Bethany Lutheran Church
Holy Communion, 10 AM
Pastor Gregory Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation
Collect
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle Romans 15:4-13
Gradual
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined: our God shall come.
V. Gather My saints together unto Me:
those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. The powers of heaven shall be shaken:
and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory. Hallelujah!
The Gospel Luke 21:25-36
Prayers and Announcements
- Prayers - Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader, Sarah Buck, Doc Lito, Randy Anderson, Kermit Way, Lori Howell; Callie and Aaron.
- Those suffering from emotional and metabolic stress.
- Midweek Advent Service - 7 PM Wednesday
Second Sunday In Advent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son hast revealed to us that heaven and earth shall pass away, that our bodies shall rise again, and that we all shall appear before the judgment seat: We beseech Thee, keep us by Thy Holy Spirit in Thy word; establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, that our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, but that we may ever watch and pray and, trusting fully in Thy grace, await with joy the glorious coming of Thy Son, and at last obtain eternal salvation, 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.
KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Then Shall They See the Son of Man
KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
I have told this academic story before, about the Son of Man, but it is important to remember. One especially bright lady (Oxford or Cambridge) wrote an article in a theological journal saying that Jesus was not the Son of Man, but that was another person who was to come in the future. The apostate scholars liked that, because they favored the same idea. Her essay was called "Exit the Son of Man." However, she kept studying and realized she was wrong. She wrote a follow up story - "Re-Enter the Son of Man." She was fired from her position in England and could not find a similar job anywhere at that level. The last I heard was about her getting a minor job in India. The broad-minded scholars could not let her get away with retracting their ideas - she had to go.
This is roughly parallel to what Luther preached about this passage. When the Savior returns, the believers will have peace and joy. The unbelieving will be terrified, "their hearts failing for fear." This is the great role reversal, as Luther wrote with some humor. The believers in this life are humbled by all the grief they have to bear in this life, while the unbelievers find great peace in violating the Ten Commandments with glee. And these unbelievers find their truths to be confirmed by their success, esteem, and the awe expressed about them.
The Savior will return in great glory and show His followers that He is indeed the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We cannot imagine what that will be like, except for the Promises of Jesus, that He would return in great glory and triumph. This will be startling and strange for the unbelievers, whether they are cardinals, bishops, or theology professors. But it was all predicted and printed in black and white from the earliest days. From Daniel to Philippians -
KJV Philippians 2
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
America was founded on religious principles, the Christian Faith. That was understood although not everyone was a believer. Calvinists become Unitarians, which makes sense about the American Bible Society and the KJV Revision inviting Unitarian leaders to share their "wisdom." Before one could say, "American is pagan, non-believing." But it is more accurate to say "America is Satanic in its influence and weak in teaching the truth from the Scriptures." One LCMS pastor bragged about his Vacation Bible School being so large and concluded - "Go big or go home." I wondered how that fit as the Apostles preached and gave up their lives. The Great Commission was not "Go big or go home" but Go, teach, and baptize.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
The message, from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, is that the End will be a time for peace and joy for those who follow the Savior.
your redemption - The price has been paid to redeem you.
This will be the ultimate triumph of the Savior, because the unbelieving world was happy to reject him, crucify Him, and rob Him of His mission. By killing the early Christians, Rome spread the Gospel to the point where the Roman Emperor, Constantine, supported and protected the Christian Church
I watched "The Turning Point" on streaming video last night. The Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim army in 1453 meant a flood of Greek scholars into Europe. Suddenly the New Testament was in Greek, the original text edited by Erasmus. Tyndale, a translating genius like Luther, established the basics of the King James Bible. Two little things changed Europe and established the Reformation:
- The Greek New Testament
- The Printing Press
Look at the dates -
- Constantinople fell in 1453
- Gutenberg used his printing press 1454
- Luther was born in 1483
- Greek New Testament, 1516
- Luther declared "Here I stand" in 1517
- He translated the GNT in the castle.
- Tyndale was executed for translating, 1536
- King James Version, 1611.
In contrast, the very powerful Ming Dynasty in China chose not to extend the work of their gigantic naval fleet and remained isolated in their very large corner of the world. The Western world limited the papacy and spread freedom through the Reformation and beyond.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Notice that this parable speaks of the spring, hope, and happiness, not gloom and doom. When Christian - in the Pilgrim's Progress - was locked in Castle Doom, all he could think about was the giant and and his wife, all the horrible things that would be done to him. Interpreter came to him and told Christian all he needed to do, "They have been in your pocket all the time." They were keys - the Promises of God. "They were there all the time!" And Christian was able to escape by opening the locks with the Promises.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
The warning keeps us aware of what is coming soon, which is God's time, not ours. Everything must be fulfilled on the divine calendar. People lose themselves in conjuring up all the bad feelings, fears, and statements like "What's the use?!" Far better to occupy ourselves with all the blessings God gives us than to imagine things that make call up the worst in us.
When the Son of God comes, it will be Jesus in both natures, human and divine, the Good Shepherd. He only has blessings for believers and leads us into eternal blessedness. He does not bring fear and sorrow but only peace and joy.
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