St. John 8:31-36 Dearly beloved,
“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”(Hebrews 4:11-12). Today is the Festival of the Reformation. Much has been said on this topic. Countless books have been written in an effort to understand the reasons for it and the implications derived from it. Today, the sermon focuses on why Martin Luther looked so strongly to the word of God. There were a few issues that were very important for him. To cut through much of the discussion and to get at the heart of the matter, it can simply be said that Martin Luther wanted the gospel restored in the church. Many men rode on Luther’s coat tails because they had their own agendas. Luther’s intent was only to preserve the church, not start a new one. Luther wanted to keep the ancient liturgies, the ancient practices and ceremonies, and he wanted the Holy Scriptures to be the sole rule and norm of Christian teaching. It makes sense. Jesus says in the gospel for today, “If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples, indeed.” Jesus is the word made flesh, as He attests. The Holy Scriptures are also the Word of God, which is to suggest that when we digest the Holy Scriptures, we are taking Jesus into us through those Holy Scriptures. You may often wonder why your pastor preaches on the Scripture each Sunday. You may wonder why the pastor teaches a Bible class and, by doing so, digs into the scriptures in order to pull out the truths. The Holy Scriptures are God’s divine utterance to the world. God reveals Himself in the Holy Scriptures. The only way that you can know anything about God is from the Bible. If your entire existence was out in the middle of a field and you had no Bible and no one to preach to you about the Holy Trinity, you would be left to seek God on your own. You would end up fashioning a god after your own thoughts and you would be far from the truth. This is why we need pastors, preachers, missionaries and the like. We need the Holy Scriptures because they teach us who God is and how God works in our lives and our world. As a result, nothing else compares to the Holy Scriptures. Martin Luther looked at the Christian faith in this way. Luther’s thought was that if the Holy Scriptures really are God’s voice to the world, revealing to us His love and His way, then it should follow that these same Scriptures are the words that we must ponder and prayerfully consider above all other things. If the church is looking to the Scriptures, then the doctrine will be clear. The Gospel will be a beacon of light to a dark world. St. Paul communicated this to Timothy: “Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”(2 Timothy 4:2). It is for these reasons that preaching here at Trinity is a very biblical endeavor. The preaching and teaching of the Holy Scriptures is meant to be food for the church. The Scriptures are that spiritual sustenance that is needed for the saints to carry on. You know this. St. Paul also reminds Timothy of this. Paul writes to Timothy: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished for all good works”(2 Timothy 3:16-17). The church, therefore, is to study the scriptures because in them we look into the eternal things of God. We gaze, as it were, into the heavenly mysteries of God. The Scriptures are this very Divine revelation and speaking. God’s voice rings in our ears every time we listen to the word of God and study it. Nothing else in this world can boast of this....not even the words of Kings and Presidents. But when the Scriptures are proclaimed and when you carefully ponder them, you hear the voice of God speaking. Peter attests to this: “It was revealed to them [the prophets] that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the gospel to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look”(1 Peter 1:12). Peter speaks of the words of the prophets, as well as the words and preaching of the apostles. They were the vessels used to communicate Divine and eternal truth for all to hear. All of this which I speak in your hearing today is incredibly important for the culture in which we find ourselves. We live in a world that is as diverse as it ever has been. The culture does not view truth in the same way. The world sees truth as shades of grey. Truth is seen as relative, based upon the experiences of the person. Today, the church must hold more strongly to the Scriptures as being God’s word, not man’s word. We must recover what it means that eternal truth is proclaimed in our midst through the Scriptures. God speaks, we listen. It is only then, that we can begin to discuss what is sin and what is forgiveness. So, we carry on....celebrating the Reformation. We cling to Christ, for He died for you. We look to the Scriptures for they speak of Jesus Christ. Old Testament and New, the church is bathed in the goodness of Christ. When we ponder Jacob and Esau, we are being led to the waters of Jesus. When we study Samson and Delilah, we see in Samson a shadow of the coming Christ. When we ponder the words of Isaiah, we hear the gospel and learn of our Lord’s steadfast love. When we hear Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we learn of all that Jesus began both to do and the teach concerning salvation. In Peter and Paul, we hear the elaboration of that love of Jesus for all. We thank God for men like Martin Luther, for reminding us of the Divine author of the Bible, and for leading us back to Jesus. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel”(Romans 10:15). But most of all, let us praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for leading Martin Luther to the gospel. Let us thank and praise the HolyTrinity for continuing to communicate to us the way of everlasting life and the mysteries eternal which have been revealed and into which we are blessed to gaze, now and for all eternity. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org
