“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:8-11

We may not often think about the devil and his workings, but we face a very dangerous foe. Each and every day of our lives – whether we realize it or not – we are engaged in a serious battle for our souls. In fact, the Bible tells us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

That is why Peter, at the close of his epistle to the believers scattered across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), tells them not to be deluded, but aware and on guard against the attacks of the devil. The devil, you see, is very real and very powerful and he seeks to destroy the souls of all who trust in God’s Son, Christ Jesus, our Savior. He works especially hard to destroy, split and divide congregations where the Word of God is faithfully taught and proclaimed – we can see that in our own church. The old evil foe does everything in his power to weaken our faith, divide us and destroy us.

As Peter writes, the devil’s out there prowling about like a roaring lion seeking opportunity to swallow us up and devour us. He does this by seeking to weaken and destroy our faith and confidence in Christ Jesus. And so, he tries to separate us from God’s Word and from fellow believers who mutually encourage and build each other up with the Scriptures. He seeks to lead us back into sin and ensnare us so that we continue on in sin and disobedience to God rather than in repentance and faith. And, of course, when we do fall into temptation and sin, he would try to keep us from taking comfort in God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. He at first tries to convince us that it is OK or not that bad to break God’s commandments, and he then tells us our sin is too great to be forgiven.

He knows our weaknesses and shortcomings and attacks us when we are down, with temptations to which we are very vulnerable. Like the lion who attacks and take its prey when it is weak and separated from the herd, so the devil so often tempts us when we are weak, tired and away from our fellow believers.

As he deceived Eve in Garden, so he seeks to mislead and deceive us. “Did God really say…?” “It won’t hurt you to just try it once.” He seeks to make us question God’s Word, doubt it and then turn aside from it. And so we fall victim to his evil tactics.

The Bible tells us: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:12-15).

Since the temptings of the devil are very real and are a grave danger to our soul, Peter continues by admonishing us: “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

The Word of God tells us to stand firmly against the temptations of the devil, our old evil foe, and to hold fast to Christ Jesus and the redemption He provided for us when He suffered and died upon the cross for our sins and the sins of the world.

We may think we face temptations which are unique and greater than those of others, but the Bible tells us: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God doesn’t permit the devil to tempt us so severely that we cannot overcome. As He did in the case of Job, God sets limits. He makes a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. And what the devil intends to harm and destroy us, God uses to purify and strengthen our faith in Him.

We remember, of course, that in Christ we have the victory. Christ Jesus, using God’s Word, resisted the temptations of the devil and fulfilled all righteousness for us (cf. Matthew 4:1-11). He then went to the cross and suffered our punishment, winning for us forgiveness, life and a place in God’s eternal kingdom. When we sin – and we do still sin and stumble and fall – we can turn to God for mercy and forgiveness for Jesus’ sake.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:8 – 2:2).

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).

[Scripture quoted from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.]

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

In the very beginning, there was only God. There was no earth, oceans or fields, no plants or animals and no people. There were no stars in the sky. There was no sun or moon. But there was God.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But, at first, the earth was without form and empty. Everything was dark, and the whole world was covered by water. But the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God called the light day and the dark night. This God did on the first day.

On the second day, God created the air and the skies. He put the air between the waters which covered the earth and the water which was in the clouds above the earth. God called the skies “heaven.”

On the third day, God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. God also commanded the earth to grow grass and trees and other plants which would produce fruit and seeds so more plants would grow, and it happened just as God commanded.

On the fourth day, God created the sun and moon and the stars and put them in the heavens so that we can tell time and seasons and days and years.

On the fifth day, God created all the sea animals and the birds which fly through the air. He created all the fish and the great whales and all the different kinds of birds. God did this by His almighty Word. When He said, “Let there be,” it happened just as He planned.

On the sixth day, God created all the land animals – animals like cows and horses, dogs and cats. He made the dinosaurs and all the other animals in the world. And, on each day, when God looked at what He made, He saw that it was good.

But God was not done with His creation, on the sixth day, God also made the first man and woman.

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” God made man to be holy like God, to know God and to love Him. God made the first man by forming his body from the dust of the ground. The Bible says, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

But Adam, the first man, was alone. God brought all the animals to Adam and Adam gave them names, but there was no woman for Adam.

God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” This means that God was planning to make a helper for Adam who was made for him. The Bible tells us that God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. While Adam was sleeping, God took one of Adam’s ribs and used it to make a woman for Adam and brought her to Adam to be his wife.

When Adam saw her, he said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

When God looked at all that He had created and made, He saw that it was very good. There was no sin and no evil. There was no sickness, and there was no death.

God put Adam and Eve in a garden He had made called Eden. God put them there to take care of the garden.

God put two special trees in middle of the garden: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.

God told Adam that he could eat of any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God warned Adam that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die – he would no longer be holy like God or love and trust in Him, and his body, too, would die. God didn’t want Adam and Eve to disobey Him and die, because He had made them to live forever.

Genesis 1-2

(New King James Version)

Genesis 1

The History of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2

1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Life in God’s Garden

8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

23 And Adam said:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Questions to Consider

1. When did God create the heavens and the earth? How did He create all things?

2. What did God make on each day of creation?

3. How many days did God work, creating? What did He do on the Seventh Day?

4. How did God create Adam? How did He create Eve?

5. In whose image did God create Adam and Eve? What is the image of God?

6. What did Adam say of Eve when God made her and brought her to Adam?

7. What does the creation of woman for the man have to do with marriage today?

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18

Do you want to know God? Do you want to see the Father’s face? But how can sinful human beings like you and me know or see the almighty and holy God?

Moses saw the form of God and beheld His glory after the LORD passed by Him (Exodus 33:17-23; 34:5-8). God also spoke with Moses face to face (Numbers 12:6-8). Yet, no man has ever seen God’s face (Exodus 33:20). But Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father – who is the intimate companion of the Father – He has declared and revealed the Father to us.

Do you want to know God the Father? Do you want to see Him as He really is? Look to Jesus, for He is God the Son in human flesh. He is in the bosom of the Father. To see and know Jesus is to see and know God the Father (cf. John 14:8ff.). And, in Jesus, we see and know God’s great love for us sinners.

God’s Word says to us: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10); and, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

O God the Father, grant that we may see and know You through the Son, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Words of Encouragement

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

2305 S. Dixieland Rd. / P.O. Box 2335, Rogers, AR 72757

Sunday School & Bible Class: 9 a.m. / Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

August 26, 2009

Paul’s Letter to the Believers at Colosse (continued)

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” Colossians 1:19-23

It was the plan of God the Father to send His only-begotten Son into the world, a true man, to make peace between God and man by shedding His holy and precious blood upon the cross for the sins of the whole world. And that is what Jesus has done through His death and resurrection. He took the sins of all mankind upon Himself and paid in full the just punishment, reconciling the word of sinners to God. His resurrection is proof that God accepted His sacrifice for sin.

The people of Colosse, as well as you and me, were at one time separated from God and alienated from Him in our minds because of wicked works. Instead of loving God and gladly and willingly seeking His perfect will, we were all in rebellion against Him and went our own way, desiring and doing what we deemed to be pleasing and best for us at the moment.

But even while we were yet in rebellion against our God and Maker, He gave His Son to redeem us, pay for our sins and accomplish our reconciliation (cf. Romans 5:6-11). The Colossians – and you and me – were reconciled “in the body of His flesh through death.”

And why did Jesus die for our sins, and the sins of the world? Why did He accomplish our reconciliation and the reconciliation of all mankind? That He might present us “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” Jesus died on the cross and paid the just punishment for your sins and my sins – indeed, for the sins of the whole word – that He might present us to Himself without sin and unblameable in His sight! Jesus paid the penalty for your sins and mine that He might pardon and forgive us and present us to the Father free of all sin and guilt.

And how does this forgiveness and reconciliation become our own? How do we appropriate it for ourselves? How can we be presented holy and righteous and unblameable in His sight? Through faith in Jesus! This pardon and forgiveness, this reconciliation accomplished by Christ Jesus, becomes our own simply by believing the Word of God which tells us we are reconciled and forgiven through Jesus’ blood shed for us on the cross! That is how the believers in Colosse became saints in God’s eyes, and that is how you and I can be presented holy and righteous before our heavenly Father.

It is as Paul says, “If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven” The Holy Spirit worked faith in the Colossian believers’ hearts and He continues to call us to faith in Jesus yet today. It is “faith of the working of God” (Colossians 2:12 from the Greek).

Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, reconciled the whole world of sinners to the Father by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. He reconciled the Colossians, and He reconciled you and me, by paying in full upon the cross. In Jesus, your sins and my sins are paid for and forgiven. In Jesus, we can be presented before God the Father holy and without blame. Simply trust in Jesus – He has done it all and we are complete in Him! Believe what God tells you in His Word. By the working of God’s Spirit, trust that in Jesus, no matter how great your sins have been, you have forgiveness and life in God’s eternal kingdom. Trust that in Jesus you are indeed “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” Why, because you are for Jesus’ sake!

O Jesus precious Savior, thank You for going to the cross and shedding Your holy and precious blood to redeem me and make me acceptable and righteous in Your sight. Grant me faith to trust in Your pardon and forgiveness, and preserve me in that faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

Pastor Randy Moll

How do we answer questions about things being accepted and practiced in Lutheran Churches in America? What advice can we offer those of other Lutheran Churches and Lutheran church bodies who are concerned? Perhaps the following article may be of assistance in understanding the problem and the solution:

What Has Happened to Lutheranism in America?

What has happened to Lutheranism in America? Lutheran churches, like most other mainline denominational churches, have been infected with the error of doubting the inspiration, inerrancy and authority of the Bible. Though this error can be traced back to nineteenth century Europe and from there into the colleges and seminaries of the United States, it is really nothing new. In the Garden of Eden, Satan brought doubt upon God’s Word when he said, “Has God indeed said …?” (Genesis 3:1). This same question is and has been asked in Lutheran colleges and seminaries concerning all or parts of the Bible: “Has God indeed said…?”

Doubting and challenging the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, many modern scholars have questioned the authorship and the accuracy of what is written in the Bible: “Did Jesus really say the words attributed to Him in the Bible?” “Could the miracles really have happened?” “Was Jesus really virgin born?” “Did He rise bodily from the dead on the third day?” “Could God have created the world in six days?” “Were Adam and Eve real people?” “Did a flood actually cover the whole earth?” On and on the questions go.

Instead of accepting all of the Scriptures and each and every word of the Scriptures as the inspired and unerring Word of God (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; John 17:17; 10:35; Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5), many modern religious scholars and now many pastors and teachers have doubts as to whether or not all of the Bible really is God’s Word. Instead of saying that the Bible is the Word of God, you may hear them say that the Bible contains God’s Word. Instead of saying that all the Bible is historically true and accurate, you may hear them say that the stories in the Bible may not be literally true, but they teach and illustrate God’s truth. Instead of accepting and teaching all that the Bible says as God’s truth, you will find them trying to dissect the Scriptures into what is God’s truth and what was only a “cultural mandate.”

As a result, more and more ministers and teachers often ignore clear and plain statements of Scripture and attempt only to use the examples of Scripture to teach faith, love, kindness, and other social and moral issues. Think about it. How often do you hear ministers calling violations of God’s commandments sins deserving of God’s eternal wrath and punishment? And, how often do you hear ministers proclaiming forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation, available only through the shed blood of Jesus? If all ministers accepted the whole Bible and each and every word of the Bible as God’s true and unerring Word, do you think there would be women in the pulpits, joint worship services and prayers with non-Christians and erring churches, or the acceptance of homosexual clergy?

The saddest part of this ever-growing problem is that the members of so many churches suffer grave danger and harm to their souls. They are lulled into feeling comfortable in their churches even though they hear little of God’s Word there anymore. Little is heard of sin and God’s judgment – in fact, all sorts of open sin is tolerated and accepted within the churches – and little is taught regarding genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Sunday school and Bible study materials are full of interesting stories and projects but are often devoid of the Bible itself. Sermons are full of interesting illustrations and religious words and concepts, but how much of it actually comes from the Bible?

What can you do? First of all, if you haven’t done it already, pick up that Bible from the shelf, blow the dust off, and start reading. You’ll be surprised at how much of it you’ve never heard taught or explained in sermons or Bible classes. Secondly, pray for your church and your pastor. Pray that they would read and study the Bible and accept it as God’s inspired and unerring Word and then proclaim it unashamedly. Thirdly, talk to your pastor and let him know that you want him to preach and teach the Bible in your church – nothing more and nothing less! Let him know in a kind way that, though his thoughts and orations may be interesting, you are coming to hear God’s Word and to learn of God and His ways.

And, finally, if your church won’t faithfully preach and teach the Bible, even after your prayers and urgings, find a church that does and go there. Don’t let the devil rob you of God’s Word and take from you the eternal blessings which God offers and gives through faith in Jesus Christ!

Pastor Randy Moll

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

The Adult Bible Class will continue on Sunday with its study of Revelation, in chapters 21 and 22. In particular, we will look at the glories believers will see and know with Christ in heaven. In preparation, read the closing chapters from the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Catechism Class is studying the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed, and will begin looking at the foremost invisible creatures of God – Angels. Catechumens might consider when God created the angels, how many kinds of angels there are and why, and what the angels do – even yet today!

Sunday School Classes will today begin a new series of lessons for the fall quarter and be assigned to new classes. The Sunday School kickoff begins with a special opening, new classes and a potluck dinner following the worship service.

The Sunday Sermon will take up the final verses of Peter’s First Epistle – 1 Peter 5:8-14. To prepare, consider how the Devil works to rob believers of their salvation in Jesus Christ and how we can stand fast and overcome his tactics.

What Do We Believe?

What do we believe about the Creation? Consider the following summary statement and look up the supporting Bible passages:

Creation

We believe that the LORD God created the heavens, the earth, and all things in six normal length days; that this occurred only about six thousand years ago (ca. B.C. 4,000); that all things were originally created good and without sin; and that God created and still preserves all things by His almighty Word (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 33:6; 139:13-16; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2-3; 11:3; Old Testament genealogical records). We therefore reject all teaching and theory which contradicts the Biblical record of creation, including atheistic and theistic evolution and other (falsely called “scientific”) theories which suggest that the earth and life came to exist by chance over millions or billions of years.

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our congregation and all its members that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. Continue to pray for Sam Rusch who was recently hospitalized; for Ron Wellander, who has been struggling to live with a troubling medical condition; for Dave Brown; for Tonny Mayer; for Rick and Karen Hawes and their family; for any others who have been sick or suffering among us; and for the soldiers we have adopted.

Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at randy@mollfoto.com.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: “The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”’ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17

All of us who trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior have received of His fullness, grace upon grace.

What the law, which was given through Moses, could not do because of our sinfulness, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has done for us! He fulfilled the righteous demands of the law in our place; and He paid in full for all our sins – and for the sins of the whole world – by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross (cf. 1 John 2:1, 2).

In Jesus Christ, and by His holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead, we have received God’s abundant grace and mercy. Our sins, which were like scarlet, have been washed away; and we are made as white as snow (cf. Isaiah 1:18). And when we confess our sins, He continues to cleanse us with His own blood (1 John 1:7, 9).

In Jesus Christ, God’s grace and truth have come to us sinners. It is by grace that we are forgiven of God, and it is by grace that we know and believe in Jesus as our Savior.

“Amazing grace! how sweet the sound – that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see” (John Newton).

O dearest Jesus, thank you for coming into this world to bear my sins on the tree of the cross and thus to grant me grace upon grace that I might be forgiven for all my sins and have a place in your eternal kingdom. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Words of Encouragement

from

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

2305 S. Dixieland Rd. / P.O. Box 2335, Rogers, AR 72757
Sunday School & Bible Class: 9 a.m. / Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

August 19, 2009

Paul’s Letter to the Believers at Colosse (continued)

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:15-18

Who is Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul answers that question in unmistakable terms. Jesus is “the image of the invisible God.” In other words, if you desire to know God, know Jesus, for He is God Himself in human flesh.

The Gospel of John (1:1, 14, 18) states of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. … No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

Jesus is the firstborn of all creation – not in the sense of being created, but in that all was created by Him and for Him, and He is the inheritor of all. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

Again, the Gospel of John says (1:3, 4): “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Jesus is before all things, for in the beginning He was. He is the great “I AM,” Jehovah God in the flesh (cf. Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).

Jesus is the head of the body, the church, for He loved the church and gave Himself for it – suffering and dying upon the cross for the sins of the word – that He might present it to Himself, “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:22; cf. Ephesians 5:25ff.).

Jesus is the firstborn from the dead because He died for the sins of all and rose again from the dead on the third day. He is firstborn because all who trust in Him for forgiveness and life will also be raised up with glorified bodies on the last day to live and reign with Him forever in His eternal kingdom.

Paul’s point to the Colossian believers and to us? Jesus is indeed God Himself in human flesh, being miraculously conceived and born of the virgin Mary, and we are complete in Him. He is our creator and He has accomplished our salvation by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. As He rose from the dead on the third day, so He will raise up on the last day all who trust in Him and grant them life everlasting in His heavenly kingdom. Christ Jesus is our life and hope! We need look nowhere else!

O dearest Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, thank You for creating us and giving us life; and thank You for redeeming us with Your holy and precious blood shed for us on the cross that we might be granted forgiveness, new life and a place with You in Your eternal kingdom. Keep us steadfast in You. Amen.

Why Do We Humbly Worship?

We read in Isaiah 6:1-7: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

Think about Isaiah’s vision of the LORD God. What if we were suddenly standing in the presence of the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth? What if we saw His glory and heard His holy angels crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”?

Wouldn’t we also, like Isaiah, say, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts”?

The truth is, though we may not see it with our earthly eyes, we do stand in the presence of the LORD of hosts – He is everywhere and the whole earth is filled with His glory! His angels are around us, not only watching over us as believers, but also uttering the praises of the Almighty. And here in our humble church building, the crucified, risen and exulted Christ comes to us offering us His Word of forgiveness, His body and blood shed for the remission of all our sins. And, of course, lest we forget, our bodies are His temple. He dwells in us by His Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).

One of the hymns in our hymnal (LSB 621) says it so well in the ancient words translated from the Greek by Gerard Moultrie:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descending,
Comes with homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of light descending
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the powers of hell to vanquish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

The theme of this ancient hymn is based on the words of Habakkuk 2:20: “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

As we ponder God’s majesty and holiness, the words of Isaiah come to our lips as well: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

How unworthy we are – and deserving of God’s wrath and judgment – to stand in His very presence! In fact, the more we see His glory, majesty and holiness from His revelation of Himself in the pages of our Bibles, the more we are struck with our unworthiness to stand in His presence. Even our best worship of Him is from unclean lips and comes so far short – it is filthiness in His eyes (cf. Isaiah 64:6). And the people around us – in our congregation – have unclean lips too!

But, as one of the seraphim took a live coal from the altar – where sacrifices were offered up that sinners trusting in God’s promise of a better Sacrifice for all sin might be forgiven and walk in God’s presence – so Christ Himself, the almighty and everlasting God in human flesh, our Redeeming Sacrifice, comes to us with His word of forgiveness and His body and blood given and shed upon the cross for the remission of all sins. He touches our lips and our hearts, cleanses away all our sins and opens our mouths to worship Him and sing His praises.

“If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).

Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

The Adult Bible Class will continue on Sunday with its study of Revelation, at the close of chapter 20 and then into the final two chapters. In particular, we will look at the final judgment and the glories believers will see and know with Christ in heaven. In preparation, read the closing chapters from the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Catechism Class is just beginning its study of the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the teaching of the Apostles recorded for us in the Scriptures. Students are encouraged to read through the Apostles’ Creed and consider the three parts of this creed and summarize them. In the first article of the Creed, we speak of God the Father as Creator of heaven and earth. Read Genesis 1 and 2 and consider also the role of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in Creation. Compare John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:12-23.

Sunday School Classes will continue with their study of well-known Bible narratives and lessons. The Sunday School kickoff will be on August 30, with a special opening, new classes and a potluck dinner following the worship service.

The Sunday Sermon will focus on the role of Christian pastors (elders) among God’s flock and on Christian humility. Why are pastors to shepherd the flock? How are they to do it? What does it mean to shepherd God’s sheep? What reward is promised to the faithful? By whom? With what should we all be clothed? Why? What should we do with our cares and concerns? Read 1 Peter 5:1-7 to find the answers.

What do we believe about the God? Consider the following summary statement and look up the supporting Bible passages:

GOD

We believe that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; I Corinthians 8:4). This God (called the LORD or JEHOVAH) is one divine Being or Essence, but three distinct Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (thus the name, Triune or Three/One God), each being eternal and equal in power and majesty, because each Person is the LORD God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; I John 5:7; Isaiah 48:16-17; John 1:1; Colossians 2:9; I Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 4:14). We believe that no one can worship or serve the Triune God except he believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the Savior of mankind from sin and its consequences (John 3:18,36; 5:23; 14:6; I John 2:23; 5:11-12). Hence, all who deny the Trinity of God (that God is three Persons) or the Unity of God (that God is one divine Being), or who do not trust in Jesus Christ, the Son, for salvation, do not worship and serve the true God.

Remember to pray for our congregation and all its members that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. Pray for Sam Rusch who was hospitalized; for Ron Wellander, who has been struggling to live with a troubling medical condition; for Dave Brown; for Tonny Mayer; for any others who have been sick or suffering among us; and for the soldiers we have adopted.

Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at randy@mollfoto.com.

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

Pastor Randy Moll 479-233-0081

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“John witnesses concerning Him, and has cried out, saying, This One was He of whom I said, He coming after me has been before me, for He was preceding me.” John 1:15

What should be the focus of our witness? Should it be on us and our faithfulness? Should it be about our church and all that we are doing? Or, should it be on Christ and what He has done for our salvation?

Look at John the Baptist. “John witnesses concerning Him, and has cried out, saying, This One was He of whom I said, He coming after me has been before me, for He was preceding me.”

Did John testify of himself and all the work he was doing? Did he focus on how many people he baptized in the Jordan? No, he pointed to Jesus.

And what did he say of Jesus? That “He coming after me has been before me, for He was preceding me.” Even though Jesus was born after John (being about six months younger), and even though John’s ministry came before that of Jesus, John directed people to Jesus and said that Jesus was to be preferred before him. And even though John was older, yet John testified that Jesus already was before him; for Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was made man to redeem us!

John pointed people to Jesus and not to himself, for Jesus is God the Son, the Messiah and Savior! “And there is salvation in no other One, for neither is there any other name under Heaven having been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

It will do no one any good at all if we direct people to ourselves and to our church but do not bear witness to Jesus and what He has done for us and all people on the tree of the cross. We can save no one through our services and programs. Jesus is the Savior of the world. He shed His holy and precious blood on the cross to redeem all. Let’s point people to Him!

O Jesus, eternal Son of God come into this world to redeem us, grant that we testify of You and direct people to You, for You only are our Savior. Amen.

Scriptures quoted from Green’s Literal Translation (LITV) by permission.Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr. All rights reserved.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

2305 S. Dixieland Rd. / P.O. Box 2335, Rogers, AR 72757

Sunday School & Bible Class: 9 a.m. / Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

August 12, 2009

Paul’s Letter to the Believers at Colosse (continued)

“For this cause also, from the day in which we heard, we do not cease praying on your behalf, and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, for you to walk worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work and growing into the full knowledge of God; being empowered with all power according to the might of His glory, to all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light, who delivered us out of the authority of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins….” Colossians 1:9-14

Though the ancient city of Colosse no longer exists – the old east-west road was moved, causing the once-important city to wane – by the grace of God the believers who once lived there are now reigning with Christ Jesus in His glorious heavenly kingdom.

Paul – probably while he was a prisoner in Rome, along with Timothy, when they heard of the faith and love of these believers in the Roman province of Asia (in modern-day Turkey) – prayed for them that they might continue in the true faith and grow in their knowledge of God.

Paul wrote to them in his letter: “For this cause also, from the day in which we heard, we do not cease praying on your behalf, and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, for you to walk worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work and growing into the full knowledge of God; being empowered with all power according to the might of His glory, to all patience and longsuffering with joy….”

Paul and Timothy continually lifted up their fellow believers in Colosse, requesting that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will together with all wisdom and spiritual understanding so that they would use this knowledge of God rightly and live a life pleasing to Him, doing God’s will rather than following the whims of false teachers who held up another way of faith and life. They prayed that the believers there would continue to grow in the knowledge of God and be strengthened by Him so that they would endure in the true faith and rejoice in Him and what He had done for their salvation.

Paul and Timothy prayed for these believers that they too would give thanks to God the Father for graciously making them acceptable and fit to be partakers of the eternal inheritance of the saints in light – the blessings of heaven which God graciously gives to all who trust in Christ Jesus. It was God the Father who had delivered them from the rule and power of darkness – the kingdom of the devil – and translated them into the eternal kingdom of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. And, it was in Christ Jesus and for the sake of His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world, that they had been redeemed, forgiven of all their sins and made acceptable in God’s eyes.

What Paul writes applies to all of us who believe today. How important it is for believers – for you and for me – to learn and be filled with the knowledge of God through the study of His Word! And it is not enough to just learn facts about God. We need to know Him and His ways and so be strengthened in our faith in Him and rejoice in the salvation He has provided us in His Son. Then, as a fruit of our faith in Him, we will also seek to please Him by walking in His ways.

And, in all this, we have every reason to give thanks to God the Father; for it is He who has made us acceptable for His kingdom by sending His only-begotten Son to die for us and redeem us with His holy and precious blood shed upon the cross! It is in Jesus that we have pardon and forgiveness. It is in Jesus that we have life everlasting and a place in God’s eternal kingdom. God rescued us from the rule and dominion of darkness by sending His Son to redeem us. He translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son by bringing us to know and trust in Jesus for our salvation.

Again, the point of it all is that our salvation is complete in Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us, paid for the sins of the whole world and rose again in victory on the third day. God the Father, through the death of His Son, made us fit and acceptable in His sight; and He, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, brought us to faith in Jesus and thus rescued us from the doomed kingdom and rule of the devil and translated us – transferring and carrying us – into the eternal kingdom of His only begotten Son!

We thank You, dear Father in heaven, for graciously sending Your only-begotten Son to redeem us and for mercifully bringing us into His eternal kingdom. Grant that we might grow in our knowledge of You and walk worthy of Your gracious calling. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

- Pastor Randy Moll 479-233-0081

Read and Study Your Bibles

In addition to attending church services, Sunday school and Bible studies, one of the most important things we can do that God might continue His gracious working in us and strengthen and build us up in the faith is to read and study our Bibles daily. We should do as the first believers and be “continuing steadfastly in the doctrine of the apostles, and in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Or, as we shall read in a few weeks in our study of Colossians, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and exhorting yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

Why is Scripture study so important? “Faith is of hearing, and hearing through the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). God the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to nourish us and keep us in the true faith. He uses God’s law to reveal and convict us of the sin in our lives, and He uses the Gospel to comfort and assure us of God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Messiah Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross in our stead, so strengthening our faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit also uses the Scriptures to lead us and guide us through life by teaching us how God would have us live and in which way we should go. Again the Bible tells us: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

The Adult Bible Class will continue on Sunday with its study of Revelation. In particular, the topics of the binding and loosing again of Satan, the reign in heaven with Christ of believers who have gone before us and died in the faith, and the final judgment will be taken up in the study of Revelation 20-21. In preparation, read those two chapters from the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Catechism Class is just beginning its study of the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the teaching of the Apostles recorded for us in the Scriptures. Students are encouraged to read through the Apostles’ Creed and consider the three parts of this creed and summarize them. Also consider that our faith is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the Cornerstone. The Bible tells us: “So, then, you are no longer strangers and tenants, but you are fellow citizens of the saints and of the household of God, being built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone, in whom every building having been fitted together grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22). Why is it so important that our faith be built squarely upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets? Why is it so important that Jesus Christ and the redemption He won for all be the cornerstone? What happens to buildings which are not built on a good foundation or are only partially on the foundation?

Sunday School Classes will continue with their study of well-known Bible narratives and lessons. The Sunday School kickoff will be on August 30, with a special opening, new classes and a potluck dinner following the worship service.

The Sunday Sermon will focus on suffering as a Christian and is based on 1 Peter 4:12-19. Should Christians expect an easy and trouble-free life in this world? Why might Christians suffer? Is there a right reason and a wrong reason to suffer in this world? Can there be blessing in sufferings endured for Christ and the truth of His Word? To whom do Christians commit themselves when they face suffering, trouble and persecution? Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 to find the answers.

What do we believe about the Scriptures? Consider the following summary statements and look up the supporting Bible passages:

Word of God

We believe that each and every word, as well as the entirety and whole, of the Holy Scriptures was given by inspiration of God and is therefore the true and unerring Word of God (II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:16; I Corinthians 2:13; John 10:35; 17:17; 2 Samuel 23:1-2). We also believe that the Word of God has not been lost or corrupted, but has been faithfully preserved by God down through the centuries as a witness to all the nations (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; I Peter 1:25; Matthew 24:14,35). We believe that it is still accurately recorded in the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Majority (or Received) Texts, and that it can be read and studied in faithful Bible translations, such as Luther’s German Bible, the King James Version, the New King James Version and other accurate translations of the Bible. We reject and discourage the use of texts and translations of the Bible which are unfaithful – which change, add to or take away from the the Bible – and thus corrupt the Word of God (Deuteronomy 4:2; Jeremiah 23:28; Matthew 5:18-19; Revelation 22:18-19).

Since all of Holy Scripture is God’s true and unerring Word, we teach that the Bible is to be the source and judge of all Christian Doctrine. What is not in accord with God’s Word is not to be taught as Christian Doctrine (Isaiah 8:20; Jeremiah 23:28-32; Psalm 119:128; II Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 17:11). The Bible is also its own interpreter; thus, passage interpretations which are not in agreement with other clear passages of Holy Scripture are to be rejected (II Peter 1:20-21; Isaiah 8:20). We teach that the Bible is to be diligently studied and heard; for it reveals to mankind the only way of salvation, which is through faith in Christ Jesus, and it guides the Christian in living according to God’s Holy will (John 5:39; 20:31; II Timothy 3:14-17; Psalm 119:105).

Remember to pray for our congregation and all its members that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word; for Ron Wellander, who is home but ill again; for Dave Brown; for Tonny Mayer; for any others who have been sick or suffering among us; and for the soldiers we have adopted.

Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at randy@mollfoto.com.

Offerings last Sunday were: $780.00.

“Then, brothers, having confidence for the entering of the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, which He consecrated for us, a new and living way through the veil; that is, His flesh; and having a Great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts having been sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our body having been washed in pure water; let us hold fast the confession of the hope without yielding, for He who has promised is faithful. And let us consider one another, to incitement of love and of good works, not forsaking the assembling together of ourselves, as is the custom of some, but exhorting, and by so much more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:19-25

[Green's Literal Translation (LITV). Scripture quoted by permission. Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr. All rights reserved.]

John 6:47-50

47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes on Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the Bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and died. 50 This is the Bread which comes down from Heaven, so that a man may eat of it and not die.

Have you ever smelled or tasted freshly baked bread? My father helped to run a bakery when he was growing up, and while I was growing up, enjoyed baking bread as a hobby. We would make bread every Saturday, especially around Easter, when we made Easter bread, mostly because it has high sugar content and tastes almost like cake.

Many sandwich shops, like Subway, use the fact that they bake their own bread in marketing campaigns. I know that the smell of baking bread has made our family stop at Subway more than once when we had other options available. It’s hard to resist the smell of baking bread, especially when you’re already hungry.

Now try to imagine what life would be like without bread. No sandwiches, no donuts, no cookies, no cake. No hamburgers or cheeseburgers. No peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches. No bagels or English muffins. Unless you have a specific allergy or medical reason to avoid bread products, it’s likely that you eat some bread every day. If you do have such an allergy or medical condition, how hard it must be to avoid those things!

Even in our modern world, we depend greatly on bread and bread products in every day life.

In Bible times, people depended on bread even more than they do today. In those days, there was no refrigeration, so it was hard to keep meat or fruit good for any length of time. But bread was still fairly easy to make, and it could be made often, so it didn’t have to keep long. It was nutritious and filling, and you could carry it with you when you traveled. When you didn’t have it, or a way of getting it, you were in danger of starving.

In our text for today, Jesus had just recently turned 5 loaves and two fish into enough food to feed thousands of people – 5,000 men and their families, perhaps as many as 20,000 people, or the entire population of Bentonville.

These people had followed Jesus into the wilderness, because they wanted to hear what he had to say. They had just seen Jesus perform one of his greatest miracles, and they obviously didn’t understand its importance.

In that regard, they were just like the Israelites in the wilderness in the Exodus. Through Moses and Aaron, God had just led the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt, drowning the mighty Egyptian army in the process. They had crossed the Red Sea without getting their feet wet.

And so, about two and a half months into their journey to the promised land, they started to complain. “Did you bring us into the desert to die?” And so on. They mentioned how they were never hungry in Egypt. Were they whining? Yes. Were they ungrateful? Yes. But God provided for them anyway.

Five days a week, for 40 years, this manna would fall to the ground around the Israelite camp. Two quarts would fall for each person in the nation of Israel. On the sixth day, twice that amount would fall, so that they would not have to gather it on the Sabbath. The Israelites used it to make bread, all the 40 years they wandered, until they finally reached the promised land, at which point the manna stopped falling.

To emphasize the need to gather it every day, it would go bad if it was kept or hoarded on any day but the Sabbath.

This manna was so important that God had Aaron, the high priest, preserve a container of it in the Ark of the Covenant, where it rested along with Moses’ staff and the tablets of the Law.

These things point to the fact that manna was a temporary solution by design. Once Israel had reached the border of Canaan, they didn’t need it anymore, since Canaan was overflowing with milk and honey. God provided a miracle for their Israel’s physical needs, even though they didn’t deserve it, and even though they later grumbled and complained about it.

This manna became one of the most recognized pictures of God’s love and mercy in the Old Testament. Because it sustained the whole nation for 40 years, and was tied so closely to both the Exodus and the settling of the Promised Land of Canaan, it has become one of the most recognizable pictures of the Old Testament.

So in many ways, the reaction of the people about Jesus is understandable. “Has the manna come back?” He just fed us all, just as God fed us with the manna. They were even ready to make him
King by force. I wonder how that would have worked…

And so we shake our heads. Those nutty Israelites, they just don’t get it. Could the point be any more obvious? Well, could it?

But then we have to ask ourselves – how would we react? And the truth is, we would probably react the same way. How often do we worry about our physical needs to the exclusion of our spiritual needs? How much of our lives do we squander in worry, when we know that God has promised to take care of us?

We want the Bread King, don’t we? (Or the donut king, or Subway king.) We want to be happy and comfortable in the here and now, and if we are, we’re good with that, aren’t we? We want our food, and the rest can wait. Or can it?

Jesus tells us here: yes, you have food. I can provide that. But I have much more to offer than a day’s worth of food, or even a lifetime of food. I offer you eternity in peace and happiness with God. I can give you life on the Last Day.

So as soon as it’s clear that Jesus is not offering to be the Bread King, the crowd is disillusioned. They’re not sure they want to follow him anymore. Despite seeing him multiply the loaves and fishes with their own eyes, they start asking: Don’t we know him? Don’t we know Mary and Joseph?

So what is it, exactly that Jesus offers? He tells us that he has come to do the will of the one who sent him – that is, the Father. And what is the Father’s will? To show himself to the world, to make himself known, so that we have the opportunity to believe in him, and to give us eternal life. He gives his flesh for the life of the world.

This is possible because Jesus is true God, as his miracles show. Through his perfect life and innocent death, he purchased for us the forgiveness of our sins. For all our ungratefulness, for all our
imperfections, for our impatience and grumbling. Because of Christ, God sees us not as we are, but as Jesus is – perfect and sinless, and deserving to live with him forever.

And God is not miserly with his mercy. He does not give us only a little. Just as the crowd ate and ate until they were full, and there were still plenty of leftovers, so it is with God’s mercy – he gives and gives and gives, and even when we have enough, there is more left over. It is a boundless gift that is bigger than anyone can use, and we never need fear running out of it.

Eating the Bread of Life means hearing this message and believing it. Fellowship with the Bread of Life changes everything for us – even the nature of death. Instead of being the end, and a source of terror for us, it becomes our gateway to eternal life. As Jesus says, if anyone eats of the Bread that comes down from heaven, he will never die.

So here, Jesus offers every single one of us the Bread of Life. Through the preaching of his Word, through Baptism, through the Lord’s Supper, and through our own study of the Word, he offers us the Bread, which he truly is.

This is why we come here, as often as we come here. To eat the Bread of Life. And in the meantime, he will take care of our physical needs as well.

Let us all take eat of that Bread, and never die, according to his promise. Amen.

- Martin Jackson

“And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.” John 1:14 (MKJV)

This is an amazing thing: the Eternal Word – the only-begotten Son of God, who was in the beginning with God, who is true God with the Father and the Spirit, the Creator of all things, the Life and Light of men – became flesh – true man – and dwelt among us!

As the LORD God dwelt among His people, His glory resting upon the tabernacle of old, so God Himself dwelt among us in the Person of Christ Jesus.

The Apostle John, and the other apostles of Jesus, could testify to the fact they saw and viewed with their own eyes the glory of Christ Jesus, the very glory of the only-begotten Son of the Father! In the ministry of Jesus, and through His mighty works – as well as upon the Mount of Transfiguration – they witnessed the glory which was Christ’s as the eternal Son of God.

And Jesus Christ, God the Son in human flesh, was “full of grace and of truth.” In Jesus, we see and know the grace of God toward sinners; and in Jesus alone is truth, the true way of life and salvation!

For Christ’s sake – for the sake of His holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead, in human flesh – God is gracious and merciful and forgiving toward us sinners (cf. Ephesians 1:6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:19). He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”; no man can come to God the Father but by Him (John 14:6).

Through faith in Christ Jesus, we sinners partake of God’s grace and forgiveness and have the promise of everlasting life in heaven!

Do you believe that Jesus, the Child born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, is the eternal Son of God and Savior of the world? Have you considered His glory? Cf. Isaiah 9:6-7. Do you trust that in Him – for the sake of His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world – God graciously forgives you all your sins, accepts you as His own dear child and grants you life everlasting in His eternal kingdom? Cf. Colossians 1:12-23.

Indeed, He is “full of grace and of truth”!

O eternal Son of God, we give You thanks for taking on human flesh and becoming true man that You might fulfill all righteousness for us, suffer and die for the sins of all the world and rise again in victory. Graciously grant that we partake of You and Your blessings through faith in Your name. Amen.

Scriptures quoted from Green’s Modern King James Version (MKJV) by permission. Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green, Sr. All rights reserved.