Third Sunday in Advent.

The Third Sunday in Advent, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn # 8 Father Who the Light            2. 20

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 #76 A Great and Mighty Wonder            2.2  

Stewards of Mysteries Revealed Only by Faith

The Hymn # 77:1-8 All My Heart               2.25

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 # 77:9-15            All My Heart               2.25

KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

KJV Matthew 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Third Sunday In Advent

Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst suffer Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to become man, and to come into the world, that He might destroy the works of the devil, deliver us poor offenders from sin and death, and give us everlasting life: We beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may seek no other refuge than His word, and thus avoid all offense to which, by nature, we are inclined, in order that we may always be found among the faithful followers of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and by faith in Him obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Stewards of Mysteries Revealed Only by Faith

KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

As Luther pointed out, and everyone knows, the Corinthians were divided into factions, lining up according to the men they followed. Nothing reveals conflict more than this manner of settling doctrinal problems. We can see that today when people line up according to this man or that man, taking turns attacking each man. It reminds me of John 9 and the Keystone Kops, chasing around foolishly.

Paul addressed this problem with great eloquence and simplicity, giving us the greatest possible treatment of the ministry – which is why it is so widely ignored today.

This word “account” is an interesting one. It could be translated as “reckon” and we usually associate it with justification by faith. Abraham believed and it was accounted as righteousness (Gen 15, Romans 4, Galatians).

So this is a job evaluation. If any human being wants to be give a job evaluation of Paul and the apostles – we are ministers (servants) of Christ and stewards (managers) of the mysteries of God.

This one sentence condenses all we need to know about how the Christian Church works in its gracious operation.

Paul is clearly arguing against the wrong definition implied by these words. Is he popular? Are his numbers good? Is everything running smoothly? Are they changing so they do not die, as the popular apostates teach (to loud applause).

His job evaluation cannot be done by people and he awaits the only possible one, done by God alone.

Minister means servant, so Paul is a servant of Christ – as all the apostles were. This is the opposite of being the servant of people, or as the pope calls himself, Servant of the Servants of God. That is why he is infallible.

Stewards of the mysteries of God contains the most important phrase of all. Luther did not know how he could translate the term mysterion, so he left it the same in German, as we do in English.

Secrets could be another term used. Each synonym has other associations, so we have to look at what it means. The mysteries are articles of faith, known only to believers. A non-believer may know the term Holy Trinity and define it, but it remains a mystery until he believes it. This happens through the Holy Spirit’s power in the Word.

If someone wants to look at the popular claim that the Trinity does not appear in the Bible, he only needs to study those passages where the Divine is spoken of in groups of three, from the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6 to Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts (Isaiah 6:3). Add to that the man Father/Son references and the Spirit’s role in witnessing. Use a computer t find Father, Son, and Holy Spirit within two verses – the Trinity is all over the New Testament and begins at Genesis 1.

The arguments against this shorthand term (Trinity) are lame when confronted by faith and knowledge. Trinity itself as a term is not found in the Bible, since it was first used about 500 years after Christ. But the Trinity is there in the Scriptures. One must be blind not to see it – and that is a clue. One can read the verses all day and become more blind to the mysteries because of a proud arrogance judging the Word of God as one more religious book.

The job description of the minister of Christ is to teach the mysteries of faith and nothing more. Apart from teaching and preaching and take the Word to others in visitation and evangelism, a minister has no other task to accomplish.

Holy Spirit work is Word work. If it is not Word work, it does not belong to God but to man. So there is a clamor to have so much of man’s work that there is no time or energy left for God.

Man’s wisdom excludes God’s wisdom in the church, and vice versa. Studies show, as Fuller Seminary likes to say, that studies prove nothing and only serve to blind more people to the truth of the Word.

2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Steward simply means manager. In an estate he was the chief servant who ran the estate for the owner. In Europe, the stewards were those who sat on the throne until the prince came of age, so he could rule. In various applications the steward has great power, but it is subordinated to the master, so it is required that a steward be faithful in his duties.

Faithful does not mean successful in man’s terms, but in God’s terms. Staying out of prison would be a good thing for most church organizations, but John Bunyan (Pilgrim’s Progress) did more in prison than most evangelists do in a lifetime – and his work continues today in teaching the Word of God, justification by faith apart from the works of the Law.

What counts today is conformity to the structure of the organization. The agenda keeps changing but the conformity mandate does not. One criterion (reckoning) excludes the other. To be judged faithful to the synod is to be unfaithful to the Word of God.

When the poor, innocent, and helpless are attacked and used by clergy perverts, the synod says, “Erase the evidence, because the lawsuit will cost us $10 million.” When I pointed out that one such lawsuit cost $40 million, an advocate for UOJ called me a liar because he did not know such a thing to be true. So I provided the evidence that ELCA did this and faced the judgment for their evil judgment in ordaining a known predator against boys.

These evils continue because men are not faithful to the Word but to the synod that rewards them for infidelity.

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Many things are coming to light already, but far more will be known, revealed in Judgment. Those who enjoyed rich benefits and benefices for their denominational loyalty will be exposed, their homes and BMWs no more comfort to them.

We hear all the time about what recent professors said, but what did Luther say about this crucial passage?

Luther:

11. Their claim that in addition to the teachings of Christ, the commandments of the Church may be taught and they intimate that their teachings are the doctrines of the Church is of no significance. Paul’s teaching here continues to stand, that the Church belongs neither to Peter nor Paul, but to Christ only, and acknowledges none but the servants or ministers of Christ. You see, then, the blasphemy of the Pope in crying obedience to his doctrines as the road to salvation, and disobedience to them the road to damnation. Paul here makes obedience to these things a work of the devil; as he does also in 1 Timothy 4:1-3: “But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.” And Christ says: “My sheep hear my voice, and a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers. I know mine own, and mine own know me.” John 10:5-14.

18. So, then, the mysteries of God are simply the blessings in Christ as preached through the Gospel and apprehended and retained by faith alone.

Paul says relative to the matter, speaking on how men should behave themselves in the house of God: “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; he who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16. This is spoken of Christ, who was manifest in the flesh. He dwelt among men who had flesh and blood like himself, yet he was still a mystery. That he was Christ, the Son of God, the life, the way, the truth and all good, was hidden.

19. Yet he was “justified in the Spirit;” that is, through the Spirit’s influence believers received, acknowledged and retained him as all we have mentioned. “To justify” means simply to pronounce just, or at least to admit as just; as we have in Luke 7:29: “All the people when they heard, and the publicans, justified God.” Again, in Psalm 51:4: “That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest.” This is equivalent to saying:

The believer in Christ justifies him, and acknowledges the truth that Christ alone is our life and righteousness and wisdom, and that we are sinners, condemned and perishing. For such Christ is, and such is his claim. He who acknowledges this his claim justifies him in the Spirit; but he who does not justify him relies upon his own works; he does not see himself condemned but contends against and condemns Christ. [This justification of Christ is effected by no one unless he possesses the Holy Spirit, whose work alone it is. Flesh and blood cannot do it, even if it be publicly presented to our eyes and preached into our ears.]

First Mid-Week Advent Worship, December 4, 2013. 7 PM Central

Advent, December 4, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Mid-Week Advent,  Wednesday, 7 PM Central

The Hymn #81   Gerhardt         Thy Manger Is            3.60
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody            Psalm 100                             p. 144
The First Lection                  
The Second Lection       
 The Sermon Hymn #90  Gerhardt   Come Your Hearts 3.83

The Bible Is a Cradle Holding Christ

The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer                         p. 44

The Collect for Peace                                           p. 45

The Benediction                                                   p. 45

The Hymn # 93        O Lord We Welcome    3.40

First Mid-Week Advent Sermon

The Bible Is a Cradle That Holds Christ

I was listening to a discussion about Pentecostals today. They emphasize the displays of the Holy Spirit. Most people would identify that with speaking in tongues, singing in tongues, and various ecstatic displays, including what they call holy laughter.

One issue was – when did this start. Several people were talking about how the history gets nailed down to one specific time and place, Azuza Street, 1906.

I was thinking, “We are the most Pentecostal group of all, more Pentecostal than the Pentecostals.” That is simply because orthodox Lutherans do not separate the Word from the Holy Spirit.

Simply put, the Scriptures are the cradle that hold Christ. If people want the love, grace, and forgiveness of Christ, all they need is the Word of God, which conveys Christ to us.

We can see Christ on every page of the Bible, but that requires faith. Rationalists see errors or an ethical book or an interesting book from antiquity. How quaint!

But in fact the Holy Spirit is at work on every page of the Bible, in every verse, since all the verses of the Bible are part of that one unified Truth – the Word of God – the Book of the Holy Spirit.

Realizing this answers two basic questions.

One is confidence in the Holy Spirit at work. 

How do we know when God’s Spirit is accomplishing His will?

The answer is – whenever the Word is taught, heard, read, or remembered. That also applies to faithful teaching about the Word of God. A faithful hymn is just as much the Word of God as a faithful sermon is.

Jesus said, “Whoever hears you, hears Me.” When the apostles went out preaching the Gospel of the risen Lord, they were multiplying the places where Jesus was being brought to individuals.

Man looks for proof of the Spirit at work. The proof is the faithful teaching of the Word, not material signs that appeal to us. If we demand something appealing, gratifying, God will deny that, because He is the manager. We are not.

This also means that God is at work, no matter how long He seems to take, or how unpleasant the reactions are.

Paul preached and started a riot. He gave a long sermon and Eutychus fell dead out the window. He confronted Peter for inconsistent teaching, which led to the first Council. He was divisive, which is good, because his faithfulness to the Word divided truth from error.

So it is funny and sad that man looks for results instead of looking for where the Spirit is – in the Word.

The Other Is Having Christ as Our Comfort

This is directly related to the first part, because the Word and the Spirit are always together and never apart. That also means that the Word brings Christ to us.

To repeat the opening of John’s Gospel is to call upon Christ, to possess Him and all His benefits.

Wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, death is turned into life, sin into forgiveness, and anxiety into comfort.

It is true that the Gospel causes discomfort, anger, division, and rejection. And this too is the work of the Holy Spirit. We often need to have our faith exercised so we do not become a slug, like Jobba the Hut, apathetic and indolent about the Word, or hardened and blinded against it.

Most if not all orthodox Lutherans have gone through great turmoil about Christian doctrine, which has been their God-given path toward appreciating the Word of God and the Confessions.

Most in the ELCA seemed immune to the anti-Biblical stance of their leaders, until the 2009 vote showed them what a charade their denomination was, truly anti-Gospel while talking about the Gospel. Subtlety did not work on them, so God sent a hammer and fire, divided congregations and families, lawsuits and abandoned buildings. Some people think the congregation is the building until they realize the Word gathers the congregation.

Likewise, some adored pop entertainment worship and made fun of the ancient liturgy, not to mention those who appreciated it. But the errors grew, as they always manage to do, because mid-week services were absent, or the popcorn munching during the prayers was too loud.

So a new appreciated of the Word makes us all the more thankful for the comfort of forgiveness through Christ. Believing is forgiveness, even though this simple truth is debated, rejected, and condemned a heresy.

So when college students are talking about David and Goliath, they are speaking about faith in God – trust in Him rather than man-made weapons. And who was David? He was a young shepherd boy, at the start of his predestined role as the King of Israel, the model of the Messiah.

One of the most popular descriptions or titles of Jesus is – the Son of David. Likewise, He is called the Messiah (anointed king) or Christ (Greek for anointed king). When we hear about the shepherd boy David, we think about the Good Shepherd of John 10, the Lord is my Shepherd, Psalm 23.

We remember – He will lead His flock like a Shepherd. Isaiah 40, part of the great comfort passage of the prophet.

I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered – Jesus quoted that. So we use the Latin for shepherd – pastor – to this day.

When we have sons or grandsons, we think about that little shepherd boy, that moment when the boy is growing up and taking on responsibility. One model for that is David. And the other model is Jesus Himself.

In the crib, Jesus gathered His first flock. The wise men, shepherds, Joseph and Mary – all were gathered by the Word of God.

We like cradles for babies. We have a tiny one for a doll in our storage. We had a larger one for our son at Yale. Everyone passed it along. Jesus did not even have that. He had a manger for his crib, yet His work was not hampered by the modesty of his surroundings, a rented room.

For some, the Bible is still a humble cradle, not worth their interest. Bibles are everywhere and also nowhere (not read or studied, not even open). And yet that cradle, the Word of God, holds Christ and conveys His forgiveness to us.

Every part of worship is connected with justification by faith. We are alienated and anxious in carrying a burden of sin, but energized and thankful to God when absolved and blessed by the Gospel.

First Sunday in Advent

The First Sunday in Advent, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

Mid-Week Worship Will Be Wednesdays, 7 PM Central time


The Hymn # 245 God Loved the World      4:6
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 # 290 We Have A Sure         4:89

Armor of Light and Truth

The Hymn # 305 Soul Adorn Thyself         4.23
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 # 463 For All the Saints            4:31

KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [immorality] and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.


First Sunday in Advent - The Collects of Veit Dietrich
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, we bless and praise Thee forever, that Thou didst send Thy Son to rule over us poor sinners, who for our transgressions did justly deserve to remain in the bondage of sin and Satan, and didst give us in Him a meek and righteous King, who by His death became our Savior from sin and eternal death: We beseech Thee so to enlighten, govern and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may ever remain faithful to this righteous King and Savior, and not, after the manner of the world, be offended with His humble form and despised word, but, firmly believing in Him, obtain eternal salvation; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Armor of Light

The revelation of God, which is received only through faith, means that there is only one truth.  In some areas of thought, people realize this. If there is a crime, there can only be one accurate depiction of it. The crime did not have three different ways or two ways, but only one way.

With more complicated issues, people find many explanations, such as why Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo. When I listed four explanations, a student offered a fifth one. That is what makes history interesting – there are no lasting answers.

In contrast, the revelation of the truth is fixed and unchanging. The truth does not depend upon man’s understanding or acceptance. It does not have to be reasonable or appealing to mankind, because the truth belongs to God alone.

KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

We do not know when the end of time will take place, but Paul reveals it is getting closer ever day – all the more reason to awake out of sleep. This is a way of contrasting weariness with the need to be alert.

Everyone gets tired of the battle. About 2400 years ago one Athenian leader warned that a democracy will always get tired of a battle and want to give up. There are many current examples of that in dealing with sound doctrine, and everyone feels it besides.

In the ancient world and in modern times, sleep and exhaustion are times when bad things happen. In fact, it has been shown that sleep deprivation is more dangerous than alcohol intoxication.

Salvation is closer at hand, not receding away. That is motivation to stay awake, to wake up, and be watchful. Gregory is taken from the Greek word for watchman, since the watchman has to remain alert.

When Jesus said, “Watch and pray,” it could also be translated as “Stay awake and pray, for you know not the hour…”

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

If we look at the history of our young planet, the time before the full revelation of Christ was 4000 years. The advent of the Gospel, fully revealed, was just beginning in Paul’s time and ready to sweep the entire Roman Empire, turning a pagan world power into a Christian one (more or less). It is significant that even as the Western Roman Empire faded, the Eastern part thrived and continued until the Renaissance. Christianity is the largest world religion, if we can believe the numbers. While people are letting go of the Gospel in the First World, they are spreading it in the Third World.

The Second Coming is a poor time to give up on the truth and participate in the works of darkness, which are numbered below. In ancient times, night was exceptionally black, inside and out. Illumination was sparse, so temptation was that much greater. Even in a royal palace, lighting at night was not the rule, as shown by stories from the past.

That is why children will have trouble with Judas identifying Jesus, when we can see so well at night in most locations.

Darkness, temptation, and evil are associated together, just as truth and light are.

God created “light” before the lights – the sun and the stars. Truth is God’s creation, not so much man’s discovery (as the rationalists imagine).

So truth is the armor of light. When people despair, they are living in darkness and misunderstanding because all who believe in the Only-Begotten Son of God are forgiven and saved. Through faith we have access to God’s grace and favor, God’s forgiveness and salvation.

Knowing there is truth – God’s truth – keeps us from temptation and error, especially the soul-destroying error of false doctrine.  The Wauwatosa theologians bragged they could dabble in false doctrine, starting over without the Confessions, as if they were spiritually wiser than Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz combined. Those same theologians would be appalled at the bitter and toxic fruit that has grown from those seeds of rebellion and falsehood.

So, for instance, common denials of the truth can easily be dismissed by someone well trained in the truth. That used to be so – but less so lately. For instance, one popular movie about Jesus showed Him as only a man. One member, at another church, wanted to see The Last Temptation of Christ. I sent a movie review and asked, “Is this what you want to see?” I never saw the movie but I knew from the review it was obscene. She chose not to go because it featured a false picture of Christ.

A false view of Christ, which is typical of 2/3rds of all attacks on the Faith, will give a false view of forgiveness and salvation.

A false view of God’s goodness will make someone worried and anxious about the future. I asked one man how God could create the world and send His Son to die for his sins, yet neglect to feed and shelter his family.

The revealed Word of God is that armor that keeps falsehood away and deflects the arrows of Satan from piercing our hearts.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [immorality] and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Many people mislead themselves with a false view of the truth. They believe the Gospel is an excuse to do whatever they want so they can plead forgiveness and grace while they continue without repentance.

The blind leading the blind.

That very deception leads to despising the Word, because the truth bears down on falsehood and makes forms of unbelief painful, until people dull their hearts and harden them against the truth. Then they become blind to the truth of God’s Word and purveyors of falsehood. The obvious examples are all around us, but the more subtle ones are more dangerous:

• Hedonism in the name of Gospel freedom.
• Worshiping the organization instead of Christ.
• Man’s honor upheld while scorning the Word.

Putting on Christ is a reference to the baptismal robe which is worn. The robe makes us all one in Christ, because we put on His righteousness to cover up our mortality, our failings, our sin.

This is the righteousness of faith. All believers in Christ can call themselves righteous, forgiven and saved, rejoicing in His righteousness rather than their own.

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity

The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn # 4     God Himself                    4:93

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 # 268           Zion Mourns      4:98 

Abomination of Desolation

The Communion Hymn #305            Soul, Adorn Thyself             4:23 

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            4:24  

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Matthew 24:15-28

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

¹⁷ Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

¹⁸ Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

¹⁹ And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

²⁰ But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Abomination of Desolation

¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Few resist the temptation to predict the end of the world. One part of my family become Adventists, a group that grew from two failed prophecies about the end of the world. Since Miller was the teacher, the Adventists were called Millerites. Many of them were in Battle Creek, Michigan, and they influenced Kellogg and cereal manufacturing.

Some of the Noel clan moved to Iowa and began making a living with hog farming, so they could no longer be Adventists. They became Evangelical Protestants, a name that once meant inerrancy of the Scriptures, Creation, and the articles of faith found in the Apostles Creed.

Living in the South is a time shift, reminding me that we have many Americas. In one week I talked to two college students about the Bible Bowls, where children compete in memorizing entire books of the Bible. That sort of activity was once known among Pietists, who have advanced to rationalism and social activism.

This passage in Matthew is a two-fold warning. One part consists of signs that the end is coming, so that every believer will be aware and fore-warned. This is the global version of what happened in Jesus’ ministry, when He warned the disciples to “watch and pray” (literally stay awake and pray) while they fell into deep slumber. Jesus was facing His torture and death, praying to the Father, but they were too tired to do the same.

The other part of this lesson warns against following false Messiahs, who will definitely spring up.

²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

Rationalists dismiss Jesus predicting the future, making up various excuses, but they have to admit. This is exactly what happened. The first Jewish rebellion against Rome began about 70 AD, and that meant:

1.    The population of Jerusalem was starved and enslaved.

2.    The Temple was utterly destroyed.

3.    Rome celebrated the victory with a special coin.

Only a few decades later, another rebellion began, a Jewish Messiah leading his forces into another debacle, which was equally devastating to the Jews.

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

Messiah means king, so the ideal was always to be a powerful political, religious, and military leader like David. Son of David is another term for the Messiah, since Messiah means the anointed king. Christ is the Greek version of Messiah.

But God did not give Israel a Messiah like David, but one beyond their hopes and imagination. Military and political heroes fail. Their reign is limited. Their power is often taken away in an instant.

But the real Messiah – His reign has extended ever since public ministry took a heavenward turn and the Spirit began Gospel work through the Word, through the Gospels.

The false messiah warnings were even more important in subsequent centuries, since Christianity took over the Eastern Roman Empire (a fact we forget) and then the Western European part of the Roman Empire.  Many deceptive trends and frauds enticed people who no longer studied the Word of God.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Luther’s sermon reminded me of an important development, which is still with us. The monastic tradition grew out of the practice of going out alone in the desert. Qumran was one of those communities.

St. Jerome wasted away in the desert, and Augustine almost worshiped this tradition. The idea was to have people abandon a normal family life and save the world by prayer, meditation, and fasting.

The Greeks have an independent little area reserved for this today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Athos

In a few words, this prophecy is seen so revealed in the action of the works-saints. They will find Jesus in the desert! Most of the tales of monasteries involve someone trying to save his soul by joining. That is what happened to Luther, whose time in Augustinian monastic life gave him the authority and experience to expose it as a fraud.

Luther’s essays on monastic life, on marriage, empties the convents and monasteries. Former bachelors became husbands and fathers, leaders of the Lutheran Reformation. Luther reluctantly joined, joking about marriage to his father, and hearing his father ask why not.

“Not in the secret chambers” – There are so many ways that false versions of Christianity displace the Gospel of the Scriptures. They always involve leaving the world God has given us and creating a new secret world for the elite. Some do that with excessive prayer, others with devotion to a secret agenda. Nothing is so exciting as a secretive group. As Dickens observed, a secret group will enroll 200 people while an open volunteer group can barely gain two or three members.

So it is – everyone wants to know the real origins of the Masonic Lodge, but the clear text of the Bible – they take that for granted. The Bible is so easily accessed now that hardly anyone knows it or understands it.

Contemporary worship – that great hunk of bait to snag the unwary – has songs where the content could just as easily be Buddhist as Christian. There is no confession of truth at all.

Or an entire hymn is sung to the Holy Spirit without an indication that the Spirit is always united with the Word. And because of this confusion and ignorance, the Spirit hymn is a  hope for some ecstatic experience, as if we will this upon ourselves instead of hearing/reading the Word as the normal part of the Spirit’s work.

For example, many college students have said, “No one taught us how to write a good essay.” I am sympathetic because no one gave me the formula. I learned on my own and found out that everyone had the same answer.

There is a same answer for every Christian question, because the true Church has always existed and will always remain until the end. But to separate the good from the bad, we have to be discerning and wise rather than blindly naïve.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

This warning, based on weather patterns, is vivid and memorable. We look at “accuweather” and take the predictions as an eternal maybe. Sudden storms rise up, like the windstorm yesterday. The weather began cold, warmed up, then combined that warm weather with high winds and a tiny bit of rain.

At times the storms come to rest over the area and lightning bolts precede thunder by moments, while pets shiver in bed.

We will not know the end of time until the actual appearance of Christ. Then the evidence will be so abundant that no one will doubt He is the Son of God and Savior.