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Sunday school from November 2nd, 2014
We're gonna do something a little bit radical today. I mean, this is like really radical. I went down to st Louis this week and I was at the pastors retreat and I took the time while I was there to visit the Concordia publishing house bookstore and It's in a real dicey neighborhood on Jefferson Street in st. Louis.
It's kind of interesting. Yeah, yeah, you know, you know the area. Yeah and.
Yeah.
But if you remember last week last week, yeah, by the way private absolution is Wednesday at 9. Okay. Yeah, we could. If you need private absolution you come see me we can talk. What I did is I last week I told you that we never graduate past the Catechism.
And so I thought it would be helpful if everybody here had a copy of the Catechism. So I got us some little cheapo ones and if you guys can like pass those out and make sure everyone has one. What I'd like to do today is kind of walk through the kind of give you a quick highlight reel of the Catechism.
We can actually walk through it and kind of see why this thing has stood the test of time.
Yes, sir.
What did he base it off of? That's kind of a good question. There's there's a book out there that actually tells the story of the Catechism. I should I should look it up on. I have it in my Kindle, but I forget the name of it offhand I do know this that.
The way the story was told to me is that Luther went out and did some visitations, you know with visiting many different Congregations that were now Lutheran rather than Roman Catholic and the miserable state of teaching these churches convinced him that he needed to come up with some kind of a standard set of you know of Basic teachings on Christianity and so what's funny is is that Luther's Catechism?
Is what we have now the small Catechism and the large Catechism is a series of sermons that he did on the small Catechism if you would and What's fascinating is is that not only is it stood the time? But I actually know some Roman Catholic priests in the Philippines who hand these things out to the people in their congregations.
So it's kind of fascinating, you know that it. The one thing about it is you'll find that it's extremely Catholic in the sense of universal and so what it's doing is it's taking the basics the very very very basics of Christianity and Distilling it down into kind of a compressed format.
But the reality is is that the depth that's in here if you actually take the time to to work with the Catechism. It's actually profoundly deep in a way that really helps us and what's funny is is that you can learn the the basics of the Christian faith by studying your Catechism and Knowing it well also protects you from heresy.
So let's take a look at it real quick here and you'll notice there's kind of six chief parts. There's six chief parts in the small Catechism. And the first chief part is the Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments and I want to point out some words.
These are important words listen to this as the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household. Notice it doesn't say how the pastor should Notice it says the head of the family.
This is a fourth commandment issue and we'll talk about that in a second is that Luther really strongly was an advocate for fathers being the head of The of the family that that it wasn't the pastor's sole responsibility to catechize children.
It was primarily the father's duty to teach and instruct his children. And so the idea of the the family Bible family Bible reading time family catechesis is a big deal. So how and notice it also doesn't say only father.
It says how the head of the family also in Luther's time there were people who the father had died. And so the the role of parenting, you know, both being dad and mom would fall on one parent or another.
So, you know that that is the same today, you know as it was even then so it begins with the first Ten Commandments. You shall have no other gods. And what does this mean? We should fear and love God and trust in God above all things and if you think well, that's super simple.
Try it sometime. Try it sometime when. When difficult times head your way, what do you turn to for comfort? For assurance I turn to food. Can you tell? Yeah, it's called stress-eating so in some senses I you know based on the first commandment here should fear love and trust in God.
Above all things sometimes I fear love and trust in food to give me the comfort that God should be giving me. Alcoholics do the same thing and so, you know start looking at examining your life. And that one wonderful part about this is that we can you know was we pray and work through these things?
We're constantly reflecting on God's law now keep in mind as Christians. The law no longer has the ability to accuse us in the way of saying that you don't have a right standing before God. But the law as Christians we know that now reflects God's will for our lives as those who've been set free from slavery.
This is you know, this is what God's will is next one. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. We should fear and love God so that we may not curse swear use witchcraft lie or deceive by his name.
But call upon it in every trouble pray praise and give thanks. You'll notice that when people try to deceive oftentimes religiously they'll tack Jesus's name on to a bad teaching. This is this is not a good thing those who who are involved in witchcraft and magic in some senses.
They're they're little deities and they're deceiving with false doctrine and false teaching. So that's you know, it's so many people. They think that taking the Lord's name in vain is just as simple as saying, you know.
Like the valley girl who says OMG, you know, that's not it. Really. It's a lot deeper than that. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and when now I like this because it actually has in parentheses.
Thou shalt sanctify the Holy Day, which is actually a better way of looking at this. Keep in mind that the Old Testament Commandment regarding the Sabbath was a command for the day of rest. It was not it had it didn't have specifically anything to do with religious practices.
It was a commanded day off you know, you're gonna take it to a off once a week and it's gonna be on Saturday and That was type and shadow that points us to our Sabbath rest in Christ. But now that the Old Testament law has been fulfilled, what do we do with this command?
Thou shalt sanctify the Holy Day. Well as Christians we fear love and trust in God. So we don't despise preaching in his word. This is the one day a week that we gather now and Christians gather on this eighth day.
Not the seventh day. And the reason why we we gather on the eighth day not the seventh day is because Jesus was raised on Sunday. Jesus is the first fruits of the new creation. So the idea is we gather on the Lord's Day and we don't want to despise preaching in his word instead.
We want to hold it sacred and I like this adverb gladly. Hear and learn it gladly gladly. We're not when we come here we gather to hear and to receive Sacred things from the very God who spoke the universe into existence.
These are his words that we come to hear. My job is not to proclaim my words. Good night run me out of town if I ever start preaching my words. Because really what I have to say is not nearly as important I mean not even close to as important as what God has to say so I just get to be the guy that takes God's words up into my voice on my lips and I teach and proclaim this to you and we as Christians want to gladly hear and learn these things understanding that these are the very things of God and and That God would want to actually talk to us and reveal these things to us and instruct us and care for us in this way.
This is good stuff. Fourth commandment you shall honor your father and mother that it may be well with you and that you mayest live long on the earth. Now, this is my wife's favorite commandment. And a little bit of a humorous aside whenever I would travel and I used to be in the corporate world whenever I would travel.
My wife would take over the responsibility of family Bible time and I would get complaints from my children. Along the lines of dad every time you go out of town. We always end up on the thou shalt honor your father and mother commandment.
How is this possible? Clearly my wife felt yeah.
Yeah Yeah.
Now my kids swear they didn't need to be have that hammered on them as many times as it was when I was away. But it's weird. It's just a weird thing. So what does this mean? We should fear and love God so we do not despise our parents now watch where Luther goes with us masters.
Or nor provoke them to anger but give them honor serve and obey them and hold them in love and esteem. Look at that. So this commandment regarding the fourth commandment is not just regarding parents.
It's also you could say your employer, you know. The company that you work for it also it goes to our elected officials and the president of the United States. These these are people whom God has put in authority over us.
And if you think about it scripture always describes sin as lawlessness. Lawlessness, but every human being every human being is under authority. Every one of them even the president United States. He's under the authority of God as the as the head of this nation, but you know, I'm under authority I'm under Christ and then you know, I'm in a Thor under authority here in this church you're under authority in your workplace and you know in our marital relationships all of the all of us are under authority and This is the way God has ordered our society and this is his will for it to be this way so when you rebel against your employer when you Are rebellious against the authorities and things like that.
You're the person you're actually rebelling against is the God who put those people in authority over you. You know, we've kind of lost. You know the impact the best way to put it is if you have if you've traveled outside of the country and you talk to Folas, you know from from Nigeria.
Okay, the Americans do not understand honor. They did we do not understand honor. Or respect but you travel the world and you'll you you go into other countries. There's things that we do as Americans that they are they are a guest that we would behave.
So dishonorably. We've lost a sense of the true honor. Whereas other cultures they have it. It's still teased out and present there and I would even argue that the fact that they understand what honor is and the Need for respecting authority and those in authority over us that still reflects God's law written on our hearts.
You know it I wish it would manifest a little bit more here in the u .s. Than it does, you know, I think we are in dire need of Correcting some things according to God's fourth commandment. Fifth commandment you shall not kill.
Now watch what Luther does here. We should fear and love God so we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body. But help and befriend him in every bodily need. So I think I like about the way this is phrase.
It's not just oh, well, I haven't killed anybody. No, no. What are you doing to help your neighbor? What are you doing to help your neighbor in his bodily needs? Because without your neighbor having those bodily needs he'll certainly die.
So what are you doing to help him with those things and if he's played the game? Well, who's my neighbor? You know, we'll have to have a chat, you know, lots of people that are your neighbors, you know, go find one.
They're very easy to find right. Sixth commandment you shall not commit adultery. We should fear and love God so that we may lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed and each love and honor his spouse.
Seems pretty straightforward. Thou shalt not steal. Now watch what Luther does here. We should fear and love God so we do not take our neighbor's money or goods and we all go duh. Nor get them by false.
We're or dealing. Ooh. Yeah, schlocky business owners. Okay who sell inferior products that's still theft. Is it not? I thought I was buying something that you know was gonna last for 10 years. I plug it in and boom it explodes and then I go to you know.
Get a new one and they say that that sorry is not covered by the warranty. So we don't take things away from our neighbor via these types of business schemes. But we help him help isn't it your neighbor to improve and protect his property and his business?
You mean it's my responsibility to help my neighbor's business succeed. Yeah, if you can help absolutely. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. We should fear and love God so that we may not deceitfully belie betray Slander nor defame our neighbor.
Yep, this would foot uh-huh, this Gossip kind of falls into this category. Notice. It's this these are all this is. The eighth commandment really I think is very closely connected with the fifth. Fifth commandment is you will not kill right?
Well, if I'm not gonna bodily kill my neighbor the next best thing is to destroy his reputation. I'm gonna I'm gonna murder his character and. See the thing is is that when you have that when you have that as your as your goal.
The truth had doesn't matter what the truth is. You can say anything. We should fear and love God so we may not deceitfully belie betray slander nor defame our neighbor. But get this our job is to defend our neighbor.
To speak well of him. Put the best construction on everything. So when somebody comes to you with a juicy bit of gossip and it's just sizzling hot and you can just hear the sizzle. You say that's funny.
That's not how I know my neighbor. I don't like what you're saying. He's not that way at all. Do you need to defend your neighbor, right? Ninth commandment you shall not covet your neighbor's house. We should fear and love God so that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance.
Those are the craftily Stuff here. Isn't that how sin operates those little schemes in the mind and the heart, right? That we should may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house or obtain it by a show of right.
But help and be of service to him and keeping it in the tenth you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his manservant or his maidservant or his cattle or his farm implements or his Combine, right? Yeah.
But urge them to stay and do their duty. What does God say? Okay, so we should fear and love God. So we may not estrange or force or entice away from our neighbor his wife his servants or his cattle. But urge them to stay and do their duty.
This is what God wills for us. And since we have been set free in Christ since we are set free from bondage to sin death in the devil. This is what it looks like to live a free life. To go against these commandments is to live in slavery.
Right.
So what does God say about all of these commandments? He says thus I the Lord God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children Unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and showing mercy unto a thousand of them that love me and keep my commandments.
What does this mean? Listen to these words. God threatens not me. Not me. God does. God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments. Therefore we should fear his wrath and not act contrary to them.
I'm I'm sorry, but I really don't want to cheese God off. He's the important person here. But God promises grace and blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in him and willingly do according to his commandments.
Pretty straightforward, right? Then you sit there and you go, but but pastor Rose, bro. Don't you understand that just by reading that list all of a sudden? I'm feeling really guilty because I haven't done all of those things or there's things in there that it told me not to do that I've done well now we get to the next part.
That's kind of the flow of this. This is why you can actually pray this thing. The Creed as the head of family should teach in a simple way to his household. I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth.
You'll notice we've been spending a lot upon this Concept as we've been working our way through the book of Genesis now. David Fagerlund. I mean, he was so divisive this week. He posted a link on my Facebook wall to a very prominent church leader who basically said this week and made the news that it doesn't really matter whether or not God created and Evolution is completely compatible with with the Christian faith very prominent church leader.
But what's funny is is that I just read the passages last week, you know from the book of Romans that say otherwise. So the question is who are you going to believe the prominent church official who says?
Oh, it doesn't matter if God, you know, if evolution is true, or do you believe God's Word? It's kind of the question right? So you'll notice here that Luther doesn't have us turning to Darwin. Although that would he Darwin wasn't around at the time.
It doesn't matter. Anyway, there were people who had other theories at the time. I believe in God the Father Almighty the maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean?
I.
Believe that God has made me and all creatures and that he is giving me my body and soul and eyes and ears and all my Members my reason and all my senses and he still preserves them now just that God doesn't leave us.
You remember how the deists taught during the the time of the American Revolution you familiar with deism. They believe that God created the universe kind of like a watchmaker or a clockmaker. He went put it all together wound it up and then just spun it off into the universe and he's off in Tahiti somewhere Vacationing here.
It says that not only has God made us but that he continues to be there and he preserves us and it's God who's clothing us right he preserves my members and my senses and also clothing and shoes meat and drink house and home wife and children fields and cattle and Combines and all my goods that he richly and daily provides me with that.
I need to support this body in life everything you have. The food on your table the implements of your work. These are all gifts from God. So when we confess From the from the Apostles Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven earth.
I'm confessing a lot of stuff and if you start to unpack all of this and it's like whoa I am a creature a creature or a critter and God has given me all of the critter Lee things that I need in order to survive and to do my thing to do what he wants me to do right and he richly provides daily for me with all that I need to support this body in life and He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.
And all of this watch this. Out of purely out of fatherly divine goodness and mercy not because you've earned God as your father. No, he is your heavenly father. He gives you all of these things because he is your father in heaven.
You are his adopted child in Christ purely out of fatherly divine goodness and mercy without any merit or worthiness in me for all of which it is my duty to Thank and praise and serve and obey him and this is most certainly true.
See the nice thing about the Catechism is it gives us the Ten Commandments? Takes us back and focuses on the fact that our right standing before God is not earned. It's given as a gift and that we are to see everything that we receive the clothes on our body.
The cars that we drive the food that we eat all of these things as coming from God's hand. Give us this day our daily bread. Well, if you have daily bread at your home, you prayed that God would give it to you.
Well, there it is. Where did it come from? And if you say the grocer house, you know.
Second article. And in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried. He descended into hell third day.
He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. What does this mean? This is gonna be fun.
I believe that Jesus Christ True God begotten of the Father from eternity and also true man born of the Virgin Mary is my Lord. Who has redeemed me a lost and condemned creature? There's that sin part right.
It's all over the place. He's he's redeemed me a lost and condemned creature purchased and won 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 that I might be his own and live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness.
Innocence and blessedness even as he is risen from the dead lives and reigns to all eternity and this is most certainly true. What a wonderful one-paragraph sermon. That's what that is. That is a one-paragraph gospel sermon that is just cranked up to ten.
You know, it is just dripping with the mercy and forgiveness and love of Christ. Because you remember Jesus is the one who who did all of these things according to the second article for your salvation.
What a gracious and merciful God you have you'll notice also there you start to get you know. If you know your catechism, then you know good Christology. Jesus is God and man. If you know your catechism, you also know that that the the one God is Father Son and Holy Spirit the Trinity's in here, too.
He said it's it's all there. Now here comes the fun part. Remember early on when we did our Word Genesis studying we talked about whether or not you have free will. Well, let's take a look at this third article.
Watch this. I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Christian Church The communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot buy my own reason or strength.
Believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.
You see that?
That's not that's saying I'm not doing this by my free will. I cannot buy my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy Ghost he has called me by the gospel Enlightened me with his gifts Sanctified and kept me in the true faith even as he calls gathers and enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith in other Words who.
And you confess that you believe in God the Holy Spirit. You're confessing that you don't believe in free will but you believe that the Holy Spirit has called you the Holy Spirit has made you Alive, this is what our catechism teaches, huh?
Uh-huh. That's right. That's right. Even as he calls gathers and lightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In which Christian in Which Christian Church he daily and richly forgives all sins to me.
Notice here What it says here in which Christian Church he daily and richly forgives all sins to me. Notice that there's an implicit. There's an implied. It's not even implies explicitly stated here. We come to church what for the forgiveness of sins to hear this, right?
And.
All-believers and will at the last day raise up me and all the dead and give unto me life and all believers in Christ Eternal life. This is most certainly true. Don't you love that statement? This is most certainly true.
It's not doesn't say well. We kind of hope. We're hedging our bets. We think there's a good possibility. You know, we got an 80 chance of snow tonight, you know. None of this is most certainly truth.
Faith in Christ is certainty in those promises and you crab on to that and you trust. Next chief article. Lord's Prayer as the head of the family should teach in a simple way to his household notice. This is heads of households.
This is your job. This is our jobs, right? So we now the next chief part is the Lord's Prayer our Father who art in heaven. Now how many times I get listen, I know we're all guilty of this. I'm also I'll just confess my sin.
There are times when I say the Lord's Prayer and the mind is off somewhere else. There's a there's a funny story in Luther's table talks about a young man who came to Luther's house and they were talking about this very thing about how your mind has a tendency to wander during the Lord's Prayer and Luther bet this young man because this young man was absolutely Convinced he could say the Lord's Prayer without his mind wandering and Luther said to him if you can say one Lord's Prayer without your mind.
Wandering. I'll let you pick whichever horse you want out of my out of my barn. And so the kid says, all right, you're on and so he goes. Our Father who art in heaven, could I get the one that speckled?
I think you can YouTube him on the internet and he will explain the Lord's Prayer and that is so touching. I think John Wayne did it too once. Red Skelton is the most the most.
Yeah, I've heard that and it's very moving very moving. So, let's come back to our catechism our Father who art in heaven. Stop, what does this mean? Notice? He doesn't just run through the whole thing.
What does this mean? God would buy these words tenderly invite us to believe that he is our true father. That we are his true children. So that we may with all boldness and confidence ask him as dear children.
Ask their dear father. Do you think of God as your father? Now there are there are people who they've grown up in homes where they've had abusive fathers and so. It becomes difficult in this because you don't have a parallel that good one.
But if you've grown up in a family where you had a caring and attentive father who took the time. Take the best father you can imagine and our heavenly father is so much more and greater than this. And notice how this is just dripping with the gospel.
God is not up there angry at you wanting to smite you like Zeus with his thunderbolts, right?
No.
We're invited by praying our father who art in heaven to believe and truly trust that God is our father and that we're his children and. You know how kids with they are with their parents dad. Can I have a you know, I need to do that and you know, that's how they are.
You think I'm man that child's really bulbous. Yeah, you got they got a good dad, right? So that's how you are your children your heavenly father is your father. So you can start asking him in all boldness just as a child asks his father or her father for things that you need, right?
Hallowed. Be thy name. What does this mean? Now God's name is holy in itself. There's nothing you can do to change this. God's name is holy. But we pray in this petition that his name may be holy among us also.
So, how is this done when the Word of God is taught in its truth and its purity? Notice here that when we pray hallowed be thy name we're also praying that God's Word would be taught truthfully among us and That we understand that there's a such thing as false doctrine and false teaching and false doctrine and false teaching.
Makes it so that God's name is not hallowed properly and we as children of God Also lead a holy life according to it the Word of God this grant us dear father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches well that person profanes the name of God among us from this preserve us heavenly father.
Preserve us back in the day if you know somebody who you know. If you think back to maybe when you were children and you knew people from like the older generation. Maybe you're your grandparents or you your great-grandparents if somebody said something blasphemous that generation there they would cross themselves.
And they'd say heaven preserve us. Have you ever met anybody who's done that? No, maybe it's not a custom here. But that's it was a custom. People in my family back in the day they if somebody would say something very foolish about God or whatever.
It's somebody would cross themselves and I'm either. Oh heaven preserve us. That's kind of gets to the gist of this so we understand that false teaching profanes God's name and False living then to the to go hand in hand you think of those churches that are blessing same-sex marriage.
God's name is being profaned because of this and this is what our catechism teaches us. Why because the Catholicism teaches us the same thing that God's Word teaches us. That's why thy kingdom come.
Now.
This is one of the most highly abused portions of the Lord's Prayer. A Lot of false doctrine gets smuggled in with an abuse of this this these next two petitions. But let's see what the right way is thy kingdom come.
Well, what does this mean? The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer of itself. But we pray in this petition that it may come unto us also. Now if you've ever heard somebody say well Jesus was a was a kingdom preacher.
Well, of course he was he's the king, right? So Jesus would say the kingdom of heaven is at hand and why was it at hand? Well because the king was sitting right there. So when we pray thy kingdom knows it doesn't say thy democracy come.
You don't get to vote on God's Word. Jesus is not up for election. Your kingdom come. What does this mean? Well, how does it come? When our Heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit so that by his grace we believe his holy word and lead a godly life here and in time and Hereafter in eternity.
God's kingdom has come when we see people brought to penitent faith and confidence in Christ. For the forgiveness of their sins and then we see in their lives that they're bearing fruit in keeping with that repentance.
This is so we know that this is how you know, the kingdom come the kingdom comes this way. So I will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So what does this mean? Well, the good and gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer.
God doesn't need us to pray these things, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. Us to God us to bring it here bring us your kingdom. So when how is this done?
Well.
This is done when God breaks and hinders every evil counsel with which would Will of evil counsel and will which would not let us hallow God's name nor let his kingdom come. Such as the will of the devil the world on our flesh But strengthens and preserves a steadfast in his word and faith unto our end that this is his gracious and goodwill.
So notice the kingdom of God and the will of God coming that's done when we believe the truth. We believe the truth and act according to that truth and then we pray give us this day our daily bread. What does this mean?
Well, God gives daily bread indeed without our prayers. I mean, there's lots of pagans out there who are overweight like I am so God gives indeed daily without our prayer also to the wicked. But we pray in this petition that he would lead us to know it and to receive our daily bread with Thanksgiving see the difference between one who is a pagan who is Receiving his daily bread from God and us who've been brought to faith in Christ is that we all receive our daily bread.
But the pagan doesn't recognize that it comes from the hand of God. So when we pray give us this day our daily bread. It's reminding us that all of our good gifts and our food and sustenance and all of our bodily needs come to us by the hand of our graciously Heavenly Father.
So everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body such as food drink clothing shoes house home field cattle money goods a Pious spouse pious children. I'd like to see those sometime pious servants pious and faithful rulers good government.
Good weather knows good government. Here is a good thing from God, right? Peace health discipline honor good friends faithful neighbors and the like. All of these are kind of wrapped up in the daily bread thing and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins Nor on their account deny our prayer for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray Right in and of ourselves.
We're not but God makes us worthy by the by Christ.
So.
For we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray neither have we deserve them but That he would grant them all to us by.
Grace.
For we daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment.
Will we all also heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us? Notice how the gospel then flows from Christ to us and then it comes out of us, too. It's just continues on you say talk about the cup running over right?
I haven't ever really understood that one as I kid you take a cup and you fill it up when it's done. It's full but God in his grace and mercy the forgiveness of sins is like that cup that runs over. It's like he just keeps pouring and pouring and pouring and then gets the table all wet and they gets the carpet wet and then it Goes out the carpet and waters the plants, right?
It's just crazy. What why are you keeping pouring? We'll see. You are that cup and Christ mercy more than covers all of your sins. So now that mercy then overflows to the life of others and how you treat them lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean? God indeed tempts no one. But we pray in this petition that God would guard us and keep us so that the devil the world in our flesh. Notice the unholy Trinity the devil the world in our flesh may not deceive us or seduce us into misbelief.
Despair and other great shame and vice and though we be assailed by them, which is going to happen. That still we may finally overcome and obtain the victory. But deliver us from evil.
Now if.
Any of you if you ever heard the way my wife does this and in church. Have you ever heard her say and deliver us from the evil one? There's a reason for that because in the gospel of Matthew when Jesus teaches us to pray the Lord's Prayer.
The Greek is actually a little bit more specific. It's not just generic evil. It's specifically he's teaching us to pray to deliver us from the evil one. It's not that it's wrong to say deliver us from evil.
It's just that that doesn't quite get the nuance of what's going on when Jesus teaches us this prayer. And so when we're really praying that it not just generic evil. But really the evil one who seeks to devour us so God indeed tempts no one.
But we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil the world in our flesh may not deceive us. But deliver us from the evil. We pray in this petition as the sum of all that our Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil of body soul property and honor.
And Finally when our last hour has come. Grant us a blessed end and graciously take us from this veil of tears to himself in heaven. Good way to describe life here on earth the veil of tears veil of tears.
Absolutely true.
When you're on your deathbed if I happen to be the pastor of Kongsvinger at the time and they call me and I come and meet with you I'm gonna tell you about your blessed Jesus who bled and died for you.
And then I know you're going to be thinking about things like oh, I haven't been perfect I hope I'm going to make it into heaven and stuff like this when those temptations come I'm gonna redirect you away from your life to what Jesus has done for you.
He has made you worthy. So when you are in your last Your last minutes here, right? I'm not pointing you back on yourself. I'm gonna point you to what Jesus has done for you and your blessed end will come.
So that when your eyes close here. The very first person you will see when your eyes open there It's not an angry Jesus, but you're loving and kind and crucified Savior who bled and died for you. So when I'm visiting you on your deathbed No need to despair and say I hope I make it it was terrible years ago.
I Was doing some ministry. And of all places a Baptist Church and they called me to teach their adult Sunday school class. Even though they knew I was a Lutheran. It was weird. I when I sat down with them I said you guys know I'm a Lutheran, right?
Yeah, we know. Well, you know, I'm gonna teach the Bible, you know through the Lutheran lens, yeah, we know we don't have a problem with that. Okay, so I taught there for several years and during that time one of the men who was in our class He went to the doctor.
He wasn't feeling well, and he got the news that he was going to die and rather quickly, too.
Met with him and He said to me Oh Chris. I Hope that I was good enough to get into heaven. I Hope that I was good enough. My heart broke and I said no Glenn you were not good enough to get into heaven.
But Jesus bled and died for you. He lived perfectly for you. Believe and trust in him. He has made you worthy. You cannot make yourself worthy. And this is how I had to spend my last times ministering to him.
You know taking his eyes off of himself and his own sin and putting him on the righteous one who covers us with this. With his body and his with his a perfect righteousness.
We pray deliver us from evil and that's just not now but also even up to our dying breath. For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever. What is meant by the word? Amen. That I should be certain that these petitions are Acceptable to our Father in heaven and are heard by him for he himself has commanded us So to pray and has promised to hear us.
Amen. Amen. That is yay. Yay. It shall be so. It always fascinates me that there are people who despise the Lord's Prayer. You know, oh we we don't want to have we don't want to pray that that's that's like a written-out prayer.
This you can't stifle the spirit like that. Jesus is the one who told us that when you pray say Be good children and believe this right. Now, let's take a look at these last few ones next chief articles Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
What is the word sacrament mean by the way?
Does anyone know?
Well, the water is part of the sacrament, but what is the word sacrament mean? Mmm, not exactly. Technically means mystery and here's the idea. Is that water? By itself can't forgive sins. Bread and wine by itself is not the body and blood of Christ.
So what is it that makes these sacraments so amazing. Is that you have an earthly element? Combined with the Word of God. So it's the Word of God that makes it the sacrament. So how it works is a mystery.
We don't know. We don't know the mechanics of it. And if you think you can figure the mechanics of it out. Come see me. I'll straighten you out and tell you can't. These are we. We confess these things by faith.
Because God's Word says that these things do what they say. So here's what baptism is all about as the head of the family should teach in a simple way to his household. Notice the assumption. Here's we're gonna teach you about baptism.
Although you've already been baptized my little ones, right?
What is baptism? Baptism is not simple water at least not simple water only but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word. Which is that Word of God answer Christ? Our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew go ye and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost what does baptism give or profit answer?
It works forgiveness of sins. Did you catch that? Are you kidding me? It does what it? Delivers from death and the devil and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this as the words and promises of God declare.
Which are such words and promises of God Christ? Our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark he that believeth in his baptized shall be saved. But he that believes not shall be damned. So how can water do such great things?
There go don't you understand when we fill the baptismal font? It's the tap water right here it's not like we sent to the Jordan River and you know, we've got the the holy vial of Jordan River water that we're using right and which by the way, you wouldn't want to use anyways, have you seen that River?
Just gives me the you know, so how can water do such great things? Here's the answer. It's not the water indeed that does them. But it's the Word of God Which is in and with the water and faith which trusts such Such word of God in the water for without the Word of God The water is simple water and not baptism.
In other words, you have to worry when you take a shower tonight. You're not going to accidentally baptize yourself. Okay? For without the Word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the Word of God it is a baptism.
That is a gracious water of life a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost as st Paul says in Titus the chapter the third chapter according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration. And the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundant through Jesus Christ our Savior and being justified by his grace.
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying. So what does such baptizing with water signify. Answer it signifies that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance Be drowned and die.
With all sins and evil lusts and again a new man daily come forth and rise who shall live before God in righteousness and purity. Forever notice the way Luther writes about baptism. It's not just a past tense thing that happened to you that has no implication on the present.
It's a past thing tense thing that has happened to you that has everything to do with what you do today. That's the idea. So where is this written st Paul says in Romans chapter 6 we were buried with Christ by baptism in the death.
That like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Even so we also should walk in newness of life. Now, let's talk about this for a second real quick. What do many? Evangelicals believe regarding baptism, what do they believe it is Stephen?
Okay, that's if you were to go to like your generic evangelical church. Uh-huh. They would say baptism is something that you do to show the world that you've made a decision for Jesus. Now there's a lot of problems with that.
But the most important problem with that is that there isn't a single passage in the Bible that says it. Remember where God speaks we speak when God's Word is silent. We're silent. So Years ago. I was an evangelical and I through a securitist Route found myself attending Concordia University in Irvine, which is run by the Missouri Senate.
I was in Nazarene at the time and Those Lutherans drove me absolutely bunkers. Really got under my skin. Because what was happening was at the time I was like at the head of every single theology class Greek no one can touch me all the apologetics and theology classes top of the class top top top top top but then all of these Lutherans who I was just Defeating in the academic world.
They'd say hey Chris, I want to talk about baptism. Sure Chris. What do you think baptism is? Baptism is this is a sign to the world that I've made a decision for Jesus. They'd hand me a Bible.
Show us.
Okay, and I get really angry then. They would start Waltzing me through a whole bunch of different passages. Okay, let me give you just a sampling of what these torturous Lutherans would run me through.
They would take me to like a passage in like Romans chapter 6 listen to this. So what shall we say then. Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound Paul writes? He says well by no means how can we who have died to sin still live in it?
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of The Father we too might walk in newness of life and then they do this.
What does this text say baptism does? It's and this is what I would do. It says that it symbolizes that we're buried. No, no, no, no, no, no. No, it doesn't say that. I try again. It says it that in our baptism.
It symbolizes that no. It doesn't say the word symbolizes at all. Does it?
Right, you know just irk me and they say no the text says in your baptism. You were buried with Christ. It says you were that's what the text says, but it doesn't mean that. Well, if it doesn't mean that why does it say it?
It just drove me crazy. Then they would take me to a passage like Acts chapter 2. This should sound very familiar to you by the way Acts chapter 2 because this gets rolled up into the Nicene Creed. Okay, this is the day great day of Pentecost so Peter's preaching this amazing sermon and Everybody's cut to the quick their hearts are just pierced and they go.
What are we gonna do? Right, so they so here's what it says in verse 37 now when they heard this. They were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles brothers. What shall we do? Peter said to them get this repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and they'd say so Chris what does Peter say baptism is for and I would say it symbolizes you being having your sins forgiven.
They'd say that's not what the text says.
Just.
Turn Lutherans. And. Then they'd say now who's baptism for Chris and it's and I'd say Baptism is only for those who make a decision for Jesus and you can't make a decision until after the age of accountability.
This is what I would tell them and they'd say well, let's take a look at that text again a little closer. Peter says watch this repent and be baptized passive every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is for you and for your children.
Who does that does Peter say baptism is for? You and your children, so it's okay to baptize infants, right? Because the Greek there by the way little tiny children. No, because they can't make a decision.
But that's not what the text says is it? But the text doesn't mean what it says if it doesn't mean what it says, why does it say it? Okay, it's just it's just I'm having my cage rattled I mean just being knocked around by these ornery Lutherans.
So thankfully they had mercy on me and decided that they weren't going to totally torture me all the time. But whenever they would bring this up, I would just evade the topic and you know, stay away from them.
But then I had Mark Brighton my third year Greek professor and we were we were translating through entire books of the New Testament by that time and so we're in the book of Titus and it's fall quarter my third year at Concordia and He's having us Translate Titus.
So it's late at night got the midnight oil burning barbs asleep. I've got my Greek New Testament out of my Greek lexicon and you know I've got my grammar and I'm translating through this and Here's what the passage says.
We ourselves were once foolish Disobedient led astray and slaves to various passions and pleasures passing our days in malice and envy. Hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of our God and Savior appeared He God saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
The what.
So I'm there washing of regeneration and. The the word for washing here, it's unmistakable. It's a direct reference to baptism. It is a ceremonial washing a religious washing. He saved us by washing of regeneration.
It was late in the night and I basically let out an expletive and Then said I'm a Lutheran. So the next morning Barb wakes up and I said honey, we're Lutherans she said oh no, we're not. Yeah, this is what she said and I now I told her I said They're right, they're right.
They're teaching what God's Word says. Regarding what baptism is and does it's not something I do to show the world that I've made a decision for Jesus. It's something that God does to me. To wash away my sins to bury me with Christ to raise me with Christ.
And if you remember the sermon this morning I read from Colossians 2 where our hearts are circumcised by Christ and all this is in our baptism. It's objective. It's outside of us not by our own reason and strength, but it was done to us by God.
One of the most important places here in our church. Is that baptismal font? Right God's doing something profound there and this is what Scripture teaches and This is what our catechism affirms what Scripture says now real quick.
We won't get to the last through all of this, but one more thing. You know that crazy thing we do at the beginning of the church service. You know where you confess your sins, and then I say this nutty stuff about forgiving your sins, right?
That's all based on Scripture too, and it's right here in our catechism as the head of the family should teach it in a simple Way to his household. What is the office of the keys? That's what it's called by the way the office of the keys because remember when Peter confesses Christ as Lord He says I will give you the keys to the kingdom.
Whatever you bind on loot on earth will be bound in heaven whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, right? That's why it's called the office of the keys because Jesus describes them as keys.
There's two keys. There's a binding key and there's a loosing key. So when I'm forgiving sins, I'm using the loosing key but if you remain impenitent. Then I'm actually commanded by Christ to bind your sins to you and you will not be forgiven until you repent.
So there's two of them. So it is the peculiar church power a good way to describe it which Christ has given to his church on earth to forgive the sins Of penitent sinners, but to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent.
So where is this written thus writes the Holy Evangelist John chapter 20 notice? We have that even in our in our bulletin. The Lord Jesus breathed on his disciples and saith unto them receive ye the Holy the Holy Ghost.
Whosoever sins ye remit the Greek is whoever sins you.
Loose.
They are remitted. Greek says they will have been remitted unto them and whoever sins you retain they are retained. What do you believe according to these words. Answer I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by his divine command especially when they exclude manifest and impenitent sinners from the Christian congregation and.
Again.
When they absolve those who repent of their sins and are willing to amend this in a valid and. Is this is as valid and certain in heaven also as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us himself. This is what scripture teaches and it's kind of offensive it.
You know.
Struggled with this coming into the end of the Lutheran Church when the pastor would get up and say I forgive you all your sins I'd say only God can forgive me of my sins and the answer is of course dummy.
Read the text.
Yeah, go back to the text the text is saying that the guy is saying it on behalf of Christ. He Christ is the one forgiving you, you know, that's what the text is saying. So it's you know, you know so and we our catechism says it that you know, this Absolution is as valid and certain in heaven as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us himself.
That's why I say by the command of Christ and in his stead or in his place I forgive you all of your sins and this is helpful. This is helpful because so much of The problem of sin is that we're bent in on ourselves.
This is the the Lutheran Reformers described sin as the in curvatus and say which means to be curved in on oneself. So because our sinful nature bends in like this. You think that the way you can tell whether or not your sins are forgiven is by looking inside of you.
Listen to the objective things outside of you. You're washed you're baptized. To this morning we had the Lord's Supper and you heard these words take eat the true body of Christ Broken for you for the forgiveness of your sins take drink.
This is the true blood of Christ shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. You heard me say I forgive you all of your sins. All of these are outside of you. So, you know what you do you say? This is what scripture says.
I believe That God has given me these gifts and I'm going to hang on these words because they are not man's words. They are God's they are Christ's words. And so when the devil comes along and says you can't possibly be a Christian because of you did XYZ or whatever You basically say didn't you hear pastor Roseboro?
He said I forgive you all of your sins. I'm forgiven. Didn't you hear pastor Roseboro take eat? This is the body of Christ broken for you. Didn't you hear David Fagerlund take drink? This is the blood of Christ shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.
You hang on to those promises and when the devil comes and tries to beat that out of you. You just hang on to them tight or you point back to your baptism. It's like a wedding ring. I'm Married, I that's not that I was married.
I is married. Okay, you wasn't you wasn't baptized. You is baptized. So you tell the devil go away. I am baptized.
Right and.
This is what God's Word and our catechism points us to. All of these assuring promises that our faith hangs on to that we believe. Teach confess and defend. Not because we want to be repugnantly, right?
But because we know that these are the very means by which God Gives us faith Sustains us in the faith and brings us to life everlasting. To lose. These precious gifts is to lose the faith altogether.
And replace it with something else. I think Luther understood that so. This is my gift to you. If you it's been a while since you've been in the catechism. I Recommend at least the three chief parts of first three praying those on a daily basis.
Examining your life in light of the Ten Commandments refer refer. Reaffirming the faith in the creed and then always seeing your Heavenly Father there. To as your Heavenly Kind Father who wants to hear your petitions right and understand what you're praying in those petitions.
So we will pick up Genesis next week. But I wanted to take us a little excursion through the catechism because I thought it would be worth it.
