Epistle: 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those
who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world
may be held accountable to God. 20 For "no human being will be justified
in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes
the knowledge of sin. 21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has
been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For
there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of
atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his
righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins
previously committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is
righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what
becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by
the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from
works prescribed by the law.
Gospel: 31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,
"If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will
know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 They answered him,
"We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What
do you mean by saying, "You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered
them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a
place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
Sermon
20131027 Reformation Sunday
Grace
and peace to you from Jesus Christ who makes us free!
Introduction:
Today we celebrate the heart of our faith. The heart of our faith is the good
news that sets us free. The good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the
Word made flesh. He is the light shining in the darkness. He is the Bread of
life. He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep. He is our refuge and strength; a
very present help in times of trouble. God so loved the world that he sent his
only Son, that whoever believes would not perish, but have eternal life. This
is the God we worship, the God we find in the scriptures, the God who sets us
free from our sin. This Word is alive in our lives continually calling us to
lives of faith, continually surprising us with grace. The best is yet to come!
The same God who has been our help in ages past is our help in days to come!
Thesis:
Ecclesia Semper Reformanda Est – The Church is always being reformed.
(expression from the reformation tradition)
Main
Idea: Martin Luther’s quest was to restore the church to the original movement
of the body of Christ in the world, as disciples, understanding the gospel
through new eyes.
1.
discovered in the reading of Romans for the first time – justified by the faith
of Christ. Up until this point, he had been trying on his own to live a
righteous life. Even as a monk, if he sinned, he’d punish himself in order to
return himself to God’s favor. In his diligent search for meaning and on a
quest to know God more deeply, Luther read his scriptures daily. When he read
Romans, he read the passage we have this morning: Chapter 3 verses 22-24: the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For
there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus – Not his own righteousness, but God’s
righteousness. He is the recipient through Jesus Christ in whom he believes.
Begins to understand that faith and grace are both gifts from God. Luther
grasps that while God gives the law, God also lavishes the believer with grace.
Because of God’s saving grace, then the freed and forgiven strive to live
according to God’s law, because it is the way to everlasting life. Leading an
upright life leads to the riches of God’s abundant life – faith, hope and love.
He grasps for the first time that there is no distinction. All have sinned and
all are justified. If we are justified, we are set right with God, just as the
words on the page are justified / set in alignment at the margins. Being set
right, he now basks in God’s glory. The glory he receives is not his own, but
Christ’s. Sin causes him to fall, and grace lifts him up.
2.
In the church during Luther’s lifetime, the priests were the conduit to God for
the people. One of Luther’s discoveries that shapes the church today is the priesthood
of all believers. This understanding of God’s desire to live in relationship
with each of his creations, led Martin Luther to press for several reforms
including definition of the sacraments and this concept of the priesthood of
all believers. If all are recipients of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, then
the sacraments should be accessible to all who believe. For Luther, the
definition of the sacraments is that God’s word is spoken and that earthly
elements reveal God’s grace – the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal
life. Sacraments are baptism and holy communion.
3.
church’s practices had strayed from the initial movement of disciples who
followed Jesus – return to being rooted in God’s word. Church leaders in Luther’s
time were more interested in development of the institution and their own
power, and they were utilizing corrupt practices including selling indulgences
to ensure the ascension of loved ones from purgatory to heaven. Having studied
languages as a scholar, Luther accessed the holy scriptures for himself, and
learned that those he had trusted had been scheming. With his new understanding
of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, and his new understanding of the
priesthood of all believers, he set out to make the Word of God asccessible to
the people. He translated the Bible into German – the vernacular of the people.
Previously, the scriptures had only been available in the original Greek and
Hebrew and translated into Latin. Martin’s teaching and fame spread as the
printing press made the quick publication of the German Bible and Martin’s
debate within the church widely known.
Second
development: God is reforming you.
1.
baptism –- marked with the cross of Christ forever; anointed with the Holy
Spirit; saved by God’s grace – as we encounter other Christian believers, they
sometimes ask for the moment that we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and
savior. For some, that moment is a memory – tangible moment when they accepted
Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For some of us, we can name our Affirmation of
Baptism or our confirmation as this moment, but I think the question is focused
on the wrong moment of our lives. Because by asking this, we can also say, when
did you reject Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. The reality is that while
we can confess our faith and we can reject God – the saving grace of God
through faith in Jesus Christ is that Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus was
crucified for our sake. Jesus was raised from the dead. He is our salvation. He
is the salvation of the world. He is the crucified God of the entire cosmos.
The historical moment in history when he lived and died is our saving grace.
Not the minute of our baptism. Not the tangible memories we hold of when we
knew for sure that this is true. But the moment in time when God came into the
world because he loved us so much! This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2.
confession and forgiveness – The message that both John and Paul write about in
today’s scriptures acknowledge that we are slaves to sin. No matter how much we
try to live according to God’s law, the Torah as Jews, or the greatest
commandment as Christians – you shall love the Lord your God and your neighbor
as yourself, we fall short everyday. We are turned in on ourselves, we look out
for ourselves, we are selfish. We are turned in naval gazing people. God’s
grace in our lives, slowly unfurls us, to bring our gaze up out of our own guts
into the eyes of our neighbors. To see them as God does. To see the gifts of
God all around us. To see God’s deep love for us. To see and believe the
gospel. Jesus has set us free. Sin no longer has power over us.
3.
justified by grace – no longer a slave to sin: the omst beautiful image of
God’s grace and forgiveness for me on a daily basis is the simple tool of a
chalk board – or if you don’t remember those – a white board. Daily, you and I
keep track of our own sins and the sins of our neighbors. Not unlike the way my
elementary school teachers would write the names of unruly students on the
chalkboard. As the day progressed and as the fallen commited more
transgressions, they’d receive check marks behind their name. As the marks
added up, the punishment grew.
The
reality of sins in our lives is that the consequences match the sins, making
the millstone around our necks heavier and heavier. My teacher had a small
eraser, and at the end of the day, she’d erase the names, so that in the
morning we had a fresh start. And that’s a helpful image of God, but her eraser
often left remnants of dust, and you could still read the names if you
squinted. But then, the janitor would come through each classroom with an
enormous eraser, it was smoother, and it completely elimanted the marks, and
the dust that lingered. This is the way Gd’s grace cleanses us. There are no
lingering signs that we dwelt in sin yesterday. We are washed clean indeed. God
beholds us as righteous in his sight through faith in Jesus Christ. We are lifted
from our fallen state into God’s glory.
Third
development: Immanuel is always being reformed. I’ve been reading the
anniversary history of the congregation over the past few weeks, studying the
different transitions of the congregation, marked by the arrival and departures
of pastors, key lay leaders, marked by building(s) bought and sold, renovated,
and expanded, parking lots and Sunday schools, men’s groups and women’s groups.
Swedish and English… One constant, the rootedness in the Word of God. Worship
including music, preaching, prayer, and communion.
1.
Immanuel began
in Kansas City as the result of a split in a former congregation. A few people
left First, and they then called their former pastor to accompany them. Then
they had Pastor Spong as an intern, and once his education was finished, they
called him to be the pastor. He was the pastor of Immanuel for over 30 years.
We still have members like Gretchen, his granddaughter, and Len and Norma Carr
who remember him. (raise your hand if you remember Pastor Spong) and then lay
leaders like his daughter – Ruth Sarli – raise your hand if you remember her –
for those like me, who didn’t have the honor of knowing her, if there’s one
thing that we should know – “the best is yet to come!”
2.
Trials and
temptations, hardships and joys, etc. – fiath remained strong – pastors left,
how would the congregation make it? Building debt –and difficult economic times
– how would the congregation make it? The Word of God remained. God was always
present with Immanuel. The good news of Jesus Christ was the sure and constant
hope of the congregation through thick and thin.
3.
Ruth Sarli: the Best is yet to come! We trust that God is still alive. The Word
is alive. The Holy Spirit continues to revive and reform and restore the
faithful. The Word feeds us. It is the grace in our lives. Grace breathes
forgiveness on us. Forgiveness washes us clean. We are set free. The dust of
our sins is brushed away. The light of Christ shines through our lives. Christ
justifes us. He sets us straight in the world. He uncurls us from our fetal
positions to stand tall with our chins up facing forward, because while we’re
not sure of our immediate future, Christ has our salvation in his hands. This
is the law of faith.
4.I
want to shift our focus from the slate that has been wiped clean, to the
windows of our lives. When the congregation celebrated the 100 anniversary, four
windows were dedicated: three created by our own Linda Taylor: holy communion ;
baptism; and a star – symbolic of the light of Christ and the near – Epiphany
signing of the Immanuel charter Jan 4 1899 – God with us 1899-1999 – and God is
with us still.
the
fourth window – symbolic in many ways of the strength that Immanuel draws from
its past and the hope it invest in the future, features two lilies--- one
mature and rooted, and the other young and growing.
Conclusion:
God’s Word is our freedom. We are no longer slaves to sin. The sacraments
ground us in our faith. Jesus is our Lord and Savior. This grace is alive in
our lives and makes all the difference.
The
church is always being reformed. Grace. Faith. Steadfast in God’s Word. The
best is yet to come!
