Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
O almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Oh, fear the Lord, ye His saints:
for there is no want to them that fear Him.
V. They that seek the Lord:
shall not want any good thing. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden:
and I will give you rest. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Believers Are the Saints
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 #341 Crown Him with Many Crowns
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 #341 Crown Him with Many Crowns
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| By Norma A. Boeckler |
Today we remember - Walter Boeckler, who supported Luther's doctrine and independent congregations; Gary Meyer, who participated in our first Ustream services; Brenda Kielher, who with her parents Cliff and Cleo Kiehler, helped start Bethany in New Ulm, Minnesota; and Gladys Jackson Meyer, who supported Bethany from the beginning and enjoyed helping out. Carl Roper supported independent congregations from the beginning. Carol Olsen, Lori Howell's mother, who worshiped with us, passed into eternal life on October 8th. 2021. Christina Jackson met her Savior August 22nd, 2021. Besides these, we have many others we name in our hearts, beloved, deeply missed, children, relatives, friends.
In Our Prayers
- Pastor Jim Shrader has been doing better. Randy Anderson is doing well with his therapy. Callie just had surgery to help with her seizures.
Epistle
KJV Revelation 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundredand forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Gospel
KJV Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Beatitudes the Fruits of Faith
KJV Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them,
When the 8-volume Luther (Lenker) set was available for $40, two seminarians (on different days) said the same thing - "Look at this." Each one went through the sermons and noted the Scripture heading for each sermon, all 8 volumes. I said, "That's good, but they are already posted at the end of the eighth volume." Both were crestfallen. That was a great example of someone not seeing the whole picture.
The entire Sermon has been done correctly with Loy's Sermon on the Mount (Lutheran Library) But the self-described modern scholars have claimed the Sermon on the Mount was patched together from the sayings of Jesus. That is the typical Biblical professor today, writing a dissertation on a tiny bit of the Scriptures and missing the picture altogether.
Luther begins his treatment of the Beatitudes by saying that the 8 are the fruits of faith. In other words, they are not for unbelievers but for believers in Christ. So the Beatitudes are short and concise, but so much can be gathered from them. Once again, the KJV is the best and clearest, easily beating "Happy the poor in spirit...
Jesus spoke from the mountain to show the disciples and the people that the Gospel is to be broadcast (like sowing seed) in the open, not hidden or sneaked around by those who have no business. That is definitely the style today. Pastors do not want to do any work, so they try to get into other churches to take away members and brag about their "growth," which used to be called sheep stealing, sounding better on itching ears today as "Church Growth!" I have had people ask to buy or copy my sermons, then tell me how I should not follow the historic readings but the ones from the Vatican. They are all lost and bewildered, like people using vegetable oil in their cars' crankcase. Gimmicks, soft drinks, and popcorn do not plant faith in the hearts of people - only the Word energized by the Spirit can do that.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Bullies are forever with us, because they can always pick a target and get what they want. One celebrity pastor said to another pastor, "You are not going to have the wedding of the year, I am!" Others fight to get positions of honor or political power. The denominations (corporations, to be frank) do this to ease out conservatives and installing their radicals. One Methodist leader said, "Oh, I think we can survive one pastor like him, without wrecking our church body." I read that at a Methodist university library 30 years ago. Yes, the radicals wrecked the Methodist Church and the damage continues. One loud Methodist minister started mocking a conservative Methodist at a big dinner. I did not want to jump on Rev. Loud and hurt his wife's feelings. Rev. Loud did not realize his target was famous everywhere for his musical talent, and he did not answer back.
It is very difficult to get even in life, far better to be the one who succeeds by patience, soft-spoken words, compromise in trivial matters. The kingdom of heaven is far more precious than any dominant role on earth.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
I met a man who had lost $22 million. He was in constant mourning over the lost riches. Others lose jobs, property, favorite possessions. Near Moline is an island called Credit Island - the first to flood when the Mississippi River is overflowing. The name probably comes from the need for credit to rebuild or move away.
The most acute form of mourning is the loss of loved ones (sometimes the alienated too). Death separates us from the people we know - spouses, children, favorite relatives, best friends, and it is a warning about the brevity of earthly life. In my class on counseling, I urge people to concentrate on those who are older, weakened by illness, limited for various reasons. Nothing is more rewarding than giving the intangible - time, listening, helping in some way.
The greatest power of a congregation is not having the biggest structure but enjoying the Gospel in many forms - worship, prayer, friendships, visiting when possible. These things multiply in grace and last the longest time in our hearts. Members and friends were very kind toward me and I enjoy their sharing the loss of Christina. There is an attitude in our society that we do not mention loss, which may explain the fracturing of our society.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
This does not mean timid, which is based on fear. Some say the word here is more like "disciplined." It is true that people go this way and that, then wonder why they are in so much trouble. One grown man lived with his mother and step-dad. He did not even help with the house, but stole money to drink. Finally he came home drunk and was kicked out. Others do the same with gambling or other money-wasting schemes, enjoying the thrills and always seeing their pot of gold in front of them. One man said, "I'm going to get a ton of money from the state lottery." GJ - How much have you spent? Reply - "You'll find out when I win."
Discipline is based upon steady practice. The person who does the routine work honestly will seldom look at the fantasies of the impulsive.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Luther says this is not about the Chief Article because faith in Jesus is already assumed in this part.
Therefore understand here the outward righteousness before the world, which we observe among ourselves towards others, that this is the meaning, short and simple, of these words: he is a really blessed man who perseveringly and assiduously strives to promote the general welfare and the right conduct of every one, and who helps to maintain and carry this out with word and deed, with counsel and act.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mercy is based upon helping without a demand, and that is why we call charitable acts and giving to be eleemosynary, the Greek word for mercy. The merciful look for ways to help others, such as healing my Lincoln Town Car battery when it was dead. Two different times, men asked to phone AAA insisted on getting the car started and would not do otherwise. It was a great feeling to be treated this way. I have seen many examples, and that makes it very easy to give to others as well. It has a multiplying effect.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Luther distinguished between the imagination of people and God's own teaching. The pure in heart are those who follow God's standards - providing for the family, raising the children, etc. Those matters concern the basis for our society, and they are ignored, mocked, and rejected today. We see God in the ordinary work of life, how children grow, how families related to each other. As the architect famously said, "God is in the details." One young mother-to-be said, "I can't believe how much I love this baby, and I haven't seen her or him yet."
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Yes, the hippies and rioters have burned and destroyed in the name of peace. Others destroy the earth and kill the birds in the name of Green. Overall, peace in the New Testament means obtaining peace through faith in Jesus Christ. Emotions boil over and continue when people demand justice for their cause and will not let go of the punishment. Luther's wisdom was such that he wrote in another sermon - "Identify the wrong and then let it go. God will settle the matter." One thing is sure -
God prevails over anything we want or imagine. Peace begets peace (forgiveness causes forgiveness) and that is the foundation for the fruits of the Spirit. For any marriage I perform, I emphasize the necessity of the Scriptures and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. Without forgiveness, there is no partnership, even in secular life. That is either the greatest blessing or the most terrible doom.
God prevails over anything we want or imagine. Peace begets peace (forgiveness causes forgiveness) and that is the foundation for the fruits of the Spirit. For any marriage I perform, I emphasize the necessity of the Scriptures and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. Without forgiveness, there is no partnership, even in secular life. That is either the greatest blessing or the most terrible doom.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
There are three levels of disagreement. The first is normal where people banter back and forth, sometimes joking a bit. The second is anger, where the other person's thoughts make people angry and upset. The third level is silence, moving from the stink-eye to the total shun (silence, avoidance, I am no longer talking to you...forever, and I will call you every bad name I can think of).
This last beatitude seems to be the worst and most onerous. "It doesn't belong! It makes me upset!" The final Beatitude is the best, purest, and most comforting, because Jesus and the disciples fulfilled it themselves, and so did all the Christian believers who were guided by the Word and persecuted for faith. Persecution, hatred, imprisonment, torture, and death have been the rewards of Christian faith. The martyrs who died in the Roman stadiums actually built the Christian Church by making paganism disgusting and evil. ("The faster they kill us, the faster we grow.")
People communicate with me about Justification by Faith are shocked by the ugliness and hatred expressed by those who admire and follow the anti-Biblical statutes of CFW Walther, B.A., who was trained in Objective Faithless Justification by Bishop Martin Stephan (who made himself a bishop with Walther as his acolyte). The Stephanite leaders would all be put in prison today.
The irony is - the more the synod leaders ape Church Growth, the faster they diminish and go broke. They must suffer because their Father Below torments them with their failures. Luther - whom they despise - proved that the original version of the Disciples was marriage and the greatest earthly blessing. From faith in Jesus Christ comes all that God the Father intended for His brief ministry on earth.
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