The Eighth Sunday after
Trinity 2012
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn #260 O Lord Look Down 1.4
The Confession
of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The
Gospel
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn #495 From Greenland's Icy Mountains 3:23
The Fruit of Sound Doctrine
The Communion
Hymn # 307 Draw Nigh 3:72
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 # 309 O Jesus Blessed Lord 3:70
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.
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.
The Fruit of Sound Doctrine
Luther says this about false teachers:
False Doctrine Tolerated
"And such false teachers have the good
fortune that all their folly is tolerated, even though the people realize how
these act the fool, and rather rudely at that. They have success with it all,
and people bear with them. But no patience is to be exercised toward true
teachers! Their words and their works are watched with the intent of entrapping
them, as complained of in Psalm 17:9 and elsewhere. When only apparently a mote
is found, it is exaggerated to a very great beam. No toleration is granted.
There is only judgment, condemnation and scorn. Hence the office of preaching
is a grievous one. He who has not for his sole motive the benefit of his
neighbor and the glory of God cannot continue therein. The true teacher must
labor, and permit others to have the honor and profit of his efforts, while he
receives injury and derision for his reward."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians
11:19-33; 12:1-9. Psalm 17:9.
God Punishes Ingratitude by Allowing
False Teachers
"In the second place such teachers are
disposed to bring the people into downright bondage and to bind their
conscience by forcing laws upon them and teaching works-righteousness. The
effect is that fear impels them to do what has been pounded into them, as if
they were bondslaves, while their teachers command fear and attention. But the
true teachers, they who give us freedom of conscience and create us lords, we
soon forget, even despise. The dominion of false teachers is willingly
tolerated and patiently endured; indeed, it is given high repute. All those
conditions are punishments sent by God upon them who do not receive the Gospel
with love and gratitude."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 111. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians
11:19-33; 12:1-9. John 5:43.
False Teachers Flay Disciples to Bone
"In the third place, false teachers flay
their disciples to the bone, and cut them out of house and home, but even this
is taken and endured. Such, I opine, has been our experience under the Papacy.
But true preachers are even denied their bread. Yet this all perfectly squares
with justice! For, since men fail to give unto those from whom they receive the
Word of God, and permit the latter to serve them at their own expense, it is
but fair they should give the more unto preachers of lies, whose instruction redounds
to their injury. What is withheld from Christ must be given in tenfold
proportion to the devil. They who refuse to give the servant of truth a single
thread, must be oppressed by liars."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 111f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians
11:19-33; 12:1-9.
Avarice in False Teachers
"Fourth, false apostles forcibly take more
than is given them. They seize whatever and whenever they can, thus enhancing
their insatiable avarice. This, too, is excused in them."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians
11:19-33; 12:1-9.
They Lord It Over Us
"Fifth, these deceitful teachers, not
satisfied with having acquired our property, must exalt themselves above us and
lord it over us...We bow our knees before them, worship them and kiss their
feet. And we suffer it all, yes, with fearful reverence regard it as just and
right. And it is just and right, for why did we not honor the Gospel by
accepting and preserving it?"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians
11:19-33; 12:1-9.
We Are Dogs and Foot-Rags
"Sixth, our false apostles justly reward us
by smiting us in the face. That is, they consider us inferior to dogs; they
abuse us, and treat us as foot-rags."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians
11:19-33; 12:1-9.
KJV Matthew 7:15 Beware
of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves.
This Gospel begins with a
warning that everyone should note, but it goes against human nature to
recognize the signs.
False prophets never dress
as devouring wolves. Instead, they put on the nicest fleece and show their
charming selves. They only want to do good for everyone and spare them the
harshness of those barking guard-dogs who seemed so alarmed at such sweet,
gentle. Shepherds.
The excuses for false
teachers are almost always like this –
But he is such a nice guy.
He was my classmate. I drank
a lot of beer with him.
We can afford to have one
person like him in our large church body.
He is only trying to help
everyone, so he does step on a few toes.
God’s Word goes against our
sinful nature in several ways. Left alone, we would quickly revert to an
unregenerate state. Being irritated or angered by a minister is not proof of
error, and being soothed or seduced is not proof of his orthodoxy. Needless to
say, the current business model is not much different from many other eras,
when people found reason to pick at faithful preachers while excusing the
excesses of obvious false teachers.
16 Ye shall know them by
their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
When I used this as a theme,
against Church Growth teachers, the results were pure fury. This term “fruits”
is especially appropriate, because it does not refer to apples and oranges but
to all the seed producers in the plant kingdom.
When a rose blooms it tries
to produce a fruit, called the rose hip. The rose hip contains rose seed (and a
lot of Vitamin C). Most plants flower and fruit. Some plants are useful while
others are invasive weeds. One nightshade is tomato, potatoes, peppers,
eggplant and tobacco. All three are planted and cultivated for their produce.
Woody nightshade is a weed, and deadly nightshade is toxic (except for
producing bella donna).
Whenever one type of seed is
planted, weed seeds get mixed among them and often try to take over the crop.
The weeds’ advantage is looking like the valuable plant, so they are left along
until it is too late.
Nevertheless, no one plants
thistles and expect to harvest figs. Nor will grapes ever grow on thorns.
Jesus’ example is clear for
anyone. Figs and grapes both require plenty of care, and people value them. One
does not start out with rank, gross weeds and end up with desirable produce.
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.
This is so clear because no
one can dispute it in God’s Creation, but they constantly oppose the same
thought in doctrine. No one is foolish enough to practice the wrong concept in
gardening and farming, but all the great and wise ones in the various church
bodies advocate the wrong approach so plainly opposed by Jesus Himself.
First – the corrupt tree
bearing evil fruit. These are often called “junk trees,” because they are messy,
greedy, and taken over from valuable species.
In the church we find the
so-called conservative Lutherans making common cause with Baptists, Methodists,
Roman Catholics, and drawing their financial support from a pan-religious
insurance business (Thrivent). At first this was denied or down-played as
“spoiling the Egyptians.” Now is it is openly paraded as the cure for the
Christian faith when it has been proven toxic and deadly.
We had a mountain ash tree
in our yard. People said, “The fruit is pretty and birds love it, but the
berries are poisonous to humans.” Did any of us want to eat those berries, grab
our stomachs in pain, and fall over? The temptation was zero, but the same
thing among Lutherans only incites people to have even more of the toxins. They
argue, “These are the bad trees, from false teachers, so they will do us a lot
of good.”
About justification without
faith – “This is new. We have to admit that. But the Lutheran Confessions
encourage us to make up new dogmas and inflict them on the Lutheran Church.”
The Good Tree
This recipe is so seldom
read and followed that few have even experimented with it. As soon as people
find out how blessed it is, they turn away from it and return to the evil, junk
tree, praising its noxious fruit, its poisonous berries.
The good tree is the Gospel,
justification by faith. One of our Moline readers asked, “What does that term
mean?” It means simply that God declares us forgiven through faith in His Son.
The entire purpose of the
Christian Church is to teach forgiveness, to show how we receive that
forgiveness, and provide that forgiveness through the Means of Grace. Anything
else is secondary.
Luther explained this in his
Galatians commentary. I like the Kregel because it is one volume. The American
Edition (edited by Yale theologian Jaroslav Pelikan) is two volumes.
There are two kinds of
righteousness. One belongs to earth. Civil righteousness (in governing),
ceremonial righteousness (in manners and polite traditions), and the righteous
of the Law (taught by Moses). These are active and performed by man, but they do not erase sin or gain
eternal life. They are good, since they belong to God, but they are limited.
The other kind of
righteousness is passive. It is the righteousness of faith (Kregel p. xii).
This can come only from God. The vast majority have no understanding of this,
because it goes against the Old Adam, who wants to earn everything with works.
No one can meditate on this
and find the answer. The answer comes from the Word of God. The Holy Spirit
reveals it through the Gospel. Paul said to the Thessalonians – Not only do you
know this to be true, you have experienced it as well.
Active righteousness must
always make us feel heavy and burdened, because it is something we must do.
That is a common question in the classroom, “What do I have to do?”
Passive righteousness, the
righteousness of faith, means that we receive what God freely and graciousness
gives through His Son. This is imputed to us, as emphasized in Romans 4. It is
charged to our account through faith. Imputation can be translated as
“reckoned” or “considered” or “counted.” I like the simpler Anglo-Saxon words.
We are counted as righteous
through faith. All sins are forgiven, so believing is forgiveness, and
forgiveness is salvation.
How does this happen? God
calls preachers to teach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments. They are not
the only ones to teach the Gospel, but it is their primary duty to preach,
teach, and convey forgiveness. Above all – they are to remain faithful to the
Word, no matter who opposes them or who encourages a compromise.
Obviously, a church baseball
team is low on the list of priorities. How easily the Gospel minister is
seduced into thinking he will be popular for having lots of activities and a
smooth-running operation. He does not have to please God with fidelity to the
Word. He has to please the treasurer with a steady increase in funds, a
balanced budget, and a thriving endowment fund.
The Christian Church is to
be a place where sins are forgiven, so the comfort provided by Christ Jesus is
enjoyed in its fullness.
In the Galatians
introduction, Luther saved the Law of Moses for later, after the Gospel – for
good reason. Some start with the Law and never leave the Law. They cannot let go
of Moses, so they make him the Savior. Yes, you must believe, but you must also
do this – or believing is not enough.
The Old Adam, the earthly
carnal man, must have the Law to show him his sins and make him hungry for
righteousness, for peace, for forgiveness. But it is wrong to take someone who
is anxious and in terrors of conscience for his sin, and demand a work to merit
forgiveness. This is precisely where the comfort of the Gospel strengthens man
against temptation and sin. But more Law creates despair – or worse – a
certainty that payment equals forgiveness.
Believing Plus (faith plus a
work demand) is no better than the Roman Catholic Faith Plus (fides formata,
faith formed by love, or faith plus works).
Believing Plus leads to such
remedies as – Now you must tithe, or Now you must join a cell group, or Now you
must do some other work. Rick Warren, so popular among deluded Lutherans, says
that faith alone is not enough. I have heard that from other “Evangelicals” who
disgrace their name – Evangelical.
Receiving in faith, by faith alone, is so alien to our
culture of works and merit that the Lutheran Church no longer teaches it. Even
worse – they teach against it, as if their recent fad is an eternal treasure.
The Power of the Gospel
The power of the Gospel can
be seen in that passive righteousness glorifies God completely.
Because it is God’s work
alone, through the Means of Grace, man has the comfort of realizing it does not
depend on his work or merit. Unbelievers cannot see this. They look at faith as
simple-mindedness. Thus they cannot understand Gospel motivation since they
only trust in a form of the law.
Although it seems to be a simple
difference between “I have to” and “I want to,” there is a gulf between the
two.
The Gospel means – “I want
to.”
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.
The false teachers astonish
with their works, and say, “Look at me. Marvel at what I have done. All this is
for God’s glory.”
But that cannot be when the
tree is evil. Whatever looks good for the moment cannot be a harvest for
eternal life. From faith in man can only come a rejection of God, so the evil leaders
produce skeptics and atheists who still attend a religious function but only if
it suits their philosophy.
One old-fashioned preacher
said, “The time will come when there will no longer be shepherds leading the
flock, but clowns entertaining the goats.” That was a far-sighted prediction,
since there have been many clown services lovingly taped and piously broadcast.
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.
This fits C. S. Lewis’
warning that the scariest passages in the Bible come from Jesus Himself. In love,
He warned everyone for generations to come about the evils of false doctrine.
It is all done with such
superior motives, but the claws and fangs come out when their fidelity to the
Word is questioned.
Whatever is done in harmony
with the Word will be blessed, even if everyone seems to rage against it. God’s
blessings are not like man’s dreams. God works through difficulty, persecution,
illness, distress, the hatred and shunning of others. That makes believers more
fruitful, even though it meant to harm.
On the other hand, when
people triumph by attack the Word of God, they seem to thrive anyway. They
gloat that the true God is rewarding them for being so thoughtful and wise in
their designs, but only bring destruction to themselves and others.
I often think of the French
Protestants driven from their homeland, pushed onto galley ships as slaves, and
slaughtered like sheep. That persecution drove part of my family to America and
the best seaman to Britain. France lost forever their naval power and some of
their best citizens.
Many ill people have no
power or works to impress the world. Our daughter Erin Joy was born on July 29th.
She could not speak or eat on her own. She could not roll over by herself. And
yet she gave in many ways. Her faith began at her baptism, so she responded
knowingly when her nurses spoke about Jesus. Not by talking, because she could
not talk – but by her facial responses. That impressed people so much that they
came just to see her, to be lifted up by her love when they were visiting dying
relatives. Everything done in faith glorifies God, and nothing makes that more
apparent than having no outward abilities to impress others. A good tree only produces
good fruit.
Tending the Garden and
Orchard
Parents who wish the best
for their children realize that weeds grow on their own, but valuable plants need
loving care. Children need a good environment (the best soil) and spiritual enrichment
(the Means of Grace). They need their spiritual problems addressed at once and
their godly attributes encouraged. Everything invested in their Christian growth
increases the blessings of many for generations to come.
Trinity Eight
Matthew 7:15-23
"Just
as true doctrine is the greatest gift we can enjoy, so false doctrine is the
most baneful evil that can beset us. False doctrine is sin, it is the invention
of Satan, and it imperils and destroys salvation. False doctrine is every
teaching contrary to the Word of God. Scripture enjoins upon us to proclaim
only the truth."
W. A. Baepler, "Doctrine, True
and False," The Abiding
Word, ed., Theodore Laetsch, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1946,
II, p. 501.
"No
false dogma has ever been spread in the church which was not put forth with
some plausible show, for sheep's clothing is the show of false religion (says
Chrysostom). Indeed, the weaker and more ruinous the cause is, the more
arguments it needs, sought everywhere and in every way possible, as though to
cover it over with paint or to swathe it with medicine. For Pindar [famous
Greek lyric poet, 518-438 B.C.] says, 'For a just cause three words are
sufficient.' Therefore the papalists have gathered very many and varied arguments
in order to establish Purgatory."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent,
trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, III, p.
325.
"Paul
calls all false spirits bold and proud. Yes, in their filth with their
protectors they are proud and impudent, otherwise they are the most cowardly
villains that can be found. When they are to appear and answer for their
conduct, they produce a single answer. Among themselves they are bold, and
venture to catch God in His own Word; but when it comes to the test, they
simply despair."
Sermons of Martin Luther,
1983, V, p. 204.
"For
every sect has always had one or more particular hobbies and articles which are
manifestly wrong and can easily be discerned to be of the devil, who publicly
teach, urge and defend them as right certain and necessary to believe or to
keep For the spirit of lies cannot so conceal himself, but that he must at last
put forth his claws, by which you can discern and observe the ravenous wolf."
Sermons of Martin Luther, IV, p.
282f.
"For
this reason one should not be too credulous when a preacher comes softly like
an angel of God, recommends himself very highly, and swears that his sole aim
is to save souls, and says: 'Pax vobis!' For those are the very fellows the
devil employs to honey people's mouths. Through them he gains an entrance to
preach and to teach, in order that he may afterward inflict his injuries, and
that though he accomplish nothing more for the present, he may, at least,
confound the people's consciences and finally lead them into misery and
despair."
Sermons of Martin Luther, II, p. 322.
"It
is not enough that we preach correctly, which the hireling can also do; but we
must watch over the sheep, that the wolves, false teachers, may not break in,
and we must contend for the sheep against the wolves, with the Word of God,
even to the sacrifice of our lives. Such are good shepherds, of whom few are
found."
Sermons of Martin Luthe,r III, p. 34.
"There
are other wolves, however, who come to us in sheep's clothing. They are the
false prophets, who under the form of pious and religious instruction feed pure
poison to the sheep of Christ. Against these Christ warns us, that we may be
constantly on our guard, lest with sugar-coated words and flattering religious
expressions they mislead us, deceive us, by their cunning, and draw us to
themselves, as He says in Matthew 7:15: 'Beware of false prophets, who come to
you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.'"
Sermons of Martin Luther, III, p. 35.
"The
world desires such wolf preaching, and is not worthy of anything better since
it will not hear nor respect Christ. Hence it is that there are so few true
Christians and faithful preachers, always outnumbered by the members of the
false church."
Sermons of Martin Luther, III, p. 385.
"For
nothing can feed or give life to the soul, which is not the doctrine of Christ.
Although the hireling does not himself slay and destroy he does not restrain
the wolf. Therefore, because you neither point out nor teach this shepherd, you
shall not and ought not to be heard, but you shall be shunned as a wolf."
Sermons of Martin Luther, III, p.
58f.
"Thus
too, if our confidence is to begin, and we become strengthened and comforted,
we must well learn the voice of our Shepherd, and let all other voices go, who
only lead us astray, and chase and drive us hither and thither. We must hear
and grasp only that article which presents Christ to us in the most friendly
and comforting manner possible. So that we can say with all confidence: My Lord
Jesus Christ is truly the only Shepherd, and I, alas, the lost sheep, which has
strayed into the wilderness, and I am anxious and fearful, and would gladly be
good, and have a gracious God and peace of conscience, but here I am told that
He is as anxious for me as I am for Him."
Sermons of Martin Luther, IV, p. 86.
"No
work is so evil that it can damn a man, and no work is so good that it can save
a man; but faith alone saves us, and unbelief damns us. The fact that someone
falls into adultery does not damn him. Rather the adultery indicates that he
has fallen from faith. This damns him; otherwise adultery would be impossible
for him. So, then, nothing makes a good tree except faith."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 475. Matthew
7:15-23.
"They
[the false teachers] fared like a man who looks through a colored glass. Put
before such a man whatever color you please, he sees no other color than that
of the glass. The fault is not that the right color is not put before him but
that his glass is colored differently, as the word of Is. 6:9 puts it: You will
see, he says, and yet you will not see it."
Martin Luther, What
Luther Says, 1959, II, p.
644.
"You
cannot of a truth be for true doctrine without being unalterably opposed to
false doctrine. There can be no 'positive theology' where the God-given
negatives have been eliminated from the Decalog."
Norman A. Madson, Preaching to Preachers,
Mankato: Lutheran Synod Book Company, 1952 Preface.
"Every
departure from God's Word, every error, is dangerous to the soul. There is a
fearful, diabolical power in error; for every error is the devil's work, and
through fellowship with error a person puts himself under the influence of the
devil. Here human reason is helpless."
Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and
Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran
Church, 1981, p. 42.
"Even
the history of the world shows how great is the power of the devil's kingdom. The
world is full of blasphemies against God and of wicked opinions, and the devil
keeps entangled in these bands those who are wise and righteous [many
hypocrites who appear holy] in the sight of the world. In other persons grosser
vices manifest themselves. But since Christ was given to us to remove both
these sins and these punishments, and to destroy the kingdom of the devil, sin
and death, it will not be possible to recognize the benefits of Christ unless
we understand our evils. For this reason our preachers have diligently taught
concerning these subjects, and have delivered nothing that is new, but have set
forth Holy Scriptures and the judgments of the holy Fathers."
Apology Augsburg Confession, Article II: Of
Original Sin, Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 119. Tappert,
p.
