2018 Winter - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)

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Special Issue:

Preaching Christ and Him Crucified...FOR YOU! • The Kingdom Is Yours • You Are What You Eat • Jesus Is the Death of Death—and more!

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H I G H E R

Contents T A B L E O F

Volume 18/Number 3 • Fall 2018

HigherThings

®

Volume 18/Number 4/Winter 2018 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html Executive Editor

Katie Hill Art Director

Steve Blakey

This issue features a collection of

Editorial Associates

Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Gaven M. Mize Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard

sermons delivered by some of your favorite pastors! Each sermon was particularly memorable to preach for the contributors.

Be sure to check out the catechism article by Rev. William M. Cwirla, which zeroes in on how to listen to a sermon. Also, we recommend you read the Bible passages that are the foundation for each sermon. And as you settle in, try to imagine you are hearing these words right from the pulpit. A few of these sermons are available to listen to on our website as well.

We hope you enjoy each sermon as you “listen to” (read) Law and Gospel rightly preached— all Jesus—FOR YOU!

Copy Editors

Kay Maiwald Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard Rev. Sam Schuldheisz Joshua Ulm ___________ Board of Directors President

Rev. George F. Borghardt Vice-President

Rev. Duane Bamsch Treasurer

Mr. Eric Maiwald Secretary

Rev. Joel Fritsche

Special Features 4 The Kingdom Is Yours

By Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Rev. Fenker is the pastor of Bethlehem and Immanuel Lutheran churches in Bremen, Kansas. He is the also the media executive for Higher Things.

6 You Are What You Eat

By Rev. Mark A. Pierson Rev. Pierson is the pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Long Beach, California. Besides being a regular author for Higher Things Magazine, he is a contributor to the books Making the Case for Christianity and The Resurrection Fact. He would like to note his indebtedness to the many great preachers he has heard and learned from over the years.

9 Jesus Is the Death of Death

By Rev. Donavon Riley Rev. Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota. He is also the online content manager for Higher Things.

10 There’s No Shame in Baptism

By Rev. Harrison Goodman Rev. Goodman serves as the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll, Nebraska. He is a current contributor to the Sermons FOR YOU podcasts at Higher Things.

12 Your Personal Jesus

By Rev. Gaven M. Mize Rev. Mize is the pastor of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hickory, North Carolina. He is also the author of Beauty and Catechesis and serves on the doctrinal review team for Higher Things.

14 It’s Not Fair!

By Rev. Richard Heinz Rev. Heinz is the assistant vice president for Mission & Ministry at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Illinois. He is also the worship coordinator for Higher Things.

22 Is There a Wolf in Your Pulpit?

By Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Rev. Richard is the pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Minot, North Dakota. He is the author of Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? 12 False Christs. Rev. Richard serves on the doctrinal review team for Higher Things.

25 Beautiful Feet

By Rev. Mark Buetow Rev. Buetow is the pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in McHenry, Illinois. He is a long-time writer for Higher Things and the author of The Catechism Prayer Book.

Regular Features 28 Catechism: Liturgical Catechesis: The Readings and the Sermon

By Rev. William M. Cwirla Rev. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, as well as a president emeritus of Higher Things. Known for preaching and recognizing a good sermon when he hears it, he has elected to devote his regular spot to teach us how to be hearers of the Word preached!

30 Bible Study: Jesus is the Death of Death

Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Donavan Riley’s article on P. 6.

Deaconess Ellie Corrow Rev. D. Carl Fickenscher Mr. Bob Myers Rev. Chris Rosebrough Mr. Kurt Winrich ___________

Executive Council Deputy Executive/ Conference and Retreats

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Marketing Executive

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The Kingdom Is

Yours

By Rev. Aaron T. Fenker

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Sunday: Trinity 20 (Matthew 22:1–14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Called, chosen, clothed: that’s you, in Jesus. You’re in the Kingdom. You’re died for. You’re raised from the dead for. You’re redeemed. You’re holy. All those things are taken care of for you by your Heavenly Father in and through His Son, Jesus.

That’s what this parable’s all about because that’s what the Kingdom’s all about. The parable doesn’t separate these things at all. In fact, Jesus joins them all together in Himself and His Father’s Kingdom forever. There’s no other hope or confidence than Him. There’s no other calling, choosing, or clothing than what the King provides freely as a gift.

It’s all gift—wedding gift, salvation gift, eternal life gift.

That’s not just the parable; that’s the Kingdom. In Jesus that’s true—true for you. True for you only in Jesus.

Called, chosen, clothed—the Kingdom is yours.

This happens in Holy Baptism. There the Lord called you as His own. He gave you His Name. There you were made a child of the Father, an heir of eternal life, and co-heir with Christ. Enlivened with the Spirit at the font, you’re no longer dead but living, not un-chosen but chosen. Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, chosen in Christ—“baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:27)—at the font.

And in Holy Baptism clothed. Clothed with Christ.

Clothed with His righteousness, His holiness, His perfection.

Garment freely given at the font. You have a name, a calling, an election, and a garment. These don’t fade away.

They don’t wear out. Neither does the Kingdom that they put you in—that Holy Baptism puts you in—for all those freebies flow from the font for you.

Called, chosen, clothed—the Kingdom is yours.

This means the Supper is yours, too. The guests in the parable were chosen, called, and would’ve even been clothed. All free gifts from the King to fill up His Son’s wedding banquet. That’s how the Kingdom works.

So also you: you’re chosen, called, and clothed for the Son’s eternal feast, the marriage feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom which has no end.

The king’s son had his bride. The eternal Son has His— His Holy Christian Church. Jesus died for Her. Rose for Her. His side was pierced for Her. Water and blood not only for Her, but water and blood make Her. Jesus’ Baptism and the Supper of His Body and Blood create and sustain His Bride as holy, spotless, pure forever.

You’re in on that. You’re in the Kingdom, after all. You’re in the Bride, the Church. Your Baptism says so. As we sang today, “Wedding garments He provides me” (LSB 620:5).

And now not only is the eternal Supper for you, but the Supper of the Son’s Body and Blood is for you, too. Body and Blood given not only then, but also delivered in the Kingdom now, today, for you.

Called, chosen, clothed—the Kingdom is is yours.

Until it’s not. The gift is rejectable, and it was rejected.

The King wasn’t sending out RSVP cards. No, he’d already given them a spot at the table. His call goes out: “Come!

It’s all ready!” (Matthew 22:4) They had excuses. “One [went] to his farm, another to his business” (Matthew 22:5). No one ever uses farming or work as an excuse, do they? Or whatever other empty excuses we come up with.

The time for excuses will end. There are no more excuses on the Last Day. You can make all sorts of excuses to the Lord’s disciples, but not the soldiers (who exact the King’s punishment in today’s parable). The result for all rejectors of the gift—destruction. No excuses in the King’s presence either. No excuses for rejecting His freely-given garment, just silence or being “speechless” (Matthew 22:12) and “Outer darkness…weeping… gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). They didn’t want the Supper, didn’t want His Garment, didn’t want His servants continually calling them to the Supper. They got exactly what they wanted. No Supper, no King, no Son forever.

Baptism freely given with Jesus’ righteousness, the Holy Spirit, life, salvation—all rejectable. Excused away.

Life, farming, work get in the way of using your Baptism not only in your daily callings, but in the Lord’s calling you to receive the Supper of His Son’s Body and Blood where He prepares you for the eternal feast that has no end.

We can make all sorts of excuses now, but the time will come when the King’s presence will silence all your excuses. You don’t want what His Baptism really does for you, don’t want His Supper, well, then no eternal Supper either. Just what you wanted—forever.

But that’s not you, is it? It is…your flesh. “The flesh has not those pure desires” (LSB 555:1). Your flesh takes you off to your farm, your work, with your endless excuses, and your flesh makes you not even care that you live that way “daily and much” (SC III, 5th Petition). Repent.

Your flesh must be destroyed, be burned up, must die.

You need a new man to “daily emerge and arise” (SC IV, 4).

It does—only in and through Jesus and His Spirit within you. The Spirit is at war with your flesh through the Word and Gifts alone, and so you are in Jesus, baptized into Him, and in on His Body and Blood only through His Supper.

Here you receive the Spirit’s weapon, the blood of Christ, which the Spirit uses to make you alive to love God. Called, chosen, clothed: that’s you, in Jesus. You’re in the Kingdom, in Jesus. You’re died for, in Jesus. You’re raised from the dead for, in Jesus. You’re redeemed, you’re holy, in Jesus. All those things taken care of for you by your Heavenly Father—you guessed it—in and through His Son, Jesus. His Baptism. His Supper. His Word. His Absolution, too.

Called, chosen, clothed—the Kingdom is yours.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

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You Are What Yo

By Rev. Mark A. Pierson

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 32

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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You are what you eat. My parents said this when I was a child, hoping it would get me to choose fruit over French fries, or spinach instead of Skittles. It never worked. It only gave me a mental image of oversized junk food with arms and legs. The threat was disarmed by the silliness of it all—and of course I never saw any of my friends turn into a can of Coke or a bag of Cheetos. But there is a grain of truth baked into this old saying, and in more ways than one. You are in fact what you eat, because when the food you consume is digested it gets incorporated into your body’s cells— what you eat and drink literally become a part of you, and so they affect what you are, and who you are.

This is true of our Christian life as well. We live in a world where Happy Meal Worship and Finger Lickin’ Good Theology are far more popular, quick, and easy to get our hands on and to stuff our faces with than a good, steady diet of hearing, reading, singing, and praying the Word of Christ, and receiving His Body and Blood in the Supper. Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep, but He does not tell Peter to open a trendy chain restaurant where you can build your own religious buffet.

Thankfully, like loving parents who give their kids what is good and healthy, our Heavenly Father knows our needs and how best to satisfy our hunger and thirst for righteousness. We do not need catchy slogans; we need salvation. We do not need plate after plate of empty Christian calories; we need the spiritual super food of God’s holy Word. What we eat matters, and so the words we use in our preaching and teaching matter, the

words in the liturgy and in the hymns matter. For we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. But just as the right kind of food can give life, the wrong kind of food can bring death. This is seen most clearly in our Old Testament reading, which has one of the most iconic images in the entire Bible: Moses on Mount Sinai, standing with the stone tablets of the Law, one in each arm, carrying the Commandments down the mountain to God’s covenant people, to reveal to them the good and holy will of their good and holy God. And what happens next is an anticlimactic plot twist of biblical proportions. You likely know the story but imagine if you had never heard it before. These Hebrews, who suffered as slaves for over 400 years—who begged and pleaded with God for Him to finally do something—at long last have their prayers answered. The God Yahweh waged war against all the gods of Egypt and won. This God picked a fight with Pharaoh to set His people free and won for them their freedom. The Hebrews witnessed miracle after miracle: their firstborn sons were saved by the blood of the Passover lamb—which they ate, and they walked across the Red Sea on dry ground while Pharaoh’s army was drowned to death in a watery grave.

They came to the mountain where Moses met God in the burning bush, and with their own eyes they saw holy fire descend from heaven with smoke and thunder and lightning.

But after Moses is gone a little too long, the Hebrews get frantic. They forget all that God’s done for them and

feel like they’re spiritually starving to death—like their religious waiter hasn’t checked on their table for hours. So they take matters into their own hands and make for themselves an idol, a graven image, a statue of God in the form of a bull. And the thing about this is… that’s what their enemies the Egyptians had. The pagan, heathen, oppressive slave-driving Egyptians made idols for their gods, graven images in the form of animals, and one of them was depicted as a bull. So when the people give their gold to Aaron and ask him to make them gods, and Aaron gives them the golden calf and says,“Here is your God,” they are in fact saying that one god is as good as another, that there is no real difference between the God of Abraham and the bull-god of Egypt.

If we think of it in terms of marriage, this is every bit as bad as if a guy had rescued a gal from an abusive relationship, won her heart through selfsacrifice and showered her with love, but then on their wedding night, when he steps out to grab a bottle of champagne, he comes back to find her in bed with the same guy who used to beat her. And what does she say in her defense? “It’s your fault for being gone for so long.

Besides, what difference does it make?

You two are basically the same anyway.”

Certainly that analogy breaks down, but you get the point. The honeymoon between God and Israel has only just begun, and already the bride is committing adultery in the worst way possible. You can see why Moses is so angry! Even before the covenant has been ratified, it’s already broken, violated, smashed into a thousand little pieces, just like the tablets themselves. It does no good to pick up the pieces. All the Hebrew women and all the Hebrew men couldn’t put the Law back together again. What’s done is done, and there is

ou Eat no going back. The chosen people have rejected the One who chose them, and so they are served their just desserts.

In his anger, Moses forces the people to swallow their statue, to ingest their idol, to feast on their false god of gold. I can only imagine him treating them like little kids who have to take their foul-tasting medicine, like it or not. As they whine and squirm and flail about, Moses holds them down, forces their jaws open, and pours their welldeserved poison down their throats.

And by this, they are literally given a taste of death. For this wouldn’t be pure gold, but a mixture of gold and other metals that were toxic. Apparently, it was spread so thin between them all that it didn’t kill the whole lot of them but the message is unmistakable. The difference between the one true God and the gods of the world couldn’t be more stark, more drastic, more consequential. The God of Abraham feeds you with His own life; the others offer nothing but death. Death is the only thing on the menu when the devil and his demons are your chef and servers. And you are what you eat.

God feeds you life, and you become immortal; the devil feeds you death, and you become the walking dead.

Now, I’m fairly certain that you don’t have a golden calf that you bow down to, that you don’t offer sacrifices to Satan, and even that you don’t rub the belly of a Buddha to get good luck. If you do any of those things, be sure to let me know.

But even though you’re a Christian and not a Hebrew, even though you live on this side of the Cross and not before it, even though you baptized believers are now the chosen people of God, you are no better at keeping God’s covenant, no better at keeping God’s Law, no better at fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things.

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Idolatry is not just about statues.

Infidelity is not just about defiling the marriage bed. There are any number of ways to flirt with false religion, any number of ways that a weak and faltering faith manifests itself in your life.

Remember how Paul levels the playing field in Romans. You don’t worship idols?

Good for you. But do you put Christ Jesus first in your life? Do you conform your will to His will? Do you daily repent and daily trust in His promises? Or, do you cheat on Christ the Bridegroom or on your diet of God’s Holy Word?

Do you quickly forget all that God has done for you—from your daily bread, to your family, to your salvation— and spurn His good gifts by seeking satisfaction elsewhere? Do you fill your belly with gossip, with slander, with an obsession about your self-image, with images on the internet, with your accomplishments and riches and prestige? Do you get frantic when God doesn’t do things on your timetable, or when you think He’s left you all alone to fend for yourself? Do you lose faith, lose your way, lose your hunger for the Gospel, and take matters into your own hands by creating new gods to feed you with their empty promises?

With insatiable appetites, we greedily gulp down false gods of comfort and convenience. We worship the works of our hands, the intentions of our hearts, whatever we think will make us happy. We swallow the lie that feel-good, watered-down Churchianity is just as good and healthy as the message of Christ and Him crucified. But this is not where nourishment is found. This is not the source of health and healing. All these idols merely make us bloated and ready to burst, while we never feel full and are really just wasting away.

That’s why idolatry is a package deal.

You always get what comes along with your false god—the delicacy known as death. You eat death, and in turn death eats you. It swallows you up and doesn’t spit you out but slowly digests you, with stomach acids of disease and decay, starting at your birth and lasting for all eternity. If you don’t believe it, if you think this is just a scare tactic, then tell me, please, how do you plan to cheat

death? How do you possibly expect to avoid receiving the wages of your sin?

You have seen the effects of death on this world, on your family, on yourself— and you know full well that there is nothing you can do about it.

But where you are powerless, Christ has all the power. Where you are helpless to rescue yourself, Christ rescues you in spite of yourself. Where you find yourself guilty of feasting on poison and death, Christ feeds you the remedy that reverses the curse and brings life out of death.

If you have flirted with false religion and betrayed the Bridegroom…if you have given in to temptation and cheated on the truth…if you feel like you have smashed your faith in Christ into a million little pieces…do not worry and do not lose hope. For your God is the God who keeps His marriage vows no matter what, He is the God who forgives and forgets every sin you commit no matter how big or small, He is the one and only God who can put you and your faith back together again.

In Christ Jesus, the God of Abraham has invaded this world to redeem this world. He comes to you humbly and with salvation, to court you with His self-sacrifice and to shower you with His love. He has descended once again to a holy mountain to give His Holy Word— but not a word of Law that brings death if you break it, rather a word of Gospel that brings life and cannot be broken.

As it is written, the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

But notice that long before Jesus came on the scene as a man, God was still gracious to His chosen people even though they didn’t deserve it.

In anger, God’s wrath burned against them for violating His covenant. But He didn’t annihilate them right then and there. He relented and had mercy—all because Moses pleaded with God and asked Him to spare them. Now think about this: who is Moses to do such a thing? Who was Moses to have the ear of God, and make intercession on behalf of sinners? Moses was a sinner, too!

A murdering, cowardly, complaining sinner. And yet God listened to Him.

How much more, then, will God listen to His own sinless Son who makes intercession for you, who pleads with His Father on behalf of you! If the blood of the Passover lamb kept the people safe from death, how much more does the blood of the Lamb of God keep you safe from eternal death? If the old covenant, written on tablets of stone, made the Jews a holy nation, how much more does the new covenant, written in the wounds of Jesus, make you holy?

If God listened to Moses who punished people by feeding them death, how much more will He listen to Jesus who was punished with your death so that He might feed you life?

With the Law accusing us, with our sins slowly starving us, with death dancing on our graves, we need a new and better Moses who can fulfill the Law, forgive our sins, and swallow up death in victory. And that is exactly who Jesus is—that is exactly what Jesus does, for you.

You are what you eat. At this feast, Jesus is the host, the server, and the meal—He feeds you with His words of life, He feeds you with the antidote to death, He feeds you with His immortal Body and Blood. There is no forcefeeding of whiney brats here, just an open invitation to partake of God’s good gifts. For by eating and drinking Him, you again are given the ultimate package deal: wherever Christ is, there, too, is forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the feast that ends all famine, He is the food that truly satisfies. By consuming Him, the devil and his false gods cannot harm you, for Jesus literally lives inside of you—and the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

You are what you eat. Now taste and see that the Lord is good!

In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus Is the Death of Death

By Rev. Donavon Riley

He said to them, “Leave! The girl’s not dead. She’s sleeping.” But they laughed at him. (Matthew 9:24)

In the Name + of Jesus. AMEN. How do you deal with death? How do you wrap your heart around death each time it happens? Is there a coping method? Is there a remembering? Do you take it hard? Do you seek therapy? Do you draw strength from others? Do you go home and sit by yourself? Do you even want to talk about it, or are you just stuck with the cruel grip of death on your heart, and it feels like no talking will relieve the pain?

What can you say about the worst of all losses? What good is there in death? You remember the people you’ve lost. Their unique personalities. The experiences with them. The memories of them. All that they gave you in their life, and in their death. What their life taught you, and what their death teaches you. The mark they left on you. Those precious moments. Those precious memories.

Their beauty. What they gave to you.

Then comes death. Death is wretched, and horrible, and cruel. Death isn’t fair. Death is inescapable. There’s no way out. No one gets out alive. Death is part of life. Like the contrast between darkness and light, without death there’s no life.

That’s life as you see it. But there’s no death with Jesus. With Jesus death has lost its sting. Death has lost its bite. Where Jesus says, “She’s not dead, she’s sleeping,” death dies. Where Jesus says, “You’re not dead, you’re sleeping,” death dies. Jesus is the death of death.

Jesus sets you free from the wretched, horrible, cruel grip of death. Jesus sets you free in order to give you to the day. Jesus gives you to the day to live with purpose and passion. Jesus gives you to the day to wake up with gratitude, to wake up thankful for the morning, to go into the world and live. But not life as you see it. Not life that’s gnawed on by death. Jesus gives you to the day to live free from death’s wretched bite.

So don’t cry anymore. Don’t mourn anymore.

Remember, but don’t dwell upon death. Instead, laugh, and love, and embrace, and praise and thank Jesus for life. He’s your Life, and all He gives to you today. You live with Christ Jesus, and those who now sleep wait for Jesus to come and speak to them, to wake them up, and to call them home.

To death, Jesus says,“No more. No more excuses for why someone should stay dead. No more chasing people down. No more preying upon peoples’ indecision, no more lies, no more preying upon peoples’ weakness.” No more time for death because now is the time for Jesus—God’s strength and will—who says to death,“You shall die!”

Jesus does the work. Jesus holds the line. Jesus suffers and bleeds. Jesus hangs on the cross that’s meant for you. And there, on the cross, your wretched, horrible, cruel death hung upon Him so that you can now say with total confidence that you’ve been crucified with Christ.

It’s no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you.

And the life you now live in the flesh you live by faith in the Son of God, who loves you and gives Himself for you (Galatians 2:20).

So how do you deal with death? How do you wrap your head around death each time it happens? You say, “Jesus is the death of you, my death. In Baptism, I died with Jesus on the cross, so that I may now walk in a new life.”

On account of Jesus’ work for you, you live a crucified life because Jesus is the death of death, and the life you now live you live by faith in the Son of God, who loves you and gives Himself for you. Jesus does the work for you. Jesus holds the line for you. Jesus is your Life. AMEN.

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There’s No Shame in

By Rev. Harrison Goodman

The Feast of St. Mary (Luke 1:39-55 & Isaiah 61:7-11)

S

o I guess this is the part of sermon where I make you feel guilty so I can talk about Jesus. At least you were expecting it. We talk a lot about guilt. Way more than we ever talk about shame.

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It makes sense, though. Guilt is louder. Shame burrows deep down inside. Guilt won’t shut up. Guilt has to deal with fault. It will argue all day about why it’s not my fault. Guilt is a contest. I’ll talk long enough until I convince myself you have more of it than I do.

Shame. That goes deeper. Shame honestly doesn’t care whose fault it is.

Shame is when you actually start to believe your own dumb arguments about why it’s not your fault, but you still feel like garbage. Shame cuts so deep that even when it actually isn’t your fault it still doesn’t matter.

Shame is the secret weight around victims’ necks. Abuse. Assault. Rape.

You can find people who wear these burdens like scarlet letters. We tell them all the same thing: “It’s not your fault.” They know that, objectively. Still, shame is so heavy they need support groups just to try and carry it together.

Shame hides so deep that there doesn’t seem to be a way to get rid of it so it won’t come boiling up every time you see something that reminds you of the thing you don’t even want to name.

Call it “the incident.” Don’t call it anything at all. Still, it only seems to take a face. A car. A smell. It rips open old wounds that won’t heal right. That’s because talking about whose fault it is doesn’t help with shame. It’s not that simple.

So here’s Mary, the Mother of God, the Theotokos (God-bearer), blessed among women. Except more people are concerned with what happened in her bedroom than any other human being alive. Today’s atheists didn’t

invent the jokes about her lying to Joseph. She heard them all.

You can tell me she never spared a thought for any of them. She just smiled serenely like every painting we’ve ever seen. You can claim that she had perfect self-esteem while people called her every disgusting and degrading word for a woman they could think of. That reminding herself this wasn’t her fault made those words hurt less. That she never lost sleep over it. That even though she didn’t want this or ask for it, an angel said it was hers to bear so she never once wavered or sinned. But I doubt it.

Maybe it’s because the Scriptures say all have sinned. Maybe it’s just that I know I don’t deal so well with shame myself. I just can’t help but wonder if Mary didn’t feel the same way. I’ll never know though. The Bible doesn’t say she felt ashamed. Then again, neither do we admit it when we feel it.

Shame traps things down. That’s what’s so demonic about it.

Shame traps the Gospel in this room. Shame is the wall the devil builds between Gospel promises spoken to you in church and the rest of your life. You can hear God-given, potent words: “In the stead and by the command of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Say Amen. Fine. I’m forgiven. But still you think about it all day. Still, you won’t sleep tonight. Still, you’ll dwell on it years later. Bottle it up.

Shove it deep down. Carry it.

So while we can’t stop talking about guilt, we’ll do almost anything to avoid talking about shame. We are so content with hiding it that to have it exposed again is a fate worse than death. I actually mean it. There are some things we would rather die over than have ripped open for the world to see. It’s a fate worse than death. Shame is the hell we drag around inside us on earth. Who do you really think deals in shame? I don’t think the point of this religion is to leave you feeling dirty about your body and worse about your soul.

I think God knew everything that Mary would bear and sacrifice. Every hurt she’d feel. Every shame she’d carry.

And I think He wanted something else for her. It’s found in the promise He made to her through the prophet Isaiah, 700 years before she was born.

“Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy” (Isaiah 61:7).

I think this promise is so potent that the Holy Spirit who called Mary to faith wrote a hymn so full of peace she sang it even as everything fell apart around her. We call it the Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

The hymn isn’t about how great Mary is. It’s not that Mary considered herself so humble or even that she considered God so gracious. It’s that God regarded her. In favor. In mercy.

In love.

Baptism Which honestly sounds terrible.

When it comes to shame, that’s our worst fear. I don’t want anyone to see it. I’d rather talk about looking humble.

I’d rather talk about why it’s not my fault. I still feel like trash, but I can at least pretend that nobody sees it.

Except God does. He rips it open for all to see. He hangs it on a cross for you.

Jesus bore it there for you. He died for you. Not just for your sin, which He calls forgiven, but for your shame, too, which He calls cleansed. He bore all of it for Mary, and for you.

He made a promise to you, too.

“Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion.” This is His promise, His everlasting covenant. He will erase your shame and give honor and justice.

Just don’t start from your shame and work backward to God. You’ll never be clean enough to approach Him. Start from the cross. He made Himself low enough to approach you. To save you. To bear you. Even your shame.“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.”

This is who you are now. Baptized.

You are what He has made you to be.

Holy. Worthy of love. If you are what God says you are: holy and precious, work forward from there. God says His holy ones deserve a double portion because they were bought with such a price. Not gold or silver, but the blood of God which washes away that which you’d rather bury. You don’t need to carry it around anymore. Leave it at the cross where it hangs naked. It’s finished. You wear white robes now.

You are baptized. Whatever anyone would say, God speaks louder. So even now, Mary is truly blessed among women, and alive in Christ. Even now, you are not the sum of what you

hide, but the same thing that blesses her: Jesus. When old Adam can’t sleep because of shame, drown him daily in those waters so that the new man may rise and live before God righteousness and purity forever. Find peace in these waters that daily make you clean. Holy. Worthy of love. Amen.

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Š Waamel | Dreamstime.com

Your Personal Jesus

By Rev. Gaven Mize

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Transfiguration Sunday Matthew 17:1-13 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. Â In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Revelation 1:12-16)

T

his description of Jesus from St. John’s Revelation is the clearest of Jesus’ divinity. The imagery and sense of awe flows right into John’s eyes, to his heart, and out through his pen. It is so descriptive that we who are reading the text see Jesus in a way that we have never seen Him before. Nowhere else in Scripture does it define what Jesus’ eyes of flame or feet of burnished bronzed feet are. Nowhere else in Scripture do we find the voice of Jesus like the roar of water or His mouth as a two-edged sword. Only in St. John’s Revelation do we find Baptism flowing from the mouth of Jesus in such a way that we become afraid for our own lives. This is a Jesus who means business. This is the Jesus who we know will come to judge both the living and the dead. This is far from the Jesus in the Gospels.

Or is it?

Peter, James, and John saw a glimpse of Christ’s divinity on the Mount of Transfiguration. They witnessed the face of Christ shining bright like the sun and His garments white as snow. Then appeared the bastions of the Law and Prophets: Moses and Elijah.

Peter in his excitement wanted to remain with Christ, Moses, and Elijah. He wanted to be with Christ there on the mountain forever. Yet, this could not be. For Christ came to earth to rescue men from their sins.

Years ago, the phrase, “My personal Jesus” ran wild. And while it still lingers today there is a massive problem with this saying and Peter learned this lesson first hand. We all want our own personal Jesus. It’s easier that way. We find no idiocy in the fact that it just so happens that our “personal Jesus” agrees with whatever we feel or want to do at any given time. To twist Jesus’ will and purpose is to create and idol out of “god” or the idea of Jesus. We sinfully desire to take Jesus off ourselves, rub the lamp, and have Jesus pop out to do our bidding. By using this “personal Jesus” man has given himself over discord, slander, disruption, hate, and even splitting the church down the middle. We have put up far more than three tents. We have put up as many tents as we can and we live in them, calling our plight right and our brothers and sisters wrong. We sit in those tents and in our own sin like people who have no ears to hear nor tongues to confess.

This is where we miss the beauty of Christ’s transfiguration. In our text Peter comments, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

And who could blame him? He wanted to be where Christ was for all time, yet he didn’t understand how that was to be possible. But Christ did make it possible, just not on that mountain. God’s voice came booming out of the clouds, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” And the following words that Peter, James, and John heard was, “Don’t tell

anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

There we have it. Christ could not remain on that mountain for He was heading toward a completely different mountain—a mountain where His Divine splendor would not shine like the sun, but where His humanity would be on full display as He hung from the cross and died. He was heading to Golgotha: the place of the skull.

Between the Mount of Transfiguration and the place of the skull we find ourselves as wandering and filled with longing as the disciples. “Let us set up tents for you Christ that we might always be with you.” And Christ cries, “Forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing.”

If you as a sinner want to see a “personal Jesus,” then go to where the person of Jesus is found. Go to church and find Him in Holy Communion. Enter into His Holy House and remember your Baptism. Go into the streets and to your vocations as one who has been covered by the blood of the Lamb and has been washed clean and white as snow.

There will come a day when we shall be in a tent with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Through the death of Christ that forgives our sins and the resurrection of Christ that gives us the hope and promise of our own resurrection we remember that Christ will come again to raise the living and the dead. Christ, in all His divine glory with come as the judge that final day. We will see Christ as St. John saw Him. We will see Christ sitting at the throne and we will be invited to the feast of the lamb in His kingdom. This tent, where we will see Christ, is not just any tent. It is the great wedding tent and you, His Church, are the Bride.

On that day we will hear the words of Christ, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” And the faithful shall enter the Kingdom of God and the pagan into eternal hell.

You have been saved by grace through faith. You are baptized Christians. Do not build up tents to the false god of self, but believe, trust, and rejoice in the salvation that Christ has won for you. For in this we have been given much more than a mountain. We have been given the entire Kingdom of God. Enter the doors of this Kingdom through your Baptism. Sustain yourselves with the Body and Blood of Jesus. And when your body fails and returns to the earth from which it came you will fall into the embrace of your master. Then, in that Kingdom, you will see Christ face to face. And because Christ didn’t stay on the Mount of Transfiguration but died for you, when your time to die comes you will say with joy and confidence, “All is well.” Amen.

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It’s Not

By Rev. Richard Heinz

Septuagesima: Matthew 20:1-16

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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We have all been there. The high school or college class with the group project.

Some kids show up late. Some are spending the entire time focused on anything but the project. Some will simply show up and manage to look important so the teacher thinks they worked hard. And there you are, working the whole time, and frustrated that every other lazy kid will get the “A” that you worked so hard on!

It’s not fair!

We whine and complain, not knowing what should change, but feeling that something should, because we have been wronged. Other people have not worked as hard or as long at it. They get this abundant grace from the teacher. It’s not fair!

Sometimes outside of Scripture, we hear great moments of wit and wisdom, like in the film, The Princess Bride. One of those moments is when Westley quips, “Life’s not fair, Princess. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.” It’s a reasonable observation of the world. But back to the Scripture lesson at hand.

Do you ever stop and consider how ridiculous it all sounds? “But Lord! It’s not fair!” “Yeah, yeah. That’s nice Jesus.

You kept going out and hiring people later in the day. It was nice charity to offer a little work so they didn’t starve.

But pay them the same wage!? As us?

We who have been here all day!? Are You kidding!? That just isn’t right.

We might even think, “I’m not so sure I want to work in Your vineyard if You are going to give wages away for those who haven’t worked as hard or tried as hard, or been as sincere or well-dressed or well-behaved as me.”

But hold on. Stop for a moment and remember that the vineyard this passage refers to is not merely a lot of ground with some grapevines growing on it. The Lord is speaking of His kingdom here and is proclaiming His grace.

Your self-righteousness is rejecting the true righteousness of Christ. Your selfimportance and trust in your own hard work at your spiritual health refuses the God who brings His perfect healing. You refuse to recognize that you “cannot by your own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ [your] Lord or come to Him.” And so you still have the nerve to cry out, “It’s not fair!”

Well, let’s think about that, shall we? How can God be fair here? You see, every last human has this problem with self-righteousness and self-importance.

Fair!

The problem is, that simply there is no excuse. You cannot just say, “Well, Lord, everybody’s doing it. It’s okay.” No, not at all. That does not mean that everyone is excused; it means every last person is guilty. It means that every single human ever born, other than the Lord Himself, is a wretched mess, and deserves only condemnation. Are you sure you really want “fair?”

“Fair” means that not only the murderer and terrorist receive a deadly judgment, but you do as well. “Fair” means that not only the vicious, violent criminal is condemned to hell, but you are, too. “Fair” means that the death sentence is not just for wicked prisoners but is bestowed on every last one here.

No, you do not want fair. In the end, if the Lord God is fair, He is handing out horrifying judgment on the entire population of the world. Do not ask God to be fair; pray that He be gracious.

And the Good News is that gracious is precisely what He is! Your blessed Savior has reached out and rescued you in Holy Baptism. He has saved you from the devil, the world, and your sinful self. He did not do what was fair, and leave you to your own brokenness and destruction, but He refused to simply be fair, choosing instead to be merciful. So He redeemed you.

Stop and think for a moment: rather than bemoaning it as devastating, we can celebrate that Christ Jesus is NOT fair.

We rejoice that instead of leaving us to the fair results of dying in our sins, the Lord in His boundless love and unsurpassed grace has taken that judgment on Himself and has blessed you with the undeserved forgiveness and mercy that have restored you to God. And having been restored, you know the importance of teaching and proclaiming this faith in our mercifully unfair God. He has gathered us together in this parish, has raised up the blessing of this school, brought us together with even more in our District and Synod, and even given us Concordia University nearby. None of these blessings are deserved. It’s not fair. But it is merciful and gracious!

“I am baptized into Christ!” Indeed, you are. Baptized into Christ, you are His own, blessed with His mercifully unfair advantage. “It’s not fair!!” No. It’s not. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin

Concordia University Chicago River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University Irvine Irvine, California

July 30-August 2, 2019

In a world where youth are tempted to compromise, Higher Things is excited to announce our 2019 conferences centered on the theme of the Church and Unity.

God speaks. We receive His Words into our ears. He gives our tongues the words to say to Him and to those around us. We repeat, together, His Words back to Him. We sing them, we confess them, all agreeing together, “with one heart and voice” our confession of Jesus!

Visit

Concordia2019.org or email conferences@higherthings.org for more details.

“Let us recall that in our midst Dwells Christ, His only Son; As members of His body joined We are in Him made one.” (LSB 845, 6)

Concordia isn’t just a feeling that we are one. It’s not only something that we strive to have. We don’t sacrifice what we believe in order to be unified. True concord is always centered around the confession of Christ and Him crucified!

Concordia. It literally means “with one heart” in Latin. The Church is unified around the confession of Jesus as our Lord and Savior like a congregation singing together in many different parts but singing the same song together in perfect harmony.

“Unite my heart to fear your name that I might walk in your truth.” (Psalm 86:11)

July 16-19, 2019

July 2-5, 2019

June 26-29, 2019 Concordia University St. Paul St. Paul, Minnesota

June 24-27, 2019 Concordia University Nebraska Seward, Nebraska

2019 2019 HIGHER HIGHER THINGS THINGS CONFERENCES CONFERENCES

Concordia

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Concordia 2019 HIGHER THINGS CONFERENCES June 24-27, 2019

June 26-29, 2019

Concordia University Nebraska Seward, Nebraska

Concordia University St. Paul St. Paul, Minnesota

July 2-5, 2019

July 16-19, 2019

July 30-August 2, 2019

Concordia University Chicago River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin

Concordia University Irvine Irvine, California

Why Higher Things?

We live in a culture of blurry religious distinctions and do-it-yourself spirituality.

Youth, especially, need solid ground that will nurture lasting Christian faith. Rather than treating youth as an adolescent subculture and confusing them with religious experiences that cannot be replicated at home, Higher Things believes in challenging youth to learn the pure doctrine of the Christian faith. By teaching them the same message that they hear at home, youth grow in the fullness of the Christian faith as they come to appreciate historic liturgical practice and its unique focus on God’s gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation for us delivered in Word and Sacrament.

The Theme: Concordia

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 18

“The Word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:25) “Concordia.” It literally means “with one heart” in Latin. The Church is unified around the confession of Jesus as our Lord and Savior like a congregation singing together in many different parts but singing the same song together in perfect harmony.

Concordia isn’t just a feeling that we are one.

It’s not only something that we strive to have.

We don’t sacrifice what we believe in order to be

unified. True Concord is always centered around the confession of Christ and Him crucified!

God speaks. We receive His words into our ears. He gives our tongues the words to say to Him and to those around us. We repeat, together, His Words back to Him. We sing them, we confess them, all agreeing together, “with one heart and voice” our confession of Jesus!

In a world where youth are tempted to compromise, Higher Things is excited to plan our 2019 Conferences centered on the theme of the Church and Unity.

Registration Download a Registration Packet with detailed registration information and instructions at Concordia2019.org.

Registration will open on November 1, 2018 and close as each site reaches capacity. We work very diligently to keep costs as low as possible while providing the best conferences we can – every year! The per-person rates below are based on the date your group’s registration fees are paid in full.

Additional fees may apply for registrations and changes made on or after May 1, 2019. Balances paid on or after May 1, 2019 will incur a $25 perperson late fee. See the Registration Policies for more information about fees and deadlines.

Concordia

Concordia University - Seward, NE (June 24-27, 2019) Concordia University - St. Paul, MN (June 26-29, 2019) Concordia University - Chicago, IL (July 2-5, 2019) 2019Concordia HIGHER THINGS UniversityCONFERENCES - Mequon, WI (July 16-19, 2019) Concordia University - Irvine, CA (July 30-August 2, 2019)

Your Registration Fee includes: • All conference programming (Catechesis, Worship, Entertainment) • Three (3) nights of campus housing (double-capacity) • Nine (9) Meals (Tuesday supper through Friday lunch) • Conference Handbook • Daily Services Book • Conference T-Shirt • Free issue of Higher Things magazine Not only can you register your group online at Concordia2019.org, you can pay deposits and your balance online. Just follow the instructions on the webpage to register your group.

Age Requirements Higher Things conferences are generally planned for high-school-aged youth, but registrants may be any youth who have been confirmed prior to the conference, including middle school and college students. We recognize that the ages of confirmed youth vary from congregation to congregation, and just ask that if a group is bringing young people who are not yet confirmed or in high school, their group leaders be prepared to provide additional supervision accordingly.

EARLY BIRD! Nov. 1, 2018 to Jan. 31, 2019

REGULAR Feb. 1, 2019 to April 30, 2019

LATE (on or after May 1, 2019)

$375

$400

$425

Chaperones Chaperones must be at least 21 years old at the time of the Conference, and approved by the Group’s pastor to serve in that role. There must be at least one (1) male Chaperone for up to every seven (7) male youth in a registered group, and at least one (1) female Chaperone for up to every seven (7) female youth in the group. There is no restriction on the number of Chaperones that may register with a group. All Chaperones and other adults in a group must complete the Registration process.

If a Group needs assistance in finding Chaperones for the number of Youth they’re bringing, Higher Things can provide a list of Group Leaders from their area who may be contacted to ask if they would be willing to help out. Please contact the Conference Registrar (registrar@ higherthings.org) for this assistance.

All adults/chaperones registered to attend a Higher Things conference must also pass a national criminal and sexual predator background check by May 1 of the conference calendar year. All Higher Things staff, volunteers, and leadership complete child safety training and annual background checks. See the Registration Policies for more information about background checks.

Conference Capacities The 2019 conferences in Nebraska and Minnesota each have a capacity of 400. The conference in Illinois has a capacity of 800. The conference in Wisconsin has a capacity of 1,000. And the conference in California has a capacity of 500 registrants.

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ND YE A R

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www.csl.edu/taste

www.csl.edu/vocatio

www.csl.edu

admissions@csl.edu

CUI

You

At Concordia University Irvine, we understand that you are many things. You may be a scholar & a seeker.

An athlete & musician. An artist & scientist. A leader & a learner. We value your &s. It’s where your passions as a student intersect with your calling. As a Lutheran Christian university, we call that vocation & we know that you have more than one. At Concordia, you have the freedom & the guidance to pursue all of your &s.

Whether you want to major in business or psychology, music or math, or become a teacher, we’ve got you covered.

Learn about Concordia University Irvine majors, scholarships, athletics, and more at: www.cui.edu/ug 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, CA 92612 • (800) 229-1200 • admissions@cui.edu

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Is There a

Wolf in the Pulpit?

By Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard

Jeremiah 23:16-23, Matthew 7:7-15-23, Acts 20:27-38

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

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We have a very clear theme in all our readings today.

Jeremiah said this: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, filling you with empty hopes—those prophets who speak their own mind and not the word of God.” Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing.”

And the Apostle Paul said, “Be alert for men will speak twisted things to draw you away.”

So, what is the theme of our readings?

It seems that all three of our readings this morning are attempting not only to point out the threat of false teachers but also to warn the Church to be alert and aware of this threat.

You see, there is a two-fold problem that is before us. On the one hand, some false teachers rise in the Church. And on the other hand, churches can be gullible or lethargic—not worrying about the message that they are hearing from the pulpit week after week. So, if you combine these two—a false teacher and an unconcerned church—what you end up with is a disaster. You end up with a church that is

no longer a church but rather just a bunch of naïve sheep being led by a heretical pastor into the twisted lies of darkness. You end up with sheep being led to a slaughterhouse.

So, with that said, let us consider both of these concerns today.

First, these false pastors—these false teachers.

As we know from the Scriptures, the devil likes to masquerade as an angel of light. His false pastors and teachers like to do the same as well. Indeed, the devil and his false teachers typically do not go around attacking the Christian church in red outfits, horns, and a devil’s pitchfork. Rather, the devil’s false teachers appear to be Christians. They look and sound very convincing, with a pious spiritual demeanor. Yes, they will look like and act like kind and loving pastors.

Generally speaking, they are nice. In fact, they are very nice and very loving, with a pleasant smiles. Now, the reason why these false pastors look spiritual, act pious, and are very nice, is that they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Think about this for a moment: if they were not pious, nice, and loving, they would not be wolves in sheep’s clothing, they would be wolves.

Now, there is a very dark side to these wolves in sheep’s clothing. Underneath the pleasant smiles and nice attitudes, these wolves are all about twisting, distorting, and perverting the Lord’s Word. Their deceit has its power as it masquerades as the truth. And make no mistake about it, their twisting of God’s Word is so dangerous that they will destroy souls and plunge people into the abyss of hell.

So while wolves in the pulpit are a grave danger in and of themselves, let us now consider the second part of the problem: unconcerned, non-vigilant churches.

In the American church we have this strange desire to place peace, happiness, warmth, smiles, and getting along, above faithfulness, integrity, and the truth. We say, “As long as we believe in Jesus that is all that matters.”

And there is more! Our ears itch, and we accumulate for ourselves false teachers to tell us what we “want to hear”, not what we “need” to hear. And so, we end up believing in Jesus but not really in what Jesus says.

Instead, we believe in what false teachers are saying… and what they are saying is typically the exact opposite of what Jesus said in the Bible. But that doesn’t matter, because we are all getting along.

This is nothing new though. During the Old Testament times, God’s people in Judah listened to and embraced false prophets. These false prophets spoke visions of their own mind and did not speak the Word of the Lord. This did not matter though to the people in Judah, for they continually despised God’s inconvenient truth and embraced the vain and hopeless teachings of the false prophets. They did so unto their own destruction because it tickled their ears. Wolves in sheep’s clothing have always been with us.

So, where do we go from here?

Well, Jesus tells us in the Gospel reading to beware of false prophets. Paul tells us to be alert. Jeremiah tells us not to listen to false prophets.

What this means is that while we might not be able to identify false teachers by their outside appearance, we must be ready to judge them by their fruit. And what is their fruit? The fruit of false teachers is not their love, piety, and nice qualities, it is what they preach and teach. In other words, even though a false teacher looks like a gentle and harmless sheep and even though he may well claim the Gospel, when it comes down to it, he cannot conceal his real

identity, for it will be evident in his fruit—what comes from his mouth or pen. The fruit of false teachers is found in their sermons and Bible lessons and lectures.

Now, as Christians, you do not have to know Greek and Hebrew, like your pastor. You aren’t required to know all the fancy theological terms. However, you certainly can and should judge the fruit—the bad teaching of false shepherds—that comes to your ears.

So, what does it sound like?

Generally speaking the preaching and teaching of these false teachers—their bad fruit—has three characteristics.

First, they diminish mankind’s sin: “You are not a poor miserable sinner for God loves you just the way you are. God would never send anyone to hell. You are fine choosing your own religious path, for all roads lead to the same God. Don’t be so hard on yourself; you have greatness within.” In this kind of preaching, mankind’s sin might not even be talked about.

Secondly, this kind of toxic preaching lifts up what the preacher does, and what you should do: “If only you would do a little more for Jesus, He would bless you as He blesses me, for I do all things well—or at least better than other folks. If only you would have more faith and give a little more and work a little harder, then you would see what God promises. If you pursue God with a little more devotion, you will find a more growing relationship with the Lord.”

In this preaching, the so-called “Gospel,” is not focused on Jesus, but is conditioned on something the preacher wants to get out of you. It is not about what Jesus has done for you as a poor miserable sinner, but what you must do and accomplish by your own spiritual power. It is about you climbing upward to the Lord, not the Lord coming down to you.

Thirdly, these false teachers will not focus on Jesus, but rather their sermons will consistently center on money, or morality, or tolerance, or social justice issues, or environmentalism. Pick your project, but the message is the same: it is not Christ-crucified for the forgiveness of sins, but rather some project or contemporary social event.

Yes, these false teachers will diminish sin, take the focus off Jesus, and put it on you, and then stick you on some project or social event.

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Baptized saints, this is anti-Christian, because it disregards Christ and His gifts. If we are not sinners, then we do not need Jesus, for Jesus came only for sinners.

If we are focusing on the Christian and not the Christ, it essentially eliminates Jesus. May God protect us from this wretched theology that strips away the central message of Jesus Christ dying for sinners—sinners such as you and me.

So what makes for good preaching then? What does good fruit from true pastors and teachers look like? Well, it is not zeal or eloquence or imagination or the ability to attract a huge audience for the sake of numbers. It is not a warm, fuzzy sermon with stories of sadness and joy. It is not standup comedy from the pulpit. It is not meaningless, inspirational stories that are intended to exalt the pastor and lead the hearers to believe that they have a hidden potential within to make their wildest dreams come true. It is not the latest social cause or the most recent social injustice. Rather, the good fruit of a faithful teacher and pastor is the unchanging Word of God. It is the Word of God that is like fire and a hammer that invades our world, breaking us poor miserable sinners into a thousand pieces and rendering us helpless. It is the mighty and forceful absolving news that all our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. All of them.

It is the bold declaration that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is your Lord. It is the crystal clear reminder that it is Jesus Christ who has redeemed you, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won you from all your sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. It is the bold declaration that Jesus Christ has made you wholly His own, that you may live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, and now lives and reigns for all eternity.

Dear baptized saints, may God preserve me as your pastor to be faithful to His Word. Pray for me.

May God also grant you zeal for the truth, discernment to identify falsehoods, and the integrity to hold me and judge me with the faithful confession of the Word. I will likewise pray for you.

Finally, let Paul’s blessing then also be upon us together: “And now I commend you to God and the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all that are sanctified.” Grant this, Lord, unto us all.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Beautiful Feet

By Rev. Mark Buetow

Old Testament text: Isaiah 52:7-10

H

“

ow beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news!” That means how beautiful are Jesus’ feet because He brings Good News. These are the feet of God’s Son who was born with ten little piggies just like the rest of us. These are the feet that stepped into the water of the Jordan River to be baptized for you. These are the feet that walked on water and carried the preaching of the Kingdom of God around. These are feet so beautiful that the sinful woman washed them with her tears and hair! These are the feet that stood before the religious leaders and the Roman governor. These are the feet that stumbled as they carried the cross to Calvary. And there, on Calvary, on the mountain, behold the beautiful feet, pierced with nails, stuck to the cross. To bring Good News.

The Good News that your sins are forgiven. The Good News that He is pierced for you.

That His feet and hands and side and brow are pierced for your sins. To wash them away with His blood. To wipe them out once and for all. The pay the price. To bring peace between you and God. How beautiful indeed are those holy feet of Jesus that walked this earth on their way to be nailed to the tree for our salvation!

And we need those purdy feet!

Because our feet ain’t so purdy! Our feet are dirty. Our feet step in it. In sin. How often have you used your feet to wander away from Christ’s church to someplace more interesting and exciting or buried those feet deeper under the covers rather than get up and go hear Christ’s Word. How often have you used your feet to wander away from those around you who are in need? How often have you run with those feet to share the latest bit of juicy gossip? How often have you used those feet to storm away from Mom and Dad when you’re angry at them? How often have you used those feet to kick others while they are down or to stride around like you’re the best

thing that ever happened to everybody?

Oh yes, our feet are caked in the gunk and crud of sin!

Jesus knew this about His disciples.

Their feet were dirty like that, too. So He washed them. He whose feet would be pierced made sure the feet of the apostles were clean and beautiful and then He sent them to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His Name to the ends of the earth.

That Good News that your pastor proclaims—that your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake—is what makes your pastor’s feet beautiful and what makes Him a messenger worth listening to. For Jesus has sent your pastor to proclaim the Good News of Christ that cleans

the feet of even the dirtiest sinner!

Your pastor has had his feet washed, that is, been forgiven, and sent and ordained to be the guy who brings you the Good News. Who proclaims peace.

Who announces glad tidings. Your pastor’s feet are beautiful because He walks around giving the gifts of Christ.

It is the pastor’s feet that stand by the font while Christ washes us from our sins. It is the pastor’s feet that stand before you, speaking the words of Holy Absolution. It is the pastor’s feet you see as you kneel at Christ’s altar, eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Jesus and receiving that forgiveness! Rejoice that by the feet of His ministers, the blessings of Christ’s nail-pierced feet are delivered to you.

“How beautiful are the feet on the mountains of him who brings good news!” Indeed those feet are beautiful because they are the feet of Jesus, pierced for our salvation on Mt. Calvary.

And that Good News is carried to us by the feet of Christ’s preachers. How beautiful are the feet that trod the road that leads us back to God. How beautiful are the feet that ran to bring the great good news to me! To you!

In the in Name of Jesus. Amen.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 _ 25

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Liturgical Catechesis

The Readings an

By Rev. William M. Cwirla

S

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 28

ince this is a special edition of Higher Things Magazine devoted to preaching, we’re going to do a little leap in our tour through the Divine Service and go straight for the Word: the Readings and the Sermon. From the grand opening of the New Testament Church at Pentecost, God’s baptized people, filled with the Spirit, have always gathered around the Word and the Lord’s Supper. Immediately after telling us about the events of Pentecost, Luke reports, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ESV). This has been Christian worship since the beginning: apostolic teaching, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.

It’s the same for us today. We hear God’s Word through Moses and the prophets, through our Lord’s apostles, and from the first Evangelists. And then we hear from the pastor whose job it is to deliver Christ from the Scriptures to our ears.

and the Sermon I have a book on my shelf from when I was in preaching class at the seminary. (The fancy word for preaching is homiletics, but for our purposes we’ll just stick with preaching.) The book is entitled Preaching: The Art of Connecting God and People. You may not have thought about the pastor’s sermon that way before, but it’s a very good description of what he does for you. He connects God and you through the Word of God. But couldn’t you just sit and read the Bible on your own? Do you need a sermon to connect you and God? Of course, you can, and should, read the Bible. But think about it for a moment. God isn’t speaking directly to you in the Bible. Some people think that He does, so you can randomly open your Bible anywhere, close your eyes and point your finger, and God will speak to you.

You may read of God’s command to Israel to destroy the altars of Baal, tear down the sacred groves of Asherah, and wipe out the false religions and their idols from the land and decide God is speaking to you, so you vandalize a Buddhist temple. Not a good strategy, “biblical” though it might seem.

God is certainly speaking to you in His written Word, but He’s addressing you through the first hearers, that is, through ancient Israel, the band of disciples, and the first congregations. Paul’s letters aren’t specifically addressed to you. They are addressed to the Christians who were at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, in the first century. But these words continue to speak to us today through the original hearers. The task of the preacher is to make you original hearers of the Word, to speak the Word of God into your contemporary ears so you may hear what they heard. Think of the sermon as the “for you” of the Word. The Scriptures are for Israel, for the early Church, and indeed, for the whole world. But the sermon is “for you.” It’s the same as in the synagogue at Nazareth when Jesus preached there, “Today, these Scriptures are fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

Our God is a preaching God. He preached all things into existence in the beginning and He continues to sustain and uphold all things by the same sermon of creation. He preached through Moses and the prophets, and through the apostles and Evangelists sent by Jesus.

Jesus is the Word in Flesh, God’s sermon to the world.

This is why God established the preaching office and why He calls and ordains men to preach today. God isn’t simply the God who spoke, but the God who speaks.

The Divine Service is a kind of table fellowship, a family meal. Can you imagine a meal in which no one talks? I’ve experienced that a few times at a local monastery as a kind of spiritual discipline. No one talks at the meal. All you hear are dishes, knives, forks, and the occasional burp. But even in that discipline of silence, there isn’t complete silence. During the meal, a brother reads something from the Church Fathers or some kind of devotion. There is a meal and there is the Word.

Teaching and meals always went together in the ancient world. At the Sabbath meal and at the annual Passover meal, there was teaching and a meal. Jesus spent a lot of time eating and drinking with people, so much so that His critics said He was a glutton and a drunkard.

Whenever Jesus had a meal with people, He taught them.

That’s exactly what happens in the Divine Service.

We are God’s children, gathered for table fellowship with God. And God teaches us through the Word read and preached just as He feeds us in the Meal of Jesus’ Body and Blood. As you hear the words “for you” when the pastor puts the Body and Blood of Christ into your mouth, so the sermon delivers the words of Holy Scripture into your ears with the same “for you.”

God is speaking to you through His Word! And faith says, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 _ 29

Jesus Is the Death of Death A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY • Winter 2018

1

Begin by reading through Matthew 9:18-19, 2326, the passage on which Rev. Riley’s sermon is based. Why do you think Jesus referred to the ruler’s daughter as “sleeping” rather than “dead”?

2 3

According to Genesis 2:16-17 and Genesis 3:1719, why is death a part of our lives?

What did God do right away for Adam and Eve that communicated that death would not have the final word? Check out Genesis 3:15 and 21.

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 30

4

There are many places in the Old Testament that tell of the defeat of death through Jesus Christ.

Take a look at Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14. What are some of the promises God makes to His people?

5 6

Is there a place for mourning death as Christians?

Read Romans 12:15 and Revelation 21:4.

Read through 1 Corinthians 15:50-57. What connection do you see with an Old Testament prophet? Go back a bit and read verses 42-49 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Why are we able to be confident in spite of death being a part of our world?

7

As baptized children of God, what are we able to remember as we live in this fallen world? Look at Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20, as referenced by Rev. Riley in his article.

8

Close by singing “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” (LSB 594, stanza 4).

To access the Leader’s Guide for this study, as well as Bible studies for articles in this issue and previous issues, as a part of an HTOnline subscription, point your browser to: higherthings.org/magazine/biblestudies.html. higherthings.org/magazine/biblestudies.html

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“Jesus AIsHIGHER the Death of Death” THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. Begin by reading through Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26, the passage on which Pastor Riley’s sermon is based. Why do you think Jesus referred to the ruler’s daughter as “sleeping” rather than “dead”?

This was a common expression at the time, but is especially meaningful for the Christian, who can take comfort in the fact that death is nothing more than sleeping when we know we have the hope of the resurrection to come. It was a metaphor to explain that death does not have to be permanent. In the case of the ruler’s daughter, her death clearly was temporary, when Christ resurrected her from the dead.

2. According to Genesis 2:16-17 and Genesis 3:17-19, why is death a part of our lives?

In Genesis 2 God warns Adam and Eve that if they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they will surely die. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve have eaten of that tree and are therefore cursed. Adam specifically is told by the Lord that he would “return to the ground” and “to dust you shall return.”

3. What did God do right away for Adam and Eve that communicated that death would not have the final word? Check out Genesis 3:15 and 21.

Genesis 3:5 is often called the protoevangelium, a fancy Greek term that means something simple: It was the first time the Messiah was prophesied to come. While it is seemingly veiled in that verse, it’s clear that God speaks of sending a savior who will defeat Satan. In verse 21, God made garments of skins from slain animals to cover Adam and Eve—to cover their sin. It was a picture of what He would do for us through Christ’s blood sacrifice.

4. There are many places in the Old Testament that tell of the defeat of death through Jesus Christ. Take a look at Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14. What are some of the promises God makes to His people?

In Isaiah 25 God says He will: swallow up death for all time, wipe tears away from all faces, and remove the reproach (rebuke) of His people from all the earth. In Hosea 13 He promises to ransom His people from the power of Sheol (the grave) and redeem them from death.

5. Is there a place for mourning death as Christians? Read Romans 12:15 and Revelation 21:4.

Yes, most definitely. Mourning is natural and will ebb and flow with time. Sometimes it is expected and sometimes it will come without warning. Romans 12 encourages us to mourn with those who mourn.

Revelation 21 offers promises similar to Isaiah 25: He will wipe away every tear, there will no longer be any death, there will no longer be any mourning or crying. So while mourning plays a natural part in our grieving of death, we are told the time will come when it will pass away. That knowledge can be a balm during times of mourning.

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

6. Read through 1 Corinthians 15:50-57. What connection do you see with several Old Testament prophets? Go back a bit and read verses 42-49 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Why are we able to be confident in spite of death being a part of our world?

In 1 Corinthians 15, we note that Paul quotes from Isaiah 25:2 (in verse 54) AND Hosea 13:14 (in verse 55) to focus on the reality that we have ultimate victory of death through our Lord Jesus Christ. We get to anticipate eagerly the resurrection to come. 1 Thessalonians 4 lays out that with the coming of the Lord, we, right after those who have “fallen asleep” already, will rise to meet the Lord in the air, because Jesus Himself rose again. Paul says this reminder is something we can use to comfort one another.

7. Day to day, what are we able to remember as we live in this fallen world? Look at Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20, as referenced by Pastor Riley in his article.

As Christians, we no longer live but Christ lives in us and through us. This was given to us in Baptism. While death is something we will watch loved ones succumb to and experience ourselves (unless the Lord returns first), we can be absolutely confident that death is NOT the end of the story, that we will be but sleeping for a short time and then awakened to eternal life with Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Closing Sing together, “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” (LSB 594, stanza 4).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“Jesus AIsHIGHER the Death of Death” THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Begin by reading through Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26, the passage on which Pastor Riley’s sermon is based. Why do you think Jesus referred to the ruler’s daughter as “sleeping” rather than “dead”?

2. According to Genesis 2:16-17 and Genesis 3:17-19, why is death a part of our lives?

3. What did God do right away for Adam and Eve that communicated that death would not have the final word? Check out Genesis 3:15 and 21.

4. There are many places in the Old Testament that tell of the defeat of death through Jesus Christ. Take a look at Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14. What are some of the promises God makes to His people?

5. Is there a place for mourning death as Christians? Read Romans 12:15 and Revelation 21:4.

6. Read through 1 Corinthians 15:50-57. What connection do you see with several Old Testament prophets? Go back a bit and read verses 42-49 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Why are we able to be confident in spite of death being a part of our world?

7. Day to day, what are we able to remember as we live in this fallen world? Look at Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20, as referenced by Pastor Riley in his article.

Closing Sing together, “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” (LSB 594, stanza 4).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“The Kingdom Is Yours” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction In this Bible study we will explore the parable that is the basis for Pastor Fenker’s article. These important words of Jesus both convict our Old Adam who wants to reject the salvation and assures us of a generous, gracious, Father who invites us into His kingdom without any merit or worthiness in us.

1. Think of the best excuse you’ve ever heard someone use to get out of something. Share it with the group.

Many answers can be acceptable. “My dog ate my homework” is an easy one, but those gathered for this study are likely to be more elaborate excuses. Obviously lying and deceit are not practices that children of God should indulge or engage in. This is meant to get our wheels turning as we examine those who have other things to do when invited to the wedding feast.

2. Why do we make excuses? To whom do we make excuses?

In general, we make excuses because we don’t want to do something. We don’t want to go to school, do our homework, do our chores, so we invent reasons to avoid those things. We make excuses to parents, teachers, bosses, principals, police officers, etc. Generally our excuses are made to those in authority, but sometimes we even find ourselves making excuses to our close friends or siblings.

3. In the text for this study, Jesus is telling a parable to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. The Kingdom of Heaven is not merely a future hope, but a present reality in Christ. Wherever Jesus is bringing about His end-times restoration of fallen creation, there is the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom is living and active in Christ’s church. We wait for the day when the Kingdom of Heaven will be perceived in its fullness when Jesus comes again. Now we will jump into our text. Read Matthew 22:1-4. How is the wedding feast described? Does it sound like something one would want to attend? What does the richness of the feast tell us about the king?

The feast is described as a wedding feast for the king’s son. The king extends an invitation to all those invited. He shows his riches and generosity by slaughtering the best of his animals for the feast. It sounds like something that everyone would want to attend! Those who were not invited would likely be jealous of those who were. It might seem strange to the students that anyone would refuse such an invitation.

4. Read Matthew 22:5. How do those invited respond to the invitation? How does this correspond to our above discussion about excuses?

They have other things to do than attend the feast! This is surprising, given the generosity and opulence of the feast. As we mentioned above, this is the sort of event everyone would want to attend! When we discussed excuses earlier, we generally thought about them in terms of things that we struggle to want to do: go to school, do homework, do chores. These excuses in this parable shockingly come to get out of something wonderful!

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

5. Read Matthew 22:6-7. Note that in these verses those who abuse the servants of the king and mistreat them are lumped into the same category as those who have “reasonable” albeit insufficient reasons to avoid the feast. What is the punishment given by the king?

His armies kill those invited and burn their cities. Fierce judgement is given to those who refuse and reject the invitation of the king.

6. Read Matthew 22:8-10. What changes about this invitation from the king compared to the first time he sent his servants out? Are the guests of a higher or lower quality than the previous invitation?

This invitation is broader in scope- “invite as many as you find” and is extended to all. The guests are of a lower quality, at least in terms of earthly standards.

7. Read Matthew 22:11-14. What did the guest that is singled out refuse to do? Why did this anger the king? What is his punishment?

The guest refused to wear the wedding garment, the clothing provided to him by the king. He had been called, but he refused to be clothed. This likely angered the king because of the contrast between the graciousness of his invitation and the arrogance of the guest who refused to wear the wedding garment.

He is cast out of the feast.

8. Reflect again on verse 14. What tone does this parable end on?

The parable ends on a somber tone. We see a gracious King who calls everyone, but many refuse the invitation. We see that some of those who are called and come into the feast are not clothed and are cast out. We then are confronted with the difficult phrase, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

9. Revisit the article. How do we know that we are among those called, clothed, and chosen rather than among those cast out?

Our Baptism, the point in time where we were clothed in Christ’s righteousness, assures us that we are called, clothed, and chosen by God. The gracious king in the story reminds us of our gracious and generous God who claims us as his own. Along with this assurance, Pastor Fenker echoes the parable, reminding us that the possibility remains to reject the gift, invitation, and clothing given to us by our gracious King.

Conclusion In this parable we see two major thrusts. First, God, our gracious King calls us, inviting us to the wedding feast of His Son. This same King clothes us in Baptism and chooses us, giving us His Kingdom. Second, we see a warning. We dare not reject the Kingdom given to us in this invitation. Whether it is indifference to the invitation, other things to do, abuse of the Lord’s servants who bring the message (prophets, apostles, pastors), or refusal to be clothed by the King, rejection of the Kingdom leads to being cast out, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us rejoice in the overwhelming love and grace of our King who calls, clothes, and chooses us, all the while asking Him to protect and preserve our faith.

Closing Sing together “O Worship the King,” (LSB 804).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“The Kingdom Is Yours” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leaders’ Introduction In this Bible study we will explore the parable that is the basis for Pastor Fenker’s article. These important words of Jesus both convict our Old Adam who wants to reject the salvation and assures us of a generous, gracious, Father who invites us into His kingdom without any merit or worthiness in us.

1. Think of the best excuse you’ve ever heard someone use to get out of something. Share it with the group.

2. Why do we make excuses? To whom do we make excuses?

3. In the text for this study, Jesus is telling a parable to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. The Kingdom of Heaven is not merely a future hope, but a present reality in Christ. Wherever Jesus is bringing about His end-times restoration of fallen creation, there is the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom is living and active in Christ’s church. We wait for the day when the Kingdom of Heaven will be perceived in its fullness when Jesus comes again. Now we will jump into our text. Read Matthew 22:1-4. How is the wedding feast described? Does it sound like something one would want to attend? What does the richness of the feast tell us about the king?

4. Read Matthew 22:5. How do those invited respond to the invitation? How does this correspond to our above discussion about excuses?

5. Read Matthew 22:6-7. Note that in these verses those who abuse the servants of the king and mistreat them are lumped into the same category as those who have “reasonable” albeit insufficient reasons to avoid the feast. What is the punishment given by the king?

6. Read Matthew 22:8-10. What changes about this invitation from the king compared to the first time he sent his servants out? Are the guests of a higher or lower quality than the previous invitation?

7. Read Matthew 22:11-14. What did the guest that is singled out refuse to do? Why did this anger the king? What is his punishment?

8. Reflect again on verse 14. What tone does this parable end on?

9. Revisit the article. How do we know that we are among those called, clothed, and chosen rather than among those cast out?

Closing Sing together “O Worship the King,” (LSB 804).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“Your Personal Jesus” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction Pastor Mize’s article explains to us the danger of taking the Jesus of the Bible and attempting to transform Him into our own personal Jesus. When we take only the sayings of Jesus that we agree with as truth, we make ourselves into gods and lose sight of the Jesus who died, rose, and ascended for us. In this Bible study we will explore one of the places where Jesus does become personal for us: our Baptism!

1. Before we begin our study of Romans 6, take a moment to reflect on the article. Which teachings of Jesus are most often ignored when we try to change Him into our “personal Jesus”?

Jesus’ teachings on marriage and sexuality are often the first to be jettisoned as Jesus is turned into a personal Jesus. We would rather let our lusts and passions rule over us rather than the Lord. Jesus’ teachings on greed and money also are often dispensed. We don’t like a Jesus who tells us to live for others and not ourselves. Many other examples can be correct.

2. Is a Jesus who agrees with everything we think worth following? Why or why not?

A Jesus who gives us everything we want and agrees with everything we think is not worth following.

He has all the value of Santa Claus. It is arrogant and foolish to assume that Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth shares all our opinions, especially when those opinions flow from our sinful hearts rather than from His Word. If Jesus agrees with us on everything, we don’t need Him! We already know what to do; we just need to look inside ourselves. We certainly don’t need Jesus to save us!

3. While molding Jesus into our own version of Himself who gives us whatever we want is obviously a dangerous move, Pastor Mize does point out several places where Jesus is found, where He comes to us and (in a way) becomes “personal” to us. Where are these places Jesus is found?

He is found in the Church where He makes Himself present. He is found in the Lord’s Supper where He brings forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is found in Baptism where He unites with His children and claims them as His own. He is found in the proclamation of the Word and the Absolution where we receive the forgiveness won for us in His suffering, death, and resurrection.

4. For the rest of our study we will explore Baptism, taking a look at Romans 6, where Paul explains how our baptism unites us with our crucified and risen Lord. Read Romans 6:1-3. Why does Paul say that we should not go on sinning?

Paul’s answer is that we have been baptized, specifically that we have baptized into the death of Christ.

He will explain more about the implications of this in a moment, but from the outset note the importance that Paul puts on Baptism. Baptism is not a mere symbol or ordinance but an effective, sacramental, act.

5. Read Romans 6:3-4 (yes, read verse 3 again). What is the relationship between us and Jesus in these verses? What is the basis for this?

In these verses, Jesus sets a new pattern for human existence and in Baptism we are brought into it. He dies, we die with Him. He rises, we also rise to newness of life. Along with this comes the promise that we

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

will rise again on the last day. Later in the passage Jesus will proclaim that on account of this we also count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

6. Read Romans 6:5. How does what happens in Baptism compare to twisting Jesus into our own personal Jesus?

Rather than us twisting Jesus into our own image, He unites with us and gives us all that He won on the cross and in the empty tomb. This action is initiated and carried out by God Himself, whereas any twisting or forming Jesus into a personal Jesus is carried out by us.

7. Read Romans 6:6-11. Twisting Jesus into our own personal version leads to the glorification of the self. In fact, the self is allowed to become god and rules over Jesus! What happens to our old self in Baptism?

Our old self is crucified in Baptism. The old self is antiquated, worn out, obsolete. In fact, it needs to die.

In the Small Catechism Luther writes, “What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” If you have time, you can also examine the “flood prayer” found on page 268-269 in the LSB, which makes a similar point.

8. How does Jesus become personal to us in Baptism?

In Baptism Jesus unites with us. While the Sacrament is typically carried out in front of the congregation, it is done for the individual being baptized. Your Baptism is God’s action, fully, but it is also for you. It is a point in time when God claims you for Himself and says, “This one is mine.” In Baptism you become personally intertwined with Jesus, His death, and His resurrection. This is more personal than our feelings or emotions—it is an objective, undeniable, act of God.

Conclusion Twisting Jesus’ acts and words in an attempt to make our own personal Jesus is a dangerous game. In doing so we elevate ourselves above God and His Word and risk losing the Jesus who died for us, rose for us, and claims us as His own even today. Rather than seeking our own personal Jesus that we create for ourselves, let us remember our Baptism, where Jesus unites with us personally and washes us in His blood.

Closing Sing together, “God’s Own Child I Gladly Say It,” (LSB 594).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“Your Personal Jesus” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Before we begin our study of Romans 6, take a moment to reflect on the article. Which teachings of Jesus are most often ignored when we try to change Him into our “personal Jesus”?

2. Is a Jesus who agrees with everything we think worth following? Why or why not?

3. While molding Jesus into our own version of Himself who gives us whatever we want is obviously a dangerous move, Pastor Mize does point out several places where Jesus is found, where He comes to us and (in a way) becomes “personal” to us. Where are these places Jesus is found?

4. For the rest of our study we will explore Baptism, taking a look at Romans 6, where Paul explains how our baptism unites us with our crucified and risen Lord. Read Romans 6:1-3. Why does Paul say that we should not go on sinning?

5. Read Romans 6:3-4 (yes, read verse 3 again). What is the relationship between us and Jesus in these verses? What is the basis for this?

6. Read Romans 6:5. How does what happens in Baptism compare to twisting Jesus into our own personal Jesus?

7. Read Romans 6:6-11. Twisting Jesus into our own personal version leads to the glorification of the self. In fact, the self is allowed to become god and rules over Jesus! What happens to our old self in Baptism?

8. How does Jesus become personal to us in Baptism?

Closing Sing together, “God’s Own Child I Gladly Say It,” (LSB 594)

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“Is There aAWolf in Your Pulpit?”

HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction Pastor Richard’s article reminds us of the disaster that can occur when a wolf in the pulpit feasts on a complacent congregation. While our posture in worship is one of reception—God gives His gifts of grace and we receive them in faith—we also must take care that the message we are receiving is a faithful one. The article gives several helpful tips to identify a wolf in the pulpit. This study will take a closer look at Matthew 7 where Jesus warns against the danger of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

1. Our text today explores the concept of evil leaders/preachers who disguise themselves as true Christians. Why can wearing a disguise be a helpful thing? Can you think of any examples in TV, movies, or history, where a group used disguises to infiltrate another group?

Answers will vary. Wearing a disguise helps you remain undetected when you are someplace you shouldn’t be. One fun pop culture example is Luke and Han wearing stormtrooper armor as they moved around the Death Star in Star Wars. Encourage the students to think of other examples.

2. Before we jump into our text, there are two important contextual pieces to explore. The first is the greater context of the passage. This passage is found at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Our understanding of the Sermon on the Mount is established and formed by the beginning of the sermon where Jesus calls and blesses His disciples. Before we tackle the end of the sermon, read Matthew 5:1-12, which takes place at the beginning of the sermon. What word begins verses 3-11?

What does it mean to be blessed by God? The word “blessed” is the first word of each of these verses. To be blessed by God means that His undeserved favor is extended to us, both body and soul. God’s blessings of daily bread are given to both the good and the evil. God’s unique blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation are found in Jesus, given in Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, and preaching, and received by faith.

3. God has shown a pattern of blessing His people before calling them to faithfulness and vocation.

Read Genesis 1:28. Why is it important that God’s blessing precede His instruction?

God’s blessing establishes His role as our creator and provider and our role as His creatures. As His creatures we receive blessings from our Father in heaven and all that we do flows from His act of blessing.

4. We now understand the greater context. We are called to be Jesus’ disciples, blessed by Him and claimed as His own. Only after being given this new Gospel identity can we comprehend the rest of what Jesus has to say, including His instructions for living and warning to beware of false prophets.

To understand the immediate context, read Matthew 7:13-14. Which road leads to eternal life? How does Jesus describe this road?

The road that leads to eternal life is the narrow one. Jesus describes this road as narrow and hard, explaining that those who tread it are few.

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

5. Read Matthew 7:15. Let’s explore this image for a moment. What does it mean that they will wear sheep’s clothing? In what way is devouring the sheep made easier by this disguise? Does this make it easy or difficult to identify the wolves?

A wolf in sheep’s clothing is doing everything that he can to look like a sheep. Jesus’ statements here indicate that the wolf will be successful at looking like sheep. By wearing sheep’s clothing, the wolf can sneak undetected into the middle of the sheep, waiting to devour and destroy them. This makes it difficult to identify them, though not impossible. See the next question.

6. Remember that the wolves are wearing sheep’s clothing. The false prophets are disguised as true prophets. If they are pretending to be Christians, what will their works look like?

Their works will be seemingly good! Moving ahead to verse 21-23 the false prophets may even “cast out demons… and …do many mighty works.” It is not as simple as looking at their outward works!

7. Read Matthew 7:16-17. We’ve established that the false prophets look like Christians in terms of their outward works. If this is true, then Jesus can’t be talking about their works when he says, “you will recognize them by their fruits.” Instead, He is talking about their preaching, their message! Look at the article by Pastor Richard and find three examples of a false message that we may find in a wolf’s preaching.

Many answers are acceptable. Three of them are: 1) They will downplay sin; 2) They will focus on themselves; 3) They will ignore Jesus for the sake of other messages 8. Read Matthew 7:18-20. It may be scary to think of a wolf in the pulpit. It may be frightening to consider that not every message you hear from someone claiming to be a Christian is true. In the face of this fear Jesus gives us comfort that He will not allow the false messages to prevail. What will happen to the bad trees?

Many devotionals and books that can be found in “Christian” bookstores are written by wolves. This may seem scary, but Jesus tells us that the trees will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. Their poisonous teaching will be exterminated. The wolves will be defeated by the Good Shepherd.

Conclusion Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed states, “How is God’s name kept holy? God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God’s Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!” The threat of false teachers is real. It must be taken seriously as Jesus warns us. Resources like Pastor Richard’s article can help us as we discern and guard our hearts and minds. We also rest in God’s grace and mercy and cry out “Protect us from this, heavenly Father.”

Closing Sing together, “Lord Keep Us Steadfast in your Word,” (LSB 655).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018

“Is There aAWolf in Your Pulpit?”

HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Our text today explores the concept of evil leaders/preachers who disguise themselves as true Christians. Why can wearing a disguise be a helpful thing? Can you think of any examples in TV, movies, or history, where a group used disguises to infiltrate another group?

2. Before we jump into our text, there are two important contextual pieces to explore. The first is the greater context of the passage. This passage is found at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Our understanding of the Sermon on the Mount is established and formed by the beginning of the sermon where Jesus calls and blesses His disciples. Before we tackle the end of the sermon, read Matthew 5:1-12, which takes place at the beginning of the sermon. What word begins verses 3-11?

What does it mean to be blessed by God? 3. God has shown a pattern of blessing His people before calling them to faithfulness and vocation.

Read Genesis 1:28. Why is it important that God’s blessing precede His instruction?

4. We now understand the greater context. We are called to be Jesus’ disciples, blessed by Him and claimed as His own. Only after being given this new Gospel identity can we comprehend the rest of what Jesus has to say, including His instructions for living and warning to beware of false prophets.

To understand the immediate context, read Matthew 7:13-14. Which road leads to eternal life? How does Jesus describe this road?

5. Read Matthew 7:15. Let’s explore this image for a moment. What does it mean that they will wear sheep’s clothing? In what way is devouring the sheep made easier by this disguise? Does this make it easy or difficult to identify the wolves?

6. Remember that the wolves are wearing sheep’s clothing. The false prophets are disguised as true prophets. If they are pretending to be Christians, what will their works look like?

7. Read Matthew 7:16-17. We’ve established that the false prophets look like Christians in terms of their outward works. If this is true, then Jesus can’t be talking about their works when he says, “you will recognize them by their fruits.” Instead, He is talking about their preaching, their message! Look at the article by Pastor Richard and find three examples of a false message that we may find in a wolf’s preaching.

8. Read Matthew 7:18-20. It may be scary to think of a wolf in the pulpit. It may be frightening to consider that not every message you hear from someone claiming to be a Christian is true. In the face of this fear Jesus gives us comfort that He will not allow the false messages to prevail. What will happen to the bad trees?

Closing Sing together, “Lord Keep Us Steadfast in your Word,” (LSB 655).

© 2018 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Winter 2018