God's Word Is Our Great Heritage
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· 393 viewsThe power of the gospel to bring forgiveness
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The Power of Heritage
The Power of Heritage
Grace to you, Shalom from God our Father, from Jesus our Messiah and from the Holy Spirit, our Faith-Maker!
When I think of Heritage, I think of my family background. My father’s parents both emigrated from Sweden to the U.S. in the early 1920s. Though they met in Denver, where they married, raised three children and both died there.
They held to cultural Swedish traditions. As I child I heard Swedish spoken in their home when relatives visited from Sweden.
Every Christmas eve, my grandmother labored to prepare an immense Smorgasbord of Swedish meatballs, pickled herring, and a stinky fish called lutefisk. My grandparents taught us simple Swedish children’s songs to sing at Christmas.
Being so close to immigrant grandparents and my first generation American Father, I thought I was Swedish through and through. Imagine my surprise when I received my DNA ancestry report stating that my Scandinavian heritage was only 28%. I have more British and Irish in my DNA, than Swedish!
But heritage is not just biology, but also the language, culture and community of our lives.
Today’s message is entitled, “God’s Word is Our Great Heritage.”
I took the title from a hymn, which even if you don’t know it, you can sing it to the tune of “A Mighty Fortress.” The words are in your song sheets, or, in the digital bulletin, just before the sermon.
God's Word is our great heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way,
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
We keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.
So, we have this great Heritage, God’s Word. the next line says,
“And Shall Be Ours Forever”
But will it be ours forever? Certainly in my life-time, there is no doubt of that. But what about a century from now? Will it be people’s heritage then?
First it depends on people’s view of Scripture. Is it just some document, thousands of years old, that can be taken, or not taken, can be revered or no revered, can be read or not read?
In our lives today it seems like the foundation for this idea is being destroyed and that God’s Word can be held with as little regard as yesterday’s news. People think that they can use it for their own self interests. If God’s Word does not say what you want it to say, then you make something up and claim that it is based on God’s Word.
Today, We are observing Reformation Sunday. This is why I am putting the emphasis on God’s Word. Indeed it was the very word of God which led Martin Luther to challenge the Roman Catholic Churches teachings on indulgences. It was on October 31, 1517 when Luther nailed his 95 challenges to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany.
Why did Luther do this? Because he saw that the Roman Catholic church had based some of its teachings on man made principles, which directly contradicted Scripture.
Luther based his entire life on God’s Word when he was ordered to recant his teachings. It was none other than the Roman Emperor, Charles V, who ordered Luther to recant.
Luther, stating that his conscience is captive to the Word of God, that he could not and would not recant.
Luther said, “"I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen."
Knowing that he might be arrested by the Emperor immediately and executed, Luther stood, basing his very life on the truth of God’s Word.
Thankfully he wasn’t arrested at that time and eventually was whisked away to the Wartburg Castle in Germany where he translated the New Testament from Greek into German.
Luther gave the people God’s Word in their own language.
God’s people had risked their very lives to preserve God’s Word. From ancient times the prophets in the Old Testament to Luther’s time and even our own, Believers have been willing to lay down their lives to preserve God’s Word.
Perhaps the abundance of God’s Word in our time and in our lives has led us to take it for granted. On my smartphone I have numerous versions of the Bible including the original language of Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament.
I can access God’s Word at any moment, while feeling any emotion, in any place, with anyone else that I choose.
If this is true today, then why would so many people for so many centuries be willing to sacrifice wealth, power, reputation and even their very lives to preserve God’s Word?
To answer this, let’s go to today’s reading:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
The Apostle Paul is stating that he isn’t ashamed of Jesus’ Gospel. Well, he must have known some people who were. People who want others to like them and are uncomfortable stirring up any kind of controversy, might be ashamed of Jesus’ Gospel.
But, Paul’s life was radically altered by Jesus’ Gospel. Remember Paul was an enemy of the early Christians. He went around arresting Christians, and even held the coats of those who were stoning Stephen to death for being a Christian.
Paul, on his way to Damascus encountered the resurrected Jesus, who condemned Paul for persecuting Jesus. Jesus showed Paul that whenever he persecuted any follower of Jesus, he was actually persecuted Jesus Himself.
Paul, convicted by his own guilt, repented, was graciously forgiven and set free!!!
This changed Paul from one who wanted to snuff out Christianity to being one of Christianity’s greatest supporters.
What was it that Paul was not ashamed of?
The “Gospel of Christ.” Now the word Gospel means good news. It wasn’t any good news that Paul was referring to here, like getting a tax refund when you expected to have to pay more taxes.
No, the good news of Jesus is this.
You and I can never be good enough to be saved. We can never earn or deserve God’s forgiveness. Too many people today still believe they have to bee good enough, or somehow earn God’s forgiveness.
How do I know this? Just ask this question. If you were to suddenly die and found yourself standing before God in Heaven, and God asks you, “Why should I allow you to come into Heaven?” Most people would answer by listing everything good they had ever done. And then they would go on to claim that they are not as bad as _____________ naming anyone they know who were really bad people.
God would not allow you, or me, or anyone else to enter Heaven based on this very insufficient answer.
The only answer that will get anyone past God’s Judgement Seat is this: Jesus died for me and for all my sins. Everything necessary for my salvation was accomplished on the Cross when Jesus took all of my sins upon Himself
Jesus willingly died for my by sacrificing His perfect, sinless life to pay for my sins.
Then Jesus was raised triumphantly from the tomb so that I would know that only God could have accomplished this.
Friends, when you know that Jesus has died for you, that by repentance and surrendering your life to Jesus, you are set free from SIN, DEATH AND THE POWER OF THE DEVIL, you will know peace.
You will no longer fear death, though you may be afraid of the pain of dying.
You will no longer be ashamed of the Gospel—the Good News of Jesus. You will have experienced what Paul says in verse 16
“The power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” When you surrender your life to Jesus, you don’t have to wonder if you have ever done enough. Jesus did it all
Recently we sang the song, Jesus Paid it all.
My debt of sin and your debt of sin are so tremendously large that it seems like they could fill the entire Universe! Yes that much!
Now Jesus comes and takes your place and mine on the cross and gives His life to pay for our debt of sin.
Jesus’ death doesn’t cover the size of a planet, not the size of a solar system, not even the size of a galaxy, but the size of the Universe!!!!
It’s not like Jesus paid part of your sin’s debt and it is up to you to make up the rest. NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!!!
When we understand this, not only do we have relief in being forgiven, but we desire to follow Jesus, and base the very foundation of our lives on His teachings.
God’s Word becomes so important to us that we must read it, study it and absorb it, so we can in thanksgiving for being saved, live lives that show others what Jesus has done for us, so that they can have this great gift too.
So great is the gift of salvation that people too numerous to count have laid down their lives, rather than deny their faith.
Here is the story of one of those people. She may have been famous in her time, her life was taken from her just 35 years after Luther started the reformation in Germany.
This woman lived in England. You see as people got the Bible in their own languages, like Luther did with German and others like Tyndale who translated the Bible into English, the reformation spread like a wild fire.
The woman I am telling you about was known as LADY JANE GREY. She was the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII. If you remember Henry VII broke with the Roman Catholic Church and started the Anglican Church, which I characterize as a blending of Roman Catholic and Protestant teachings.
Lady Jane Grey was named heir to the throne of England by her father Edward VII. After her father’s death, she became the Queen, but only for 9 days. Her half sister, Mary, became queen, and Lady Jane Grey was executed for treason.
Queen Mary wanted to reverse the Protestant Reformation and return England to the Roman Catholic Church. She is reported to have killed 280 protestants during her reign. She is also known as “Bloody Mary”
But I want tell about Lady Jane’s love for Jesus. Lady Jane was well educated, she could read LATIN, HEBREW and GREEK. She studied the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek.
When she knew she would be executed, Lady Jane gave her Greek New Testament to her sister Cathrine. Lady Jane wrote this to her sister.
“This is the book dear sister, of the law of the Lord. It is His Testament and last will which He bequeathed unto us wretches, which shall lead you to the path of eternal joy! And as touching [concerning] my death, rejoice as I do good sister, that I shall be delivered of this corruption and put on incorruption. For I am assured that I shall for losing of a mortal life, win an immortal life.”
When the day of Lady Jane Grey’s execution arrived she said:
“I do look to be saved by no other mean, but only by the mercy of God. In the blood of his only son Jesus Christ.”
She then knelt and recited the 51st Psalm, which is 19 verses long. I am going to read the first 17 verses which you can follow in the digital bulletin. Think of this woman whose life is about to end as she speaks these words.
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
Then, when Lady Jane was to be executed, after being blindfolded, she felt for the chopping block, willingly laid her neck in the groove of the block, and prayed these words
“Lord, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”
Her life now ended. What I have not told you is how old she was. She was only 16 or 17 at the most.
Knowing that she was so very young, and loving Jesus more than her own life, she willingly laid her life down because of the salvation she had received from the hands of Jesus unconditional love in His cross and resurrection.
If you don’t know Jesus like this, you can. If you are not assured of your salvation talk to the leaders of this congregation or to me.
Simply repent of your sins, surrender your life to Jesus who has already paid for your sins. Ask to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, and begin to read the Gospel of John.
Get involved in a church which teaches that the entire Bible is God’s word and that we are, as Luther put it:
Saved by Grace Alone
Through Faith alone
By Christ Alone
Revealed In His Word Alone
To the Glory of God Alone
Amen! Now may the shalom of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus ALONE! Amen