The Blessed Privilege

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. … through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prophets for Hire

Micah 3:5–6 NCV

The Lord says this about the prophets who teach his people the wrong way of living: “If these prophets are given food to eat, they shout, ‘Peace!’ But if someone doesn’t give them what they ask for, they call for a holy war against that person. So it will become like night for them, without visions. It will become dark for them, without any way to tell the future. The sun is about to set for the prophets; their day will become dark.

Micah prophesied during the reigns of three Kings of Judah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. These words that I just read could have been preached recently. Even today, there are places where, for the right offering, you can receive a Word from the Lord....

God has never been one to overlook those who try to “fleece the flock.” It might seem like they are getting away with something, but...

1 Thessalonians 4:2–8 ESV

For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

The Perks of (Unearned) Privilege

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Manifested as Pride

Pride, usually considered a virtue, is, under some circumstances, a basic form of sin. Dr. Karl Menninger, in Whatever Became of Sin?, reminded us that vanity, egocentricity, arrogance, self-adoration, selfishness, and self-love are really synonyms for pride. Theologically, pride asserts itself into pride of power, knowledge, and virtue.

Writing in Power, A New Social Analysis, Bertrand Russell noted, “Every man would like to be God if it were possible; some few find it difficult to admit the impossibility.”

Everything God does is holy, righteous and good ().

Psalm 119:68 ESV

You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.

The devil likes to tempt the saints into turning the grace of God into license....

Jeremiah 7:9–11 ESV

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.

That’s not “running the race,” that’s throwing the race!

Jesus did NOT die for THAT!

Titus 2:11–14 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

You want to talk about “being the head and not the tail?” How about being the head of justice, and not the tail of self-indulgence? When can we get to see leadership that has a purpose besides a fatter bankroll, a bigger office, or a more powerful position, while the people perish from a lack of knowledge about the blessings that God has placed here in the Region? Why are we living like strangers in a strange land, instead of like the inhabitants of a land flowing with milk and honey?

Somebody’s got some ‘splaining to do!

Matthew 23:1–7 ESV

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

We find in that Jesus said “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required...”. God has given us grace for Christ’s sake. He looked to the holy, innocent, bitter suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and accepted that as payment for our wickedness. As Kurt Carr sang, “For this I give You praise!”

In the Small Catechism’s teaching of the Apostles’ Creed, the 2nd Article: On Redemption, we ask, “What does this mean?” and Dr. Luther tells us:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father in eternity, and also a true human being, born of the Virgin Mary, is my LORD. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned human being. He has purchased and freed me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I may belong to him, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in eternal righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true.

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father in eternity, and also a true human being, born of the Virgin Mary, is my LORD. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned human being. He has purchased and freed me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I may belong to him, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in eternal righteousness, innocence,54 and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true.

Kolb, R., Wengert, T. J., & Arand, C. P. (2000). The Book of Concord: the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (p. 355). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Jesus paid it all - for all! Not just for those who had nothing else to hope for, but for those who had it all. Not just for the person sleeping in in Skid Row, but for the folks who live high on the hill! If your response does not work itself out as serving Him, loving Him, you’ve got a debt to pay! If you can’t see your way to working out your own salvation because you’re too busy working out your self-satisfaction, you’ve got a debt to pay! If you think Jesus let Himself be hung on a cross just for you to slouch in a pew like He owes you -

You’ve got a debt to pay!

You all remember Lazarus and the rich man? Lazarus suffered, and the whole time, the rich man stepped over him on his way to his daily feast.

Luke 16:19–21 ESV

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

You know how THAT worked out don’t you? You want to end up like the rich man? Keep living like Christ never did nothing for you, and in hell you, too, will lift up your eyes.

I don’t need a title, I have a vocation.

Matthew 23:8–12 ESV

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

We are called Christians - at least, I pray that you are. I know that, those of us who are siting here today, most of us call ourselves Christians, but if the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, there ought to be evidence.

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Oh - you think that’s just talking about heaven? Watch this:

Romans 8:12–13 ESV

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

When people see Christ’s Church in action, they will want to see Jesus.

John 12:20–26 ESV

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

The Blessed Privilege

There is is, right there: right in front of us. We know the Way, because Jesus showed it to us Himself - He led us through the valley of the Shadow of death to the Tree of Life. We know the Way because we know Him!

Christ died for you, rose to justify you, and in Word and sacrament comes to bring forgiveness and His very presence to you. Today He calls you, by the Holy Spirit Whom you received with His Holy Baptism of you, to do more than just live for yourself.

“The Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith. Daily in this Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins—mine and those of all believers. On the Last Day the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead and will give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.”

Kolb, R., Wengert, T. J., & Arand, C. P. (2000). The Book of Concord: the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (pp. 355–356). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

I might not know what you’re supposed to do with the talents and skills God has given you, but I DO know what you’re supposed to do with the life in Christ that God has given you - go in peace, serve the Lord.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

If you think to yourselves “This is hard, I don’t know if I can do this...” I KNOW that you can’t do it - I know that I can’t do it - in the flesh. That’s why doesn’t stop at verse 12:

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Let God’s Word build you up, and let God’s Spirit clean you up. There are a lot of amazing things that we can do when we let God get flesh out of the way. The Body of Christ has done amazing things in the world over the past 2000 years, and the last 500 have been astounding! Imagine what we can do, in this community, when we come together in Jesus’ name, loving our neighbors for whom Christ died, lifting up the name of Jesus against every evil in our community, encouraging the saints to press towards the mark of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Imagine what God, working through His children, can do!

And let the peace of God that passes understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen

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