The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Reward them that wait for Thee, O Lord:
and let Thy prophets be found faithful.
Hear the prayer of Thy servants: and of Thy people Israel.
Psalm. I was glad when they said unto me:
Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee, mercifully grant that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Praise be to Thee, O Christ! The Nicene Creed p. 22
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 #56Christ Who Comes with Heaven Adorning
Announcements and Prayers
Therapy, diagnosis - Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Sarah Buck, Callie and her parents. Alicia Meyer. Dr. Lito Cruz and family.
KJV 1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
KJV Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father: We are poor, miserable sinners; we know Thy will, but cannot fulfill it because of the weakness of our flesh and blood, and because our enemy, the devil, will not leave us in peace. Therefore we beseech Thee, shed Thy Holy Spirit in our hearts, that, in steadfast faith, we may cling to Thy Son Jesus Christ, find comfort in His passion and death, believe the forgiveness of sin through Him, and in willing obedience to Thy will lead holy lives on earth, until by Thy grace, through a blessed death, we depart from this world of sorrow, and obtain eternal life, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
From Lord To Lord
KJV Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
One style of debate is to have people questioning and answering. Matthew's Gospel is directly related to the Christian faith arising from Judaism. Church goers and even pastors will take a lot of Matthew and John only as background. In fact, both Gospels are aimed at the complications of Jesus being both man and God. Their teaching was rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures, and the New Testament books were based upon the Old Testament. To be more dramatic, imagine the fact of well established Judaism being taught by Jesus - old and new at the same time. That was the foundation on which He built Himself. When I am teaching the Old Testament, students often describe what is clear and obvious. I ask them, "Where do you find the Gospel in the Old Testament?" Here are some major indications:
The Virgin Birth in Isaiah 7
Titles of the Savior in Isaiah 9
The proclamation of the Messiah in Isaiah 40
The rest of Isaiah 40 - about the Savior, the reference to the Shepherd.
The Atonement of Jesus - Isaiah 53
The efficacy of the Word - Isaiah 55.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?They say unto him, The Son of David.
The testing goes back and forth, which gives each side a question or an answer. The idea of the opponents was to prove Jesus wrong by the Word or evil because of the miracles. So Jesus gave them a response that was completely true, but they could not grasp it. This continued and became the basis for their anger and vengeance. The Gospel of John points that - Jesus' teaching and miracles would draw the attention of the Roman Empire occupiers and bring down the Jewish buildings and Judaism itself.
Jesus painted them into a corner. Faith in Him has always stirred up the unbelievers, especially when they have heard the inspired Word of God. That is what makes "important people" angry and aching for revenge. John 8 is perfect example.
John 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? [Who do you think you are?!]
Jesus asked, Whose Son is He? The Pharisees said, "The Son of David." This is the great conflict. They trust in the claim of King David's heroics, but they do not want this Teacher with miracles and powerful preaching.
43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Jesus has set up a great barrier, because He challenged them to follow through what they offered as wisdom. But this is much higher than their knowledge or fears. David predicted the future Messiah. Psalm 22 is the passage about the Atoning death of the Messiah. People are shocked at how detailed the Psalm is. The complexity grows with God the Father (LORD) saying to the Lord (Jesus), Sit though at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool? Jesus was always revealing Himself in some ways, to establish faith in Him. This exchange is a puzzle that is difficult to explain at first. The materials for the Son of David are all over the Old Testament, starting with Creation, but people tend to cling to the ordinary, the rational, the popular.
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Jesus silenced His opponents; He had the advantage. He knew what was in their minds, just as He did with Nicodemus in John 3. Ultimately, the Jewish officials plotted to have Him executed for being innocent. The opponents were afraid of losing everything, but it was their actions which brought down the Temple and the City of Jerusalem (which means "place of peace). That was the foolishness that led the Roman Empire to travel to Jerusalem, besiege it, and haul the defenders off as slaves, scattered around the world.
The history tells us what we have received from the Era of Christianity. Starting with a dozen apostles and Paul, they moved across the Roman Empire and around the world. A recent documentary pointed out to Americans that the center of the world was the Mediterranean Sea, because of shipping, exchange of goods, and military expeditions. The faithful used the waterways, just as Paul did, because it made travel more efficient.
They could not imagine what would happen in the centuries to come, and we have no more foresight than they did. What continues is the work of the Right Hand of God. No one really has faith in Jesus Christ until that person can say, "I trust the Good Shepherd to provide for me, warn away the predators, and lead me to everlasting life."
I am aghast at seeing so many denominations run with the trends and repudiate what the Scriptures clearly teach. The synod managers, book-sellers, and other nuisances cling to a "Bible" based on fraud. Vaticanus, a plaything of the Vatican, is not ancient but really quite new compared to the Traditional (Byzantine) Text. Sinaiticus is a real hoot, because Tischendorf claimed he rescued the text from the fire, because the leather pages (nota bene) were being burned to keep the monastic library warm. In short, the erasures of the modern Bibles are based on two fake texts while the salesmen seek to promote those lapses as the "best reading."
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 # 361O Jesus, King
In Our Prayers
In treatment - Dr. Lito Cruz and family, Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader. Alicia Meyer - throat difficulties. Lori Howell - remission!
KJV Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 OneLord, one faith, one baptism, 6 OneGod and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
KJV Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer him again to these things. 7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father: We beseech Thee so to guide and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not exalt ourselves, but humbly fear Thee, with our whole hearts hear and keep Thy word, and hallow the Lord's day, that we also may be hallowed by Thy word; help us, first, to place our hope and confidence in Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who alone is our righteousness and Redeemer, and, then, so to amend and better our lives in accordance with Thy word, that we may avoid all offenses and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Thy grace in Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God. world without end. Amen.
The Unity of the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 OneLord, one faith, one baptism, 6 OneGod and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
KJV Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter from prison, knowing he was considered guilty and still under a death sentence. The New Testament is not a history book but the revelation of God's will, revealed to us so that the Christian Faith would continue and thrive, not only surviving but expanding around the world. Paul was a Roman citizen so he had a lot of standing in the system. A weakness was not his Jewish background - Rome accepted that. Paul was considered a trouble-maker because so much conflict came from his preaching.
This letter was his final statement in writing, and even now we do not know exactly what happened at the end. Did he have another missionary trip or not? We have so many books full of the tiniest details, but God did not turn this into This Is Your Life (a famous TV series).
The calling reference is about the Lord Jesus Christ inviting people to hear and continue in the Gospel - faith in the Good Shepherd. Faith is the opposite of fear. The disciples felt fear that when Jesus stilled the storm, walked on water, and was taken prisoner. "Do you not care if we die?" That is the opposite of faith. Something bad happens and faith flies out the window.
We are all fragile when fear wells up in our lives. We have a national, bizarre election going on. It is easy to look at those details and think, "Yes, this is the beginning of the end." If we listen to the mainstream news, we can go crazy. Like Paul, we do not know. Only God knows.
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
These are attributes of Jesus Christ. He had all the power - and still does - and yet He only uses that power for healing and bringing back life. When I look at the painting by Norma Boeckler about the girl raised from death, I think of two daughters with no diagnosis (plenty of medical bills); another with fragile bones, even missing ones; another girl with every seizure medicine and operation possible - but wrecking a college education - because all her measures failed, even the latest and best. I can also name three successes in our little congregation - a newborn, a mother and daughter.
The way our Good Shepherd works is through protecting His flock and driving away the predators. We strengthen that by calling upon the Savior in all the situations we know - including our own. The old TV show, multiplied many times has the distraught person ask, "What can we do, Doctor?" He always says, "There is nothing left to do but pray." There are many ways to communicate with Jesus Christ, starting in the morning, when it is a good time to go over immediate needs for others and ourselves. The end of the day is the best time to remember everyone for various reasons, to ask for help for ourselves, to ask for forgiveness and give thanks for so many blessings from Our Savior. Some may fall asleep because it is so relaxing, but that is better than staying up all night worrying.
What makes a congregation strong is not money, property, or community esteem, but study in the Scriptures, worship, and the Sacraments. Thus the True Vine bears fruit, the gifts of the Spirit.
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Themeaning of this verse is either very difficult or very clear, derived from knowinghow much divine wisdom is placed before us. We live in an era where people offer snips of messages aimed at making bits of knowledge into slogans of absurdity. Everything is iconic, so that is the word of the day, meaningless and annoying. The unity of the Spirit is clearly taught throughout the Bible, starting with Creation. The Father commands and the Son executes the commands, as taught by the Holy Spirit. The unity of the Spirit is the Three Persons of the Trinity together.
Proof of spiritual blindness is revealed in the modernists' rejection of the Trinity, because they cannot find the word "Trinity" anywhere in the Bible. This same group of intellectualoids rejects the divinity of Jesus Christ, His miracles, and Justification by Faith. The scandals outnumber their "campus count" and the known scandals. The modern Leftwing saints also drive away the faithful so they can include as many radicals as possible, exclude the rest, and drain the endowment funds.
The Spirit is always at work in the effective (energized, efficacious) Word, which plants and builds the Word. The same Holy Spirit hardens the hearts of those who deny that the Scriptures God's Word. I shocked some people by reminding them that Acts 8:27 is erased from many new Bibles.
The unity of the Spirt in the bond of peace is another way to say we are gathered by the actual Word of God and drawn together by one common theme - the Son of God dying for the sins of the world, rising from the dead, ascending to Heaven, and responding to our worries, fears, losses, and benefits. Do not worry - ignoring the Proverbs can always be replaced by modern self-help books (and the old ones too).
Denying the divinity of Christ will always cheer up the apostates who want their lack of the Christian Faith watered down to nothing. Not all of the clergy, professors, and Church Growth experts are apostates. The faithful will rise from the ashes of their pride.
Pardon me for chuckling but the last 50 years have meant that roughly 7 (seven) seminaries have merged into the Lutheran School of Chicago, and that the 7-way merger limped along with the McCormick Presbyterian Seminary, moving like a rat-king (Luther's image, which really does exist). Those 8 are now housed at the CTU (Catholic Theological Union), much like the conglomerate in California where the similar seminaries are also collapsing, moving.
4 There is one body, and oneSpirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 OneLord, one faith, one baptism, 6 OneGod and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Reading and hearing God's Word opens us up to the brilliant simplicity and depth of God's Word. This section names the Holy Trinity, names the unity of all Paul is revealing through the Word of God, and names the seven ones within this remarkable passage.
I get to teach the Psalms as part of the Old Testament course, and the students discuss their favorite. The students come from all over, all kinds of vocations, military, and grandparents, plus younger graduate students. The most named Psalm is the 23rd. One student was struggling to describe how this Psalm can be so simple and so moving. I pointed out that the Bible has about 500 examples of sheep and shepherding. With a little software, people can track these passages, which help us understand how close our Savior is to us at all times.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.
For Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive:
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.
Psalm. Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me:
for I am poor and needy.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Gradual
The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord:
and all the kings of the earth Thy glory.
V. When the Lord shall build up Zion:
He shall appear in His glory. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their Help and their Shield. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Praise be to Thee, O Christ! The Nicene Creed p. 22
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 Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior
Prayers and Announcements
Lori Howell is five years free of cancer.
In our prayers - Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim and Chris Shrader, Dr. Lito Cruz and family.
Dr. Kermit Way celebrates his 85th birthday on Saturday.
Gary Meyer passed into eternal life - September 17, 2014.
KJV Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power [dynamis, dynamite, Holy Spirit] that worketh [energy, efficacy] in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst send Thy Son to be made flesh, that by His death He might atone for our sins and deliver us from eternal death: We pray Thee, confirm in our hearts the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ, who with but a word raised the widow's son, in like manner will raise us on the last day, and grant us eternal life: 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.
Weep Not, Arise!
KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
This took place the day after Jesus cured the centurion's servant. Some people may think, "Oh, centurion, a Roman soldier." More than that, he was a very influential Roman solider, and he was worthy of respect, and stood for the Roman Empire, its power, its wealth, its laws, and its very strict government. Jesus cured the centurion's servant simply by declaring the man healthy again, without going to the house. I am pointing this out because Luke is so careful with his details. The Gospels are so condensed that the least detail (to us) has great important. Here it is - a crowd followed Jesus and the disciples to Nain, after they saw that the centurion's deathly ill servant had been healed.
Luke 7:10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. 11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
Would anyone follow such a miraculous cure, wherever Jesus was going? These people were witnesses of the centurion's servant's grave illness. The centurion had faith and sent people to have Jesus come and heal the servant. The officer was highly respected and loved because he built a synagogue for the Jews. Notice how much was recorded so we can see that the ending of one miracle began the next one - in Nain.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
Jesus, His disciples, and the Capernaum crowd came to Nain. The crowd already believed in the Word of Jesus, because they saw it happen, as intermediaries. There they saw and quickly learned that the funeral meant someone had died - this was a funeral procession, something we still practice with a group following. Details - the person who died was the only son and she was a widow. This was a disaster for her, because that son was her sole support and now he was gone. One moment he was healthy and helping his mother, then he died. No other children, no Social Security, nothing but fear and gloom.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
Luke's precise details make the miracles even more powerful. He regarded the centurion's faith and agreed - via the intermediaries - to heal that servant. This was even more important and noteworthy - those witnesses and the disciples were with Him. First, He touched the bier that carried the young man. Everyone carrying the burden stood still. Jesus addressed the son and declared, "Young man, I say to you, Arise!"
This meant three groups of witnesses were present:
The people who saw that the centurion's servant was alive and healthy - once Jesus spoke His healing Word - without Him being there.
The disciples.
The widow, her son, and the funeral procession.
Given the miracle the Capernaum residents experienced, they had a foundation for what happened when Jesus gave the widow's son life.
Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
This is the Creating Word of the Son of God, who executed the commands at the beginning of time. John 1:3 is clear on this:
I am inclined to think, "Where can I stop on the effectiveness (efficacy) of the Word?" Most clergy will say, "The what?"
The Spirit teaches us about the Father and the Son. Hoenecke (WELS) said clearly - "The Spirit never without the Word, the Word never without the Spirit. That is sound doctrine." Children grasp this truth, saying, "Jesus is God. Jesus can do anything."
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
When Jesus said, "Arise" He turned death into life - and sorrow into joy. That is how powerful the Word of God is. The miracles of Jesus are in the Bible to prove His divinity, power, and compassion. We can see why our country has spun out of control. Lacking faith in God, people are fearful. Those two are opposites. As the disciples said in the midst of a great storm, "Master, don't you care if we die?"
Lack of Biblical knowledge, especially in the clergy, has created an open space where all kinds of nonsense takes over. That is why the clergy and professors have developed the dry rationalism of rejecting anything divine in the Bible.
The clergy turn the miracles into something else, the divinity of Christ ignored if not ridiculed. That is why I have grouped the Big Five together - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic). Every single group rejects Justification by Faith, the Chief Article of Christianity. When faith in Jesus Christ is denied, ridiculed, and twisted into universal salvation, all the demons of Hell begin to establish themselves. The unity of apostasy is the tie that binds them together - with the Church of Rome. If they cannot teach the Virgin Birth of Christ and His actual Resurrection, they can spend thousands of dollars on incense, expensive crosses, and lavish costumes that would make QVC blush and stammer.
I know two "Lutheran" pastors (orthodox, eh?) who embraced Atheism after being excited and dazzled with Church Growth vomit. The clergy are often the most vulnerable because the warfare never quits between Satan and God.
That is the big picture. The little picture is individual - parents need to teach the Scriptures and prayer to their children. Each adult, old enough to get married, should establish worship, prayer, and Scripture reading. I know from my pilgrimages to WM that people bypass good inexpensive food and pile up expensive stacks of calories, fat, sugars, and salt - almost empty of value. One cashier looked at my combination of frozen greens, vegetables, fresh fruit, and some sausage. She was alarmed, angry, and said so!
I have heard lots of responses like that - concerning the Christian faith. They want to hush the sound of the Word of God, by laughing at it, by suppressing it, by going after that dangerous person who believes the Word of God is effective and inerrant.
We are all the widow's son but we do not know what the calendar says. In some situations, perhaps quite a few, the Good Shepherd speaks and everything stops. The 23rd Psalm and John 10 - plus many other passages like this one - see and understand God's message. In short, John 10, the Shepherd leads us to green pastures and drives away the hungry wolves. The believer is always with the Good Shepherd whether on this side or eternity.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: O Thou, my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.
Be merciful to me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.
Psalm. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without Thy help, preserve it evermore by Thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
Gradual
It is better to trust in the Lord:
than to put confidence in man.
V. It is better to trust in the Lord:
than to put confidence in princes.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Hallelujah!
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Praise be to Thee, O Christ! The Nicene Creed p. 22
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 #54 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Announcements and Prayers
The flowers are from the parsonage garden.
Medical care - Sarah Buck, Lori Howell, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit Way, Callie and her parents.
Presidential debate on Tuesday.
People ask about our Holy Communion.
Roman Catholics put an emphasis on the ordained priest. The presence of the priest validates the communion service. The forgiveness is partial; the elements become only the body and blood of Christ. The priest and his ordination make it effective.
Calvinists reject Baptism and Communion as sacraments. The elements remain bread and wine and do not convey forgiveness. Calvin mocked the Real Presence.
Lutheran Biblical teaching shows what 1 Corinthians 10:16 reveals. The Body of Christ is with the bread through the Consecrating Word; the Blood is with the wine through the consecrating Word. The Word is always effective.
Distance does not attenuate or weaken the power of the Word, which is always divine. When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish through His Word, the 5,000 families were stretched across the grassy oasis. Nevertheless, these miracles showed Jesus could create this miracle for the entire crowd. If the liturgy, hymns, creed, readings, and sermon are effective, then how could the Words of Consecration be ineffective? Those who agree with the Augsburg Confession are one with us and are welcome to join the distribution - after God's Word has consecrated the elements for those who hear and believe.
KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.5 For every man shall bear his own burden.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Take No Thought
KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Most people know this passage, because it is part of the wide-ranging Sermon on the Mount. Mammon is not mysterious. It goes beyond the necessities of life. I heard about one woman who said to her relatives, "Come to my house, so you can drool over my new kitchen."
Mammon is a word for wealth, and it is used in Luke as well. I remember a TV minister quoted his financial advisor saying, "I want you to have WEALTH!" That term mammon often works like a teeter-totter, used to hurt other kids in the olden days, by getting off at the bottom. This minister caught the vision of wealth - he stole an entire church. He was not going to use it, but he wanted possession of it and grabbed it illegally - without any remorse. One thing no one wants now is an enormous church building with very few attending. Watch the Facebook pages for churches selling fabulous audio-video equipment for their extra church "campuses."
That obvious conflict seems to fit this saying perfectly. The goal is not the Gospel but the appearance of success, desiring what others have that is measurable.
Serving God is the opposite of coveting what others have. My plumbing was being fixed up. Some workers were enchanted by the special wooden shelves I had from Arizona. The shelves were 12 feet across, but now are 6 feet wide, due to lack of space. They were happy to get the missing half from the garage. My friend from Moline has no cost no limit garage sales, which we copied for everything. Bible John just picked up a crate of small KJVs - 24 - for children.
It is fun to acquire and even more fun to share. A German saying, "Shared joy is doubled joy."
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Our nature is to worry about things, even though God manages our lives with the Savior Jesus sending His angels to watch, protect, save, and heal. If you have not experienced this many times over, then you are not paying attention. It is clear in raising children but less likely to be appreciated among adults.
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Birds make it difficult to ignore their complicate behavior and their care for their children. One pair of blue jays built a nest outside our window in Bella Vista. Soon there were eggs and then the tiny hatchlings. We set up a small ladder inside so everyone could watch. Jays are ferocious protectors of their nests, but this pair watched calmly when I came outside to feed them sunflower seeds. Soon the little ones were flapping their wings. Who taught a skill only recently used in human flights? Once strong enough, the birds took flight and left us.
Some people are afraid of the aggression of blue jays. Maybe that is because they yell and flap their arms around to escape from the dive bombers. However, when seeds are sown for them, they will issue a beautiful bell-like sound.
Jesus, the Lord of Creation, teaches us that the birds seem to have nothing and yet God provides for them with abundance. I grow Poke weed because the prolific berries are the favorite food for 61 species of birds, which expand their food supply wherever they perch. Poke is 9 feet tall and loves the sun. Wild strawberries are ground level and also thrive from the birds airlifting the seeds and planting them from stumps, limbs, and bushes. They bloom in the shade and fill in the places between plants.
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
I was out in the garden, looking for flowers for today. One bloom is Queen of Sweden. Others are Knockouts, pink and red. I walked over to the butterfly garden and saw a massive display of Russian sunflowers - hundreds of tiny yellow blooms, neglected all summer, except for the sun.
Another aspect of tiny flowers - like Alium (garlic) is their attraction to a wide variety of butterflies and insects.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
This is the Jewish comparison, from the lesser to the greater. If herbs and flowers cover the earth, for medicine, food, and beauty, how much more important are God's own people? Much of the malignant problems around us are from the basics of God's Creation. If we believe, then we know that God is answering even before we ask. Whatever we do ask is multiplied by God.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
This is - of course - the righteousness of faith, not the righteousness of works. Trusting in God gives us access to His grace.
KJV Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
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