Sermon for Trinity 8

 

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

 

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

 

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets” (Matthew 7:15). He warns his little flock, telling them to expect that there will be “wolves in sheep’s clothing”.

You know what that’s like. You’re hearing the voices of false prophets all the time, spewing forth ideas about religion, or ethics--what’s right and wrong, ideas about the philosophy of life; ideas that clearly go against the Word of God.

Some of these false prophets know exactly what they are doing: they are intentionally subverting the Lord and His good ways.

But many of the proponents of false ideas do so because they have been deceived, led astray. Unwittingly, carelessly, they pass on the ideas of false prophets who have gone before them which appeal to their sinful minds--deceived to think they are doing good, even as they live and work against the Lord and His Word.

Jesus indicates what it will be like on Judgement Day. Many will say to Jesus, when he comes to judge the living and the dead, “Lord, Lord, we have been prophesying in your name. We cast out demons in your name. We did great things for you.”

And Jesus responds to those poor misguided souls, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

That’s what they will hear. In this life they were happy to follow and spread ideas of religion and the philosophy of life that were against the Lord and His Word. The were happy to come up with ideas out of their own imagination. But come Judgement Day they will hear, “Depart from me.” And then there is only hell. Hell was created for the devil and any angels or archangels or men or women who depart from the Lord.

Hell is not a pleasant thing to talk about. It’s not a comfortable easy thing to think about. But we must. Remember what the Holy Spirit said in the Old Testament reading from Jeremiah about those who say to those who despise the Word of the Lord, “‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:17).

It is better to warn of hell, than to deny it or ignore it. There will be disaster for those who follow their own ideas of religion and the philosophy of life.

And they have no excuse, for God himself gives true religion and the true meaning of life in the preaching of His Word for you.

We are pleased to confess this each time we remember the Third Commandment. God has not left us to our own devices, our own imagination, our own hearts and minds to figure all things out. He gives us the preaching of his Word to hold sacred and gladly hear and learn.

Over the years, Lutherans have observed the ways people try to know God and His ways – how they’ve tried to build a relationship with God, even make deals with God. Already back in the 1500s, Martin Luther and his co-reformers pointed out how so many turned to human experts like popes, and priests and scholars who could mediate the way to know God and his ways. You can’t rely on human experts, even if they are powerful, captivating personalities, if they prophesy contrary to the Word of God. All humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Lutherans observed that many tried to find within themselves the ideas of religion and the way of life. Some rely on their own reason and intellect, supposing themselves to be smart enough to figure things out. Others rely on their own hearts, their emotions—what feels right, that becomes the deciding factor. But human reason and emotion are full of sin and incapable of grasping God. Imagination is a Fawlty guide. Emotions are shaky ground on which to base your life and faith.

So in 1530 our Lutheran forefathers confessed before the world and the Roman Catholic Emperor at that time, these words: “God cannot be dealt with, he cannot be apprehended, except through the Word.” (The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, “Concerning Justification”.)

That’s why God wants you to know and keep the Third Commandment. “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” Never despise or neglect God’s Word and its preaching. But hold it sacred. Gladly hear it. Gladly learn it. And by it, as through means, apprehend God.

That commandment is for you, who gladly hear and learn the Word. That commandment is for me, that I diligently work to preach it to you and those not here. Pray for this please.

The Holy Spirit says in the Jeremiah passage for today, “Is not my word like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (23:29)

The word of God is power. Power is the ability to do work, to accomplish great things. The Powerful Word of God does things. So, Let it be so. Hear it. Believe it. Let it guide you, shape you, comfort you.

Jesus says a good tree is recognized by its fruit. Your Lord Jesus is recognized by his good fruit – His word. His word of Law that tells you what to do for your own good and tells you when you have done wrong, to admit it and do right. And his word of Gospel, which is His word from the cross, where in his dying breath He says to his Father in heaven, “Forgive them.” And to the believer with him there, he doesn’t say, “Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness”. He says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Amen.