 |
The 1st Sunday After Easter
April 30, 2000
Pastor: Wayne C. Eichstadt
Dear Immanuel Web-users:
This Sunday (April 30) was "Examination Sunday" for this year’s confirmands at Immanuel. Each of the six confirmands was assigned a Scriptural topic which they were to develop for presentation during the service. They each presented what they prepared in a question/answer format (with the pastor asking the questions). The confirmands’ presentations together with their recitations of selections from Luther’s Small Catechism took the place of the Scripture Readings in this week’s service. The sermon was also abbreviated. As a result, this week’s posting does not contain only a sermon, but we’ve included the presentations prepared by the confirmands, the sermonette, and the rest of the order of servcie. We pray that this presentation of the Gospel will be uplifting and edifying to you.
In the Savior’s Service
Pastor Wayne C. Eichstadt
Confirmands
Lindsay Curtis, Cassandra Fleischer, Lindsey Gens, Daniel Geschwind, Robert Lueck, Meghan Stelter
Pre-Service Meditation: Psalm 148
Pre-Service Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we continue to live in the joy of Easter, convince our hearts through the Holy Spirit to always remember that You are living for us! Be the true Life in my life, deepen my trust in You, and preserve me for Your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
We Confess a Living Lord…
JESUS IS THE "LIFE" WHO LIVES FOR US!
Opening Hymn: 191 — Christ the Lord is Risen Today; Alleluia!
WELCOME in the name of Jesus our Lord who lives and reigns for us! WE WORSHIP this morning in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Cong: "Amen"
Introduction:
Just one week ago, we celebrated the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus. During this past week, we have all returned to our daily routines, but as believing children of God we continue to live daily in the "after-glow" of Easter. Our joy in the blessings of Christ’s resurrection does not fade away as soon as Easter Day comes to an end. Rather, we celebrate a "living joy" that carries throughout the year.
This year, due to the late date of Easter, we have the opportunity to hear our confirmands confess their faith while the celebration of Easter itself are still very fresh. So it seemed appropriate that for their confessional service, this year’s confirmands would present to you a summary confession of their faith in our LIVING LORD.
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and THE LIFE!” This morning, our six confirmands will speak to you about the life which Jesus brings to us, how He brings that life to us, and what it means to have a Living Lord. We confess a Living Lord for JESUS IS "THE LIFE" WHO LIVES FOR US!!
Robert Lueck
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is 100% true God and 100% true Man at the same time.
How do we know that Jesus is True God?
We know that Jesus is true God because we are told in Matthew 16:16, “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’” The apostle John, speaking of Jesus also says, “This is the true God and eternal life.” We also know that Jesus is true God because of miracles. Some examples of miracles are feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He also turned water into wine.
How do we know that Jesus is True Man?
Jesus Christ is also true man as Jesus says Luke 24:39, “Behold! My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Handle Me and see, for a Spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” We also know that Jesus is true man because of the things He did that are truly human such as His death, His suffering, and He also ate and slept.
How did the Son of God, become man?
The Son of God became man when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary. The angel Gabriel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you (Luke 1:35). It is important that we preserve the truth about Jesus being born of the Holy Ghost and virgin Mary because if He were born of a man and Mary, then Jesus would be just a man and not true God. If He wasn’t true God, He couldn’t be our Savior. Jesus remains true God and true Man now and forever.
Why did the Son of God, become man?
The Son of God became man because of His love for us and His unselfishness which moved Him to become our servant. Jesus said, “The Son of God did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
Cassandra Fleischer
What does God require of us?
God our Creator requires that all people be holy—without sin. In Leviticus 19:2b the Bible says, “…you shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.” We know we can’t fulfill this expectation by the passage in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So what happens then? You will find that in Romans 3:19-20 the Holy Book says, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.” That’s ALL of us! We’re ALL condemned to hell because we can’t fulfill God’s requirement of us!
Since we can’t fulfill the Law’s requirement, is there any hope for us?
We can’t fulfill our requirement, this is true. But just because we can’t do it, doesn’t mean the requirement doesn’t need to be met. No, we are still expected to fulfill the Law’s requirement or we will die eternally. But there is hope. We are saved. Jesus came down from heaven to live a perfect life on earth for poor, worthless sinners. Jesus is our substitute for the law’s requirement. If Jesus hadn’t lived a perfect life His death would be meaningless. If he wouldn’t have fulfilled the law we would have no one to put our faith and trust in. In Romans 5:19, the Bible describes very clearly, “For just as through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one Man many will be made righteous.”
If Jesus wouldn’t have led a perfect life for us, we would all perish because we can’t fulfill God’s requirement. But because of Jesus’ fulfillment we have eternal life. In Galatians 4:4-5 the Bible describes how Jesus lived as the Substitute for the Law’s requirement, “but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Even though we cannot keep the law perfectly nor save ourselves, why do we still want to obey the Law?
Jesus died willingly out of His love for us so why shouldn’t we praise Him? To show our love for Him, Jesus wants us to love, serve, obey and trust Him. As we appreciate His work more and more, we like serving Him and we want to serve Him. Not grudgingly do we do this, but out of our strong devotion to Him. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me….” Galatians 2:20.
RECITATIONS:
Group 1(Robert, Dan, Cassie) Odd numbered commandments
Group 2 (Lindsey, Lindsay, Meghan) Even numbered commandments
Group 1 asks the questions in #1 & 2, Group 2 answers
Group 2 asks the questions in #3 & 4, Group 1 answers
Congregation Confession of Sins
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed the devices and desires of our hearts. We have offended against Your holy law. We have done those things which we should not have done, and we have not done those things which we should have done. Have mercy on us, O Lord! Spare us and restore us, according to the promises You have declared to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. For His sake grant that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy name.
Absolution: Pastor
Lift up your hearts unto God! Our almighty Lord and merciful Father has had mercy upon us and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake forgives all our sins. To all who believe on His name He gives the power to become the children of God, and Has promised them His Holy Spirit. Therefore, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Cong: "Amen."
Hymn: 342 – Chief of Sinners Thou I Be
Daniel Geschwind
Why is there death in the world?
Death is in the world because of the loss of the image of God by Adam and Eve when they sinned. As St. Paul says in Romans, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). As a result of sin, we are condemned to death. As God says in Ezekiel, “The soul that sins shall surely die.”
What is death?
Death is "separation." There are three kinds of death: 1) Temporal death—the separation of the body from the soul. We experience this death when we die on this earth. 2) Spiritual death—the separation of the soul from God. Adam and Eve experienced this death as soon as they sinned and we are all born into this death; and 3) Eternal death—the separation of an unbeliever’s soul and body from God in hell forever. This happens when someone rejects God and what He has done for him.
What would a Savior from sin have to do in order to rescue us from this 3-fold death?
A Savior from sin would have to be our substitute. He would have to suffer and die in our place so that He could rescue us from this death. As Isaiah writes in chapter 53, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Why was Jesus’ death necessary to rescue us?
No sinner can rescue himself from death. All the money or precious things in the world could not pay for human sin. As God says in the Psalms, “None of them can by any means redeem His brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.” It had to be the precious blood of Christ. Jesus’ death paid the ransom price to God to buy us back from our sins’ debt. As God says in 1 Peter, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).
Lindsey Gens
What else beside Christ’s life and death is necessary to assure us of salvation?
Christ’s resurrection is also necessary for our salvation.
What assurances does Christ’s resurrection give?
Christ’s resurrection assures us that He is who He claimed to be, assures us that our sins are forgiven, and assures us that we have eternal life. “Because I live you will live also,” Christ says in John 14:19. So we shall be raised to life everlasting. In 1 Corinthians, the Bible says “and if Christ is not risen your faith is futile, you are still in your sins” (! Corinthians 15:17). So, therefore, without Christ’s resurrection we would be lost in our sins.
What is our eternal goal?
Our eternal goal is heaven. Jesus will come again on the Last Day to take us there. We should be ready because Jesus will come when we least expect it just as the Bible says in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore, you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Being "ready" means that we repent of our sins, trust in Jesus as our Savior and live a life according to His Word out of thanksgiving for all He has done.
What will take place on the Last Day?
On the Last Day glorious things will happen. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says that the Lord will descend from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with God. In Matthew, Jesus says that when He comes to the earth He will separate the believers from the unbelievers. The unbelievers will go into everlasting punishment, the believers will have eternal life.
What will heaven be like?
Rev. 21:4 says, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying for the former things have passed away.” There will be no sadness or sin in Heaven. It will be perfect. What we go through on earth is nothing compared to what we will have in heaven, just as Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
RECITATIONS:
The Apostolic Creed – The Apostles’ Creed provide a summary of our faith built upon Scripture. In the three articles of the Creed we have a summary of the work of the three persons in the Triune God. The congregation is invited to join in confessing our faith in the words of the Apostles Creed. As indicated in the bulletin, we will pause at the end of each article and the confirmands will recite Luther’s explanation to that article before we continue.
Cong: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
<Confirmands recite Luther’s explanation>
Cong: I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
<Confirmands recite Luther’s explanation>
Cong: I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
<Confirmands recite Luther’s explanation>
Hymn: 448 – Brief Life is Here Our Portion
Meghan Stelter
What is the office of Christ?
Christ’s office describes His "official" position in the work of salvation. There are three parts to His office: prophet, priest, and king. "Christ" is the name of our Savior which refers to His office. "Christ" means "the Anointed One."
What is a prophet?
A prophet is one who "speaks for" someone else, a mouthpiece. In the Old Testament, Moses was a prophet—a mouthpiece—for God, and Aaron was a mouthpiece for Moses. An example, Moses went up on Mount Sinai and received the commandments from God. Then Moses came down from the mountain and told the people what God had told him.
How did Christ work as a prophet?
Christ carried out His office as a Prophet by preaching the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. Jesus traveled from place to place preaching the kingdom of God.
Is Jesus Still a Prophet?
Yes, Jesus is still a prophet because He has revealed His Word to us in the Bible. He now sends out His people—you and I—to tell everyone the same message which He preached.
How Does Jesus Help us as a Prophet?
His work as a prophet is His way to save unbelievers and to help strengthen our faith. The Gospel which Jesus uses in His work as Prophet is our Means of Grace through the Word and Sacrament as we are told in the passage: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).
Does Jesus Work as a Prophet Change?
As our prophet, Jesus’ work is with the Word of God. God’s Word has not changed and does not change, so Jesus’ work as a prophet does not change. “All flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25).
RECITATIONS:
Group 2(Lindsey, Lindsay, Meghan) asks the ques. for #1,2,3a, Group 1 answers
Group 1(Robert, Dan, Cassie) asks the ques. for #1a, 2, 4, Group 2 answers.
Lindsay Curtis
What was the work of an Old Testament Priest?
An Old Testament priest made sacrifices ordered by God—sacrifices dealing with the killing of animals such as sheep, bulls, and goats. The sacrifices were made in the tabernacle and then later in the temple. These sacrifices were part of the believers’ worship in the Old Testament.
Why did God command such bloody sacrifices?
The blood of the sacrifices was a picture of Jesus’ blood. The purpose of the picture was to remind the people that Jesus’ blood was the only thing that could forgive them of their sins.
Lindsay, please give us some examples of these pictures.
On the Day of Atonement each year , the High Priest would sacrifice a bull and take the blood to the Ark of the Covenant and sprinkle it on the Ark for the forgiveness of his sins. Then he would sacrifice a goat and take its blood to the Ark of the Covenant to forgive the sins of the people. Finally, the priest laid his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confessed all the sins of the people, and then the goat was driven away into the wilderness.
How does these pictures fit Jesus?
He is the sacrifice, as John the Baptist said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) Jesus is also our priest who sacrificed Himself for our sins. Jesus is also our "scapegoat" Who has taken our sins completely away – as far as the East is from the West (cf: Psalm 103:12). He willingly went to die for us because He loves us.
Is there anything else the Old Testament priests did for the people?
They offered prayers and burned incense.
How does Jesus still work as our priest?
He still works for us as our priest by going to the Father and pleading for us when we sin. As Paul writes in Romans, “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). Knowing that Jesus is our High Priest, and prays for us in heaven shows that He cares for us.
Text: Romans 14:7-9
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
In Christ Jesus, dear fellow citizens of Christ’s kingdom—dear fellow-redeemed:
The only sure things are death and taxes—or so it has been said. We might also say that taxes only end when you die. Taxes paid by an individual to a government and benefits received from the government by that individual come to an end when the person dies because at that point he ceases to be a citizen of that country. As a child of God, your citizenship in Christ’s kingdom NEVER ENDS—not even at death or maybe we should say especially not at death.
Although in our text Paul never calls Jesus our "King," yet by calling Him Lord and saying "we are the Lord’s" Paul is in effect saying that Jesus is our king.
You have already heard that Jesus lives and is our Prophet and Priest. Jesus is also our Living King!
Like any good an honorable king, Jesus went to war against the kingdom’s enemies in order to protect its citizens. Jesus went to war and defeated the enemies of sin and death when He died on the cross for our sins.
Like any good and honorable king, Jesus is in the front LEADING, GUIDING, DIRETING, and PROTECTING His people. Should one of His citizens find himself in trouble while traveling through enemy territory, Jesus comes to His rescue and provides needed escape.
Like any good and honorable king, Jesus uses His power and authority for the benefit and good of His people. He even shows the same kind of love and care to the kingdom’s enemies. He invites His enemies to be a part of His kingdom. He promises that when they forsake their current kingdom of sin and unbelief and enter His kingdom then He will immediately give them full citizenship. He even offers them EVERYTHING they need to switch kingdoms.
Like any good and honorable king, Jesus provides for the needs of His people, is always ready to listen to them and help.
As we think about the typical work of an earthly king and compare it to Jesus’ work as our perfect heavenly king we are able to see the comparison, but also find that there is no comparison because Jesus’ work and the benefits from it are so much greater than that of any earthly king.
As citizens of Christ’s kingdom Paul says “none of us lives for himself and no one dies for himself” [v.7] As Cassie pointed out, as redeemed children of God, we now live serve Christ and not ourselves. Jesus our King rules in our hearts with His Word instead of "me my own king" ruling in our hearts with its desires. Knowing we have a LIVING KING whom we can serve with our lives makes our lives so much different—so much more meaningful.
Living in the world’s kingdom means I will live for myself and maybe for a circle of people whom I love. But that’s it. Then my life is for me and a few others. We’re all going to die and then my service means nothing anymore, except that it condemns me to eternal damnation. However, when I live for Someone who lives never again to die, then it means something. Our earthly service to Christ our king will end with our death, BUT it will resume with perfection when Christ raises us to life for all of eternity.
Living under the gracious rule of an ever-living Lord means that it doesn’t matter if we live or die. If we live we’re God’s children and heirs of heaven. If we die, we’re God’s children and heirs of heaven. Whether we live or die we are the Lord’s! Either way we WIN! If today we continue to live on this earth—JOY! For we can continue to serve our living Lord. If today we die – JOY! For we will be with our Lord in heaven, and we won’t even miss the things we think we still wanted or needed to do on the earth. Paul told the Philippians, “For me to live is CHRIST and to die is GAIN” (Philippians 1:21).
The whole purpose of Christ’s work on earth was so that our death on earth wouldn’t matter anymore—wouldn’t be our end of life. Sin brought death into the world, that couldn’t be changed, but God planned our salvation so that we could live again and after death still have Christ as our king. “For to this end (for this purpose) Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” [v.9].
There are many—seemingly countless—believers who have lived before us and died. Jesus is their Lord and King. God has told us about some of them in His Word to provide an example for us as we make our way through this life. By God’s grace, you and I have been brought into Christ’s kingdom and when we die we will still be part of that Kingdom. If God allows the earth to continue there will be many more believers who will live after us and never know us, but they will be fellow citizens in the kingdom of God and Christ will be their King. Time and death separate all these citizens of Christ’s kingdom but neither death nor time can rule over our King so HE IS—right now!—the LIVING LORD AND KING OVER ALL OF US and then on the Last Day we will ALL be gathered together as one.
This is the beautiful reality of the Communion of Saints—we know that this body of all believers of all times exists because God says it does. Our living King rules over all of us now, but THEN we will see our Lord and all believers face-to-face in the glories of heaven forever because we ARE THE LORD’S and He is the Life who lives for us!
The saints on earth and those above but one communion make
Joined to their Lord in bonds of love, all of His grace partake.
One family, we dwell with Him, one Church above, beneath;
Though, now divided by the stream—the narrow stream of death.
Lord Jesus, be our constant Guide, then, when the word is given
Bid death’s cold flood its waves subside, and land us safe in heaven!
[TLH 478 st. 1,2,5]
Amen.
Hymn: 463 (1-4) For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest
Offering Prayer:
Lord Jesus, King, our song shall ever be:
"Thanks be to You, who died to set us free!"
Made righteous through Your precious blood
We now are reconciled to God.
Our lives to deeds of love be given
To our neighbor here and You in heav’n
Let nothing in us, nor what we own,
Serve any other master—but YOU ALONE! Amen.
Offering of Thanksgiving
RECITATIONS:
Address: Pastor Eichstadt
1st & 6th Petition, Group 2(Lindsey, Lindsay, Meghan) asks the question
5th & 7th Petition, Group 1 (Robert, Dan, Cassie) asks the question
Doxology: All Confirmands; Pastor Eichstadt asks the question
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
O precious Savior Jesus, there is no work or sacrifice we can do to turn God’s wrath away from us. Thanks be to You for winning full pardon for our sins and giving it to us through faith. Forgive our many sins and strengthen us in our stand against temptation.
Work in our hearts a sure confidence which believes that You are our living Savior who still works for us as our Prophet, Priest, and King. With that confidence also give peace so that the effects of sin in this life—the pain, troubles, and sorrows—will not cause us to fear or be distressed. Lord Jesus, rule in our hearts with Your Word so that we will serve the Triune God faithfully in all that we do throughout all of our lives. Also nurture in us a love for our fellow sinners that we my live in love toward them as well, and do whatever we can to assist them in their needs of soul and body.
As our confirmands prepare to promise their life-long faithfulness to You next week, be with them. Give them the courage to promise faithfulness even in a tempting world of faithlessness and give them the strength to remain faithful to their vow. Guard and preserve us all until our final hour and then at last bear us home to be with You in that far better, sweet and blessed country – our heavenly home. In your name, dear Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven…
Benediction
Cong: "Amen x 3"
Hymn: 463 (5-8) For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest
Silent Prayer
|
Immanuel Lutheran Church 421 North Second Street Mankato, Minnesota 56001 |
Church Office: (507) 345-3027 Pastor Nolting: (507) 387-7035 Pastor Eichstadt: (507) 344-0898 |