Sermon Tone Analysis

Saint Lawrence's feast day is August 10

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons in charge of giving help to the poor and needy under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred during the persecution of Emperor Valerian in 258.

When a persecution broke out,  Sixtus was condemned to death.

As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said.

1 Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. 2 People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake.

By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins.

3 God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5].

"I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope.

"In three days you will follow me."

Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy man, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away.

So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him.

The Saint said he would, in three days.

Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church.

When he showed them to the Prefect, he said, "This is the Church's treasure!"

In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death.

The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little.

But Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames.

Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed.

Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith.

May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked.

"Turn me over," he said to the judge.

"I'm done on this side!"

Just before he died, Lawrence said, "It's cooked enough now."

Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world.

After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward.

Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed.

Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith.

May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Today’s scripture readings are from tomorrow’s Divine Service.

For some of you, that is just one more new experience that you will have had today.

For the Knowles sisters, it is only unusual in that, when they return here tomorrow, there will hear the same scriptures, but a different sermon.

if the rest of you would like to see if that really will happen, you are of course, welcome to return tomorrow at 9:00 am.

Pastors, particularly those who are formally trained seminarians, tend to think of theology systematically, as propositions to be presented, expounded, and defended.

We study theology as a series of concepts that, brought together, provide a path to the goal of eternal life.

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

While there is truth in that understanding, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a philosophical concept as much as it is a story - a love story, to be exact.

The three readings that you heard today all hearken back to this story that weaves its way through thousands of years and untold numbers of lives, and the psalm that we read together proclaims the “steadfast love” of God for us, such a love that He chooses us and calls us into a relationship with Himself.

This is the love that first expressed itself in the creation of mankind, remaining unmoved by the entrance of sin, revealed the promise of a Savior, and moved to call a man who had a name but no future and gave him a name and a future that he thought was forever out of reach.

From being the “exalted father” who had no children, God took Abram, showed him by word and action that he was in His favor, and ultimately and even in spite of his various stumblings, changed his name from Abram to Abraham, the “father of a multitude,” giving him Isaac as the down-payment of the promise.

Even that gift was but the foretaste of God’s ultimate grace of restoring all that man had seemingly forfeited through unbelief in the Word of God in the Garden.

This grace is so woven through this story that Paul the Apostle would later draw on it to comfort those who feared that God’s promises depended upon their ability to convince God to fulfill His Word.

To them, the Word of God declared:

God works in our lives through His Word and through His actions to bring to us His gifts.

So complete and all-encompassing is this divine love for us, that the Psalmist would write the words that we declared earlier today,

and,

Abraham and the patriarchs lived through times of uncertainty, as did the Children of Israel and Moses, who by God’s grace led them out of Egyptian bondage and through the travail of the wilderness to the land of Promise.

Those times of uncertainty continued during the lives of David, the “sweet psalmist of Israel” who, according to ancient tradition, wrote .

Uncertainty filled the land of promise when Jesus of Nazareth told His disciples that God was still watching over them, His love had not faded away.

This steadfast love that God has for you, this love that is so certain, so relentless, so gracious and so glorious, is presented so simply that even a child can cling to them:

By Holy Baptism, God unites you to His Son, Jesus Christ, and invites you, as you remember your baptism, to live in the light of His gracious promise.

He calls us to repent, to turn away from the lies that Satan uses to keep you in fear and doubt of God’s love for you, lies that began with the words that were recorded in , “Has God truly said…?”

The Law that Satan tried to diminish and dishonor through doubt, Jesus fulfilled and completed on the cross for Horace Knowles, for you who are gathered here today, and for the whole world.

This Good News is for you today, as it is written,

You are alive today, and through faith in God’s exceeding great and precious promises, you can be united to Christ through baptism into His death and resurrection, as it is written:

The promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ was received by Horace Knowles and Christians who are gathered here today have embraced that promise as well.

If you have not done so before, you can join those who, through baptism, have received the Spirit of Adoption that enables us to say “Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

The promise of God proclaims:

(ESV)

16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Christ was condemned, and died on the cross, the just for the unjust, so that you don’t have to be condemned with the world.

He rose again to be “the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” ().

Those who trust Him, and cling to His Word can rest in hope, as it is written:

So let the peace of God, that passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.