What Is Important?

Many Years ago when I was a Younger Lutheran and a Baptized Child of God learned about My Savior because of the examples set by Family!  I am shown here with My Father.  He like his Parents and Grandparents were lifelong members of congregations which believed in the Lutheran Theology.  I have been a Lutheran also.  Recently I observed a Web Broadcast of Chapel Talks and I share My Observations here Today.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – The Catechism – a Series of messages by Chaplain Daenzer to educate the listeners on Our Faith.  This Series is broadcast on Facebook on Selected days in December 2020.

 

Session 1 – 1 December.  Scripture – Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments.  A summary of God’s Commands to His People – Believers.  The First three focus on God.  The Fourth is a hinge and places emphasis on “Our Earthly Parents.”  We have this to teach us about our relationship with them – Respect.  The following Six tell us how to live in Society and how to treat our fellow peoplekind.  Alan’s Take:  As a child we learn about God and how we are to respect our Parents and as we learn these vital concepts we then learn how we are to interact with the rest of Society.

 

Session 2 – 2 December.  Scripture – Matthew 5 – The final session on the Ten Commandments.  Jesus came, not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill the Law for us – We poor miserable Sinners.  When we study the Law we realize that these Commands reveal to us that we are Sinners.  Number 5 – Thou Shall not Kill and Number 6 -  Focusing on God’s Gift of Marriage appear to be the easy ones to keep.  But we are reminded that just thinking about harming or lusting is also a Sin.  Chaplain Daenzer reminded us that future Sessions will inform us of God’s Love for Us Sinners.  That He will focus on “The Good News of grace.”  Alan’s Take:

When I am aware of my inability to live be the Commandments I am then ready to hear and also learn about God’s Love for Me!

 

Session 3 – 3 December.  1 Peter 1 – The Creed – Session 1 of 2. A Creed is a Statement of Belief.   Based on Holy Scripture and the Creeds drive us back into the Bible.  The Creeds are a statement of Faith – which is vital for us so that we can Trust in God’s Promise.  Article 1 is a statement from Holy Scripture about the Father – The Creator.  Article 2 is also a statement from Holy Scripture about God the Son – The Redeemer.  When we recite the Creed we state that “I can not by my own reason or strength understand God.  We believe that there is only one True God and that He consist of the Father, the Son and the Spirit.  It is essential that We have Faith.  Our Faith Saves us because we must trust in the promises of Christ.  God is revealed to us in Holy Scripture.  Alan’s Take:   As a believer I must also accept the fact that God created me and all people and even though I am a Sinner that My Faith is  strengthened by the work of the Holy Spirit in Me because I Trust God.

 

Session 4 – 4 December.  Scripture 1  Corinthians  15 – The Creed – Part 2 – The Final Session.  Jesus Christ is the Heart of Our Beliefs.  Jesus Christ beat Death.  Because Jesus became Man to live a life without sin and beat the Devil, we are purchased back into God’s Family.  The New Testament is the Good News for us.  It has the message of God’s Grace that saves us for Eternity in Heaven.  The 3^rd person of the Holy Trinity – The Holy Spirit works to deliver to us the message that we are delivered back into God’s Family.  The Holy Spirit also inspires us to be useful!!!  The bottom line is “Christ is for Us/Me!!”  Alan’s Take:  Without the work of the Holy Spirit in Me I would continue to be a poor miserable Sinner with No Hope for Eternal Life in Heaven!!

 

Session 5 – 8 December.  Scripture Luke 11.  The Lord’s Prayer.  Lesson 1 of 2.  Ask and it shall be Given.  God gives Us good gifts.  We pray because God has given his name to us as “Our Father in Heaven….”  Prayer is a privilege – An act of Faith.  Our prayers are us talking to God.  Here the Disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to Pray.  Jesus instructed them as recorded in Luke 11.  We can have confidence when we pray t”The Lord’s Prayer.”  Jesus gives us access to God.  Having Faith indeed is why we Pray.  We will be rescued.  We trust in God’s promises when we pray.  When we pray we also acknowledge there is a God that we Trust.  Alan’s Take:  I can say my own prayer.  When I Pray The Lord’s Prayer” I also admit that this is the perfect prayer.  That stated, my own prayers are my words also talking to My God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  I have direct access to God, My Savior.  For me this is most comforting that I have a direct line to My Salvation. 

 

Session 6 – 9 December.  Scripture - 1 Peter.   The Lord’s Prayer concluded.  In 1 Peter 2 verse 9 we are all informed that we are members of the Priesthood.  We all have task to accomplish.  When we Pray we are asking our God to help us perform our task.  We are relying on God.  Like the name of this Epistle indicates this is Peter’s first book which is included in the Bible.  In prayer we present our bodies as living sacrifices – “our” all to God.  We must exercise our Faith and in prayer we are doing so as we speak to Him.  It is a Priestly Duty.  In Luther’s Commentary we are reminded that we are always in a position of asking for what we need and also admitting that all we have is from God!  We were reminded that All Prayer will not be needed after the “Last Day” which we also know as Judgement Day.  When we receive Eternal Life in Heaven we will have no more needs.  We all will be living stones.  Chaplain Daenzer concluded with reminding us that in the end of The Lord’s Prayer we state:  “For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.  When we say “Amen” we also know that this word means “yes, yes, it shall be so.”   Alan’s Take:  As one member of the Priesthood I have an obligation to also do our Lord’s Work while I am here on Earth.  When I pray I m accepting that God is the only way for me to obtain Eternal Life in Heaven.  It is actually my confession that I Trust in God.  Not just a trite phrase, but an actual statement of my Belief.  My Trust is in My God and the only Hope I have to have Eternal Life in Heaven.  God knows what I need and he freely gives it to me, however I must believe in Him.  Amen – “It Shall Be So!”

 

Session 7 – 10 December.  Scripture –Matthew 3 – Baptism.   Jesus stated that He needed to be Baptized to fulfill all Righteousness.  Jesus came to die, rise again and ascent in to Heaven.  He took our place!  Now we can focus on the Holy Spirit’s work in us which is a Gift God gives to us when we are Baptized.  In the Old Testament Baptism was to wash with water.  The Baptism we have now since Jesus time on Earth is not only water but also God’s word delivered in the words we are told “In the Name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit!”  This also makes us His Disciples.  In Matthew 3 and also in Matthew 28 we hear of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.  John the Baptizer did not desire to Baptize Jesus when he stated that Jesus should be Baptizing Him.  Jesus took our place although he did not need to, but it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness.  This was for Us Sinners benefit – all the people on earth.  The Lamb of god takes away our sins and suffers the wrath of God – Death!  In Baptism we become members of God’s Family.  He delivers in His Word and established our Sacraments – Baptism and The Lord’s Supper, which we will learn more about in a later Session.  In each of these Sacraments we have the whole Triune God at work for us.  Peter in his message during the Events of Pentecost stated “Repent and Be Baptized.  Baptism now saves us!!  Alan’s Take:  This is so simple that it sounds too good to be True.  Yet it is.  This goes against everything I was taught as a Young Citizen, however in Sunday School and later Confirmation Instruction I learned that this is God’s Plan for me – a poor miserable Sinner.  This is very comforting for me!! 

 

Session 8 -  11 December.  Scripture – Titus 3.  Baptism concluded.  He Saved Us by his own Mercy.  We are justified by His Grace and we are now Heirs to Eternal Life.  God now speaks to us through Jesus, His Son versus the Prophets of the Old Testament.  He, Jesus saved and rescued us.  He reconciled us!!!  A task we can and could not perform.  Only God’s Son could do this for us.  The Grace of God is underserved Mercy for and to us.  A positive and direct reference to Baptism!!!  “He Saved/saves us!!!”  Baptism is an action by God working through His Son to right all the wrongs of us people here on Earth.  Baptism is a promise to us from God!!!  It is God’s Work, not ours!!  It is a regeneration of us via the Holy Trinity.  A renewal of our Sinful condition by the Holy Spirit.  Faith Saves!!  We trust in the one who Saves!!  Faith Saves.  Not any works we can perform.  If anyone does work it is God through Jesus.  The power of the resurrection of Jesus – Faith in God’s Redemption for us.  We must trust in the Lord.  We are renewed in Baptism and this is a Life Long Gift/Value to and for us.  Again, it is God’s Promise to us.  We need to be Baptized only one.  God’s perfect gift does not need renewal.  Our Faith and Trust must be renewed each day because of who we are – Sinners!  Jesus Grace is Final and Complete.  We are Heirs to Eternal Life.  We need to maintain a daily focus because of our daily sins.  God gives us the perfect Gift and God does need to repeat His Actions.  As Saint Paul reminded us in his letters:  “He Saved Me!!”  This is the message that Saint Paul makes very clear in the first three chapters of his letter to the Ephesians – the citizens of Ephesus.  Alan’s Take:  Because God Loves Me and also His Entire Creation I can receive the Gift of Eternal Life in Heaven because of the work of the Triune God.  Because both Saint Paul and Saint Peter state this very clearly and understandable as presented by Chaplain Daenzer I can place My Faith in God’s Gift to me and also Trust that this a binding contract executed by God for my Blessing/s of Eternal Life in Heaven.  In My Baptism I am an Heir!  Amen.

 

Session 9 – 15 December.  Scripture – John 20.  The Office of the Keys.  The following verses  21 – 23 of John 20:  ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  The word “Peace” of Christianity.  His words – A testament of His death and resurrection which has saved us!  Only Jesus can use the word “Peace” and have it mean the plan of God’s Salvation for All.  As the Chaplain pointed out:  “Peace” His Mission for All!!  The words of Jesus in verse 23 is the actual implementation of what we now know as “The Office of the Keys.”  This unique power and authority in the Christian Church is a gift from God which he gave to His people on Earth on behalf of the accomplishments – Jesus’s Death, Resurrection and later His Ascension into Heaven.  Saint Paul also expands on the impact of the Office of the Keys when he challenges us to consider what it means to be a Disciple of Christ, which we are, but most important the Office of Ministry which brings us God’s Word into our Lives.  When we call on the Name of the Lord we will be saved.  The challenge is best stated in Romans 10 verses 14 through 15:  14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

 

The words of Jesus and also the words of Saint Paul are the establishment of the Ministry of the Christian Church here on Earth.  Jesus sends out His Disciples to be “Called Ministers of Christ!”  Ministers were set up by Jesus to forgive Sins of those who repent and call on the name of Jesus as has been stressed in this message.  The Key to forgiveness of Sins is Confession which will be discussed later.  In the Lord’s Supper we receive the body and blood of Jesus along with the Word of God.  When we receive this we are actually saying that I have been brought and reconciled to God by our actions is “Calling on the Lord.”  The message concluded with the reminder that Just as We Receive Forgiveness of our Sins we also must be ready and willing to “Forgive Others” as we pledge when we pray “The Lord’s Prayer.”  Alan’s Take:  A brief summary of the establishment of the Church of believers here on Earth by Jesus Christ himself.  As the Chaplain emphasizes in tach Session, prior to Jesus Birth we have the word of the Old Testament Prophets.  With the Birth of Jesus we have the fulfillment of Holy Scripture by God in the form of His Son.  We have the actual evidence as we begin the End Times!  I am also strengthened in my Faith and Trust by the fact that not only does Jesus give us God’s Message, but that we also have the Words of Saint Paul who at one time was a major threat to God’s Kingdom here on Earth when he traveled around with the sole purpose of killing those who believed in the Salvation into Eternal Life by the work of Jesus Christ.  If a Sinner of the magnitude of Saint Paul can testify about our redemption and also be forgiven by God there is indeed Hope and Salvation for Me!  Very comforting.

 

Session 10 – 16 December.  Source – Luther’s Small Catechism.  Confession!  Repentance is a daily event – We can not keep God’s Law.  When we repent Christ forgives us and washes us clean.  Confession is our act of repentance.  Absolution is God’s act of forgiveness, which we receive for Christ sake because He died, rose and ascended to Heaven.  Our Faith causes us to Trust and believe.  God’s actions allow us to have absolution for our Sins.  It is not necessary for us to list our sins for when we confess in corporate worship we state those I know of and those I do not know of.  We also pray for Gods Help in refraining from Sin and we try to make amends.  We pledge to live a better life!  Our Confession is  private matter.  We were encouraged to also seek private Confession and Absolution from our Pastor.  The format for this is suggested in our Hymnal on page 292.  This is a Pastor’s Most Critical Task.  God’s will is for me to be forgiven.  Our Pastor is a Servant of God to perform this task for us.  This is our Pastor’s Most Important Task!  We should only fear God, not our Pastor who is a “Called Servant of God” by each respective congregation.  Our individual Confession and Absolution is a private matter and our Pastor has pledged to keep it so!!  Alan’s take:  This message  on a daily basis when I repent and call on the Name of the Lord.  As I concluded this Session this thought crossed my mind and it is also a part of our Communion Liturgy:  “The Lamb of God Takes Away the Sin of the World!!”

 

Session 11 – 17 December – Holy Scripture:  Matthew 26.  The Lord’s Supper.  As I recall these Sessions each begins with the fact that in the Old Testament the Prophets informed us of what was coming.  Jesus Christ in the New Testament was the “Action” figure who came to fulfill the Prophecies.  God is now speaking to us through His Son.  The Lord’s Supper – The Final Step based on the words of Jesus Christ as He established this Sacrament himself.  His Gift to Us.  A communion between God and Us as well as all Belivers.  Christ Body and Blood delivered to Us for the forgiveness of our Sins!  This is the New Testament Covenant.  It is God’s Work for our benefit.  It is the Very Gospel (Good News) itself.  The ultimate and very special way that God gave us for our Salvation and Eternal Life in Heaven.  In Human terms it is God’s “Last Will and Testament” for His believers.  It is the blessings we receive because of His Sacrifice.  Jesus Christ was very precise when he stated:  “This Is My Body, This I My Blood!”  While it is impossible for us to understand these are the very Words of Jesus Christ.  These Words were spoken by the same God who when He created the World His Word had the Power.  No need to question God’s Power.  His power is evident in our World and His power is evident in the establishment of this Sacrament.  It is Supernatural-It can not be understood!  We Say:  “Given and Shed for Me!!”  The Sacrament of Baptism as well as this Sacrament is Very Personal.  They both happen in the here and now.  “Our Sins are Forgiven when we confess, receive absolution and partake in the Lord’s Supper.  Alan’s Take:  I have never heard the concept of The Sacraments being a manifestation of God’s Power – The same power he used to Create the World.  Again, Very comforting for me as a Believer.  My God is All Powerful!!

 

Session 12 – 18 December -  Holy Scripture 1 Corinthians 11.  The Lord’s Supper  (Concluded).  Bread and Wine transformed into His Bod and Blood by His Powerful Word.  It is possible that participation in this Sacrament can be harmful for the participant if they do not understand it.  No Testament can be changed after it is stated and/or recorded.  The Lord’s Supper is Holy and treated reverently by Christians.  When we partake of The Lord’s Supper we must be worthy.  This is summed up most correctly in Paul’s Letter in Corinthians 11:

 ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

We are encouraged to self-examine prior to our Receiving The Lord’s Supper.  This is a summary of what is contained in Luther’s Small Catechism:

1.    Do I acknowledge that I am going to receive Christ Body and Blood?

2.  Do I acknowledge and know that I am a Sinner?

3.  Do I know why I desire to receive this Sacrament and for what Benefit to Me.  Can I acknowledge that it is for the forgiveness of my Sins?  Additionally I must have Faith in the Words of Jesus Christ!

4.  Do I understand that this is a Holy Communion between Me, The Pastor, Jesus Christ and all Other Believers.  We must be genuine and honest with ourselves. 

The Speaker for this series reminded us that there is no need to even argue about this Sacrament:  “It is not a Lie!”

It is a Pastoral Failure it the Participants at the Lord’s Table do not understand these concepts.  All involved must understand that we all have Faith and Trust in the Word of God!

The Chaplain also reminded us that it is the Pastor’s Duty to educate participants in The Lord’s Supper concerning the serious consequences of not being Worthy of The Lord’s Supper.  In conclusion the Question of “Who is Worthy? Was answered by this comment:  “One must acknowledge the Need for The Lord’s Supper.  “This is Most Certainly True!”  Alan’s Take:  I have always understood that My participation in The Lord’s Supper was a very serious matter.  When I was a Young Lutheran in the late 40s and early 50s I remember My now Sainted Parents would travel to Town on Saturday’s to announce their intention to take “The Lord’s Supper” during the Worship Service on Sunday.  I think that this was a common practice back then.  I do not know of any Church that now requires this “Announcement.”  Admittedly it was a good requirement simply because it caused the Sinner to think about His/Her Situation and prepare appropriately for the receipt of God’s Grace on Sunday.  This lecture further reinforced the concept of “God’s Power was not only displayed at the Creation, but when Jesus Christ established the Sacraments during His time on Earth as True God and also True Man! I am now aware of the awesome responsibility on the Shoulders of a Pastor in Our Church.  He is charged with the education of the participants who come to the Lord’s Table during our “Holy Communion Service!!  I am glad that I participated in this educational opportunity provided by My Church – The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.  I became a Child of God on 24 March 1940.  I appreciate God’s Plan for My Salvation and Look Forward to Eternal Life in Heaven