The Fourth Sunday after Trinity

John Huss was burned at the stake in 1415 for opposing the Pope's doctrine.

Sunday Worship, 8 AM, Phoenix Time

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time

The Hymn #259 by Luther - Denby
The Invocation p. 15
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 Romans 8:18-23
The Gospel Luke 6:36-42
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #260 Ach Gott vom Himmel
The Sermon

Big (doctrine) and Little (everything else)

The Hymn #311 by Huss – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
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 #27 – St. Thomas

Hymn notes – “Flung to the heedless winds” (#259, The Lutheran Hymnal) is Luther’s first hymn, inspired by the death of the first two Lutheran martyrs. Two young men were burned at the stake for their Lutheran doctrine. This beautiful hymn, easily sung, is omitted from all the new Lutheran hymnals.

Flung to the heedless winds,
Or on the waters cast,
The martyrs' ashes, watched,
Shall gathered be at last.

And from that scattered dust,
Around us and abroad,
Shall spring a plenteous seed,
Of witnesses for God.

The Father hath received,
Their latest living breath,
And vain is Satan's boast,
Of victory in their death.

Still, still, though dead, they speak,
And, trumpet tongued, proclaim,
To many a wakening land,
The one availing Name.

The Huss Hymn
The Huss hymn (#311) is singled out because the Czech reformer was burned at the stake for being the first to challenge the Church of Rome monopoly. His name means “goose” in his native language, so he died, saying, "You are roasting a poor Bohemian goose, but in 100 years there will arise a swan whom you will neither roast nor boil." Huss died in 1415; God raised up Martin Luther 100 years later. Significantly, Luther was accused of being a “Hussite,” and pleaded guilty. Frederick the Elector (http://www.luther.de/en/friedr.html) stood up to the Pope and kept Luther from being burned at the stake. Today’s Lutheran ministers cringe and cower if they are thought to associate with anyone confessional.

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/7.html

http://beck.library.emory.edu/luther/luther_site/luther_text.html

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

Prayer
Lord God, heavenly Father, who art merciful, and through Christ didst promise us, that Thou wilt neither judge nor condemn us, but graciously forgive us all our sins, and abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul: We pray Thee, that by Thy Holy Spirit Thou wilt establish in our hearts a confident faith in Thy mercy, and teach us also to be merciful to our neighbor, that we may not judge or condemn others, but willingly forgive all men, and, Judging only ourselves, lead blessed lives in Thy fear, through Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

Big (Doctrine) and Little (Everything Else)

This is an important Gospel lesson, because the words are currently being distorted to say exactly the opposite of what Christ taught and still teaches.

The Gospel is summarized well by Luther, who said we should bend and be flexible with the personal failings of others, but be completely inflexible about the doctrine of the Bible. Some—I hope, many—realize that this is turned around in current thought.

"In matters concerning faith we must be invincible, unbending, and very stubborn; indeed, if possible, harder than adamant. But in matters concerning love we should be softer and more pliant than any reed and leaf and should gladly accommodate ourselves to everything." Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 412f. Galatians 2:8.

Don’t be judgmental
“Don’t be judgmental” is the motto of the century. Few realize that it came from Carl Rogers, largely forgotten except in counseling and psychology, who bragged that he started a new religion. In fact, he was an apostate. He grew up in a strict Christian home, almost became a minister, and then earned a PhD in psychology at Columbia. He is known for Client-Centered Therapy, where there is no such thing as right or wrong. He popularized the concept of condemning someone who honored the values of right and wrong by snapping: “Don’t be judgmental,” which is the broadest possible judgment of all.

First of all, it would be impossible for God to set aside the Ten Commandments, which were revealed to Moses out of divine love. Natural law means - God commands what is good for us. The only way to set aside the Ten Commandments is to reject God, a popular move today. Decisions made on the basis of God’s Creation are no longer acceptable in this country or in everyday life.

Christ is talking about condemnation in the ordinary things of life. Examples are endless. People hold endless grudges about whether they receive this honor or another. Any minister knows how dangerous it is to mention charter members on an anniversary Sunday. The most unforgiving charter member will be overlooked and make everyone pay for it, forever.

Life is full of daily annoyances because everyone is fallible. Although people love to condemn Luther, his personal life was quite remarkable. He put up with Agricola, one of the most destructive and damaging of the early Reformation. He forgave Agricola (the Antinomian – there is no Law) time after time. One instance Agricola was plotting against the Reformation while staying at Luther’s home. Yet Luther was not stupid about what was happening. He said once, “My friends have done more damage that the Pope and the Turks put together.”

Luther’s behavior was the result of justification by faith and his adherence to the Ten Commandments. He went over the Catechism regularly and knew his sinfulness. At the same time, because he was declared righteous through faith in Christ, he forgave as freely as he was forgiven by God.

Families need to have the same Gospel forgiveness, practicing it daily. The biggest problems of the day are often trivial. Nothing is more damaging than the accumulation of bitterness and resentment over a bunch of nothings. Because mutual condemnation flies in the face of God’s wisdom, it is mutually destructive.

I attended family court in Canada where a young couple accused each other before the judge. Each one had wild accusations and equally loud denials about those accusations. The husband was a motivational speaker. I imagine he lived in a van down by the river. He asked to retrieve his prosthetic arm from his former home. Anyone who thinks a judge is going to straighten out such problems is crazy – by definition. The judge—as a fallible human being—can only guess.

Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

The first part of the lesson means that Gospel forgiveness will bear Gospel fruit. The opposite is true as well. Many who are very big deals in the visible church are miserable at home. One man received all the honors possible from his denomination and told a friend, “I am a complete failure. These are all empty honors.”

Gospel forgiveness means being contrition and faith in the atoning death of Christ. Justification by faith is the opposition of self-justification. One desert father (an early monk) said, “What a heavy burden we lay down when we give up self-justification. What a light burden we pick up when we accept justification by faith.”
The mark of contrition is humility. The marks of self-justification are pride, resentment, bitterness, and a desire for revenge. I have noticed that the need to get even is never met in the visible church. To use an example from the Church of Rome – when the scandal broke out in Boston over priestly abuse, only one priest was kicked out of the priesthood for good. No, he did not generate any court cases. He was not accused of anything as a priest. He did commit one horrible, unforgivable sin – he said Cardinal Law and the hierarchy were wrong.

Leaven (yeast) is used in two ways in the New Testament. One is the leaven of the Kingdom, which permeates one’s life through the Means of Grace. The other is the leaven of the Pharisees, which corrupts.

The good leaven cannot be stopped because it is living, like the Word. We used to store old leavened dough in the cooler at my father’s bakery. The old wives tale holds that dough is always improved by the addition of a previous batch. No one knew whether this was true. But we kept it and used it. The cooler had an old, beery smell from the dough kept there. When I went down to the basement to get it, the dough was always full of new air pockets from the living yeast cells. Yeast never stops working, so if it bad leaven, it corrupts just as thoroughly as good leaven lifts the dough.

Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

The second part of the lesson can be applied to daily life and to doctrine. We have too many blind guides who use the Scriptures as a magical device to conjure up benefits for themselves while denying its truths. Most denominational energy is spent on attacking the truth, defending error, and claiming, “Look at all our money” as the sign of genuine success. Nothing is more meaningless in God’s Kingdom as having money. Even in Jesus’ time, when cash was rare and valuable, money is dismissed as a little thing. The great things are doctrinal.

What we believe, teach, and confess is foundational for all our actions. Someone blind to the truths of God’s Word will lead people into a ditch. The concept is humorous to consider. People are wandering around in their blindness, so a blind person says, “I will show you the way,” and they all fall into the same ditch.

God created light before the sun and stars, so light has a meaning beyond a lack of darkness. That is why the occultists like to steal the word and use it for their darkness. My wife asked me why someone was looking at me so strangely during a meeting. I told her what this woman said with great pride, “I am surrounding you with light.” That can only come from an occult follower, a self-described witch, who confuses light and darkness.

We see so many examples of blind guides in church history. Zwingli and Calvin wanted to lead people away from Holy Baptism and Holy Communion as sacraments. In their explanations they took people away from the Two Natures of Christ. Their followers easily become Unitarians because the ability of the divine nature of Christ is denied in Holy Communion, the efficacy of the Word is denied in both sacraments. Thus the good yeast of the Means of Grace is replaced with the corrupt yeast of the Pharisees.

In this age a similar process has accelerated with the so-called conservative Lutherans embracing and teaching the doctrine of Zwingli and Calvin, saying to the blind, “We will be your guides.” The results are predictable but the blind guides say, “True we are in a free-fall, in every visible category, but we need more light from Zwingli and Calvin, Fuller and Willow Creek, Waldo Werning and Leonard Sweet.

The darkness of the blind guides make the light of the Gospel more brilliant. In God’s Word we have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit conveying the atoning death of Christ to us, especially in an individual way in Holy Communion.

Quotations

Love For Sound Doctrine Chapter 6, Thy Strong Word

Harkey: "We want love as much as orthodoxy, yes, a thousand times more than what some men call orthodoxy." F. Bente, American Lutheranism, 2 vols., The United Lutheran Church, Gen Synod, Gen Council, Un Syn in the South, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1919, II, p. 121.

"As a rule, it is assumed that only the genuine Lutherans indulged in unseemly polemical invective, and spoke and wrote in a bitter and spiteful tone. But the Melanchthonians were, to say the least, equally guilty...The 'peace-loving Melanchthon started a conflagration within his own church in order to obtain a temporal and temporary peace with the Romanists; while the loyal Lutherans, inasmuch as they fought for the preservation of genuine Lutheranism, stood for, and promoted, a truly honorable, godly, and lasting peace on the basis of eternal truth. And while the latter fought honestly and in the open, the Philippists have never fully cleared themselves from the charges of duplicity, dishonesty, and dissimulation." F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 104.

"The method of debate on the part of the papalists is far different now than it was at the time of Eck, Emser, and others like them. These men did not refuse to fight with us with the weapons of the Scripture. Pighius, however, has perceived that this arrangement has done the papal kingdom more harm than good. Therefore he has shown a different and shorter way by which, provided they stuck to it, they could obtain practically anything without trouble. It consists in this that they bring together every oratorical device and then declaim loudly about the shortness, the incompleteness, the insufficiency, ambiguity, and obscurity of the Scripture and strenuously fight for the necessity, authority, perfection, certainty, and clarity of the unwritten traditions." Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 71.

"When they are proved wrong from the Scriptures, they turn and accuse the Scriptures themselves, as if they were not correct and were without authority, both because they speak now one way, now another, and also because the truth cannot be found from Scripture by those who do not know the tradition; for (so they say) the truth was not given through epistles, but through the living voice, etc." [Irenaeus, Contra haereses, chapter 2] Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 82.

"Here are no learned, no rich, no mighty ones, for such people do not as a rule accept the Gospel. The Gospel is a heavenly treasure, which will not tolerate any other treasure, and will not agree with any earthly guest in the heart. Therefore whoever loves the one must let go the other, as Christ says, Matthew 6:24: 'You cannot serve God and mammon.'" Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, I, p. 154. Christmas Day Luke 2:1-14; Matthew 6:24.

"In like manner we will also do to our princes and priests; when they attack our manner of life, we should suffer it and show love for hatred, good for evil; but when they attack our doctrine, God's honor is attacked, then love and patience should cease and we should not keep silent, but also say: I honor my Father, and you dishonor me; yet I do not inquire whether you dishonor me, for I do not seek my own honor." Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 176. Fifth Sunday in Lent John 8:46-59.

"To love God with all the soul is to devote your entire bodily life to him that you can say when the love of any creature, or any persecution threatens to overpower you: All this will I give up, before I will forsake my God; let men cast me away, murder or drown me, let what God's will is happen to me, I will gladly lose all, before I will forsake Thee, O Lord!" Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 25 Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37

"Therefore, do not speak to me of love or friendship when anything is to be detracted from the Word or the faith; for we are told that not love but the Word brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly treasures." Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1411f. Ephesians 6:10-17.

"In matters concerning faith we must be invincible, unbending, and very stubborn; indeed, if possible, harder than adamant. But in matters concerning love we should be softer and more pliant than any reed and leaf and should gladly accommodate ourselves to everything." Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 412f. Galatians 2:8.

"Doctrine is our only light. It alone enlightens and directs us and shows us the way to heaven. If it is shaken in one quarter (in une parte), it will necessarily be shaken in its entirety (in totum). Where that happens, love cannot help us at all." Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 414. Galatians 5:10.

"But this tender mercy is to be exercised only toward Christians and among Christians, for toward those who reject and persecute the Gospel we must act differently; here I am not permitted to let my love be merciful so as to tolerate and endure false doctrine. When faith and doctrine are concerned and endangered, neither love nor patience are in order. Then it is my duty to contend in earnest and not to yield a hairbreadth." Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 637f.

"It is self-evident that if the perfectio, or sufficientia, of Scripture be surrendered , the Scripture principle is given up. If a deficiency in the Bible must be supplied from some outside source, the Christian Church is eo ipso moved off its foundation, the Word of the Apostles and Prophets, and based on the Ego of the alleged supplementers." Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, I, p. 319.

"We have no intention of yielding aught of the eternal, immutable truth of God for the sake of temporal peace, tranquility, and unity (which, moreover, is not in our power to do). Nor would such peace and unity, since it is devised against the truth and for its suppression, have any permanency. Still less are we inclined to adorn and conceal a corruption of the pure doctrine and manifest, condemned errors. But we entertain heartfelt pleasure and love for, and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to advance, that unity according to our utmost power, by which His glory remains to God uninjured, nothing of the divine truth of the Holy Gospel is surrendered, no room is given to the least error, poor sinners are brought to true, genuine repentance, raised up by faith, confirmed in new obedience, and thus justified and eternally saved alone through the sole merit of Christ." (Closing of Formula of Concord, Trigl. p. 1095) Francis Pieper, The Difference Between Orthodox And Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 65.

"When a theologian is asked to yield and make concessions in order that peace may at last be established in the Church, but refuses to do so even in a single point of doctrine, such an action looks to human reason like intolerable stubbornness, yea, like downright malice. That is the reason why such theologians are loved and praised by few men during their lifetime. Most men rather revile them as disturbers of the peace, yea, as destroyers of the kingdom of God. They are regarded as men worthy of contempt. But in the end it becomes manifest that this very determined, inexorable tenacity in clinging to the pure teaching of the divine Word by no means tears down the Church; on the contrary, it is just this which, in the midst of greatest dissension, builds up the Church and ultimately brings about genuine peace. Therefore, woe to the Church which has no men of this stripe, men who stand as watchmen on the walls of Zion, C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 28.

Third Sunday after Trinity

Hummingbird, by Norma Boeckler

The Third Sunday after Trinity

Live Lutheran Worship Service, Sundays, 8 AM, Phoenix Time

The Hymn #231 by Luther - Nun bitten wir
The Invocation p. 15
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 1 Peter 5:6-11
The Gospel Luke 15:1-10
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #277 Vox dilecti
The Sermon

We Are the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep

The Hymn #313 by Luther – Gott sei gelobet
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 #436 - Belmont

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, we all like sheep have gone astray, having suffered ourselves to be led away from the right path by Satan and our own sinful flesh: We beseech Thee graciously to forgive us all our sins for the sake of Thy Son, Jesus Christ; and quicken our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may abide in Thy word, and in true repentance and a steadfast faith continue in Thy Church unto the end, and obtain eternal salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end Amen.
We Are the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep

People sometimes wonder why the religious leaders hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him. The answer is found in the opening of the Gospel lesson –

Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

Luther pointed out that Jesus angered the religious leaders by saying, “Your righteousness does not come from your works but from Me.”

The religious leaders clearly thought of themselves as righteous through their works. They condemned Jesus for eating with open sinners. The word used identifies these people as obvious sinners, such as tax collectors for the Roman occupation, criminals, prostitutes. How many have been driven away from God with these words – you can never be forgiven for what you did.

In that light, Jesus told the two parables which introduce the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In the Scriptures we always have a wealth of spiritual instruction. One parable about God seeking the lost might be enough, but the Holy Spirit has given us three in a row. If we cannot grasp the Lost Coin and Lost Sheep parables, we can at least comprehend the Prodigal Son.

But what Jesus did in these parables was to move the lesson from a lost animal (some worth to man) to a lost coin (great worth to man) to a lost soul (the greatest worth to God).

The economy in Jesus’ day was largely based upon sheep, so there are abundant references to sheep in Bible - to Jesus as the Shepherd, Good Shepherd, and the Lamb of God. Any animal owner would leave his flock and go searching for the lost one. Here we are expected to identify with God searching for that one lost sheep. The touching part of the parable is the ending. The owner goes home with his sheep on his shoulders (suggesting His strength and our weakness), rejoicing and telling His neighbors. This is an important lesson for all those who feel lost and alienated from God by His anger. His nature is not to push away the sinner but to bring him home rejoicing. God’s overwhelming character is mercy, love, and forgiveness.

This is also a parable for the Pharisee in all of us. Our natural tendency is to take pride in our works and to feel above others. Jesus’ parable has the sheep in safety left alone so the Savior can seek the lost.

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

The message is subtle but impossible to miss. Most feel no need to repent and believe in Christ, but Heaven is filled with rejoicing when one person repents, not with 99 who need no repentance. Of course, that is impossible, that people need no repentance. However, that does not keep people from becoming hardened against repentance.

Once again I was asked today about books written by an apostate. His hatred is so great that he writes books full of false claims about the origin of the Bible. His minions forward his messages and disturb new Christians who are shaken by the confidence he places in his “facts.” I never heard of him before, so I googled his name and read a little more. I could tell right away that he was brought up in a Christian family. Those who fall away from the faith are the worst opponents.

God says in effect, “The God you imagine is the God I will be for you.” There are those who say they cannot believe in God the Father sending His Son to die for our sins. They refuse to see the God of mercy and love, so they always reject this god of wrath they have imagined. “God wrath remains on unbelievers,” as John’s Gospel teaches.

The purpose of the Scriptures is to be that one infallible guide and revelation of God’s will. Here Jesus teaches in the kindest way possible that the lost person is sought and found by God and retuned while still weak with sin to the rejoicing of God’s Kingdom. The angels rejoice.

That is why Christianity invaded and took over the Roman Empire from the bottom up. The first converts were mostly slaves and low-lifes, repentant criminals, former prostitutes and former homosexuals. Others were alcoholics and degenerates of various types. Public debauchery was common then. The stadiums were like our rock music concerts, where anything could happen and did happen. Those who get drawn in are thrilled at first but become despairing later. And God seeks them out.

God seeks the lost exclusively through the Word. Programs and methods come and go. Without the Word of God, no conversion can take place. If man waters down the Word to make it more appealing, the Spirit’s power is drowned out by man’s supposed wisdom. Recent examples in the Lutheran Church are too numerous to name more than the worst. For Christmas an LCMS minister mocked Holy Communion, portraying himself as an addled or drugged Jesus talking about His birthday. Sadly, that is the largest congregation in the LCMS and not to be touched by doctrinal discipline.

The same can be said about one of the largest in WELS, Green Bay, where the ministers have plagiarized the sermons of false teachers (almost word for word) and posted them on the church website as their own. Their concession to this crime (it is illegal to plagiarize) was to start giving credit to the false teachers who wrote the sermons. This avoids the issue of well prepared and creative ministers actually doing the work of proclaiming the Word after careful study and preparation.

The Word is conveyed in many different ways. People do not have to be anxious about how much or when they witness. The opportunities never stop. Nor do they have to wonder if they were effective. The Word is effective. Just try repeating the Word to Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness door-knockers. Every Word of God quoted will make them angry. Why? The Word hardens and blinds those who will not receive it. But anger is a good thing. If they become angry they may think over their errors. Better to lodge one verse in their heads than to argue them into the truth. They are prepared to argue. They are never prepared or strong enough to confront the Word of God in its purity and truth.

The Lost Coin
Everyone can identify with the lost object, whether it is a coin, a purse, a wallet, or a set of keys. Once I lost my keys and needed to drive to work. My wife Chris phoned the school. The receptionist laughed about me running all over the house looking for keys. Everyone has done that.

My biggest panic was looking for tickets to Disneyland. We were meeting the grandchildren and their parents in LA with the tickets. The morning we were to leave I began looking for the lost tickets. They were for all of us for a number of days. I cleaned. I straightened. I filed. I unfiled. I did everything possible. It was almost time to go, early in the morning. We were going to fly. I fell into my chair and confessed, “I lost the tickets.” Just then my eyes fell on the tickets, only a few inches away. I wonder if anyone has not had that experience, one way or another.

So Jesus taught:

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Once again there is an emphasis on the woman having 90% of her coins, but searching the house carefully until the lost coin is found. We have all been in that situation. And we love to tell our friends, even strangers, what a panic we fell into and how happy we were when we found the lost object.

And so all of Heaven rejoices when one sinner repents.

Repentance is sorrow for sin and faith in Christ. Depth of feeling is not the core of repentance. It is godly sorrow for sin – knowing we have broken God’s commandments. The Medieval Church taught people to pay for their sins, through their emotional outburst, their physical pain, and their money. That has made people think that repentance equals how hard they cry. Repentance means knowing we need a Savior and trusting in His work for us.

Holy Communion unites believers in receiving the visible Word of Christ’s Body and Blood.

Justification by Faith Quotations

"For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us. Therefore sanctifying is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive this good, to which could not
attain ourselves."
The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #38, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 689. Tappert, p. 415.

"But outside of this Christian Church, where the Gospel is not, there is no forgiveness, as also there can be no holiness [sanctification]. Therefore all who seek and wish to merit holiness [sanctification], not through the Gospel and forgiveness of sin, but by their works, have expelled and severed themselves [from this Church]."
The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #56, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 693. Tappert, p. 418.

"This faith, encouraging and consoling in these fears, receives remission of sins, justifies and quickens. For this consolation is a new and spiritual life [a new birth and a new life]. These things are plain and clear, and can be understood by the pious, and have testimonies of the Church [as is to be seen in the conversion of Paul and Augustine]. The adversaries nowhere can say how the Holy Ghost is given. They imagine that the Sacraments confer the Holy Ghost ex opere operato, without a good emotion in the recipient, as though, indeed, the gift of the Holy Ghost were an idle matter."
Article IV., Justification, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 139. Tappert, p. 115.

"Now, that faith signifies, not only a knowledge of the history, but such faith as assents to the promise, Paul plainly testifies when says, Romans 4:16: 'Therefore it is of faith, to the end the promise might be sure.' For he judges that the promise cannot be received unless by faith. Wherefore he puts them together as things that belong to one another, and connects promise and faith."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, Justification, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 135. Tappert, p. 114. Romans 4:16.

"But as the Confutation condemns us for having assigned these two parts to repentance, we must show that [not we, but] Scripture expresses these as the chief parts in repentance and conversion. For Christ says, Matthew 11:28: Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Here there are two members. The labor and the burden signify the contrition, anxiety, and terrors of sin and of death. To come to Christ is to believe that sins are remitted for Christ's sake; when we believe, our hearts are quickened by the Holy Ghost through the Word of Christ. Here, therefore, there are these two chief parts, contrition and faith."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XII (V), #44, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 263. Tappert, p. 187. Matthew 11:28.
"How is a person justified before God? This occurs solely by faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ; that is, freely, not because of any works or merits of one's own but only because of the one Mediator, Jesus Christ, who became the sacrificial victim and propitiation on our behalf. By this sacrifice, man obtained forgiveness of sins and became righteous; that is, God-pleasing and acceptable. His righteousness was imputed to man for Christ's sake, and man becomes an heir of eternal life when he believes with certainty that God gives him these blessings for the sake of His Son."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 105.

"Christian righteousness is the forgiveness of sin, the imputation of the righteousness of Christ and acceptance to eternal life. It is free, not the result of any virtues or works but is given solely because of Christ, the Mediator, and apprehended by faith alone."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 106.

"Scripture therefore uses these words, 'We are justified by faith,' to teach both: 1) What the reason (or merit) for justification is, or what the blessings of Christ are; to wit, that through and for the sake of Christ alone we are granted forgiveness of sins, righteousness and eternal life; and 2. How these should be applied or transferred to us; namely, by embracing the promise and relying on Christ by faith alone."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 107.

The Second Sunday after Trinity

Built on the Rock, by Norma Boeckler

The Second Sunday after Trinity

Live Lutheran Worship Service, Sundays, 8 AM, Phoenix Time

The Hymn #44 by Koren - Guds Menighed syng
The Invocation p. 15
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 1 John 3:13-18
The Gospel Luke 14:16-24
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #656 by Brorson – Great White Host
The Sermon

The Poor, Blind, And Lame, The Highways And Hedges

The Hymn #304 by Matthias Loy – St. Chrispin
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 #39 by Neander – Lobe den Herren, den

The flowers on the altar are given in memory of Cleo Kiehler, who died last week at the age of 71. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

Note – when the author of the hymn is listed (by Koren, etc.) it means the hymn was written by a Lutheran. Loy served as a pastor in Delaware, Ohio, just north of Columbus.

1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one [consent] began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [them] to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.





THE POOR, BLIND, AND LAME, THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES

In this Gospel the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us a parable about the Kingdom of God and why its population is so small. In the parable we are warned against carnal security but comforted about the lowly status of believers, which would alarm us otherwise.

The invitation to the great supper is the call to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. When people worry about who is saved through Christ, they should remember that God has made provisions for many different opportunities to hear the Gospel invitation. People have savagely prevented the Gospel from taking root in their lands, murdering missionaries and making the teaching of the Gospel illegal. We should not condemn God for the hardness of man’s heart. Nevertheless, God still extends the invitation in many forms. The problem is not getting the Gospel message out but the rejection of the Gospel. Now America is the country most in need of missionaries. Not only are we becoming drastically short of ministers, but the American people behave exactly as the people of the parable.

How burdensome is a great supper? The king—that is, God the Father Almighty—proposes to hold a great feast of celebration in eternal life. What is the cost of attending? There is no cost for us. Jesus the Son of God has paid the price with His holy and innocent blood. He has paid for our sins. The Holy Spirit has gone out through the Word and Sacraments to extend this Gospel invitation to us. This is beautifully portrayed in the Means of Grace chapter in Isaiah:

KJV Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

If you have no money, buy and eat. Buy wine and milk without money and without price. This is nonsense for unbelievers but Gospel for Christians. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be fed.” If you hunger and thirst for the forgiveness of your sins, you will obtain this food for your soul for no price at all, through the grace, love, and mercy of God.

Let your soul delight in fatness. We say we do not like fatty foods, but we love steaks, desserts, whipped cream, ice cream. From the beginning of time man has enjoyed these foods because they are so satisfying. Wave an ice cream bar in front of someone and see who rejects it. In the same way, the Gospel of forgiveness delights us and satisfies us.

At one conference we sang the ancient hymn “Te Deum Laudamus” many times. I keep singing it to myself. Difficult tune. Very old. But more enjoyable to sing than almost any other hymn. Why is that? Because it teaches the truth of the Bible. It proclaims the Gospel and fills our souls with the praise of God.

The great supper is God’s invitation to enjoy eternal life with the saints, angels, and the Holy Trinity. But how did people respond in the parable?

· I bought a piece of land.
· I just got some oxen.
· I just got married.
The excuses are all lame, ridiculously funny, because not one is a reason to avoid a great supper.

The excuses make us even more aware of how feeble the alibis are when people say they are too busy to receive the feast of promises concerning eternal life. Anyone who is a minister or a layman has heard them all. I remember one couple who visited church once and left in anger because the building fund was mentioned. They treated this as an imposition upon them, even though no one imagined asking them for anything, since they were visitors. One insurance agency owner summed it up well, “Any excuse will do.”
We have another version of this parable at work now in this Age of Apostasy, when the established church leaders are clearly false teachers and unbelievers. Some stories even turn out humorous in their grotesque perversion of the Gospel. One Church of England bishop said that one of his ministers could change himself into a woman and still serve as an Anglican priest. (Probably at a lower salary) Other denominations fling homosexual activism at their members and then announce to the press that the issue is dividing the denomination.

The level of apathy is so bad that I am shocked when someone reports a small knot of people who actually react appropriately to what is happening. We could also say that the great supper is the feast of orthodox Christian literature available to those who are discerning. Let me mention some things:

The Church Fathers, such as Augustine and Chrysostom, Jerome and Ambrose, established the meaning of orthodoxy in many different battles for the truth.
The Reformers and post-Reformation authors by themselves have written enough to keep us feasting for the rest of our lives. We have Luther and the Book of Concord, Chemnitz, Chytraeus, J. Gerhard, and many others.
Certain American authors are good because they fought the same battles in their day: Jacobs, Krauth, Schmauck, Lenski, and Walther.

I have just listed the most neglected authors in the Lutheran Church today. There is more interest in the ravings of C. Peter Wagner than the pure Word of God from Luther.

We are what we consume. I thought about that when I bought groceries today. I purchased only healthy items, with lots of fruit. No cookies. No ice cream. No chips. No dessert of any kind. If we consume orthodox literature, we will enjoy the fruits of orthodoxy.

Two things have been very apparent from working on the collection of quotations known as the Megatron Database. First - I have read the same quotations so many times over that I have no doubts about the clarity of God’s Word or the meaning of the Confessions. That is one result. The second result is the fanatical opposition to the truth that I have witnessed in response to those quotations. Time after time people have raged about the very use of those quotations, the good examples from Luther and the Confessions, the bad examples from the synodical prima donnas. Neither type is my personal opinion in my words. Both types of quotations represent the expressed truths and untruths of various authors.

But I have had Lutherans say, “How dare you quote Luther so much!” One Church Growth leader, Larry Olson, Dmin, Fuller (Dmin stands for d-min-ished doctrine) published an angry letter against me in CN that said in so many words, “How dare you quote me verbatim!”



Once again, it is important to mention that this is not opposition to a person but to the Word of God. One friend phoned me and said that he did not find writing computer code exciting. I said, “Get on another mountain. You are on the wrong one for your personality.” If a Lutheran hates to hear the best quotations of Luther, he is on the wrong mountain, too. He should move over to the Enthusiasts who deny that the Holy Spirit works exclusively through the Word.

That is why we have such a ragged looking rabble at the great supper. Episcopalian Bishop James Pike became an Episcopalian because he was thrilled at all the high society people who were Anglicans. (Pike preceded Spong in denying all the doctrines of the Bible. He died stupidly in the desert and was mourned by all three of his wives.) In contrast, the high and mighty do not like Lutheran orthodoxy at all.

When a group broke with the Church of Rome over the declaration of the infallibility of the pope at Vatican I, not one bishop left the Church of Rome to join them. Many voted against the measure. Many voiced their opposition. Pope Pius’ own son was against it. Strossmeyer gave a famous speech against the whole agenda of Vatican I, but he never left and he humbled himself before the pope later for being so courageous. The high and mighty do not want to give up their comfort and security, the esteem of their friends. In contrast, many people will walk over their own mothers to betray the truth.

So we should not be concerned that those who love Lutheran orthodoxy today are few, poor, of low esteem in the eyes of the Apostate Church, scattered, and lacking the praise of the unbelieving world.

When no one came to the great supper, the master declared:

Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

The poor, blind, and lame are symbolic but also actual. The people with the worst health are often the most grateful for what they have from God. With one foot in heaven, they receive God’s blessings in gratitude…while we look at our abundance and demand even more. Someone who has lost ground from a degenerative condition but remains cheerful and grateful to God is an example of this parable at work.

We should not forget that the master tells the servants to go out and compel people to attend his great supper. In other words, God provides the means through His servants to invite people into His Kingdom. Some people worry that it is all up to them, that they are solely responsible for millions doomed to eternity in Hell. That is typical of Reformed thinking, where money is raised with such slogans as: “God has no hands but yours, no legs, but yours, no voice, but yours.” Such blasphemy raises money but makes people asking about helping out the poor, old Creator of the universe, Who is blind, mute, and lame, according to this absurd confession of faith.



One CLC pastor was staggered when I gave a missionary sermon from Jonah, where the Word of God clearly shows that God determined to convert Ninevah and did so, in spite of the headlong rush of Jonah to leave town and go the opposite way. Who else but God could create a huge storm, catch Jonah like bait in a large fish, and vomit him on the shores of Ninevah, stinky, humbled, and ready to preach? Only God. Man said no, but God said yes. God always provides for accomplishing His will through His Word. He only asks us to teach His Word and not our word.

In the same way God snagged us through the Word. We have all wandered from the truth at times. We have been complacent. We have allowed the attractions of the world to take us from the Word. But through time and troubles God has burned the dross away to refine our faith and keep our eyes on the cross, on the Savior, on His eternal-life-giving Word. We are the poor, the blind, the lame, the riff-raff from the hedges and highways. We are the lambs gathered by Jesus and carried in His arms.


Quotations

"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: 'He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you.' Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost is given."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, Justification, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159. Tappert, p. 125. Romans 3:31; John 16:15.

"But as the Confutation condemns us for having assigned these two parts to repentance, we must show that [not we, but] Scripture expresses these as the chief parts in repentance and conversion. For Christ says, Matthew 11:28: Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Here there are two members. The labor and the burden signify the contrition, anxiety, and terrors of sin and of death. To come to Christ is to believe that sins are remitted for Christ's sake; when we believe, our hearts are quickened by the Holy Ghost through the Word of Christ. Here, therefore, there are these two chief parts, contrition and faith."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XII (V), #44, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 263. Tappert, p. 187.

Need for Forgiveness
"For now we are only half pure and holy, so that the Holy Ghost has ever [some reason why] to continue His work in us through the Word, and daily to dispense forgiveness, until we attain to that life where there will be no more forgiveness, but only perfectly pure and holy people, full of godliness and righteousness, removed and free from sin, death, and all evil, in a new, immortal, and glorified body."
The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #58, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 693.

Who Has the Word?
"The Church has no word of its own. Whatever is not taken from Scripture is not the 'Word of the Church,' but what Luther bluntly calls 'prattle.' Also other books can exert a divine power and efficacy, but always only inasmuch as they have absorbed God's Word. Of Scripture Luther says: 'No book teaches anything concerning eternal life except this one alone' (St. Louis edition XIV:434)."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans. Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, I, p. 315.

"But the chief office or force of the Law is that it reveal original sin with all its fruits, and show man how very low his nature has fallen, and has become [fundamentally and] utterly corrupted; as the Law must tell man that he has no God nor regards [cares for] God, and worships other gods, a matter which before and without the Law he would not have believed. In this way he becomes terrified, is humbled, desponds, despairs, and anxiously desires aid, but sees no escape; he begins to be an enemy of [enraged at] God, and to murmur, etc. This is what Paul says, Romans 4:15: 'The Law worketh wrath.' And Romans 5:20: Sin is increased by the Law. [The Law entered that the offense might abound.']
Smalcald Articles, Third Part, II. #3. The Law. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 479. Tappert, p.303. Heiser, p. 142.

"Contrition is altogether necessary in those who truly and earnestly repent. For there can be no true repentance in those who, persuaded of their own holiness, dream that they are without sin, or who disregard, minimize, excuse, cloak, and defend their sins, despise or ridicule the divine threats, do not care about the wrath of God, are not moved by His judgment and displeasure, and therefore persevere and continue in sins against their conscience, delight in sins, and seek and seize occasions for sinning and for whatever they intentionally heap up without the fear of God--in them, I say, there can be no true repentance...."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 581.

The First Sunday after Trinity

The First Sunday after Trinity

Live Lutheran Worship Service, Sundays, 8 AM, Phoenix Time

The Hymn #245 - St. Crispin
The Invocation p. 15
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 1 John 4:16-21
The Gospel Luke 16:19-31
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #388 - Woodworth
The Sermon

Perfect Love

The Hymn #249 by Luther - Jesaia
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #54 – Guide Me

KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Thy word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with surfeiting and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Thy fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.



PERFECT LOVE

This Epistle is best understood when we consider this letter of the apostle John along with his Gospel. John’s Gospel is often called the Gospel of love, and his first epistle is an epistle of love.

KJV 1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

This brief lesson deals with love, fear, and hate. God’s Word sees a direct relationship between what we believe and how we conduct ourselves toward others. According to tradition, the apostle John went through the streets of Ephesus saying, “Children, love one another.” Ephesus was once a mother church of Christianity, but later gave up her first love and, as Luther observed, “Now they have the Turks.”
People want to be loved and many want to be loving. For the vast majority of people, love is obtained by the Law. We can hardly exaggerate how foolish this is. Love does not come from the Law but from the Gospel. I know of one church study that claimed that the congregations known to be loving and nurturing were also known for growth in membership. The conclusion of many Lutherans was: You have to be loving. They even started programs to make congregations more loving. This is almost as effective as telling warring children to kiss and make up. They may kiss and force a smile that looks more like a grimace, but the command to love someone is not very powerful in converting the heart.
The apostle begins his exhortation by pointing out the love that God has for us. That is the Gospel. Whenever we think about Christ Jesus our Savior, we remember that He is our righteousness. Because He paid the price for our sins, we can always return to Him as our source of forgiveness.
In the Bible, God’s love is defined not by strength of emotion but by His giving toward us. God’s love shows itself in God sending His Son and giving His Son for the forgiveness of sins. In addition, God gave us the Holy Spirit when Jesus ascended to heaven, so that we would be guided, strengthened, and helped by gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit can be seen in how God provides the people and the special talents needed for the proclamation of the Gospel, in the local congregation and in the universal Church. When the Medieval Church was almost dead from moral, spiritual, and doctrinal corruption, God provided a series of faithful teachers, each one a true genius, to reform the Church and lead people back to the Gospel. In this Age of Apostasy, God may use the collapse of clergy vocations and the old institutions to make faithful congregations spring up to glorify His name.
Our modern age separates what we believe from what we do. Thus we have a television journalist mother who expresses her love (in a clueless self-parody) by stating that she missed important phone calls in order to talk to her daughter on the phone during a teen crisis. The message, as one reviewer noticed, was: “I really love my daughter, so much that I am willing to make minor sacrifices during my workday to phone her.”
Genuine love does not separate the action from the thought. A loving father will care for his family and spend time with them, not just say that he loves them. One workoholic father used to make insurance agents laugh when he bawled and his family bawled on stage every year at the annual meeting. He would cry and say how much he loved them, but all he did was work and brag about his results. We joked that his kids cried because they only saw him once a year on the stage for his awards. No doubt they had total financial security, but all children will say they prefer parental love to parental money. Love is best expressed with time spent, because all of us have exactly 168 hours per week. How we spend the disposable time speaks eloquently about what we really believe.

God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

We often see “God is love” on plaques, but not the entire sentence. The phrasing is very common to John’s Gospel and to the sermons of Jesus in that Gospel. Think of interlocking rings. One is “God is love.” The second is “dwelling in love.” The third is “he dwells in God.” The fourth is “God dwells in him.” Another word for “dwell” is “abide” or “remain.” So the emphasis is upon remaining, living in that state. If you live in a state of love, you are dwelling in God and God in you.
How can that be done? This state of dwelling in love and dwelling in God can only take place through the Means of Grace. Therefore, all the programs of love in the world will not amount to anything because their foundation is false. God shows His love in giving His Son and in giving us forgiveness through His Son’s atoning death. Our love toward God is the chief fruit of the Spirit, the result of the Gospel at work. That is the purpose of having pastors appoint to preach and teach the Gospel. The message of God’s love creates and sustains faith. Faith trusts and receives the proclamation of God’s love, responding in love toward God and our neighbor as well.
As everyone knows, when forgiveness fails, love turns to hatred. When there is no forgiveness, the Law moves people to condemn each other. At an animal rights rally, the participants condemned anyone who harmed animals. The journalist asked one person, “Then why are you wearing leather shoes, made from killed animals?” This happens within families as well. One condemnation leads to another one. The cycle continues until there is total alienation.
The apostle compares love and fear because fear comes from the Law rather than the Gospel. Many people are bold and brassy unless their actions are recorded. We had children smoking in a stairwell behind an old tinderbox church in New Ulm. Yelling did no good. Calling the police did nothing. One flash photograph sent them crying and moaning in spiritual pain. Their slack-jawed faces were captured on film for the dean to see. The anti-red-eye flashing effect gave them just enough warning to look at the camera with their lit cigarettes hanging from their terrified mouths. Later, a camera set on a tripod told them, “You can be photographed any time.”
If we do right because of fear, we are not living in the Gospel. The Gospel moves us to love God and our neighbor without thought of thanks or benefit. This goal of living in the Gospel must remain a life-long goal, never fully realized, because our Old Adam wants to live in the Law, measure according to the Law, and be measured by the Law (as long as the Law is edited in our favor). As I have said before, the way in which we express ourselves shapes how we act and how we think. If we are asked to do something and we say, “I will be glad to,” it is far different from saying, “Do I have to?” Although we may think little verbal cues are missed, the two words “have to” always tell others that the Law is involved. “Glad to” or “love to” can only belong to the Gospel.
God did not wait until we pleased Him to send His Son as our Savior. Nor should we wait until people deserve our kindness. As we see from God’s example, love promotes love. If every member of a family looks to the needs of others, then others will look to his needs as well. In contrast, if the Law is laid out, the Law will be repaid in all of its severity. Make one rule for children and see how soon they carve it into the hides of their parents.
Since we live in a world of Law, even though it is usually man-made and capricious, we must struggle to escape the Law-only mentality and live according to the Gospel, with thanksgiving toward God and concern for others.
This does not mean that love means suspending the proper use of the Law. Unfortunately, this is another symptom of a confused and confusing era. People imagine that accepting lawlessness is proof of a loving nature. One foster care teen was upset that his foster dad kicked him out of the house for smoking marijuana, even though being dope free was an established rule. The teen claimed that grass was non-addictive and harmless. So I said, “If it is non-addictive, then why did it get you kicked out? Obviously you could not leave it alone, even though you said you wanted to live in that home.” The problem was that the boy’s DNA father did not care, so the boy was having trouble realizing that love is also shown in being firm and resolute about behavior.
It is a wrong use of the Gospel to show forgiveness when there is no evidence of contrition. As Walther has shown in his Law and Gospel, this only hardens the heart and makes the person worse than before. It is interesting that people bring about their own destruction this way. In many cases a person demands that the Ten Commandments be suspended for his personal benefit. (One man excused his own adultery while condemning anyone who participated in Halloween. Which one is mentioned in the Decalogue?) Sometimes, especially with so many pliable clergy today, a man can insist on being lawless while serving as a congregation leader. He hears the Gospel and receives the sacrament, but the efficacious Word hardens his heart when he continues to reject his need for forgiveness. Eventually this brings him to ruin and he cannot find his way back, because he is so blinded to the real meaning of the Scripture. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows he will reap.
In the Office of the Keys, the Small Catechism points out that forgiveness consists both of contrition for sin and the declaration of forgiveness. If the Law is taken away, the Gospel is neutralized and we end up with the Law in another form. (Waldo Werning illustrated this in his personal opinions about worship. He did not want tradition Lutheran services mandated, but he ordered congregations to abandon the liturgical service because he could not worship using such archaic forms. He told me that he worshiped with the National Association of Evangelicals.)
God makes our joy complete by teaching us the Law and the Gospel. I am amazed at the number of clergy who consider themselves Gospel preachers and yet are openly and obnoxiously contemptuous of anyone outside of their narrow associations. This not only applies to “my synod versus your synod,” but also to exclusive groups within synods. Disagreeing about doctrine is not personal or destructive. Honest disagreement about God’s Word is good for everyone. But when ministers work to undermine each other and personally attack each other, they are perfect examples of: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

KJV John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

If there is more love in a bar than in a congregation, we should not be shocked to see people preferring a saloon to a church full of condemning and peevish hypocrites. On the other hand, there are many who will always prefer vice to the Gospel and find reasons for it. Still, our love and devotion belong to God and not to institutions.
Love also means overlooking the shortcomings of others. That does not mean approving of lawless behavior, but being tolerant of someone less than perfect. Loving God means loving our brother. It is unfortunate but true that believing in the orthodox Christian faith will alienate many friends and relatives. It does not need to be that way, but orthodoxy represents a teaching of the Law that is most grievous to people. If a man loses his house from gambling, he is going to be rather open about saying it was a bad move to bet the home on a few hands of Blackjack. However, if he hears that what he believes is not God’s Word, he will bristle.

KJV 1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

This is true spiritual warfare, because sinful flesh, the unbelieving world, and Satan all agree on one thing: the pure Word of God burns and hurts.

KJV John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

It is not my opinion that makes people rage. Personal opinions are not very significant to anyone. But God’s Word has the power to divide and to unite. God’s Word divides those who hate it or cannot accept the whole counsel of God from those who want only the pure Word. But God’s Word also shows its power in uniting people across the continents. Many days the communications to Bethany (email and long distance phone calls) are from the corners of the world, asking about doctrinal issues and Lutheran publications. No one could afford a convention to get everyone together, from Europe, Canada, America, and Japan, to name some countries involved. But the Gospel unites believers as only God can do.

KJV John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The apostle John gave us Jesus’ solution for being loved and loving: abide in Me and I will abide in you. He did not say we undertake a work, but to remain in Him, to trust His Word, to receive His forgiveness and love. All the blessings, or fruits, of the Christian faith will come from this one state: to abide in Him.

KJV John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Quotations

"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you. Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost is received through faith...Then we learn to know how flesh, in security and indifference, does not fear God, and is not fully certain that we are regarded by God, but imagines that men are born and die by chance. Then we experience that we do not believe that God forgives and hears us. But when, on hearing the Gospel and the remission of sins, we are consoled by faith, we receive the Holy Ghost, so that now we are able to think aright.
Augsburg Confession, Article III, #11, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159.

"Therefore, do not speak to me of love or friendship when anything is to be detracted from the Word or the faith; for we are told that not love but the Word brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly treasures."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1411f. Ephesians 6:10?17.

"In matters concerning faith we must be invincible, unbending, and very stubborn; indeed, if possible, harder than adamant. But in matters concerning love we should be softer and more pliant than any reed and leaf and should gladly accommodate ourselves to everything."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 412f. Galatians 2:8.

"Doctrine is our only light. It alone enlightens and directs us and shows us the way to heaven. If it is shaken in one quarter (in une parte), it will necessarily be shaken in its entirety (in totum). Where that happens, love cannot help us at all."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 414. Galatians 5:10.

"The Christian doctrine of Purgatory was not finally worked out until the sixteenth century by the Council of Trent. Rejected by Protestants, it was an exclusively Catholic doctrine. After Trent, Bellarmine and Suarez, who were responsible for Purgatory, put forth several Biblical references in support of the newly approved doctrine." [references: 2 Macc. 12:41-46; Mt. 12:31-32; Lk. 16:19-26; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; the Corinthians passage played a crucial role in the development of Purgatory, p. 43]
Jacques Le Goff, The Birth of Purgatory, trans. Arthur Goldhammar, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984, p. 41f.

"All believers are like poor Lazarus; and every believer is a true Lazarus, for he is of the same faith, mind and will, as Lazarus. And whoever will not be a Lazarus, will surely have his portion with the rich glutton in the flames of hell. For we all must like Lazarus trust in God, surrender ourselves to Him to work in us according to His own good pleasure, and be ready to serve all men."
Sermons of Martin Luther, IV, p. 24.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity

By Norma Boeckler

The Feast of the Holy Trinity

Live Lutheran Worship Service, Sundays, 8 AM, Phoenix Time

The Hymn #246 - Nicea
The Invocation p. 15
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 Romans 11:33-36
The Gospel John 3:1-15
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed p. 53
The Sermon Hymn #251 by Luther - Wir glauben all’
The Sermon

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The Hymn #250 Grosser Gott
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 #464 - Boyston

Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Romans 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

One of the familiar claims of liberal theology books is this – The Trinity did not exist until around 500 AD, when the term first began to be used, after the Council of Chalcedon, in 451 AD.

As I said before, the term Trinity is rather late, because the word itself was invented to serve as shorthand for all the discussions, a way of saying Three-in-One, the Three-ness of the One God, the Unity of the Three Persons. Trinity is a concise way of saying – Tri-unity.

In this brief lesson from Romans, there are three different indications of the Trinity. The one is hidden by the translation. It is more like this – O the depth of the:
1. Riches
2. Wisdom
3. Knowledge
Of God.

This is followed by three questions:
1. For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
2. or who hath been his counselor?
3. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

And then we have another series of three:
1. For of him,
2. and through him,
3. and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Throughout the Bible, God’s attributes are described in groups of three. But the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are specifically named together in many places – long before Chalcedon. (There are many Trinitarian passages in the Old Testament, but I will get to those in another sermon.)

One illustration of the Holy Trinity is well known to everyone. When Jesus was baptized, the voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Paul’s letters are full of Trinitarian references.

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

The lessons from John about the coming of the Holy Spirit are explicit teachings about the Trinity:

John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever --
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Matthew shows Jesus addressing the Trinity.

Matthew 22:43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 44 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool" '? 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"

Matthew closes with the Great Commission, where the Holy Trinity is named. Jesus’ Gospel command is to teach all nations (not to manufacture disciples) and to baptize in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Cults Hate the Trinity
The cults, including the cult of apostate liberal theology, all hate the Holy Trinity. They do not want to name the Name of God. They fight against it. Jehovah’s Witnesses will come to the door just to teach against the Trinity. (JWs use liberal scholarship to prove the Trinity is wrong. There is something amusing and deadly about JWs and liberal scholars in agreement.) Mormons use the word Trinity but teach polytheism when they do.

Feminists do not want to baptize in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So they use Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier (three terms also used for the Hindu group of three main gods). Agreement with Hinduism is not good, since they accept around 300 million gods.

The Holy Trinity Named and Defined
There can only be one true God. He has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teaching against this is a grave sin because there are many false claims about the godhead.

Avoiding the Trinity means a denial of God Himself. The liberal apostates have chosen to pick and choose what aspects they approve, but that is not possible.


Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

The epistle expresses the nature of God, as far beyond anything we can imagine. The general trend in the last 100 years has been to move from seeing everything from the perspective of Creation to seeing everything from the perspective of man. If man approves and understands, then it is accepted.

We can see this in the area of evangelism, ethics, and ministry. Something is true because a group did a study about the issue. It is true because it is superficially successful. It is true because it is popular at the moment.

Buffer Space Helps Bethany Lutheran Worship

From one of our readers, Grey Goose:

Anyway, the buffering on the recording came along about every two sentences. (I hadn't experienced that at all earlier.) So I right-clicked on the picture and got a box with a Settings choice for the Adobe Flash Player on my machine that Ustream must use.

Clicking on Settings, I learned that the buffer space was very small. I set it for Unlimited. From then on, everything was fine again.

I mention this in case others comment on too frequent buffering. Resetting the Adobe FP buffer space might give them a helping hand. But one has to leave the BLW site and return to it for the new setting to take effect.

***

GJ - Try this to get rid of the hiccups. There are things on my side to improve and also variables from home to home and along the Internet path. This is so new that college students look at me with awe and wonder when I describe it to them. It is gratifying to be ahead of the 20 to 30 year-olds in something technological. I remember when we had only two TV channels to watch. I had to walk all the way cross the room to change the knob from 4 to 6. I was the family remote control.

Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant Free PDF To Promote Doctrinal Study

A pastor and a layman both asked about the PDF for Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant. They wanted to make it more available to laity for study groups. I decided to make the PDF download for CLP free. Yes, free. Of course, I will need to have a gala auction each year to make up for it. Just kidding.

As Jack Preus said about the Lutheran publishing business, "Don't quit your day job." My friend, Diablo, visiting from another location, said, "No, don't give it away."

My reasoning is: People want to study at home or have the documents available. This way it is free for everyone. I doubt whether it would affect book sales negatively (downwardly trending, as they say at the Love Shack). Free PDFs may help. The difference one way or another is not going to be great.

The main purpose is to make doctrinal materials available to everyone.

The cover is going to be designed by Norma Boeckler. The content will be the same. Unless I find major problems to be fixed, the pagination will be kept to make teaching easier.

The teacher's manual for CLP will be free as a PDF, low-cost for printed orders. Lulu charges a little for printing and shipping, so any printed matter will cost something.

The offer remains for those who want to order 10 or more CLPs.

Ten copies of CLP - $160, including shipping.

Twenty copies of CLP - $320, including shipping.

Make the check out to Gregory Jackson because I do not have a separate account for Martin Chemnitz Press.

Individual orders can be processed through Lulu.com or Christian News. Both accept credit cards.