The Heidel-Bible Blog

Lost and Found---devotion and hymn for Luke 15:8-10

2012-02-13T18:13:00.000-06:00

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

(Luke 15:8-10 ESV)

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Jesus came from heaven on a mission of mercy. He came to bring lost sinners into his messianic kingdom, so that they might enjoy the messianic banquet he will spread at the end of this age. Therefore, it is so appropriate that the Messiah came eating and drinking with sinners. Though the “Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them,” every meal Jesus ate with sinners was a foretaste of his kingdom banquet with all its attendant joy! Even now, believers taste this end times banquet whenever they partake of the Lord’s Supper in faith!

Jesus came on a search mission---a mission that will continue until He returns. He searches for sinners in order to bring them into his kingdom. The coin in this parable is an apt picture of the helplessness of sinners to find themselves! Inanimate objects do not get up to look for themselves, and nor can sinners dead in trespasses and sins breathe life into themselves. The search for God is hopeless, unless Jesus seeks us by His Word and Spirit.

Verse one of the hymn below describes our lost and helpless condition apart from the Lord’s regenerating and illuminating work in our hearts. Verse two describes how Jesus sought us by making the incomprehensible journey from the glory of heaven to the shame of the cross. Verse three describes some of the benefits we receive from our crucified and risen Lord.

Joy is a keynote of all three parables in Luke 15. How amazing it is to think that God is joyful over us when we repent and believe in his Son! Verse 4 sings of this joy of God and the heavenly angels, and along with verse 5, tries to make the point that we can share in the joy and life of the Father and the Son.

If one of the points of this parable and the previous one is that Jesus seeks and saves the lost, the last verse of the hymn emphasizes that Jesus’ church should be his instrument to also seek the lost by faithfully proclaiming the Word of God, which points to Jesus Christ and especially his work of atonement that reconciles sinners to God.

Lost in Sin, Far from our Maker

To the tune: UPP, MIN TUNGA. Based on Luke 15:8-10. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
Lost in sin, far from our Maker,
helpless was our soul’s estate.
We are dead in our trespasses,
’til the Lord regenerates.
Darkened in our understanding,
’til the Lord illuminates.

v. 2
But in grace the Savior sought us,
Jesus came to seek the lost.
For He journeyed down from heaven,
from His glory to the cross.
On the cross He made atonement,
paid the price of highest cost.

v. 3
Now the risen Lord of glory
sends His Spirit to our hearts.
Grants forgiveness, peace and pardon,
and His joy and life imparts.
Raised with Christ and always with Him,
from His own He won’t depart.

v. 4
There is joy with God in heaven,
over sinners who repent.
Even angels wonder greatly
at the grace that God has sent.
Join the joyful choir of heaven,
sing of Christ’s accomplishment.

v. 5
With the lamp of Scripture shining,
point to Jesus lifted high.
Let the church proclaim the message,
Jesus Christ was crucified.
But the Father now has raised Him,
raised with Him we find His life.

The Good Shepherd and Joy --- devotion and hymn based on Luke 15:1-7

2012-02-11T16:04:00.001-06:00

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
(Luke 15:1-7 ESV)

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What a contrast we have in verses one and two between the tax collectors and sinners and the Pharisees and scribes! The tax collectors and sinners “were all drawing near to hear” Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes took offense at Jesus and “grumbled” against him like their forefathers in the wilderness.

Jesus addresses their complaining and grumbling by telling three parables. All three parables show us that God is at work through his Son to recover a lost and fallen human race. All three parables show us the joy of the triune God in restoring lost men and women to himself---a joy that we can share if we will repent and receive the Son of God.

The hymn below emphasizes the joy of Jesus’ kingdom. In his kingdom there is joyful feasting, eating, and drinking. Just as the fall of the human race came through false teaching and eating (Genesis 3), so it is fitting that our restoration comes from faithful teaching about the kingdom that leads to faith and repentance and a joyful, kingdom meal. Meals are a fitting symbol for the joy and fellowship we have in Jesus’ kingdom.

Verse 2 describes the Pharisees and scribes as false shepherds. They should have cared for the lost and scattered sheep of Israel, but it was their false teaching and neglect that burdened and enslaved the people. This situation was foreseen by the prophets (e.g., Ezekiel 34), and the Lord promised that he would come himself as the Shepherd of Israel to gather his scattered and lost sheep. Jesus is the Lord incarnate, our good Shepherd.

Verse 3 stresses our lost condition as people who belong to a fallen race. We have wandered far away from our Lord by following our own desires and pleasures. Far away from our Shepherd we are as helpless to find our way, just as the sheep in Jesus’ parable was helpless to find its way. In danger of perishing, our only hope is that the Good Shepherd will seek us, find us, and bring us into his kingdom home.

Verse 4 emphasizes the burden Jesus carried for us to bring us into his kingdom. Just as the shepherd in the parable lifted the sheep upon his shoulders and carried the sheep home, so our shepherd did even more, carrying the burden of our sin, guilt and judgment on his shoulders at the cross, so that we might be able to enter his kingdom home.

But the presence of the kingdom calls for repentance, if we would enter it. We cannot enter if we are like the Pharisees and scribes, who like the ninety-nine, think they are righteous and have no need of repentance, and thus, remained in the wilderness far from home. Instead, we must humble ourselves, repenting and asking the Good Shepherd to bring us and keep us in his heavenly home.

Joy in Heaven when a Sinner Turns from Sin to Jesus Christ

To the tune: W ZLOBIE LEZY (http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/PsH/353 or http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/VU1996/58). Based on Luke 15:1-7. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
Joy in heaven when a sinner
turns from sin to Jesus Christ.
Jesus calls us to repentance,
from our darkness to His light.
In His kingdom there is feasting,
in His presence eating, drinking.
Share the joy of Jesus Christ,
and the fullness of His life.

v. 2
Israel’s shepherds, false and faithless,
grumbled ’gainst the Son of God.
Jesus came to eat with sinners,
to restore His scattered flock.
The good Shepherd went to seek them,
found and brought them to His kingdom.
Listen to the Shepherd’s voice,
let His gathered church rejoice.

v. 3
Adam’s children, lost and wand’ring,
we were far away from God.
In His mercy Christ our Shepherd,
came to seek and save the lost.
We were helpless and in danger,
to His cov’nant love a stranger.
But in grace He brought us home,
made to be His very own.

v. 4
O the burden gladly bearing,
Jesus bore upon the cross.
Sin and guilt for us He carried,
paid our ransom at great cost.
Pharisees complain and grumble,
so unlike the meek and humble,
who repent and know His joy,
eat with Jesus and rejoice.

Fall and Restoration

2012-02-09T19:20:00.000-06:00

Adam and Eve fell through false teaching and a meal. Therefore, it is fitting that their fallen race be restored through true teaching and a meal, i.e., Word and the sacrament of the Supper.

The Crowded House - Music

2012-02-09T17:04:00.000-06:00

The Crowded House - Music

I could not agree more with these words from the Crowded House website:

At the Crowded House we seek to be word-centred in all areas of life, not least in the songs we sing together. Singing is a great way of expressing truth and encouraging each other in truth. It is a way we can excite the affections and 'massage' truth deep into our hearts (Colossians 3:16).

Another mark of our music is that when we sing together we want to express truth corporately - we are declaring truth as God's people. That's why you'll find almost all the music we write and sing contains 'we' and 'our' rather than 'me' and 'my'.

"Command what you will, but give what you command!" --- devotion and hymn based on Luke 14:25-35

2012-02-08T13:24:00.000-06:00

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
(Luke 14:25-35 ESV)

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In this passage the Lord gives us three discipleship demands:

We must love Christ above everything else, so much so that our love for family, and even our own life, looks like hatred in comparison (v. 26).
We must take up our cross for Jesus’ sake, i.e., we must be willing to die for him, giving up all rights to self-governance (v. 27).
We must renounce all our possessions, and be willing to use them and lose them for Jesus’ sake (v. 33).

In between the second and third demand of discipleship, Jesus urges us to count the cost of discipleship, giving us two parables that help us count the cost. Then, the passage is completed with a reference to salt that helps us to see that unless we love Christ, take up our cross, and renounce our possessions, we will be disciples in name only---people who have stopped being disciples, just like salt that has stopped being salt.

Needless to say, these are searching words from our Lord. The requirements of discipleship are so stringent that it leads a sinner like myself to despair. Who can possibly meet such demands? Just like the king who is confronted with another king and an army much more powerful than his own coming against him in wrath, it is best to cry out to our King for mercy, and say with Augustine, “Lord, command what you will, but give what you command!”

In the hymn below, Augustine’s quote was much in my mind, for the Lord Jesus in making these demands of discipleship has indeed provided us with the resources we need to live as his disciples.

First, with regard to family, Jesus sends his Spirit into the hearts of his people, and they are spiritually resurrected and born from above. Their new home is hidden with Christ in heaven. God is their Father, Jesus their Lord and elder brother, and Jesus’ people are our brothers and sisters.

Second, with regard to taking up our cross, faith unites us to Christ so that we died with him and rose with him to newness of life (Romans 6:3-11). Positionally, by faith, we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1-4). We have died to the old world, and have risen with Christ to live a new life. Existentially, that is, in our experience, we come to love Christ more and more, and we put to death the old man, and live a new life in him.

Third, with regard to possessions, we have been given a far greater treasure than anything the world can imagine or give. This treasure is the kingdom, which Jesus said, “it is the Father’s good pleasure to give” us (Luke 12:32). If we are this rich, then is there any reason to get worked up about the possessions of this life, which are mere trinkets compared to the possession of the kingdom?

Finally, if the cost of discipleship seems high, it is good for us to consider the exceedingly higher cost of non-discipleship! Philip Ryken takes note of the brilliance of Jesus’ words in the two parables Jesus uses to help us to count the cost:

"Like the parable of the unfinished tower, the parable of the two kings warns us to
count the cost. Only this time what Jesus call us to consider is not the cost of
discipleship, but the cost of non-discipleship. Verse 31 encourages us to see things
from the perspective of the weaker king, who is about to be invaded, and perhaps also
to connect the stronger king with the person of God himself. Faced with the threat of
a superior army, the weaker party should consider his resources carefully before
deciding to defend himself. According to verse 32, he should also consider the
consequences of inaction, and choose instead to sue for peace and settle terms with
his opponent. Can we afford to follow Jesus? the first parable asks. To which the
second parable offers a rejoined: Can we afford not to?"

In the hymn below, I have tried to show that although in and of ourselves we have no resources to build a tower of refuge, Jesus has raised a temple on the third day in which we may hide (John 2:19-21), and he is the cornerstone of a temple he himself builds in which we are being built as living stones (1 Peter 2:4-8). I also try to show that Jesus has quenched the just wrath of God through his cross, so that we have peace now with God. Each verse hymn seeks to show that, indeed, what God commands he also provides!

How Blessed is Jesus’ Fam’ly

To the tune: ST. THEODULPH All Glory, Laud, and Honor. Based on Luke 14:25-35. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
How blessed is Jesus’ fam’ly,
those born from heav’n above.
Adopted by the Father,
in Christ we know His love.
To idols we will turn not,
we love the Father’s home.
Belonging to Christ Jesus,
now we are not our own.

v. 2
With Christ we’ve died and risen,
this world is not our home.
The present age is passing,
our Lord is on the throne.
Though we are weak and helpless
to follow Jesus Christ,
He gives the Holy Spirit,
and resurrection life.

v. 3
In Christ we have possession
of the eternal prize.
The Father gives the kingdom,
the gift of highest price.
What are these tiny trifles,
that worldly men adore?
Compared to Jesus’ kingdom,
the richest man is poor.

v. 4
Our God is truly holy,
His wrath ’gainst sinners burns.
But peace through Christ is given,
for grace has Jesus earned.
He builds His holy temple,
and makes us living stones.
We’re members of His body,
and He supplies the growth.

v. 5
Lord Jesus, You are Sov’reign,
command whate’er You will.
But with Your will give power,
so we are Spirit-filled.
For we would love You dearly
above all earthly things,
and take our cross up daily,
for You our gracious King.

v. 6
To be Your true disciple,
We must love You, O Christ.
Renouncing all things for You,
and even our own life.
Like salt that keeps its savor,
O grow our love for You.
And make us useful, fruitful,
in works You give to do.

Does God really decide, and care who wins a football game? by R.C. Sproul Jr. | Ligonier Ministries Blog

2012-02-05T00:32:00.000-06:00

Does God really decide, and care who wins a football game? by R.C. Sproul Jr. Ligonier Ministries Blog

Eating the Eschatological or Kingdom Meal! --- devotion and hymn based on Luke 14:15-24

2012-02-04T21:50:00.000-06:00

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

(Luke 14:15-24 ESV)

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What a memorable dinner this was! First, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath to the chagrin of the Pharisees, and challenged their cherished but erroneous view of the day. Second, Jesus told a parable that rebuked the guests of the dinner for their pride. One might have thought Jesus was through, but then he proceeded to rebuke the host of the meal, criticizing his guest list!

What an awkward situation this had to be! So, as often happens in such situations, someone tried to save the situation with a statement with which everyone could agree. He said, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” When the kingdom comes at the end of history the great joy of every believer will be to be a part of God’s kingdom and to eat the eschatological banquet prophesied in the Old Testament (e.g., Is. 25:6)!

Jesus certainly agreed with this statement, however, what this man missed in his statement was two things: the eschatological banquet, i.e., the kingdom meal had already begun in Jesus’ table fellowship, and only faith in Jesus would allow a person to enter the kingdom and enjoy the benefits of his kingdom meal!

The following hymn emphasizes the fact that the kingdom is now here and our great privilege as believers in Jesus is to eat the kingdom meal, the heavenly feast, right now, even before it is consummated in heaven! Faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son brings us into his kingdom, his new creation, and already by faith we are partakers of the age to come! Christ and his eschatological benefits are ours! The table fellowship of the kingdom that began in Jesus’ ministry, was instituted at the last supper, and was eaten by the disciples after his resurrection, and this kingdom meal is an ongoing feast! Do you and I realize what a privilege it is to eat the eschatological meal---the kingdom meal of the new creation here in time whenever we partake of the bread and the wine of his supper? This is a main theme of the hymn below.

The last verse of the hymn makes reference to the excuses made by those who rejected Jesus and his kingdom. How foolish and absurd these excuses were and continue to be! What could be more important than entering the kingdom of heaven? The Pharisees and religious leaders did not value Christ Jesus the King, putting wealth and pleasure ahead of him. But what about us? Do we value Jesus Christ and his kingdom above all else?

The Humble and the Lowly Receive the Grace of God

To the tune: AURELIA The Church’s One Foundation. Based on Luke 14:15-24. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
The humble and the lowly
receive the grace of God.
In Christ they are forgiven,
made clean by Jesus’ blood.
They’re brought into His kingdom,
they eat the heavn’ly food.
How blessed they are in Jesus,
who died their substitute.

v. 2
The banquet now is ready,
the kingdom now has come.
The Father has raised Jesus,
the banquet has begun.
And sinners are invited
unto the heavn’ly feast.
Our joy to be in Jesus,
our Lord, our food, our drink.

v. 3
To eat in Jesus’ kingdom,
a joy beyond compare.
For Jesus is our portion,
the Son, the Father’s Heir.
By faith in Him we enter,
and eat the kingdom meal.
And through the Bread of heaven,
our sin-sick souls are healed.

v. 4
O don’t refuse the kingdom
of God’s belov-ed Son.
The foolish make excuses,
the wise to Jesus run.
He is the Light of heaven,
our purpose and our goal.
He only can give meaning,
and make the broken whole.

Time off...

2012-01-24T10:26:00.002-06:00

Vacation to Arizona...back February 3.

"Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" --- hymn based on Luke 14:1-14

2012-01-24T10:24:00.000-06:00

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things.
Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

(Luke 14:1-14 ESV)

God Is Gracious to the Humble

To the tune: LAUDA ANIMA (http://www.hymnary.org/tune/lauda_anima_goss). Based on Luke 14:1-14. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
God is gracious to the humble,
those who seek the marriage feast.
Dining with the Lord who’s risen,
Jesus, sacrifice and priest.
Lord, sustain us on our journey,
be to us our food and drink.

v. 2
Praise to holy, humble Jesus,
came from heaven down to earth,
came to us the Lord incarnate,
came to us as One who serves.
Last and least the rulers judged Him,
raised, the Father made Him first.

v. 3
Though the Lord is raised to heaven,
still He serves His church on earth.
Gives the Word and sends the Spirit,
gives His people heav’nly birth.
Raises us to life in heaven,
’round the throne we praise His worth.

v. 4
Eat the meal of Jesus’ kingdom,
see the risen Christ revealed.
Suff’ring Servant, Lord of glory,
through our Savior we are healed.
Take by faith the Christ who’s offered,
in the Word and holy meal.

v. 5
Serve the weak, the poor, the lowly,
that is who we are in Christ.
For God chooses not the mighty,
to the humble He gives life.
Therefore, look not down on others,
God gives grace to hearts contrite.

in all honesty: what I'm reading: how prayer is like marriage from JI Packer's Praying

2012-01-23T00:12:00.000-06:00

in all honesty: what I'm reading: how prayer is like marriage from JI Packer's Praying

helpful...

Terry Johnson's Calendar(s) of Hymns and Psalms for Public Worship - Reformation21 Blog

2012-01-21T20:29:00.000-06:00

Terry Johnson's Calendar(s) of Hymns and Psalms for Public Worship - Reformation21 Blog

Great resource for pastors in worship planning.

The Divine Service of Worship: Have We Lost our Way?

2012-01-20T00:36:00.001-06:00

I am writing hymns based on Luke’s Gospel, and recently I was working on a hymn for Luke 13:22-30. Here is how that passage begins:

“He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward
Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”
And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell
you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house
has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the
door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where
you come from.’”

Anxious to explain the meaning of Jesus’ words, “Strive to enter through the narrow door,” I began the hymn with a verse explaining this imperative or command. For the second verse I went back to the theme of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, the place where Jesus would die as the Savior of the world. Thus, I began the hymn with an imperative of the law and then moved to the indicative of the gospel.[1]

I thought the hymn was finished, but somehow, the hymn didn’t feel right to me as I sang it. Something was wrong. Finally, it dawned on me. I had reversed the New Testament order of indicative then imperative, of gospel then good works, of Christ’s service to us before our service to him.

Sadly, the mistake I made in my hymn is a mistake so many in Evangelical and Reformed churches are making on a regular basis in their church services. Our churches have forgotten the fact that the divine service of worship is first of all Christ’s service to us, not our service to him! The means of grace---Word and Supper---are just that! They are means through which Christ serves us. Through Word and meal Christ and his benefits are offered to us and received by faith. We come to the service, not primarily to give but to receive!

And, when we do give our worship and devotion to the Father through the Son and by the Spirit, that worship is to be fueled by the indicative of the gospel! Our hearts must hear the bad news of the law as the dark backdrop against which we hear the good news of the gospel. Then, having heard, received, and believed this wonderful gospel once again, we will be stirred to thanks and praise.

But in our churches we are losing the dialogue of sin, salvation and service or guilt, grace and gratitude. We used to begin our services, for example, with a hymn that spoke of God’s glory and majestic holiness. This then led to a time of confession of sins, and an assurance of pardon. After hearing the law and the gospel, we were then ready to sing our praise from thankful hearts and ready to offer ourselves to God in response to his mercy (Rom. 12:1).[2]

But, today, the dialogue of worship---of God speaking and our response---has been replaced by 20-25 minutes of non-stop singing---singing that often times communicates our story, not the Lord’s story of creation, fall, salvation, and consummation. We have forgotten the dialogical nature of worship. We have abandoned the back and forth of the historic liturgies of the church. Gone are the greeting of God, the call to worship, confession of sins and assurance of pardon, Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel readings with Psalms interspersed, and the pastoral prayer. Gone also is the weekly meal, which Jesus instituted specifically on the day of his resurrection, so that the sermon would rightly culminate in communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. Historically, the divine service of worship consisted of two parts: the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the table, but these two have been divorced, with the predictable result that sermons devolve into mere lectures. Nor is liturgy of the Word[3] doing its role of catechizing, for we have also abandoned the recitation of the Ten Commandments, Apostles Creed, and Lord’s Prayer (representing, respectively, the law, the gospel, and Christian service).

Do you see how we have silenced the voice of Christ in our services and replaced His with our own, at least, in part? Do you see how we have changed the dialogue from God’s story of sin and grace, law and gospel, justice and mercy, to the stories the latest contemporary Christian musicians may tell? It used to be that whatever song or hymn we sang was chosen to fit into the dialogue of worship. We didn’t string together four or five songs in a row without regard for the dialogue between the Lord and his people. Songs could function as the Word, prayer, praise, confession, or exhortation to one another. But now we just string songs together with no discernible gospel logic. The feeling that I experienced with my reversal of indicative/imperative is magnified ten-fold because so many things in our services somehow feel wrong.

Brothers and sisters, we are not applying our theology to our practice of worship (let us hope we are not!). During the Reformation, the reformers understood that a change in theology requires a change in worship. Reformed theology must be applied to the practice of worship, just as Charismatic theology or Catholic theology is applied, respectively, to Charismatic or Catholic worship. We kid ourselves if we think that our worship services are about style and have nothing to do with our theology. There is a reason Luther revised the worship service to reflect the rediscovered truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Luther, and the other reformers, understood that theology must be applied to our worship together.

I close with a chart that shows the historic pattern of Christian worship. Of course, Scripture does not give us one infallible liturgy! But it does give us truth that we can apply to our worship together. This chart shows the dialogical or conversational nature of Christian worship. The arrows pointing downward represent God’s Word to us. The arrows pointing upward represent our response to God’s Word to us. The arrows pointing horizontally represent our words to one another.

This sample pattern of worship, showing the dialogical nature of worship, comes from The Worship Sourcebook. Part of its preface to the chart says, “A regular order of worship protects the congregation from overly zealous or overly creative worship leaders who might impose too much of their own agendas on a worship service. A predictable order of worship gives the congregation something to hang on to, something to expect—especially those people, including children, for whom consistency is an important prerequisite for participation. Most important, a well-conceived order of worship ensures that the main purposes of worship are carried out. In other words, a thoughtful pattern for worship keeps worship as worship. It protects worship from degenerating into a performance, into entertainment, or into an educational lecture.”

Gathering
Call to Worship ↓
Greeting ↓
Prayer of Adoration or Prayer of Invocation ↑
Call to Confession ↓
Prayer of Confession and Lament ↑ ↔
Assurance of Pardon ↓
Passing of the Peace ↓ ↔
Thanksgiving ↑
The Law ↓
Dedication ↑ ↔

Proclamation
Prayer for Illumination ↑
Scripture Reading ↓
Sermon ↓

Response to the Word
Profession of the Church’s Faith ↔ ↑
Prayers of the People ↑
Offering ↑

The Lord’s Supper
Declaration of God’s Promises and Invitation ↓
Prayer of Thanksgiving ↑
Breaking of the Bread ↓
Communion ↓ ↔
Response of Thanksgiving ↑

Sending
Call to Service or Discipleship ↓
Blessing/Benediction ↓

-----------------------

[1] The imperative and indicative refer to two moods of Greek verbs. The indicative mood indicates fact or reality, while the imperative states a command.

[2] Romans 12:1: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
[3] The liturgy of the Word was also known as the liturgy of the catechumens, for its role in catechizing the people was recognized.

in all honesty: A statement of purpose for the new year

2012-01-19T13:32:00.000-06:00

in all honesty: A statement of purpose for the new year

The Journey of All Journeys---devotion and hymn based on Luke 13:31-35

2012-01-17T13:32:00.000-06:00

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
(Luke 13:31-35 ESV)

--------------------------------

“It cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem,” and so Jesus will not be deterred by the Pharisees from the course the Father set for him. Jesus comes as the prophet Moses spoke of when he said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen”
(Deuteronomy 18:15). And, like all the prophets, he too must suffer and be rejected.

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament office of prophet in two ways. First, like the prophets, Jesus spoke the words of God and performed miracles. Second, like the prophets, Jesus suffered for speaking God’s word to the world.

Of course, Jesus’ suffering, unlike the prophets, was redemptive. Jesus was not only a prophet, but also the very Son of God! His suffering and dying brought about the forgiveness of sins. His dying also marked the end of this present evil age, just as his resurrection marked the beginning of the new creation. But, still, as the eschatological or final prophet, Jesus spoke the very words of God and was rejected because of what he taught.

This same pattern of suffering for speaking God’s Word was continued by the apostles and is continued by faithful ministers today. Listen to what Paul says to Timothy, who was a pastor: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God . . . ” (2 Tim. 1:8). But why does the apostle Paul suffer? He goes on to tell us just a couple verses later: “I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do” (2 Tim. 1:11-12). Paul suffered because he faithfully preached and taught the apostolic message received from Jesus.

The hymn below focuses on the vast journey the eternal Son made in assuming our nature, and then going in that nature to the cross. It was a journey that defines the very notion of love. The only right and safe response to this journey is to welcome Jesus as our crucified and risen King, and to be willing to suffer if need be for our loyalty to Jesus and teaching.

A Journey Vast Was Made in Grace

To the tune: ST. CRISPIN. Based on Luke 13:31-35. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
A journey vast was made in grace,
from highest heights to lowest place.
The Son of God became a man,
in love fulfilled the Father’s plan.

v. 2
Jerusalem, His destiny,
there would He pay sin’s penalty.
The place where all the prophets died,
there would our Lord be crucified.

v. 3
Though tempted, Jesus set His face,
He wavered not to take our place.
He was the temple crushed and raised,
the place where sinners can find grace.

v. 4
The love of Christ, a flaming fire,
to gather sinners His desire.
Receive and welcome Christ the King,
hide in the shadow of His wings.

v. 5
To Jesus and His words stay true,
consider all He’s done for you.
He suffered, died and took your place,
with faith and courage run the race.

in all honesty: what I'm reading: come messy (Paul Miller on prayer)

2012-01-16T00:38:00.001-06:00

in all honesty: what I'm reading: come messy (Paul Miller on prayer)

I can relate...

Jesus' Journey and Ours --- devotion and hymn based on Luke 13:22-30

2012-01-13T21:35:00.001-06:00

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
(Luke 13:22-30 ESV)

---------------------------

Jesus is on a journey to Jerusalem that began in Luke 9:51: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Jesus is going to Jerusalem to die. His dying must take place in Jerusalem, for this is where the prophets perish (Luke 13:33), and Jesus is the prophet, whom all the prophets foreshadowed. However, this was Jesus’ mission from the beginning, for the Father sent him to die in our place for the forgiveness of sins. But ultimately Jesus’ mission culminates in the heavenly Jerusalem, for he must be “taken up,” opening heaven for his people. Thus, Jesus completes his round trip from the Father in heaven to the earth and back to his Father and heaven.

In this passage, again, Jesus emphasizes the need for repentance, just as he had in Luke 13:3, 5. To “strive” to enter the narrow door does not mean that salvation is by our works or by our moral striving. Rather, it means that the kingdom is gained by a God-given repentance that hears the Word of God and puts to death daily the sinful inclinations of the old nature or old man. Martin Luther understood this, for the first of his 95 Theses said, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.” Lutheran scholar, Arthur Just, agrees that this repentance is lifelong, and echoing Jesus includes in repentance the element of striving or struggle: “St. Paul offers a window into this inner struggle and how it is resolved in Romans 7:7-8:11 . . . . This ongoing, lifelong struggle characterizes the lives of all who are baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:1-11).

I am struck by the sentence Jesus uses twice in this passage to describe unbelievers, even if they did at times eat and drink with him (the Lord's table fellowship is not an automatic guarantee of salvation!): “I do not know where you come from.” If we are to be received into the heavenly feast of the kingdom when Jesus returns, we must be born from above. In other words, we need a second birth. By faith, even now, our home must be with the crucified and risen Christ in heaven. Those who are of this world and know only the first birth, Jesus does not know and will not acknowledge on that last day.

Another theme found in the hymn below is that of the Lord’s Supper and the way our Lord continues to feed us through Word and sacrament as we make our journey to heaven. When Jesus says that his words are Spirit and life in John 6:63, he means that he communicates his risen life to his people through the Spirit who indwells us and gives us the second birth.

The theme of the final verse is the theme of reversal. Just as Jesus was judged and crucified by a human court, but his verdict reversed by the Father through his resurrection and ascension, so too will there be reversals when God judges all people through his Son. On that day, some like the Pharisees who depend on their own righteousness will be condemned, while others who know themselves to be quite sinful but repent and turn to Jesus, will be justified.

For Us Jesus Made a Journey

To the tune: STUTTGART. Based on Luke 13:22-30. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
For us Jesus made a journey,
to the cross He set His face.
In Him we are raised to heaven,
Christ our home and resting place.

v. 2
Strive to live a life repentant,
live in Jesus’ narrow way.
Baptized into Jesus’ dying,
seek to live by grace through faith.

v. 3
Is your home in earth or heaven?
Do you know the second birth?
If you died and rose with Jesus,
live not for the things of earth.

v. 4
Soon arrives the feast of heaven,
Jesus present in His home.
Will the door be opened to you,
or the door forever closed?

v. 5
Praise the Lord who feeds His people,
feast of heaven now in time.
Gives Himself and all His blessings,
words of Spirit, words of life.

v. 6
Jesus’ judgment brings reversals:
some are first who will be last.
But the state of those repentant:
new in Christ the old has passed.

Parables of the Kingdom---devotion and hymn based on Luke 13:18-21

2012-01-11T23:17:00.001-06:00

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
(Luke 13:18-21 ESV)

------------------------------

These two parables serve as the conclusion to a discourse of Jesus that began in Luke 12:1. Jesus began that talk with a warning about the leaven of hypocrisy that can keep a person from the kingdom, and now he closes it with another reference to leaven, this time using leaven as a picture of God’s kingdom.

Both of the parables in these verses are similar. Both begin with something small that end up being large. The mustard seed was proverbially small, about one millimeter in width, and yet it grows to a tree 8 to 12 feet high. Similarly leaven, though small, works itself through even a large batch of dough (three measures of flour is about 50 pounds!).

God’s kingdom, which is equivalent to the new creation, will fully come when Jesus returns. But already this new creation or kingdom was present in the conception of Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary (it is also something we possess already by faith in Christ!). Just as the Spirit hovered over the waters at the beginning of creation, so also the Spirit “overshadowed” Mary to bring about the new creation in Jesus. Thus, the kingdom begins in a small and hidden way, in the womb of a virgin, and in the death and resurrection of the virgin’s Son.

In this hymn, I am using Jesus’ own imagery, in which he pictures his death as the dying of a seed which brings forth much fruit (John 12:24). I’m also using the Old Testament concept of the remnant, which referred to the few faithful Jews who stayed true to the Lord in the midst of widespread apostasy. In a very real sense, Jesus is a remnant of one, the only man who has remained faithful to the Lord from beginning to end. It is his faithful and righteous life that has won the kingdom for us.

Verse 3 changes the imagery slightly to picture the gospel as a seed that’s sown in our hearts, much like the teaching of 1 John 3:9. Only the regenerative power of God’s Word and Spirit can change us and keep us in union and communion with our risen Lord.

The Kingdom Starts Out Like a Little Seed

To the tune: MORECAMBE. Based on Luke 13:18-21. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
The kingdom starts out like a little seed,
the Holy One in Mary’s womb conceived.
The new creation starts with just one man,
the Son accomplishes the Father’s plan.

v. 2
The Spirit hovers as He did at first,
brings forth the child who will reverse the curse.
Jesus the remnant and the holy seed,
planted in death and raised as Lord and King.

v. 3
The gospel message like a seed is sown,
with pow’r to cleanse and idols overthrow.
Don’t be discouraged though the work is small,
our Lord is risen working all in all.

v. 4
In dying Jesus is a seed that’s sown,
in rising Jesus is a tree full grown.
And like the birds in Him we find a nest,
engrafted in Him we are ever blessed.

The Journey of the Christian Life

2012-01-09T23:11:00.000-06:00

These are some wonderful words from Arthur Just's introduction to his commentary on Luke. Just is a professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

"Life itself is a journey from birth to death. For the Christian, life is a pilgrimage from baptism to death, which is the entrance into eternity. In the waters of holy baptism, the Christian gets death over with as he dies and is buried with Christ and is reborn to new life in Christ that never ends. But as the Christian journeys to his destination of full communion with Christ in heaven, he lives under the cross, where he is continually living in Christ as hears his holy Word and feeds upon his holy food to sustain him on the journey. The Christian's pilgrimage climaxes in his physical death, which is an entrance to full communion with Christ in his heavenly home. The goal of the journey is to live in Christ's presence forever and to feast at his table for eternity."

A Sign of the Eternal Sabbath --- devotion and hymn based on Luke 13:10-17

2012-01-08T16:00:00.000-06:00

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
(Luke 13:10-17 ESV)

--------------------------

The Sabbath first shows up in Scripture in God’s rest on the seventh day. Unlike the other six days of creation, the Sabbath day had no evening or darkness. The Sabbath day pointed to an eschatological or eternal goal (eschatology refers to the last days and the new creation). If Adam would have obeyed the Lord, judging and resisting the serpent’s temptation, then he would have gained for the human race the Sabbath rest of eternal life forever. Instead, Adam sinned and all of us were barred from God’s kingdom, Sabbath rest, and life.

God in his mercy did not leave us in the sin, shame, and slavery of Adam’s sin. He sent his Son as the last Adam to earn for us what Adam had lost. Jesus gained the eternal rest, freedom, and life of the Sabbath on behalf of all those who place their faith in Him. His miracles were signs that indeed the eternal Sabbath was breaking into this present age through his person and work. So when Jesus heals this woman, who was cruelly bound by Satan, freeing her in his compassion by word and touch, this was a sign that pointed to the fulfillment of the Sabbath by a new Adam! Sadly, the ruler of the synagogue was blind to the eternal day and freedom to which the Sabbath pointed, which Jesus was bringing about (Leviticus 25 had taught that the Sabbath pointed to freedom from slavery and debt).

In verse one of the hymn below, we sing of the new creation and eternal Sabbath rest and life Jesus brought us. We receive what he has earned for us by faith in him. Verse two emphasizes how Jesus healed the woman (as he heals us) through word and touch. The teaching of Jesus is not enough if it does not bring us into contact with his life and power!

In verse three, the damage that sin brings to Adam’s race is taught, which is pictured by the burdened woman, bent over in her affliction, rather than standing upright before God. But all of us in Adam also bear Adam’s marred image, burdened and bent over by the guilt and the power of sin. But Jesus, the perfect image bearer, came to restore us to his image, and he begins that restoration even in this life, by communicating his grace and power to us through his Word and sacraments, for the sacraments are, like the miracles, signs which communicate Christ’s risen, eschatological, eternal Sabbath life to us, even in this life! The life of the age to come is already enjoyed in this life by those with faith in Jesus!

Christ Jesus Brought a New Creation

To the tune: O DASS ICH TAUSEND (click on Baptized into Thy name most holy 298). Based on Luke 13:10-17. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
Christ Jesus brought a new creation,
eternal Sabbath rest and life.
In Jesus there’s a liberation,
to live as children of the light.
He worked to earn our Sabbath rest,
through faith in Him His saints are blessed.

v. 2
O free us, Lord, from sin’s dominion,
in great compassion heal our souls.
O speak the word of sin forgiven,
and give the touch that makes us whole.
Jesus, You died and rose again,
O may Your life in us begin.

v. 3
In Adam sin has marred God’s image,
our sin a burden that deforms.
O Jesus, speak and heal sin’s damage,
and to Your likeness please conform.
Convey Your grace through Word and sign,
Your touch that heals this heart of mine.

Jesus' Teaching about God's Judgments in History --- devotion and hymn based on Luke 13:1-9

2012-01-03T17:19:00.000-06:00

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
(Luke 13:1-9 ESV)

--------------------------------

Sadly, disasters are common in a fallen world. Sometimes they are perpetrated by man, like the situation with the Galileans, whom Pilate put to death while they were presenting sacrifices in the temple. Sometimes they are natural disasters or accidents, like the deaths that resulted from the falling tower in Siloam.

In Jesus’ day it was common to blame the people who died in these disasters. “These people must have been more wicked than others to incur this judgment of God,” was the thought. In our day it is more common to blame God instead for such things. “Why did God not prevent these events?” is the question people ask. But Jesus would have us look at all of this differently. Jesus would have us see that all of us are guilty sinners who deserve the wrath of God. All of us have sinned in Adam and stand guilty before him, deserving his judgment.

The people in Jesus’ day were right about two things: first, they were right in seeing that God is sovereign over things like the wicked deeds of rulers or the falling of a tower; second, they were right in seeing these events as God’s judgments in history. But where they went wrong was in thinking that these judgments were directed at people much worse than them or us! Jesus would have us see that we too deserve God’s wrath and judgment. Jesus would also have us see that, indeed, his judgment is coming, for all of us will have to stand before him when he comes again to judge all of Adam’s guilty race. Therefore, we need to repent in order to avoid a negative verdict on that day that is coming soon.

In verses 1-3 of the hymn below, our situation as a fallen race in Adam is pictured. We are like men awaiting judgment. The Bible is clear: “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment . . . .” (Hebrews 9:27). There is only one hope of escape from a guilty verdict and that is to be joined to Jesus, who graciously came to bear our judgment at the cross. Natural disasters and “accidents” foreshadow and picture the judgment that is coming. When we see these judgments in the lives of others, or even in our own lives, they should remind us of our need to repent, for this is the step we must take to be right with God. Verse 3 helps us to see how repentance involves a turning away from sin and a turning toward Jesus.

Verse 4 of the hymn is a commentary on Luke 13:6-9. The unfruitful tree in these verses is Israel. Israel is often referred to in Scripture as a vine or tree. But, like Adam, Israel failed to bear fruit unto God. For nearly three years Jesus had healed and ministered among the Jews, but still there was no fruit. Therefore, the time for judgment was drawing near. Yet God is merciful, and he gave Israel time to repent, so that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, many Jews came to repentance were joined by faith to Jesus their King. Engrafted into the second Adam and true Israel, who died and rose on our behalf, a new life of daily repentance and faith is possible. From our union with the risen Christ comes the grace and power to live a life of daily repentance.

How Good and Kind is Jesus

To the tune: MUNICH. Based on Luke 13:1-9. Words: William Weber, 2012.

v. 1
How good and kind is Jesus,
in Him the Father see;
was sent for our salvation
to set the pris’ners free.
For men await the sentence
that’s coming on our race.
But Jesus bore our judgment,
that gives His people grace.

v. 2
In Adam, death’s appointed,
then comes the judgment seat.
For all will have to answer,
our Maker we will meet.
Disasters come upon men,
a picture of that day.
In Christ alone is safety,
in Him alone escape.

v. 3
“Repent,” the word of Jesus,
so turn from sinful ways.
In Adam all will perish,
a guilty, fallen race.
But there is hope in Jesus,
if we will turn to Him.
For on the cross He suffered
to save us from our sins.

v. 4
Our Lord, the second Adam,
embodies Is-ra-el;
the Son of God and David,
succeeded where they failed.
Engrafted now in Jesus,
receive His risen life.
Bear fruit of your repentance,
as those who’ve died with Christ.

Philip Ryken on the Real Tragedy of the Human Race

2012-01-03T00:13:00.000-06:00

I was reading Philip Ryken's commentary on Luke 13:1-9 and I thought these few sentences were particularly good. Here is part of the passage and then Ryken's comment:

"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Gali...leans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

". . . we are all going to die. This is something people often seem to forget after a disaster. We are horrified at the way people have died, and rightly so. We are shocked and grieved that people have fallen from the sky, or been swept out to sea, or killed in cold blood. In our distress we sometimes fail to see the real tragedy, which is that we are all going to die. In a disaster, death comes all of a sudden. Yet the overall death rate remains unchanged: it is still 100 percent. Since we belong to a lost and fallen race, we are all destined to die, and after that, we will face the final judgment . . . ."

Ryken is teaching us, just as Jesus, that the great tragedy is that we are part of a fallen race that is under the sentence of physical death and eternal death. And, unless we repent, we too will suffer both kinds of death.

Did Jesus Bring Peace or Division? --- hymn and devotion based on Luke 12:49-59

2011-12-30T13:45:00.000-06:00

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

(Luke 12:49-59 ESV)

---------------------------

The comedian and actor, Jim Carrey, in an interview on 60 Minutes, once said, “I’m a Buddhist, I’m a Muslim, I’m a Christian. I’m whatever you want me to be . . . it all comes down to the same thing.” Jesus would disagree. Jesus has already warned us about hypocrisy and greed in chapter 12, two things that can move us away from our devotion to Christ. Now Jesus warns us about the truth of his ministry in the world, which brings division to the world, not peace. Just as hypocrisy and greed can cause us to fall away from Christ, so too can the desire to get along and be at peace with everyone move us away from our devotion to Jesus.

But didn’t Jesus come to bring peace by reconciling us to God? Yes! But this peace with God comes only to those who receive and welcome his Son as Lord and Savior. The gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection comes to lost, condemned sinners, who must make a decision about Jesus. Thankfully, some receive him by grace, and the Spirit comes to dwell in their hearts. But others do not receive him and so they remain in Adam and under God’s just condemnation. The gospel of Jesus Christ divides the world, and this is what Jesus spoke of when he said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Verses 1 and 2 of the hymn below, explain how Jesus himself was baptized by fire. Jesus endured a bloody baptism at the cross, bearing God’s fiery wrath that we deserved. He took our place and bore the righteous penalty our sin deserved. The debt we owed, Jesus paid at the cross, even down to “the very last penny” (v. 59), so that we might be released from our debt to God. What a joy it is to be right with God, to have a clear conscience, and have peace with him!

Verse 3 reminds us of the pain and suffering confessing Christ in the world can cause. Confessing Christ in the world brings division, and this division often occurs in families. Although our faithfulness to Christ and his Word may sometimes cause us to lose peaceful relations with our families, the reward of Christ’s favor and life are far more important and valuable.

The last verse of the hymn is a commentary on verses 54-59. We need to understand the times in which we live. All of us are on a journey which will bring us face to face with our Creator and Judge, Jesus Christ. The problem we face is that we stand guilty before this Judge. Our case is hopeless before him, for the law accuses us of not having loved God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Unless we turn to Christ in repentance and faith, we will experience God's just penalty of eternal death. Therefore, it is imperative that we get right with God before we stand in court to meet him. Thankfully, we can get right with the Judge, because the Judge was willing to be the Savior of those who put their trust in him and welcome him as their Lord and Savior.

Do you know the time in which you are living? More importantly, has the Judge become your Lord and Savior, whom you trust and love. On which side of the divide do you stand?

Praise Our Lord Who Has Accomplished

To the tune: ALLE MENSCHEN MUSSEN STERBEN (click on All men living are but mortal 601). Based on Luke 12:49-59. Words: William Weber, 2011.

v. 1
Praise our Lord who has accomplished
our salvation, our release.
Fiery judgment He endured it,
so we might have grace and peace.
Baptized with God’s righteous anger,
Christ our Lamb has earned us favor.
Praise the Lord who took our place,
bore our sins and deep disgrace.

v. 2
Why did Jesus have to suffer?
Why was Jesus crucified?
Adam’s pride and deep rebellion
can’t be swept and brushed aside.
Sin brought death and separation
from our God and condemnation.
But in grace the Father sent
Jesus Christ to pay our debts.

v. 3
Jesus’ gospel brings division,
for each person must decide.
All are lost, condemned in Adam,
’til they’re joined to Jesus Christ.
Though you lose your friends and fam’ly,
you will be rewarded amply,
if you come to Jesus Christ,
you will gain eternal life.

v. 4
Know the times in which we’re living:
we’re defendants brought to court.
Christ the righteous Judge is coming,
of His glory we fall short.
But the Judge will be our Savior,
in His grace He’ll grant us favor:
Come by faith, in Him abide,
in His blood be justified.

The Public Reading of Scripture

2011-12-30T01:46:00.000-06:00

I found this pretty interesting and a bit depressing given our modern practice. It comes from Lutheran scholar Arthur Just in his book on the liturgy called "Heaven on Earth." He writes, "The reading of Scripture in the Word service in the ancient Church could last as long as an hour. (Today, the average length of time for the reading of all three of the lessons is between six and eight minutes! We moderns are in such a hurry.) This is why the Liturgy of the Word was called "the liturgy of the catechumens." Hearing the word of God within the Body of Christ for one hour was a significant act of formation for the catechumens and the baptized."

Christ's Return and Our Service --- a hymn and devotion based on Luke 12:35-48

2011-12-28T18:50:00.000-06:00

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

(Luke 12:35-48 ESV)

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This passage contains three parables of our Lord. All of them pertain to his second coming and our service as we await his coming. Once again, but not surprisingly given Luke’s emphasis on table fellowship (food is mentioned in every chapter of Luke’s Gospel), meals are prominent in two of these parables.

In the first parable (verses 35-38) we learn something amazing. At his return, Jesus will serve His people at the heavenly meal, the wedding supper of the Lamb. This is in keeping with the humility of our Lord’s first coming when he came to serve and give his life a ransom for many, and it is in keeping with his continued service of his people through word and sacrament.

In the third parable (verses 42-48), Jesus shows how his people, and especially pastors and elders, are to care for his flock. The church of Jesus Christ is the household of God, and the ministers of the church are “set over his household,” so that they might “give them (his people) their portion of food at the proper time.”

Is it a coincidence that once again food is the theme? No, for Jesus Christ is the bread come down from heaven, and we receive Christ and his benefits through word and sacrament, the very thing Jesus entrusted first to the apostles and then to pastors and elders for the ongoing nourishment of his people.

Although this passage is first of all for the ministers of the church, the passage should also be applied to all Christians as they seek to serve the risen Lord. The Christian life is too high and holy for us to live, however, and this is why we must live in close communion with our risen Lord. Only because we are united to his death and resurrection can we live a new kind of life of service to others --- a life fitting for those who have died to the old life and belong to the new creation. The last three verses of the hymn try to show how the passage may be applied not only to pastors, but also to parents, and to every Christian as they serve the church and the world.

Jesus Christ Will Come Again

To the tune: ABERYSTWYTH (http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/UMH/479). Based on Luke 12:35-48. Words: William Weber, 2011.

v. 1
Jesus Christ will come again,
risen King the Judge of men.
Let His servants be at work,
let them not their duty shirk.
Pastors, teach the Word of God,
point to Christ who shed His blood.
Let the little lambs be fed,
nourish them with heav’nly Bread.

v. 2
God the Son eternally,
came in great humility,
took our nature and He served,
died our death though undeserved.
This is love beyond compare,
in His death and life we share.
In His resurrection life,
others serve as shining lights.

v. 3
Christian, in your Lord abide,
serve in strength that He provides;
died and risen with your Lord,
living by His every word.
Humbly serve and imitate,
in the kingdom this makes great;
serve and suffer like your Lord,
He will be your great reward.

v. 4
Pastors, give the Word and meal,
Jesus Christ can sinners heal.
Fathers, give your children Bread,
pray to Jesus they be led.
Catechize the young and old,
who belong to Jesus’ fold.
Plant and water, sow the seed,
for lost sinners intercede.

Jesus' Little Flock and the Father's Favor --- hymn and devotion based on Luke 12:22-34

2011-12-24T15:30:00.000-06:00

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(Luke 12:22-34 ESV)

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We can learn a lot from this passage by observing how Jesus looks at creation. Notice that he sees his Father’s hand in nature. According to Jesus, the Father feeds birds and clothes flowers. Jesus does not point to the evolution of ravens as an explanation for their survival, nor to evolution as an explanation of the beauty of the lilies. Rather, he sees his Father’s loving hand in creation.

Then, notice, how Jesus applies this to those who are his disciples through their faith in him. Jesus sees the Father’s care for the birds and the flowers as an indication of God’s love --- a love which we should apply to ourselves, who have a far higher status than birds and flowers! If we believe in the Son of God, then we too are sons, adopted children of Jesus’ Father, and we can count on his tender love. If the Father is loving to little flowers and little birds, then surely he will love and care for us, His Son’s little flock!

The emphasis of Jesus on food and clothing in this passage about the kingdom is instructive. How do we enter into Jesus’ kingdom? We enter through baptism and faith, and baptism is likened by Paul to being clothed: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Once we are clothed in Christ and have entered his kingdom, how are we sustained in his kingdom? We are sustained as we feed on the Bread of life, whose body and blood are true food and true drink.

Although Luke 12:22-34 is teaching us that our Father will clothe, feed, and care for all our physical needs, even more, the passage is pointing to our Father’s spiritual care of his children. The hymn below emphasizes both, but it especially focuses on the Father’s tender favor and delight in giving us the kingdom his Son has won. After emphasizing these truths in the first five verses of the hymn, the last verse focuses on our response to the Father’s grace to us in Christ.

Don’t Be Anxious Little Flock

To the tune: CANTERBURY. Based on Luke 12:22-34. Words: William Weber, 2011.

v.1
Don’t be anxious little flock,
in the Father’s favor walk.
Baptized, clothed in Jesus Christ,
at His meal you’re given life.

v. 2
Don’t be anxious little flock,
in the Father’s favor walk.
In the Son we now abide,
clothed in Him and justified.

v. 3
Don’t be anxious little flock,
in the Father’s favor walk.
In His Son He will provide,
food and drink to satisfy.

v. 4
Don’t be anxious little flock,
God, His Son, He spared Him not.
Gift of love beyond compare,
trust Your Father’s gracious care.

v. 5
Don’t be anxious little flock,
to the Father you belong.
He will clothe and He will feed,
He will care for all your needs.

v. 6
Seek the Father and the Son,
and the kingdom He has won.
Give your wealth, in heav’n invest,
then you will be truly blessed.