"God Speaks His Holy Authority through His Holy Love-Laced Law"
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
"The Law of God is good and wise
And sets His will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.
To those who help in Christ have found
And would in works of love abound
It shows what deeds are His delight
And should be done as good and right."
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
579:1, 3)
Old Testament Reading................................... Exodus 20:1-17
(Esp. 1-2)
1And God spoke all these words, saying, 2"I am the Lord your God, who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Prologue: Perhaps many of you realize that my sermons are largely
catechetical and instructive. That means that, having been greatly
influenced by previous Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod President the Reverend
Doctor Al Barry, who constantly encouraged us pastors to "preach the
catechism," I generously incorporate quotes from our Synodical Catechism
into most of my sermons. Since "A catechism is a book of instruction,
usually in the form of questions and answers," (Luther's Small Catechism
with Explanation. Copyright © 1986/2008 Concordia Publishing House, St.
Louis, MO. Page 53.), I draw on it heavily for the wealth of
simple-to-understand information that it contains. Of course, like many of
you older saints I grew up on the old 1943 edition that used the King James
Version of the Bible. But I've now become a devoted fan, supporter,
promoter, and user of the present edition that uses the English Standard
Version of the Bible and includes many more Bible passages than the 1943
edition.
All of that is simply helping you realize not only the source of
much of my sermon contents but also why today's sermon is so heavily laced
with catechetical instruction. You see, as Pastor Marks and I have already
said during the course of this and past Lenten seasons, Lent (along with
Advent) are times to review and rehearse what the Reverend Doctor Martin
Luther identified that God wants us to be doing every day of the year .
repent.
In short, "Repentant believers are those who are sorry for their
sins (contrition) and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior
(faith)." On the other hand, "Unrepentant sinners, that is, those who are
not sorry for their sins and do not believe in Jesus Christ, are not to be
forgiven as long as they do not repent." So it is that "Those who repent
and ask for forgiveness are to be forgiven." The bottom line is that, "Only
repentant believers receive the forgiveness." (Ibid. Pages 226f.)
Did you notice the sin-stressed emphasis? As we move closer to
diving into today's sermon text, that emphasis reminds us that "We must
sharply distinguish between the Law and the Gospel in the Bible." In so
doing, we realize that "In the Law God commands good works of thought, word,
and deed and condemns and punishes sin." At the same time, "In the Gospel,
the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ, God gives forgiveness,
faith, life, and the power to please Him with good works." (Ibid. Pages
51f.)
With all that in mind, we know that "When God created people, He
wrote the Law on their hearts. Later He arranged the Law in Ten
Commandments, wrote it on two tables of stone, and made it known through
Moses." Today's Old Testament Reading is the Holy Spirit-inspired written
record of God's giving of the Ten Commandments, which are none other than
"the Law of God" [Ibid. Page 54]). As such, this divine account reminds us
that .
"God Speaks His Holy Authority through His Holy Love-Laced Law."
That brings us to major truth number one: "Love is the summary of
all the commandments" (Ibid. Page 55.) as Saint Paul declared, "Love does
no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Rom
13:10 ESV) Now, let's recall that God included both prohibition (what not
to do) and direction (what to do) in each commandment. In addition, His
masterful arrangement of the Ten Commandments reveals major truth number
two: the first three commandments (commonly referred to as the "First Table"
[Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation. Page 55.]) deal with Himself
and demand that we .
I. Love, Honor, and Obey the Creator. (3-11)
3"You shall have no other gods before me.
4"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that
is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or serve
them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who
hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and
keep my commandments.
7"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord
will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor, and
do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your
male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner
who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Being a "jealous God" means that "Because God is holy A. He hates
sin and insists on strict and perfect obedience; B. He will not share with
idols the love and honor we owe Him; [and] C. He will punish those who hate
Him." That divine penalty includes "earthly punishment, physical death,
and eternal damnation." (Ibid. Pages 93f.)
So, turning our attention to the first three commandments, we
remember that Jesus Himself summarized them when He echoed Deuteronomy
chapter 6, verse 5 by stating, "You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matt 22:37 ESV)
Now it's time for you to get personally involved in this sermon by reviewing
the commandments with me, something that probably many or most of us have
seldom done since our confirmation studies . if at all. Please turn to page
321 in the Lutheran Service Book hymnal . page 321. There and the following
page are printed the Ten Commandments with Doctor Luther's meanings to them
"As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his
household." (Lutheran Service Book. Page 321.)
The First Commandment speaks about "God" Himself and says
(together please), "You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We
should fear, love, and trust in God above all things."
The Second Commandment speaks about "God's Name" and tells us,
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic
arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray,
praise, and give thanks."
And, the Third Commandment speaks about "God's Word" and tells us,
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We
should fear and love god so that we do not despise preaching and His Word,
but hold it sacred and hear and learn it." (Luther's Small Catechism with
Explanation. Pages 11f., 56, 61, 68.)
The dismal and joyful realities are that these commandments show
us about ourselves "That we have sinned and deserve God's condemnation."
However, "Only Jesus Christ, the God-man" has kept the Law of God
perfectly . for us. In fact, "Since Christ was our substitute before God,
our Savior's perfect keeping of the Law is part of His saving work for us,
and because of Him we are considered righteous before God." Furthermore, in
addition to showing us our sin, "In the Ten Commandments God shows us what
His will is. Christians, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are eager to do
God's will." (Ibid. Pages 72f.)
Now we turn our attention to the "Second Table" of God's Law
consisting of commandments 4-10. Jesus stated the third major truth: "You
shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:39 ESV) In fact, these
commandments tell us that we are actually loving God when we .
II. Love, Serve, and Defend the Crown of the Creator's Creation. (12-17)
12"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land
that the Lord your God is giving you.
13"You shall not murder.
14"You shall not commit adultery.
15"You shall not steal.
16"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your
neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or
his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."
The seemingly simple truth is that "We should love our neighbor as
ourselves and show this love by keeping the commandments of the Second
Table." (Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation. Page 73.) So, let's
review them now by speaking them together.
The Fourth Commandment speaks about "God's Representatives" and
demands that we "Honor Your father and your mother. What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents
and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish
them."
The Fifth Commandment speaks about "God's Gift of Life" and tells
us, "You shall not murder. What does this mean? We should fear and love
God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and
support him in every physical need."
The Sixth Commandment speaks about "God's Gift of Marriage" and
tells us, "You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should
fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we
say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other."
The Seventh Commandment speaks about "God's Gift of Possessions"
and tells us, "You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear
and love god so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or
get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his
possessions and income."
The Eighth Commandment speaks about "God's Gift of a Good
Reputation" and tells us, "You shall not give false testimony against your
neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do
not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his
reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the
kindest way."
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments speak about "God's Gift of
Contentment." The Ninth Commandment tells us, "You shall not covet your
neighbor's house. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that
we do not scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, or get it in a
way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping
it." And, the Tenth Commandment tells us, "You shall not covet your
neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbor. What does this mean? We should
fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor's
wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay
and do their duty." (Ibid. Pages 12-14, 74, 77, 81, 85, 87, 89, 91.)
In conclusion, therefore, "God wants us to keep His commandments
perfectly in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds." However, "Our sinful
nature makes it impossible" to do so. In fact, no one can be saved by the
Law because "the Law condemns everyone."
In light of that terrifying reality, we identify the three
purposes that the Law serves. "A. First, [acting as a curb] the Law helps
to control violent outbursts of sin and keeps order in the world. B.
Second, [acting as a mirror] the Law accuses us and shows us our sin. [And]
C. Third, [acting as a guide] the Law teaches us Christians what we should
and should not do to lead a God-pleasing life." Of course, "The power to
live according to the Law comes from the Gospel." (Ibid. Pages 95-97.) So
it is that, .
"God Speaks His Holy Authority through His Holy Love-Laced Law."
The great comfort that God gives us is that He "offers the
forgiveness of sins only in the Gospel, the good news that we are freed from
the guilt, the punishment, and the power of sin, and are saved eternally
because of Christ's keeping the Law and His suffering and death for us."
That's why today's Introit pleaded, "Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast
love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me." (Ps 69:16 ESV)
and we begged in today's Collect, "O God, whose glory it is always to have
mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them
again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the
unchangeable truth of Your Word . ." In addition, today's Gradual pointed
our attention to the only source of redemption, rescue, and reconciliation .
Jesus, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:2b
ESV)
The simple difference, then, between the Law and the Gospel is
that "A. The Law teaches what we are to do and not to do; the Gospel teaches
what God has done, and still does, for our salvation. B. The Law shows us
our sin and the wrath of God; the Gospel shows us our Savior and the grace
of God. [And] C. The Law must be proclaimed to all people, but especially
to impenitent sinner; the Gospel must be proclaimed to sinners who are
troubled in their minds because of their sins." (Luther's Small Catechism
with Explanation. Pages 100f.)
The glorious Gospel is all about the One who both fulfilled the
Law and defeated sin, Satan, and death for us. That One is none other than
Christ, about whom today's Epistle Reading reminded us that "The word of the
cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it
is the power of God. . but we preach Christ crucified, . Christ the power
of God and the wisdom of God. [God] is the source of your life in Christ
Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and
redemption." (1 Cor 1:18, 23a, 24b, 30 ESV)
In a mere four weeks we will once again formally celebrate that
for which we are now penitentially preparing . that which Jesus Himself
foretold and Saint John reported in the words of today's Gospel Reading,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. When therefore
he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken." (John
2:19, 22 ESV)
Yes, our Savior's Holy life, innocent suffering, crucifixion
death, and majestic resurrection from the dead gained for us the blessed
gifts of forgiveness of sins, spiritual healing, and everlasting life with
Him in heaven. In addition, God gives us certain assurance of those
immeasurable riches through the reading and hearing of His Holy Word, the
declaration of sins forgiven in Holy Absolution, the reflection upon Holy
Baptism, and the proper partaking of Holy Communion.
With all that in mind, let's energetically strive by the Holy
Spirit's power to .
I. Love, Honor, and Obey the Creator. (3-11)
At the same time, let's also energetically strive by the same Holy
Spirit's power to .
II. Love, Serve, and Defend the Crown of the Creator's Creation. (12-17)
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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