Sermon for 4/28/14 "That You May Believe"

Sermon “That You May Believe”

Peter tells us to desire the pure milk, nourishing and soothing word of God.

Strength

Nurture

Comfort

Supply

The Word of God is what creates belief in us.

It sustains us.

It motivates us.

What is Jesus' protection like?

 Acts shows apostles persecuted.

   Gamaliel's observation

 Peter shows believers facing opposition because of the forgiveness they find in Jesus.

    Jesus has prepared an incredible inheritance.

John reminds us of the apostles shortly after the resurrection

 Confused

 Scared

 Uncertain of the future

What do they learn?

 Jesus is able to be with them

   No matter where

   No matter when

   Truly risen from the dead

   No bondage to earthly things

   Able to accomplish what he desires

What will Jesus do in this church and community?

 Nurture faith

 Grant reconciliation

 Create new life

 Accomplish his will no matter what Gamaliel might try to do

 

Who does he use? Us.

these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name

Sermon for 420/14 “There they will see me”

Sermon “Therethey will see me”


Do we want to see Jesus?


He has thrown the horse and rider into the sea. He has shattered the enemy. Make no mistake.
 hard times
 dangerous times
 are we going to see him as unbelievers do?
   no hope
   no confidence in eternity
   cannot stand
Good people?
Really nice folks?
Generous
Known them all my life
This makes no guarantee about someone’s eternal state. Hell will be well stocked with perfectly nice people, people who even went to church regularly, people who were upstanding members of the community.


Where does our hope come from?
 die with Christ
 confidence in his resurrection
 no other name by which we are saved


What are we feeding ourselves with?
 God’s Word or our own personal ideas?
 Worship of the true and living God or of our own preferences?
 Standing with the saints throughout history or trying to go it on our own?


When the Lord comes to us, will we be like the guards at the tomb, the horse and rider he casts into the sea? Or will we be like the disciples, seeking Jesus, who has gone ahead of us?


Let us follow our Lord and Savior. He has conquered death. He will lead us on. As we walk with him he will guide us
 fellowship with one another in the context of the assembled body of Christ
 receiving his blessings in Word and Sacrament
 seeing that the Lord can gather his people from every nation, tribe, and tongue
 knowing that it is this true, biblical, Lutheran teaching of salvation by grace, through faith, provided by Christ Jesus, in the context of the local church which binds his people together.


He has gone ahead of us.
Where are we going now?
 gather to receive his gifts
 give to support efforts to bring the Gospel freely to all nations
 building up the body of Christ, never tearing it down

Pieper, 1968. Chapter B11, “The Witness of History for Scripture”

Chapter B11, “The Witness of History for Scripture”

Homologoumena and Antilegomena

In the earliest part of Christian history we have considerable support for both Jewish and Christian recognition of the Old Testament books (without the Apocrypha) and in the Christian tradition for most of the New Testament. Very early, as reported by Eusebius, the Christian community was unanimous in recognizing the Gospels, Acts, the thirteen Epistles of Paul, 1 Peter and 1 John. These books were classed as homologoumena - agreed upon by all. The remaining books, Hebrews, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, James, Jude, and Revelation all had some areas of doubt. These were classified as  antilegomena.  This distinction largely remained until the Tridentine council, declaring all the homologoumena and antilegomena, along with the Apocrypha on equal footing. Chemnitz and others denounced this action as papal overthrow of historical scholarship. Pieper quotes Walther’s observations on the situation quite extensively.

The typical historic manner of dealing with the various books was to found doctrines on texts in the homologoumena, viewing the antilegomena through the lens, especially, of the canonical Gospels. All the books are recognized as inspired and authoritative but the antilegomena are not used to overturn ideas explicated in the homologoumena.

Bonhoeffer, 1937. Chapter 4, “Discipleship and the Cross”

Chapter 4, “Discipleship and the Cross”

Bonhoeffer opens this chapter with Peter’s rebuke of Jesus and Jesus’ subsequent rebuke of Peter from Mark 8:31-38. Jesus tells his apostles that if anyone would follow him it is necessary to give up his own life. Jesus’ suffering, says Bonhoeffer, requires both suffering and humiliation, something which was a scandal to the early Church. From Jesus’ words Bonhoeffer says that “the disciple is a disciple only in so far as he shares his Lord’s suffering and rejection and crucifixion”(Loc. 1240). Jesus then releases his disciples to leave him.

The way Bonhoeffer articulates this idea is disturbing. He either demands that Jesus’ people reach a certain point of decision whether they will truly follow him or he goes so far as to require martyrdom of all believers who wish assurance that they are in Christ. The former smacks of a second work of grace triggered by our maintaining our salvation by works. The latter suggests that in the absence of persecution there is no salvation. Bonhoeffer seems to indicate that martyrdom is the greatest grace God gives people (Loc. 1272).

Over and over he points us to our works which make us genuine disciples and thus receptive to God’s grace. This works-righteousness is deeply disturbing.

Kilcrease, 2013. Chapter 11, “The Mystery of the Work of Christ, Part 2”

Chapter 11, “The Mystery of the Work of Christ, Part 2”

Christ’s Office as King and the Nature of Kenosis

Kilcrease chooses to discuss the office of Christ as king first. He points first at Jesus genealogy and observes that there were many descendants of David, as he would have had many children from his many wives. The genealogies were well kept and preserved up until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70. Kilcrease also discusses various theories about the genealogies in Matthew and Luke.

As king Jesus’ work includes re-establishing the reign of grace. To do this, God in the flesh becomes a servant to man, under the Law, restoring the proper nature to government, restoring creation.

Kilcrease then turns his attention to a lengthy excursus dealing with Christ’s emptying himself to be the creator of and example of Christian freedom. Detailing some 17th century debates about whether Christ put aside his divinity by leaving it or by simply not exercising it, Kilcrease discusses the reality of Jesus, being both divine and human, living with all the weakness of humanity. In essence, Jesus’ identification with man is made more real by his understanding that he could pick up his divine right. The fact that Jesus chose not to do so exercises his royal power and communicates that, in his kingdom, we can also lay our lives down for others.

Pieper, 1968. Chapter B10, “The Properties of Holy Scripture”

Chapter B10, “The Properties of Holy Scripture”

In this chapter Pieper sets out to explain four properties of Scripture, namely authority, efficacy, perfection, and perspicuity.

By authority we confess the Scripture deserves the same trust doe to God. It is only through the Scripture that we know God. We can receive faith in that authority of Scripture both because God creates it (Romans 10:17) and through our human reasoning. We can identify those who have saving faith primarily by their independent confession of God’s Word and the work of Christ.

By efficacy we mean that God’s Word actually accomplishes what it sets out to do - conviction of sin, creation of faith, and assurance of eternal life. It does this because of its nature as a divinely inspired book.

By perfection we mean sufficiency. The Bible tells us all we need for life and godliness. It does not reveal all natural or spiritual things, but it does tell us all we need for eternal life.

By perspicuity we mean the Bible can be understood clearly. The language is straightforward. All Christians can read and understand the Scripture. It is obscure only to those who do not know the language, who do not read it diligently, to those who are hostile or have unbelieving presuppositions.

Pieper illustrates many ways these four properties of Scripture can be understood or misunderstood. This chapter is particularly full of biblical references.

Bonhoeffer, 1937. Chapter 3, "Single-Minded Obedience"

Chapter 3, “Single-Minded Obedience”

Bonhoeffer turns his attention to the application of Jesus’ call to our lives by means of a number of illustrations from Scripture. In the instance of the rich young man, he particularly says the Lord commands all people to obey. It is slightly ambiguous within this chapter whether the obedience is meant to be the same for all, i.e., sell our possessions, give it away, and follow. He does, however, say clearly that Jesus does not give faith to those who do not obey him literally and single-mindedly. What truly matters (Loc. 1163) is not our action, whether rich or poor, but our faith. Yet the faith never occurs without action.

All the action Bonhoeffer discusses in this chapter is radical and obvious action. He does not seem to leave room for the historic doctrine of vocation. Granted, with the disciples we ask how anyone may be saved. Yet God is the one in whom all things are possible (Matt. 19:23-26).

Is Bonhoeffer binding his readers with a law of works? It is unclear at this point.