of the Spirit.