Matins - February 21
First Sunday in Lent
First Sunday in Lent
First Sunday in Lent
Invocabit Sermon Notes
February 18, 2018
Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is written in 2 Corinthians chapter 6: 1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. Thus far the text.
Let us pray: Gracious Father, You instruct Your people to pray that we not be led into temptation. Grant us Your Holy Spirit so that we may love Your Word and remain in it; in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The Apostle Paul argued against his opponents, who were quite similar to Luther’s opponents of the day. The titles are different but the motivations are the same.
Lutherans commonly use “Pietist” as an insulting word today, but they fail to grasp how deep the spirit of Pietism is.
The foundational error of Pietism is to make sound doctrine secondary, in fact to make sound doctrine a barrier to cooperation and love. It is easy to express their interest in a way that sounds appealing.
For instance, Pietists would say, “Cooperation among men is more important than pure doctrine from God.” Deeds are better than Creeds. They talk about “Christian-bashing” and “the error of becoming tangled in petty doctrinal wars.”
Two toxic errors makes Pietists especially dangerous:
One is their setting aside of the Means of Grace. They do not emphasize the Word of God. They also do not emphasize Holy Baptism or Holy Communion.
The other error of Pietists is their example of doctrinal purity meaning nothing. Anything goes because the experience and the love matter most of all. Because the True Church of Pietism does not like sound doctrine, they take great pride in running down those who favor the Confessions, those who do not admire their great works of love.
Luther is the best litmus test for Pietism, not the words used. The Pietists like Calvinism too. But Calvinism is doctrine, it teaches against the Means of Grace. Not teaching the Means of Grace is by definition an anti-Biblical and anti-Lutheran act.
Therefore, Pietists rage against Luther, just as the false teachers raged against Paul.
But look at Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6 –
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
BY THE WORD OF TRUTH –
We value the Word of God because it conveys Christ and His forgiveness to us. What is more important than justification by faith? The Promises of God energize our faith. En-ergy means to work, and the efficacy of God’s Word is taught throughout the Scripture. In the New Testament, efficacy is almost letter for letter the word “energy.”
Faith is not something that already exists, except in the generic sense. We are born with faith in our parents, especially our mothers, but not with faith in God. The Word of God creates faith in the Gospel where there was nothing before.
Many different terms show that the Gospel promises are living seed that germinate at once. We are grafted onto Christ.
The Word of Truth brings the righteousness of Christ to us. The Holy Spirit works only through the Word, so nothing else can do that, no matter what some people claim.
BY THE POWER OF GOD
The power of God is identified with the Holy Spirit, since this is how God works through the Word. The Third Person of the Trinity is named after the wind (ruach, pneuma) in Hebrew and Greek, because Jesus taught, He works in the same way. The wind has enormous power, but no one can see it. We experience the effect of the wind, even though no one sees it coming.
BY THE ARMOUR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ON THE RIGHT HAND AND ON THE LEFT,
Justification by faith is armor against the attacks of Satan. Luther has several wonderful stories about that, doubtless because he suffered from many emotional onslaughts or spiritual attacks (Anfechtungen, as he called them).
One is about a bishop who stayed at a haunted house, filled with ghosts, realizing that Satan was using people’s fears to keep them away. Faith in the Gospel makes those fears go away. The Greeks were so aware of this effect, which can cause mass hysteria, that they had a god for it – Pan. And Pan was good for causing “pan-ic.” Many military battles are lost from panic, not from actual superiority.
The other story concerns a statue who gave predictions and worked by the deceiving power of Satan. A bishop by staying at the inn made it go away in anger. The innkeeper was angry, followed the bishop, and rebuked him for ruining his business. The bishop wrote a letter: “To Satan. I give you permission to possess the statue again and predict the future.” The letter was placed at the foot of the idol, and predictions started anew. The innkeeper thought about the irony of writing a letter to a statue and began to believe in the Gospel. He eventually became a bishop himself.
Thus fear influences panic, while faith subdues fear and places trust in the power and mercy of God. Only the Word can do this.
Pietists make idols out of men, but sound doctrine points people to the Gospel promises.
Announcments for the Week of February 18th
Announcements for the Week of February 18th
ANNOUNCEMENTS for the Week of February 18th
ASH WEDNESDAY service and sermon
LAST SUNDAY'S service and sermon
AARON’S ELDER GROUP - WOULD YOU LIKE PASTOR TO VISIT? Please let me or Aaron know. For those not in Aaron’s elder group, I am still available to meet with you, too. My hope with a faster rotation is that visits and the care of your souls outside Sunday mornings will be a little more deliberate. I have explained this more in the February Newsletter Also, feel free to stop in during scheduled Office Hours, which are Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 - 6:00pm. Thank you and God bless you. Pastor Pautz
HEAR MORE ABOUT LWML Who: Any women interested in learning about LWML. What: Learn and Serve! Make school kits for Families Helping Families of Iowa, hear ladies share their experiences with LWML, and learn what resources are available through LWML. When: March 11, 2-4pm. Where: Iowa East District Office (1100 Blairs Ferry Rd, Marion). Why: To enjoy fellowship, learn about LWML and serve the Lord! Please email Rachel at rach.wegener@gmail.com to RSVP by March 6 , so we can have an idea how many to plan for.
THE LWML MITE BOX is in place at the exit of the sanctuary today. Your coins and dollars are appreciated in helping reach our mites goals! Thank you!
DIRECT OFFERING Some of you have asked again what are the ways in which you may give your offerings. The offering envelope given during the offering in the church service. Some mail in envelopes. Some stop in during the week to give an offering or ask me to put it in the offering plate during visits. Also, you may give a single or ongoing offering through Direct Offering.
THRIVENT CHOICE - Remember Our Savior Lutheran Church in your annual Thrivent Choice distributions. Click here for the Thrivent website. Thank you.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING Next Sunday
Organist Mary Francis Organist Susan Eversmeyer
Elder Group Aaron Eversmeyer Elder Group John Buttke
Acolyte Zarah Stoltzfus Acolyte Kayla Hirschfeld
Greeters Darren & Angie Banko Greeters Darren & Angie Banko
FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
Invocabit Sunday
Sunday, February 18th at 9:00am & Monday, February 19th at 6:00pm
Service 151 Introit in bulletin
Hymns 431(1-2), 656, 421, 438, 439, 752, 801, 431(3-4)
CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK
Today
08:00am Individual Absolution
09:00am Divine Service
10:30am Sunday School
Monday
01:00pm Sunnybrook Bible study
02:00pm Homebound Visits
04:00pm Office Hours
06:00pm Divine Service
Wednesday
06:30am Men’s Bible Study
09:00am Matins Service 05:30pm Lenten Meal
09:30am Women’s Bible Study
04:00pm Office Hours
05:30pm Lenten Meal
06:00pm Catechism Classes
06:00pm Choir Practice
07:00pm Lenten Service
Sunday
08:00am Individual Absolution
09:00am Divine Service
10:30am Sunday School
IN OUR PRAYERS
+Salem Osland (Darin’s wife) hip surgery +Juliette (John & Carolyn Yeater’s great-granddaughter) heart surgery +Isabella Valenzuela (Jerry & Peggy Hart’s granddaughter) bone marrow transplant +John Francis (Mary’s husband) treatment +Tom Van Hemert (Liz’s husband) seminary student - contact information is located in the Narthex +Lucille Wingerter - homebound +Marvin (Bud) Plank - homebound +Lillian Graf - homebound during the winter months +John & Becky Ernst Anniversary
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Sermon Notes
2 Peter: 2-11
Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is written in 2 Peter 2: 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thus far the text.
Let us pray: Holy Father, you have made us brothers to your Son Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit during this Lenten season so that we may be confident that You will never forsake us and that we may remain confident in the hour of our death and joyful always; in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Lent is a time of somber joy. Somber because you are reminded that you are dust and to dust we shall return (Gen 3:19) meaning, you will die in the body. Joyful because you believe in Jesus the Savior of your soul. In this Gospel death does not have the last say. Jesus does.
After hearing receiving ashes upon your forehead and hearing the Gospel reading
You might think only hypocrites would do such a thing in public. We do it as a little signal of unity among us as a congregation. We do it at the end of the day so no one will see you marked with ashes. Finally, I encourage all of you to go home after the service and wash your face.
St. Peter’s second letter is the topic of this sermon. His first letter focused on justification by faith, That you believe in Jesus is the work of God for you.
St. Peter’s second letter is focused on the fruit of your justification. Fruit does not produce a tree. A tree produces the fruit. The tree is the forgiveness of your sins. Tonight we focus on the fruit of your forgiveness; which is love toward others; with is good works.
The question in particular is this: How can you be confident that you will die in a somber joy?
St. Peter gives us a little roadmap to follow. This Lent ask the Holy Spirit to increase your fruit for the benefit of others while at the same time for the benefit that even in the face of death, you will be joyful.
First, St. Peter says supplement the tree of faith with the fruit of virtue. What does this mean? It means let your faith be seen by others. Attend the Divine Service more often. Attend Bible study more often. Supplement the faith you have with this virtue, the Word of God. Martin Luther has this to say about the difference between lazy Christians and mature Christians, saying:
He, whose manner of living shows that his faith is accompanied by good works and thus becomes strong will have an entrance richly provided for him, and he will enter yonder life cheerfully and confidently. Thus he dies courageously, despises life, departs with pride, as it were, and leaps into the eternal kingdom. But if the others enter at all, they will not go so joyfully. The door will not be open so wide for them. They will not have such a richly provided entrance; but it will be narrow and difficult for them, so that they struggle and prefer a lifetime of weakness to the thought that eventually they will have to die. Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 30: The Catholic Epistles, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 30 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 160.
Second, to the tree of faith add the fruit of knowledge - knowledge about how to lead your outward life in a sensible manner. Not eating or drinking too much or too little.
Third, to the tree of faith add self control - in all outward living, life, words, deeds, bearing with the weak gently, etc.
Fourth, to tree of faith add steadfastness - if you live life well don’t expect to escape attack.
Fifth, to the tree of faith add godliness - serve God and not our own glory
Sixth, to the tree of faith add brotherly affection - help others in their needs.
Finally, to the tree of faith add the fruit of love - this love extends beyond brotherly affection toward friends to helping even our enemies in their needs.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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