Trinity 13, 2022

By Norma A. Boeckler

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Bethany Lutheran Church, 

10 AM Central Daylight Time

Hymn #296   Speak O Lord Thy Servant Heareth           

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant: 

oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!

Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: 

and forget not the voice of Thine enemies.

Psalm. O God, why hast Thou cast us off forever? 

Why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?

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

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain that which Thou dost promise, make us to love that which Thou dost command; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant: 

oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!

V. Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: 

and forget not the voice of Thine enemies. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. O Lord God of my salvation: 

I have cried day and night before Thee. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

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

Sermon Hymn # 347   Jesus Priceless Treasure

 Jesus is the Good Samaritan

The Communion Hymn #292   Lord Jesus Christ

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 #660              I'm But a Stranger Here

 

Prayers and Announcements

• The flowers on the altar are in memory of Gary Meyer's, who died September 17, 2014.
• Medical care: Randy Anderson, Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris; Dr. Kermit and Dr. Marie Way. Callie, C., and others who need treatment and tests.
• The I AM Sermons book will be sent off this week. 

 Norma A. Boeckler

        

KJV Galatians 3:15 

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

KJV Luke 10:23 

And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Click here for Luther’s Sermon on the Good Samaritan

Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Thy holy gospel, know Thy fatherly will, and behold Thy Son, Jesus Christ! We pray Thee, most merciful Father: Let the light of Thy holy word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forsake Thy word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen. 

John Adam Houston

 Jesus Is the Good Samaritan

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

 

KJV Luke 10: 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Nobody has read Luther in the last century. There are two proofs. One proof is from the Social Gospel (1920s) apostates, who claimed the parable was about keeping the road to Jericho safe. The second proof is - pastors and laity read this parable as a do-gooder tirade so they can make everyone's guilt rise up and go away by painting houses, building compost piles, and recycling garbage. (I especially enjoy people wondering why I use cardboard and newspaper as mulch, which blocks weeds and decomposes into rich soil, a good solution for crabgrass.)

This section of Luke opens with an emphasis on knowing and believing in Jesus. Abraham saw Jesus and rejoiced in the Savior (John 8) The prophets also saw Jesus spiritually and proclaimed the Gospel. Relatively few people believed in Jesus as the Messiah during His ministry, but the disciples had the benefit of three years of intensive training and the experiences of His many miracles and sermons. 

Jesus is speaking to the disciples and to us - "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Knowledge of the Scriptures and faith in Jesus Christ - those are the great blessings which no one can take away. The adoration of buildings, programs, endowments, and earthly honors are all distractions, and they prove that people see without seeing and hear without hearing. The treatment of this great parable is proof of that sorry state.

The lawyer is representative of all those who rely on the Law to justify themselves, whether it is one kind of law or another. He is completely sure of his righteousness (of the Law) and asks the question to make certain his righteous state. 

This is where the parable turns into one about Jesus. Note that the apostates do not see Jesus as the theme of this parable, in the same way that they do not accept the I AM sermons in John (by excluding the Fourth Gospel altogether and moving it centuries later as "Gnostic.")

Jesus is the example of the neighbor and the lawyer is the example of the self-centeredness, self-approval, and wanting the praise of men. "Who is my neighbor" is not answered by God as shunning but by going to those in need, which includes giving people support in the Gospel.

Jesus answered the lawyer's question with a brief but momentous example. A man on the road to Jericho was met by thieves, stripped of his outer clothing, beaten and left almost dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

There are two initial responses, from the religious leaders. They see the man and walk on the other side of the road. They are not foreigners or from another religion. 

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

The sermons with an agenda offer a twist that denies the point of the parable. The Samaritan is not labeled "good." He is called "the neighbor" by the lawyer conceding what Jesus was teaching. A neighbor helps his neighbor, so the actions of the Samaritan prove He is the neighbor. This translates into how we treat others, but it primarily show us the ways in which Christ comes to us.

The "I Found It!" people miss a major point. Jesus Christ comes to us through Word of God. We do not come to Him. Notice the quiet, passive, almost dead traveler does not come to the Samaritan, but the Samaritan comes to him and serves him. 

I can safely say that many of us, growing up in a Christian nation, have had the true Word of God  - teaching the true Son of God to us - come to us in many jarring, nasty, disruptive ways. The Episcopalians, for instance, took 13 years to reach the bottom with ELCA (2009), and Pope Francis SJ is catching up.

Those bad experiences, shocks, and speeches from people endorsing diabolic doctrine - they all contributed to our appreciation of the only genuine English Bible and Luther's Biblical doctrine (not Here I Stand socks, not doggy t-shirts, not shot glass - LCMS' publishing house, 500th anniversary of the Reformation).

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 

These actions of the Samaritan parallel how He treats the individual needing His love and compassion. First Aid is teaching the true Gospel in its most basic forms, healing the wounds of being without Christ - or being taught a false Christ by Biblical "scholars" and other frauds. The truth is first an antiseptic (that is not taught in the Scriptures) and then the truth through Justification by Faith brings forth healing and the fruits of the Spirit.

Putting him on His vehicle and taking him to an inn - That is Jesus working through us to take someone to church or bring the Gospel to him. Parents do this when they teach their children at home and take them to faithful worship. The inn is used in The Pilgrim's Progress book, where Christian stops, rests, and has refreshing discussions with fellow believers, who also give him armor (Ephesians 6) on the way to Eternal Life.

The host is the person in charge of Christian worship and teaching. The Samaritan provides the means for that Gospel center and promises that there will be no shortage - He will make it up when He returns. 

The Samaritan (Jesus) has a continuous and helping relationship. A neighbor rushes to help, as I have experienced here in Springdale - in every possible way, including after a dangerous fall and injuries.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Luther's Sermon

25. This Samaritan of course is our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has shown his love toward God and his neighbor. Toward God, in that he was obedient to him, came down from heaven and became man, and thus fulfilled the will of his Father; toward his neighbor, in that he immediately after his baptism began to preach, to do wonders, to heal the sick. And in short, he did no work that centered in himself alone, but all his acts centered in his neighbor. And this he did with all his powers, and thus he became our servant, who could have well remained in heaven and been equal to God, Philippians 2:6. But all this he did because he knew that this pleased God and was his Father’s will.


26. When he entered upon that high mission to prove that he loved God with all his heart, he laid down his bodily life with all he had, and said:

Father, here you have all, my bodily life, my glory and honor, which I had among the people; all this I give as it is for thy sake, that the world may know how I love thee. My Father, let my wisdom perish, so that the world may look upon me as most foolish. Let me be the most despised, who was heretofore praised by all the world. Now I am the worst murderer, who before was friendly, useful and serviceable to the whole world. Dear Father, all this I despise, only that I may not be disobedient to thee.

27. This is the Samaritan who came uninvited, and fulfilled the law with his whole heart. For only he fulfilled the law, and no one can deprive him of this honor. He alone merits it, and well maintains it all alone. Now this would be no special comfort for us; but that he has compassion on the poor wounded man, takes him under his care, binds his wounds, takes him into the inn and waits on him, this avails for us.

 Luther - A Christian need not look for his cross, it is always on his back. For he thinks as St. Paul says, 2 Timothy 3:12: “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This is the court-color in this kingdom. Whoever is ashamed of the color, does not belong to this king.

Trinity 12, 2022.

 

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Vimeo Player:

Test of Audio on September 4, 2022

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central  Daylight Time

The Hymn #373               By Grace I'm Saved

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Make haste, O God, to deliver me: 

make haste to help me, O Lord.

Let them be ashamed and confounded: 

that seek after my soul.

Psalm. Let them be turned backward and put to confusion: 

that desire my hurt.

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

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that Thy faithful people do unto Thee true and laudable service, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so faithfully serve Thee in this life that we fail not finally to attain Thy heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual

Gradual

I will bless the Lord at all times: 

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

V. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: 

the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Sing aloud unto God, our Strength: 

make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Hallelujah!

       

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn #126             Arise and Shine in Splendor

New Testament Ministers        

The Communion Hymn #297    The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace - Loy          

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 Closing Hymn #123                       Our God Our Help   

 Norma A. Boeckler

In Our Prayers and Announcements

• Tuesday - Andrea Anderson's 4th birthday.
• Medical Treatment - Kermit and Maria Way, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader, Randy Anderson (chemo).
• 
  

                        

Norma A. Boeckler

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Covenant or Testament 

Lenski 2 Corinthians 3:3

p. 921

The R. V.’s translation “3. new covenant” (“testament” in the margin) is not an advance on the A. V.’s “a new testament.” Commentators also waver. See the author’s exposition of I Cor. 11:25, from which we repeat only the main point: the Hebrew berith is “covenant,” which is rendered diatheke, “testament,” by the LXX which thus conserves the main idea of one-sidedness: this covenant is like every testament that is made by God to Israel and is not a mutual agreement between equals. Its substance was promise, Christ fulfilled the promise, and this fulfillment is now laid down in a testament. All believers are named as the heirs who're to be paid out with all the gospel blessings. We may call the ministers of God the administrators (I Cor. 4:1), yet they themselves are heirs. So in the New Testament diatheke = “testament.” And we should render, not “ministers of a new testament,” but as one concept: “new testament ministers.” The newness lies in the fulfillment of the former covenant promises by Christ.

KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Twelfth Sunday After Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast created all things: We thank Thee that Thou hast given us sound bodies, and hast graciously preserved our tongues and other members from the power of the adversary: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy grace, that we may rightly use our ears and tongues; help us to hear Thy word diligently and devoutly, and with our tongues so to praise and magnify Thy grace, that no one shall be offended by our words, but that all may be edified thereby, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Luther on the Epistle text - Here

Luther’s Sermon on the Gospel text - Here

Background for the Gospel Lesson, Mark 7:31-37

Medical doctors may have a better grasp of miracles than others, since they experience them, beyond all hope. I told our MD-PhD friend at Yale Medical School that certain theologians would not believe a miracle happened unless it could be reproduced in a lab. Dr. Wenger said, "That is the very definition of a miracle - it cannot be reproduced in a lab!"

The Gospels clearly connect the miracles of Jesus with His divine Word. The miracles demonstrated to the disciples and the crowds His divinity. His teaching of the Word had a powerful effect, and still does, and His miracles gave thousands a concrete example of what the Word can do.

Paul wrote specifically about the efficacy of the preached Word. 

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

The Word itself has the power to change people forever; the miracles encourage us to consider how much God can do and how quickly He can accomplish His will.

New Testament Ministers  

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

Here is a little word about KJV language. The final KJV editors liked to write God-ward, separating "ward" from the to, perhaps because it preserves the Greek, which is simply through Christ to God. We combine the two parts in common English - toward, forward, backward.

This KJV wording emphasizes the close relationship we have, trust comes through Christ (His Two Natures, human and divine) to God. All the attributes of Christ are equally true of God the Father. That helps us appreciate the true nature of God the Father, because Jesus mirrors His Father's will and Word.

That is also the reason why Christians reject other religions, who may nod toward Jesus Christ in a vague, mild way. And we reject the lupine false teachers who promote and praise themselves so they can slaughter the flock. Nothing is more obvious than supposed Lutheran pastors giving sermons copied verbatim from anti-Lutheran, anti-inerrancy Church Growth "ministers." These so-called Lutherans gather around the supersalesmen the way flies gather around a dropped ice cream cone or roadkill.

Trust begins with Jesus the Son of God because He was sent to represent God to us. His human nature, united with His divine nature, reveals that He is compassionate toward us, Hebrews 4.

5 Not that we are sufficient [able] of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [ability] is of God; 

This is where the wolves show up. They preach themselves, not Christ Jesus. Their target is having "happy campers," who make their efforts worthwhile and appealing. One program was called "Off Our Rockers," designed to appeal to the elderly, but it looked more like mockery than anything else. 

The Book of Concord uses this passage to emphasize that the sufficiency applies to all of us believers, not to the priesthood alone. I use that term because one Ft. Wayne professor said that he was a priest - and a priest deserved a Cadillac. The decay of all the Lutheran sects today is derived from this folly. Their attitude produces bullies who must be infallible because they are priests. This obnoxious attitude began with Calvinist black robes and degenerated into extremely expensive liturgical garments and hardware. I will add up basic costs for a given priest...fairly soon. Add a few thousand dollars for the mini-bishop. The whole idea is to make the laity cower in fear of the great authority. As my favorite movie character shouted, "You dare offend the great and powerful Oz?"

On the positive side, this is another place where Paul emphasized the efficacy of the divine Word. If we believe what the Bible teaches about the Word always working with the Spirit and the Spirit always at work with the Word, then the concept of sufficiency or ability is clear - it is always God at work.

Example - we all delight in the time and work expended by a young mother, whose children have so many needs and demands. It often seems to be too much, yet God provides a special strength for those mothers. Patience and strength go together. Fathers are very important too, and they have the benefit of being extra-appreciated because less is expected. Uncles and cousins matter too. When the Gospel is part of the equation, there is a great sharing of blessings.

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

Among the Calvinists (and those who secretly copy them), everything is a covenant - "God can only do His part if I do my part." That is the opposite of the Apostle's emphasis on the sufficiency or ability of all believers in Christ. That false claim makes God dependent upon our actions. I run into this all the time among non-Lutherans, and I have heard it stated among nominal (in name only) Lutherans. One pastor said (and this is a pagan Greek quote) - "God helps those who help themselves."

Lenski 2 Corinthians 3:3

p. 921

The Revised KJV.’s translation “3. new covenant” (“testament” in the margin) is not an advance on the KJV’s “a new testament.” Commentators also waver. See the author’s exposition of I Cor. 11:25, from which we repeat only the main point: the Hebrew berith is “covenant,” which is rendered diatheke, “testament,” by the LXX which thus conserves the main idea of one-sidedness: this covenant is like every testament that is made by God to Israel and is not a mutual agreement between equals. Its substance was promise, Christ fulfilled the promise, and this fulfillment is now laid down in a testament. All believers are named as the heirs who're to be paid out with all the gospel blessings. We may call the ministers of God the administrators (I Cor. 4:1), yet they themselves are heirs. So in the New Testament diatheke = “testament.” And we should render, not “ministers of a new testament,” but as one concept: “new testament ministers.” The newness lies in the fulfillment of the former covenant promises by Christ.

Paul is using the argument called - "from the lesser to the greater." "If A is powerful, how much more glorious is B!" 

The giving of the Ten Commandments was a spectacular event. The sounds and the glory were almost too great to bear. If the faithful have kept that in their minds, from the Old Testament Scriptures, how much greater is the crucifixion of Christ, which gave complete forgiveness to all who believe in the Atonement of God's own Son?

That Gospel spread because so many were healed or fed miraculously - or saw and heard the risen Christ.

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

The Law remains, but its glory is surpassed by the glory of the Gospel. The ministration of righteousness is not making ourselves perfect - which can be faked - but is never lacking in weak points. This is the righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ, Who has died for sin. God said in the beginning that the Messiah would crush the head of the serpent, Satan. Some burden themselves with "I am not good enough," which happens to be true. We are not able or sufficient, but the Gospel Word is able to take away our sins and give us a new life.

This is portrayed perfectly in Psalm 103. Whenever we feel the weight of sin and the need for forgiveness, this passage answers our pain and heals us. We should never forget that King David wrote the most vivid psalms about abusing his power and suffering horribly for his sins. No one more powerfully serves as an example of repentance and forgiveness.

KJV Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Trinity 11

 

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Hymn # 318     Before Thee God, Who Knowest All

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

God is in His holy habitation: 

He is God who setteth the solitary in families.

The God of Israel is He that giveth strength: 

and power unto His people.

Psalm. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: 

let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

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

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

My heart trusteth in God, and I am helped: 

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; 

and with my song will I praise Him.

V. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord, my Rock: 

be not silent to me; hear the voice at my supplications. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Lord, Thou hast been our Dwelling Place in all generations. 

Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn # 494       Awake Thou Spirit

The Righteousness of Faith

The Communion Hymn #388         Just As I Am

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 # 514             God Moves in a Mysterious Way     

In Our Prayers

• Happy Birthday and God's Blessings - Brett Meyer, last Sunday.
• Happy Joyful Birthday - early September.
• Medical treatment - Randy Anderson, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit and Maria Way.
• Looking into shipping some books overseas.

Norma A. Boeckler

KJV 1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

KJV Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Eleventh Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to guide and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not forget our sins and be filled with pride, but continue in daily repentance and renewal, seeking our comfort only in the blessed knowledge that Thou wilt be merciful unto us, forgive us our sins, and grant us eternal life; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Righteousness of Faith

Background

The Age of Rationalism slowly strangled the concept of faith in the Holy Trinity, and that motivated the professors to change the meaning of the Scriptures, from the plainly worded revelation of God to very complicated and obscure theories that denied what God revealed. This is the current state of the denominations and the Church of Rome.

When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, they were promised the Savior who would be wounded by Satan and yet would crush the head of Satan.

When Eve gave birth to a boy, she said literally in Hebrew - I have conceived a man, the Lord, Genesis 4:1. The Hebrew script clearly states this but the translators have always been wary. This clearly shows that Eve heard the Promise of salvation through Christ and believed her son fulfilled that Word.

Much later, God promised the impossible with Abraham, which is assumed to be a son and a great nation. As I have written before, no nation or empire has continued forever and had uncountable numbers, like the stars in the sky. This was repeated promised by God and was fulfilled in the line of Abraham and David, leading to the Son of David, Jesus Christ. This the one-sided Testament, with God offering Promises beyond the imagination of any person.

The Rationalists are offended by this Testament and want to replace it with their concept of covenant - two-sided. Therefore, if you want God to do something for you, you have to do something for God. Otherwise, He will not bless you - so their dogma teaches. 

Lutheran rationalists do not like the term Testament, because they place human reason over and above the Word itself. That naturally turns the concept of revelation and faith upside-down. However, I was in the lawyer's office the other day and created a will or testament, made up of one-sided promises. This is the very language Paul used and we use too - the New Testament. 

God gave the greatest Promise ever given to man, when He stated that Abraham would be a father of nations because of his faith in that Promise. Israel is very tiny and hardly an empire. Instead, we have the result of that Promise, millions of believers who trace their line through Jesus back to David and to Abraham's faith.

Abraham believed in the Promise of a Savior, and it was counted as righteousness (forgiveness of sin).

Most people miss the connection between the Smurfs and their boss - Father Abraham.

KJV Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

Notice that the parable before this has another perspective, and they go together.

KJV Luke 18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

Our ideas and attitudes are not the same as God's, so humility is the correct response to needs and problems. The parable for today is not about a given class of people in those days, but examples of two extremes. The Pharisees were expected to be perfect in every way, so they had a concept of righteousness based upon their works. Paul's writing and personality reflected that, though he also corrected himself - "not I, but Christ within me."

I encounter this works-righteousness all the time in dealing with those students who are raised that way.

One wrote, "God is not going to give me anything if I do not give to Him." 

Another one said, "We go over the covenant every Sunday. We have to do our part. That is central to every worship service."

This is clearly dealing with trusting in our own righteousness, not the righteousness of God. The Bible teaches:

1. God
2. Righteousness
3. Faith
4. Grace

The righteousness of God means faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, and faith in our Good Shepherd gives us access to God's grace.

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

This approach to God is certainly vivid enough to make anyone smile at the fake religion, which is the religion of the world, not God. He says "I" four times and has a long list of what he is not.

When I laughed about the religion of recycling, I was scolded by a younger in-law. I said, "I was making compost before you knew what it was." Her compost was just a trash-heap. My mother said the same thing to me when I discovered composting, as if she never heard the word. I was given detailed descriptions of where it was and how I was so blissfully unaware of it.

The point of this Pharisee's speech is the Pharisee himself. The other people are all evil and he is pure. That comes from a world-wide attitude of our own perfection and the sinfulness of everyone else.

As Luther said, the point of the Pharisee's prayer is that he is truly a good person, but also that he gives himself credit for this righteousness.

America the Pietist Cult 

Our country was mostly settled by Pietists, who had a code they followed in various ways. Obeying that code was called sanctification and distinguished them from the others. 

One pastor told me and a group how pure he was, because every one of his 105 family members belonged to the same Lutheran sect. I was going to add, "And they are all Pharisees like you" but it seemed to be a waste of breath. His numbers proved his status. 

This topic is good for hours of talk and many books to read.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The tax collector was hated for two reasons. One was the method of tax farming which continued into the modern era - collecting taxes and a bonus for the collectors extracted on top of that. The other reason for hatred was the fact of this money going to the Roman Empire to keep soldiers there and their country "at peace." The tax collectors were symbols of oppression and pagan Roman religion.

The tax collector was not proud of his lofty high-paying position, but humble before God. He asked for mercy from God because he was a sinner. 

Jesus specified that this meant the tax collector was justified by faith - unlike the Pharisee who relied on his works. So this one episode encapsulates the essential teaching of the Bible - Old and New Testaments. 

1. God
2. Righteousness
3. Faith
4. Grace

That is distilled by those four words above. God is all-powerful and all-merciful. His power is chiefly known through His mercy and forgiveness toward all who believe in Him.

We have no righteousness on our own because we are inherently sinful. Instead of praying to ourselves and about our great qualities, we pray to God to help us in all our troubles, fears, and sins. 

There is no true prayer apart from prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ. That requires humility and faith in Him, our Good Shepherd.

I was thinking about people being awed by technological advances, and medical miracles. But many stop at one miracle or another, because the Rationalists have told them an alternative and doubt has crept in.

We have to believe as children instead of doubting as professors. That too requires humility, because the Word judges us - we cannot and should not judge the Word.

As I escaped the rationalism of college and seminary, I found clergy being embarrassed by hearing the Bible taken as it is, without compromise and doubt. That often led to name-calling and the peak of Pietism - total shunning. Because Pietists emphasized their works instead of faith in Christ, they quickly turned "no dancing" of the past into 37 genders (Walmart School System).

The President of a small, Christian college painted me as a liberal while he attended church at First Methodist! - which is the very foundation of America's switch to hedonism and denying the Scriptures.

This parable is short and powerful, a constant reminder of Jesus' own commendation. Many times, Jesus singled out the exceptional one who trusted in Him and undercut the proud and mighty who wanted to get rid of Him.

A humble faith helps us see what marvels God has provided for us, starting with salvation through His Son and all the blessings that come with that.