Pr. Bill & Pr. Bob
Sermon
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
January 29, 2012
From the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 18, we get the question:
How do we distinguish a TRUE PROPHET from a FALSE PROPHET?
Moses gives us some hints:
FALSE PROPHETS will teach people to follow other gods (small "g" spelling).
FALSE PROPHETS will speak and teach things God has not commanded.
FALSE PROPHETS will make predictions that do not come true.
Moses also anticipates the FEAR FACTOR that FALSE PROPHETS will use to get people to follow them, for at the end of verse 22 Moses says: you need not be afraid of them.
In the last book of the Bible, in Revelation, John warns the people of a FALSE PROPHET who will appear at the end of time and will deceive many. This FALSE PROPHET will convince many people to believe in things that are anti-Christian and to follow the Antichrist.
Martin Luther wrote: Those who come without the Scriptures and the WORD of God use their own spirit as the pretext of what they say.
God’s WORD is Holy and is to be regarded as such, as Luther’s explanation of the Third Commandment states: We are to fear and love God so that we do not neglect His WORD and the preaching of it, but regard it as Holy and gladly hear and lean it.
We are not to NEGLECT God’s WORD.
We are not to DENY God’s WORD.
We are not to ADD TO God’s WORD.
We are not to SUBTRACT FROM God’s WORD.
We are not to TWIST God’s WORD.
From Volume 53 of Luther’s Works comes this translation of his 1543 hymn, Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word. The verses are as follows:
Lord keep us steadfast in Thy Word
And curb the Turks’ and papists’ sword
Who Jesus Christ, Thine only Son
Fain would tumble off Thy throne.
Proof of Thy might, Lord Christ, afford,
For Thou of all lords art Lord;
Thine own poor Christendom defend,
That it may praise Thee without end.
God Holy Ghost, who comfort art,
Give to Thy folk on earth one heart;
Stand by us breathing our last breath,
Lead us to life straight out of death.
Thus we sing and pray that the Lord will Keep Us Steadfast in His WORD so that we might not be deceived by those who speak and teach things contrary to The WORD of God.
Martin Luther said that the words of verse 4 of Psalm 111 should be painted in GOLD around portraits of the Lord’s Supper, for in this Last Supper Christians continue to remember both the WORDS and the WORKS of Christ Jesus, our LORD. Those words are: the LORD is gracious and merciful.
Psalm 111 ends with: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Wisdom – people have Wisdom when they hear God’s WORD and believe it! And this Wisdom is shown in people who practice living their lives out by being truly faithful to God’s WORD.
If you remember the sermon from two Sunday’s ago, I used I Corinthians, Chapter 6, verses 12 through 20, as the preaching text. The title of that pericope was Flee Sexual Immorality and I related to you how the people of Corinth, who had become Christians, were using the motto All things are lawful for me to say that since the eating of foods does not affect my salvation then whatever I do with my body does not affect my salvation, even sexually immoral acts.
Towards this line of thinking Paul argues with the people of Corinth, that though the eating of foods does not affect their salvation, what they do with their body – which is joined to Christ Jesus in Baptism does!!!
And here in Chapter 8, the problem of the freedom over the eating of foods comes up again. Paul writes:
Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one."
… for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow cause the weak to sin.
What is happening in Corinth is this:
The knowledge of the freedoms and rights given by faith in God, the Father, and Jesus, His Son, are leading some to too easily adapt to the practices of their surrounding culture by claiming that by doing those practices – doing sexually immoral acts or eating foods offered to idols – does not harm their salvation or the salvation of others who do not have their same understanding.
Paul counters this thought process by saying that no one, NO ONE, has the right or the freedom to destroy the faith of another believer in Christ, especially the faith of those who are just beginning following in The Way.
Paul is saying that FAITH is never a private affair!!!
Paul is saying that Faithful Christians will be zealous to pray for and carry out God’s WILL - that all who believe – will be saved. And Paul is saying that Faithful Christians WILL NOT use their knowledge of their freedoms and rights as believers to cause fellow Christians to fall into sin.
May God deliver us from un-knowingly leading our fellow believers into sinful thoughts and actions!!!
Well we finally come to the Gospel lesson for today.
Jesus enters a synagogue in Capernaum on a Sabbath and begins to teach. Those who are there are astonished at His teaching because He teaches as one with authority and not as the Scribes. (The Scribes would say before they began to teach, "Thus says the LORD.") And Jesus spoke directly from His authority from His Father in Heaven.
Jesus says to the unclean spirit: Be silent and come out of him!
The unclean spirit does as Jesus commands and the man is healed.
Jesus continues to have that teaching and healing authority to this day, and to this day people continue to be astounded by His teaching and His healing.
And yet many people to this day continue to doubt and question His authority and the Truth of God’s WORD.
To this day many people continue to run after FALSE PROPHETS preferring to be lead by FEAR TACTICS rather than by God’s WORD of GRACE, TRUTH, and LOVE.
To this day many people continue to:
to NEGLECT God’s WORD.
to DENY God’s WORD.
to ADD TO God’s WORD.
to SUBTRACT FROM God’s WORD.
to TWIST God’s WORD.
All because they claim that they have the authority to do so, they say All things are lawful for me.
But Paul reminds us that THE FAITH is not a private affair.
Paul reminds us that we have responsibilities towards THE FAITH of our fellow Christians.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, by Your Word and Holy Spirit, make us Steadfast in Your Word, defend Your Church from error, be with us as we breath our last breath, and lead us to life straight out of death.
Amen.