Jesus commissioned His Apostles to preach the Gospel (Luke 24:47). The Apostle Paul told Pastor Timothy to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). And so our Lutheran churches have properly valued faithful preaching. Jesus said to those whom He had sent to preach: “Whoever hears you, hears me. Whoever rejects you, rejects me. And whoever […]
The Didache, Lesson 12: Prayer and Fasting
March 20, 2012 by
After the Didache goes over what brings someone into the New Covenant of Christ, it immediately moves into the spiritual disciplines for someone who is in the covenant: Prayer and fasting. The spiritual disciplines that Jesus’ disciples are to bring into their lives help keep the sinful nature from taking over and causing them to […]
Your Snake on the Pole: Numbers 21:4-9
March 18, 2012 by
The command to put a snake on a pole must have sounded ridiculous to some of the Israelites. Stare at a bronze snake and you’ll be healed? Who came up with that stupid idea? It must’ve just sounded silly enough that some Israelites started to look for more reasonable solutions to the snakebites. Now, one […]
The Wound of Denial: Matthew 26:69-75
March 14, 2012 by
Peter loved his Lord. Peter boldly declared to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). This was the Peter who, after Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” responded with, “Surely, not I Lord!” This was the Peter who later said, “Even if all fall away because of […]
The Didache, Lesson 11: Being Brought into the New Covenant of Christ
March 12, 2012 by
The Didache now moves into what brings one into the community (communion) of Christ: Baptism. To understand this New-Covenant act, we need to look at its Old-Covenant predecessor, which baptism superseded and replaced. As God used an act of His choosing to bring someone into His Old Covenant, it’s easy to see how He would […]
John 2:13-22: Jesus Cleanses the Temple
March 11, 2012 by
Today, we hear about a Jesus who doesn’t match what we usually think of Him. We see Jesus as our friend, even our buddy. We see him as a pleasant, smiling person who never confronts anyone but is always there to confirm whatever you may be doing. That’s the Jesus we want. That’s also the […]
The Wound of Apathy: Matthew 26:36-45
March 7, 2012 by
Jesus did not want to be alone as He wrestled in prayer that night. How often we forget that our blessed Lord was, and is, fully human! He needed the comfort of companionship. He needed encouragement from others. And so, as Jesus leaves the larger group of His disciples behind, He takes with Him His […]
The Didache, Lesson 10: Staying Faithful
March 6, 2012 by
After describing the way of death, the Didache tells those being instructed not to be led astray, which leads one into the way of death. 6.1 Take care that no one leads you astray from the Way of the teaching [didache], since he is teaching you apart from God. Jeremiah 23:32: “‘Indeed, I am against […]
The Didache, Lesson 9: The Way of Death
March 6, 2012 by
After describing the way of Life, the Didache moves on to chapter 5, which describes the way of death. 5:1 In contrast, this is the way of death. It is evil and fully cursed: Murders, adulteries, lusts, sexual immoralities, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, sorceries, robberies, false accusations, hypocrisies, double-dealing, deceit, arrogance, malice, self-will, greediness, abusive […]
Rejoice in Your Suffering: Romans 5:1-11
March 4, 2012 by
Note: This sermon has a quotation from the Apocrypha and treats that quotation from Sirach as Scripture. This is simply how our Confessions treat the Apocrypha. Ref: Ap XXI, 9: “We grant that angels pray for us. For there is a passage in Zechariah 1:12, where an angel prays, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long […]
