Trinity 9 - 2024. Mocking God.

 

Supreme Court Justices - "Tear Down That Moses!" 
The Hypocrisy of the State Separated from the Church

YouTube

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas - 10 AM Central

Pastor Gregory Jackson

Zoom

The Hymn #292          Lord Jesus Christ With Us Abide

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Behold, God is mine Helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord.

Psalm. Save me, O God, by Thy name: and judge me by Thy strength.

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

Collect

Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth: 

who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: 

that delighteth greatly in His commandments. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #267     If God Had Not Been on Our Side

        

Tempting God Is Rebuking His Teaching

The Communion Hymn #263         O Little Flock, Fear Not Thy Foe

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 #657        Beautiful Savior

Prayers and Announcements

• Sarah Buck; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader; Kermit Way, Lorie Howell, Norma Boeckler.
• Alicia Meyer Celebrated her birthday yesterday.
• The flowers on the altar are in memory of Christina Jackson, Erin Joy and Bethany Jackson, from Drs. Kermit and Maria Way, Kaela and Brianna.
• One year ago - Pastor Jackson was kicked off the free Christian News list for criticizing Objective Faithless Justification and the horrible Beck Bible, which is no better than the Evil Four - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV.

            

 

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Ninth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast bountifully given us Thy blessing and our daily bread: We beseech Thee, preserve us from covetousness, and so quicken our hearts that we willingly share Thy blessed gifts with our needy brethren; that we may be found faithful stewards of Thy gifts, and abide in Thy grace when we shall be removed from our stewardship, and shall come before Thy judgment, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Tempting God Is Rebuking His Teaching

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

     This is one of those great passages where the Old Testament and New Testament are so clearly related to Christ. The New Testament is a series of sermons about Jesus Christ. That begins with Genesis 1 teaching and John 1 preaching. And that also means references to the Creation, are taught many ways in the New Testament, the Father commanding - the Son executing the command - the Spirit teaching us, both in the written and spoken Word.

     The Exodus is the second greatest event in the Bible, surpassed only by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was active in the Exodus. As Jesus said himself, "Before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8) Therefore, the spectacular events of the Exodus are guided by the Son of God. The pillar that led them was Christ before the Incarnation.

 

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

     There was a great cleansing along that massive movement of people to a new land. When they suffered, the Son of God gave them what they needed. But once they had what they wanted, the began berating Moses - and God - they missed the comforts of Egyptian slavery and grew fearful about their possible death in the desert.

Those who doubted after the giving of the Ten Commandments tempted God  - as if they were in charge - and they were overthrown.

     But they were also protected and healed by the bronze serpents in Numbers 21 which foreshadowed the crucifixion, 

John 3:14 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. (Numbers 21:6-9)

 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

     As Luther wrote, the Corinthians were in danger of repeating what happened in the Exodus, not just taking God for granted, but insulting Him in their debauchery. This was the Hollywood of ancient days, where everything except the Gospel is honored, because it was tempting and completely wrong. 

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 

     The people of the Exodus enjoyed the presence of the Son of God through the pillar of smoke by day and fire by night. He was protecting them and yet a large group fell into paganism, everything they could imagine. Once the Ten Commandments were given, they and Aaron let loose with idols they created with their own hands. Everything they had from God Himself was thrown away to suit their pleasure.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

     Paul wrote down this letter as a comparison with the Exodus to show how lax and self-centered the Corinthians had become. God had been helping them along the difficult road to freedom, and they put on their glad rags, created idols to worship, and had a riot of fun. They were like the Paris Olympics, which began with the most disgusting, God-mocking, and homosexual displays they could conjure up (with Aaron helping, i.e. the French leaders). The French quickly erased their garbage on the Net because of the uproar, but that was too late.

Tempting God

     America is now in the stage where the denominations tempt God in every possible way. Each downward step gets them more involved in being Antichrists. "We cannot discipline homosexuals and lesbians in our colleges because the federal government will take away the student loans that prop us up." When they were blatant with a college video, Party in the MLC, they attacked me for letting people know. Every college student who participated in that video - posted on Google - was given a "divine call." That is just the tip of the iceberg that sank the Titanic, a ship where the lifeboats were not enough to sink the "unsinkable."

     Once degraded behavior is fun, cute, and a requirement for being a school leader, it only gets worse. I was sent a legal case from a mother whose son was drawn in by LCMS pastors. One pastor said to the other, "You can't do that. We are not in seminary any more!" (What does that suggest?)

     I published a WELS congregational picnic photos where the pastors and the men posed in women's dresses, and the children put make-up on the transvestite WELS laity and the pastor. These were all posted on the Net so everyone could enjoy them. In WELS and LCMS, Sodom and Gomorrah start at the lowest level and become their secrets among one another, including through seminary. Notice how the transvestite quickly become trans-sexual in these times. "All in good fun. Don't be a pill."

     ELCA is only a little beyond what WELS and Missouri have been doing for many decades. That is why they all get along so well at Fuller Seminary, Trinity Divinity, and mega-churches that sell their evil dogma. 

     Some of us are old enough to remember when Scripture was behind the hymns (not songs), the liturgy (not cute plagiarized stories), and the sermons (more cute borrowed stories). 

     I am even old enough to remember the RSV Bible being promoted as so much easier to read in grade school. (Can they read now?) The first thing the RSV did was to remove the Virgin Birth of Christ from Isaiah 7. The RSV put it back with "or young woman" in the footnote. It grew from there, and all the denominations jumped on the chance to make money with the new, corrupted New Testament. 

     And the denominations all won, by selling the new versions of the Bible, training their parochial students, college students, and seminary students. Question that and they will jump on you like a hobo on a hotdog.

Tempting God Even More

     They have this secret sin - which they cherish - by denying and promoting and shading and emphasizing - everyone has already been forgiven! The Lutherans are not alone, because all the mainline Protestant churches teach this too. There are exceptions, but they are underwhelming. That was solidified by the great, popular apostates - Tillich the adulterer, Barth the adulterer, and many more, giving the elite graduate students the power to teach the seminarians, like a storm surge rushing in, crushing, and dragging the debris so much that nothing is left. The heirs of Tillich and Barth became the honored seminary faculty.  I despised one, who was finally nabbed by the conservative Mennonites for an extreme level of seducing the women who were enchanted by him, a student of Barth.

     It is important and necessary to teach Justification by Faith because that is the Chief Article of the Christian Church. As the great Walter Maier taught, the two essentials of Christianity (not just one denomination or another) are the inerrancy of the Scriptures (KJV and the Luther German Bible) and Justification by Faith. Herman Otten published and distributed this book, but Herman and his wife came down hard for Objective Faithless Justification and corrupted Beck Bible (which suggests there was no empty tomb, Mark 16:9-20 is their footnote).

     My Jewish-Christian member has stressed the fact that the Hebrew Old Testament is completely, excruciatingly perfected in its transmission from the earliest days. Changes are not allowed. Mistakes must be burned up and destroyed. 

God Is Mocked Two Ways

     Thus we can see why the Christian Faith is withering away. I can take a weed vine and cut its slender stem near the soil. At once it will curl up a bit and lose color, ever so grand until it is no longer rooted and grounded. The leaves no longer have moisture. They no longer can convert the sun's powerful rays into food. A clever weed will drop seeds and let them take over in the future. 

    I planted and nourished honeysuckle, which is a popular weed around here. I have watered it with rainwater to keep it reaching out for more God-given sunlight. Honeysuckle fans wait for the fragrance and the berries. Objection - "It's just a weed, Greg. I hope you did not pay for a weed!" Yes, I did and I know it will flourish.

Ninth Amendment

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

     

The end.

Trinity 8, 2024

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory Jackson

YouTube

The melodies are linked in the hymn titles.

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH lyrics are found at the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog.

The Hymn #261          Lord Keep Us Steadfast           

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

We have thought of Thy loving-kindness, O God: 

in the midst of Thy Temple.

According to Thy name, O God, 

so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: 

Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Psalm. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised: 

in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.

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

Collect

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth...

The Epistle and Gradual      

Gradual

Be Thou my strong Rock: for an house of defense to save me.

V. In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: 

let me never be ashamed. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Give ear, O My people, to My Law: 

incline your ears to the words of My mouth. Hallelujah!

 

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Hymn #268             Zion Mourns   

Deceit Always Feels So Good - For a Short Time

The Communion Hymn #463      For All 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 #586                      A Pilgrim and a Stranger - Gerhardt

Prayers and Announcements

• The altar flowers are in memory of Christina Jackson, whose birthday was on July 20th. 
• Medical supervision - Sarah Buck, Kermit Way, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Lorie Howell.  
• God Bless Donald Trump in light of the assassination attempt. Pray for honest, elections and renewed dedication to the US Constitution, where state legislatures control their elections.

              

KJV Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

KJV Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Link ->Luther's Three Sermons on Matthew 7:15ff - Beware of False Prophets

Eighth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast caused us to come to the knowledge of Thy word. We pray Thee: graciously keep us steadfast in this knowledge unto death, that we may obtain eternal life; send us now and ever pious pastors, who faithfully preach Thy word, without offense or false doctrine, and grant them long life. Defend us from all false teachings, and frustrate Thou the counsels of all such as pervert Thy word, who come to us in sheep's clothing, but are inwardly ravening wolves, that Thy true Church may evermore be established among us, and be defended and preserved from such false teachers, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Deceit Always Feels So Good - For a Short Time

KJV Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

This is one of the most famous statements in the Bible, even in world literature. "Beware" literally means "look out for," which we often say about food in the store, or used cars, or politicians, or cheating football teams. People say - "Be wary of..." The image is portrayed many similar ways - a soft, white sheepskin worn as the cloak over a wolf, whose muzzle is dripping in saliva, eyes bloodthirsty. Parts 1 and 2 of Matthew 7:15 go together, like the salesman who said he could give the church a copier for free. He went over the script many times, even getting a bit angry with me for being so stupid. Not long after that someone said to me, "I hope you didn't fall for that free copier scheme. It is a big scandal."

The source for this warning is the Old Testament. The faithful prophets were killed by furious people who did not adhere to the Word of God. False prophets were loved, honored, and praised. 

We have this problem today, not only in the gigantic and short-lived super-congregations, but also in denominations. The obvious, boastful mainline denominations of the National Council of Churches (which brought you the RSV, NRSV, and ESV Bibles) also praise their own Sodom and Gomorrah policies. Add to the list - ELCA, which forged the 1987 merger this way with quoatas, but also WELS, which made that a policy in their college and also with Time of Grace's Pastor Novotony, who followed Mark Jeske. These denominations are enjoying catastrophic failure while hanging onto their royal income, perks, and benefits.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 

People make fruits a narrow topic - figs, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, watermelons, but the word is bigger than that. Seeds provide fruit through flowers. As one Scott's Lawn and Garden executive said, "Grass flowers, too. You just don't notice it." We would not call Polycarp "Fruity" today - but rather "Fruitful." Weeds grow like crazy, winding around the plants and flowers I am trying to grow, and weeds are sterile from our perspective - productive but not tasty or beautiful.

We farmers know the difference, so also believers must as well.

 John Deere now rejects toxic DEI.

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

This is especially clear, because fruit come from the Spirit at work in the Word, while works never go past the level of weeds. Entire world religions concentrate on works while fruits come from the living Seed - the Word. Every so often I find a weed that has grown up, almost overnight, and is 6-9 feet tall, so I cut it at the base, making the remainder shrivel up. Enormous winding vines start with fragile stems and get easily snipped with scissors.

The basis for fruitfulness among Christians is not working hard or proving success but faith in Jesus Christ. Starting with something - like "do you know who my father is?" - or, "look at my church's growth!" - will lead nowhere in God's Kingdom and God's Heaven. False teaching is like decoy weeds - which suggest potential but end up being a menace.

The Bible is complex and rather long, with the Old and New Testaments wound together and woven together. As I teach my graduate students, the Old Testament is the foundation for everything in the New Testament, and the New Testament is derived from the entire Old Testament. Both are interwoven, which is why so many want to study the entire Old Testament and see this phenomenon for themselves. 

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

KJV John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

John's Gospel fills in the irony of the Sermon on the Mount, because the Fourth Gospel enhances the message of that great Sermon. They must believe on Him! And the crowd, not yet believing says, "Which miracle will you show us so we can see and believe it. Top the manna miracle to prove it." Jesus responded in John 6 - not Moses but God Himself. So they said "This is a hard saying!"

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The future is grim for those who carry on like magicians with cloaks, costumes, and magical canes (for the fakery). Now they have cassocks, albs, crosiers ($700+ crosses), mitres ($645 fish hats), chasubles ($2,000), rings ($2,000 to $4,300), and

pectoral crosses ($2,000 to $7,300).

This passage is toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the ending - The House on the Rock, which is the foundation of believing and teaching the Word. And that is the great blessing of the Lord. No matter how grim things might be, we are kept sound and safe by the Foundation, not our own deeds. That is clear in the confrontation with Jesus and Peter. "On This Rock I will build My Church," where Rock clearly means an enormous rock ledge while the name Peter is related but means pebble. Jesus did not establish the Christian Church on one pebble, the pope, but on rock ledge of His Creation.

Fourth Amendment - US Constitution Bill of Rights

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

This is one of the most important of the inalienable rights in the Bill of Rights. These rights are born with us, not given to us or taken away from us. It is an everyday action we should and must honor. A warrant is a reason to ask someone to be searched, even at the exit of a store. I ask them, "What is the Fourth Amendment of our US Constitution?" Few can answer that, which is an opportunity to teach them the Fourth Amendment. A warrant is written reason or a formal reason to ask for a search. Not objecting to the search (having no reason to endure one) is the same as welcoming the search. Since most are unaware of this priceless part of our United States, it is good to keep it appreciated and honored.

When a police officer stopped us in a tiny town on an empty street he ended up asking if he could pet Sassy Sue, who adored everyone. He heard that we were low on gas and drove ahead of us to the gas station - a very nice experience for someone going the wrong way on a one way street. I think it was Nah-VAY-dah. I was excruciatingly polite, of course.

Trinity 7 - 2024 - Feeding of the Multitude

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Holy Communion, 10 AM Central

Pastor Gregory Jackson

YouTube

The melodies are linked in the hymn title. 

The lyrics are linked from the Bethany Hymnal Blog.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH lyrics are found here.

The Hymn #480      Lord of the Worlds Above - Isaac Watts      

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Oh, clap your hands, all ye people! 

Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

Psalm. He shall subdue the people under us: 

and the nations under our feet.

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

Collect

O God, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth, we humbly beseech Thee to put away from us all hurtful things and to give us those things which be profitable for us; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: 

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

V. Look unto Him and be lightened: 

and let your faces not be ashamed. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Oh, clap your hands, all ye people:

shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Hallelujah!

The Epistle

KJV Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord! 

Praise be to Thee, O Christ!

KJV Mark 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. 4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #462           I Love Thy Kingdom Lord - Timothy Dwight

           

We Work Faith - God Worries

The Communion Hymn #313        O Lord We Praise Thee, Luther

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 #577        God Bless Our Native Land

Announcements and Prayers

• We pray for President Trump and the innocent bystanders who were injured or killed yesterday.
• Pastor and Mrs. Jim Shrader - 41st wedding anniversary July 10th. 
• Christina Jackson's birthday remembered, July 20th. 
• Glen and Esther Kotten's second anniversary is upcoming July 22nd. 
• Alicia Meyer's birthday, July 27th.
• Medical care - Kermit Way; Pastor and Mrs. Shrader; Sarah Buck; Lorie Howell; Norma Boeckler; those dealing with metabolic and stress disorders.

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in the wilderness didst by Thy Son abundantly feed four thousand men besides women and children with seven loaves and a few small fishes: We beseech Thee, graciously abide among us with Thy blessing, and keep us from covetousness and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness, and in all things needful for body and soul, experience Thine ever-present help; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.            

   We Work Faith- God Worries

KJV Mark 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

The sermon title is taken from Luther's ironic summary of this feeding of the multitude. They traveled away from their homes, because they were drawn by the power of Jesus' preaching. They had faith in Him because they heard Jesus speaking God's Word rather than clinging to the laws of the scribes and Pharisees.

When the disciples sought to understand, Jesus said in John 6. 

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 What did this enormous group of people do? They followed Him to the point of starvation. They could be near a water source, but that was nothing when they had no more food and water was not enough. We were driving north in Arizona when I realized we were very short on fuel. Finding a town was difficult enough, bright gasoline signs were present but abandoned. The feeling of dread built up...and finally a little town showed up with a working gas station. People may not be lost on a desert highway, but they can be terrified of the unknown.

Jesus had compassion for the thousands of people. 

1 Peter 5: 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Our human weakness is to be overflowing with care, but it is God's nature to care for us.

Jesus explained to the disciples, 

1. The crowd has nothing to eat, after three days following Him.
2. They have nothing left to eat.
3. If they go home now, they will collapse from hunger.
4. Many came from a long distance.

His disciples pointed out that the resources were not there.

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these 

        men with bread here in the wilderness?

So they were saying that feeding the multitude was impossible, just as skeptics, rationalists, Objective Faithless Justification gurus, and seminary professors do now. Bethany Lutheran Church started in a rental hall in New Ulm, where we were not welcome. We found land, but we had no money. Mortgage money was offered, much to the shock of others, and we soon had hymnals, an organ, chairs, and a do-it-yourself chapel. The building materials were provided from out of town gifts.

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

This is a case of the disciples worrying rather than having faith in God Himself, Creator of the Universe. The work of God is faith in Jesus Christ, Who - throned in glory - deals with us through His angels. 

My friend in the doctoral program at Notre Dame was an expert on angels in the Bible, writing a 300 page dissertation on the topic. Our supervisor would not even look at it, since the professor was a Tillich-Barth fan. He was distressed over his daughter's extreme disabilities and his lack of income. Christina and I said, "You are not getting help dealing with your daughter's disabilities?" We explained the process and some days later, Charlie came into the lounge area and knelt before Christina. He was overwhelmed with joy. His daughter would be supported and he could finish the PhD. He was worried sick and despairing. 

The Good Shepherd provided. KJV Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

Jesus gave thanks to God, broke the bread, and gave the loaves to the disciples to distribute. Seven loaves would not go far, yet they multiplied. That abundance is not only real but also a stumbling block to those drunk on human reason. They throw out the excuses and dismiss the power of God. They reject God in favor of other gods. 

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

Jesus blessed the fish as well, which meant that the famished followers were not only given bread to satisfy their hunger but a bonus of protein and oil to give them energy on their journey back. So people ask today, "Why did the disciples question how a little food could help the 4,000?" There were many miracles, which were aimed at the present, to encourage the disciples and early believers, and the future, for us. And we fall into the same doubts about what God can do and where we are going ultimately.

9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

Many empires rose and fell between the time of Christ and us. The Romans did not realize that they were at the peak of power - as an empire - falling apart slowly, only to shut down when the Eastern Greek Empire fell apart - Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453.

    Our Founders were very rise about the future, seeing so many problems in the kingdoms of that world. Britain went to war to keep America as a vassal state, paying taxes, taking away the guns and rifles of the citizens. That is why the Second Amendment is so high on the list of inalienable rights. Inalienable means that no one has the right to take them way - ever. No Congress or state or local government can take way something inherently ours. 

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

What people do not value will be taken away by force, over time. so we must continue in the virtues established by our Founding Fathers.