First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Gospel lesson for today serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(D) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 698:1-2 May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill
May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfill
And do on earth our Father’s will
As angels do above;
Still walk in Christ, the living way,
With all Thy children and obey
The law of Christian love.

So may we join Thy name to bless,
Thy grace adore, Thy pow’r confess,
From sin and strife to flee.
One is our calling, one our name,
The end of all our hopes the same,
A crown of life with Thee.

Introduction

(A) I want you to close your eyes and use your imagination to see a
picture. Imagine, if you can, a world in which people actually did what
Jesus teaches us to do in our Gospel for this morning, Matthew 25:31–46.
(1) “I was hungry and you gave me food.”
(A) Can you see a world in which right-wing, flag-waving,
ultra-nationalists provide food and drink to illegal aliens as they sneak
across the border into this country?
(2) “I was sick and you visited me.”
(A) Can you see a world in which radical LGBTQ activists visit in the
hospital social conservatives who reject same-sex marriage and care for
them when they’re ill and in pain?
(3) “I was in prison and you came to me.”
(A) Can you imagine a world in which true-blue, gun-toting, passionate
law-and-order types leave their weapons at home and go into jails to
encourage and help those imprisoned there?
(B) If you can, then your imagination is better than mine.
(1) For what you are seeing is not any place in this world.
(2) What you are imagining is the kingdom of God.
(3) When Jesus calls us to do these things, and to love our enemies and
pray for those who persecute us, He is not imagining a fantasy world.
(4) He is painting a picture of what it means to follow Him into humanity’s
darkest corners and lift up those we find there into the light of His love.
(5) He is calling us to do for others what He has done for us.
(6) He is calling us to live what might be called the “orthodox life.”
(I) God calls Christians to live an “orthodox life.”
(A) This will sound odd to many because we have come to associate the word
orthodox with teachings, that is, with ideas rather than with actions.
(B) But from the biblical perspective, “orthodoxy”—glorifying God
rightly—is not simply a matter of believing the right things.
(C) An “orthodox life” is a life aligned with God’s will and glorifying Him
by letting the life of Christ manifest itself in us.
(1) God certainly cares that we believe the right things, and He repeatedly
calls upon his people to believe his teachings and to proclaim them
rightly.
(a) So believing the right teachings is an important aspect of the orthodox
life.
(2) God also calls upon his people to worship Him rightly.
(a) In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God instructs His
people on how they are to worship Him.
(b) And while it is important to distinguish between what matters to God in
worship and what does not, the whole Scriptures bear witness to God’s
concern that we worship Him in the way that He desires to be worshiped.
(3) Living an orthodox life as we await the Bridegroom’s return is
displayed in how we treat other people.
(a) As St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor­in­thians 13, even if one:
(1) Can speak in tongues,
(2) has the gift of prophecy,
(3) understands all the mysteries,
(4) has all the knowledge,
(5) and has faith great enough to move mountains,
(6) without love he is nothing (1 Cor 13:1–3).
(D) It is easy to understand why we prefer to ignore this aspect of the
orthodox life.
(1) It is usually much easier to speak the right ideas and to worship in a
proper form.
(2) It is hard to love, and especially hard to love the unlovely.
(3) Yet that is what God says we are to do as we await our Bridegroom’s
return.
(II) The call to live an orthodox life can make us feel quite uncomfortable.
(A) It can make us uncomfortable because it sounds as if God is asking us
to earn our own salvation by our good works.
(1) The language of “reward” and “punishment” is easily misunderstood in a
text like this.
(a) It is important to remember that this is a parable, a story told to
teach a lesson, not an exposition on the doctrine of justification.
(b) When we interpret parables, it is important that we not go beyond the
purpose for which the parable is given.
(1) The purpose of the parable in the teaching ministry of Jesus must guide
our interpretation.
(c) The purpose of this parable, like the parable of the talents from last
Sunday, is to teach the followers of Jesus how they should live as they
await the Bridegroom’s return.
(1) It is a mistake to use the parable for any other purpose.
(2) Within the parable, Jesus speaks these words to those for whom before
the foundation of the world God has already prepared the kingdom for them
to inherit (v 34).
(a) From eternity, God has appointed his Son to be your Savior.
(b) And in time, Christ Jesus went to the cross to prepare a place for you
in his Father’s house.
(c) Those on Jesus’ right will be all those who have believed in his death
and resurrection.
(d) The love they show to others is not the basis of their status before
God; it is a reward for their faithfulness.
(3) The Word of God certainly teaches that God will reward the good works
of Christians (1 Cor 3:8; Mt 5:12; Lk 6:35).
(a) We should not hesitate to teach this even as we make it clear that the
good works that earn this great reward are the fruit of true faith, not the
cause of it.
(B) Most of all, the call to live an orthodox life makes us uncomfortable
because it forces us outside of our comfort zone.
(1) Love demands that we put ourselves out for those who cannot possibly
benefit us in return.
(a) Love gives what it has to provide for those who are hungry and thirsty.
(b) It tends the sick.
(c) Love welcomes strangers, even foreigners.
(d) Love goes into prisons to care for criminals.
(e) Love embraces those who hate it.
(f) Love prays for those who persecute it.
(2) Love does all of this knowing full well that none of those it helps can
possibly do anything in return.
(3) Love does all of this because it has experienced the love of God and
longs to be the means by which God’s love reaches out to all the unlovely,
that they might lovely be.
(III) Who among us has lived this orthodox life?
(A) Only one: Jesus.
(1) You probably cannot imagine how a world like this would be, because
this fallen world can never be that way.
(B) Of all mankind, it is only Jesus who has lived a truly orthodox life, a
life that reflects the perfect love of God to every person in every
circumstance.
(1) But his perfect, orthodox life God counts for you who believe in him.
(2) And his perfect love in going to the cross has paid for all your
“heterodox living,” your failures to love.
(C) So why does Jesus ask you to live such a life?
(1) Because by the grace of God Jesus lives his life in you.
(2) You were put to death in Baptism and raised to a new life … the life of
Jesus.
(3) In faith, you can begin yet again today to live the life of Jesus.
(D) By Faith in the Love Jesus Lived and Died for You, You Can Begin to
Live the “Orthodox Life” each and every day.
(1) Not perfectly, to be sure.
(2) Not until the coming of the Bridegroom will the life of Jesus be
perfectly revealed in you.
Conclusion

(A) But little by little, one act of love at a time, the faith that the
Holy Spirit works in your heart:
(1) through the Word,
(2) born in Baptism,
(3) and nurtured by the body and blood of Christ that you receive at this
altar
(4) little by little,
(5) one act of love at a time,
(6) let the “orthodox life” of Jesus shine in you until the Bridegroom
returns and we are all swallowed up in the glory of the Kingdom revealed.
Amen.
(B) Let us pray:
LSB 698:3 May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill
Spirit of life, of love and peace,
Unite our hearts, our joy increase,
Thy gracious help supply.
To each of us the blessing give
In Christian fellowship to live,
In joyful hope to die.
Text: Public domain
(C) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(D) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for this evening.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]

Introduction

(A) Luke 17:11–19 (NASB95)
11 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and
Galilee.
12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met
Him;
13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the
priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.
15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back,
glorifying God with a loud voice,
16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a
Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the
nine—where are they?
18 “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this
foreigner?”
19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
(B) Thanksgiving is something we do.
(1) There’s a verb built right into it.
(2) We give thanks.
(3) Ours was the first country to set aside a day for doing this
nationwide.
(4) That’s a good thing.
(5) Did you know Thomas Jefferson opposed following the example of George
Washington and declaring a day of National Thanksgiving because he didn’t
believe that the president had the authority to do that.
(6) He thought Congress should do that.
(C) Regardless of whose idea it was to set aside a day for thanksgiving, it
is important to stop what we are doing and give thanks.
(1) That’s not the president saying that.
(2) That word comes from the Lord God Himself!
(3) We have so much for which to be thankful.
(4) We are blessed.
(5) We are free.
(6) We have more freedom than we know what to do with.
(D) So why be thankful?
(E) Perhaps the better question should be:
(1) Why not be thankful?
(F) What follows is a list (certainly not exhaustive) of Scripture verses
that:
(1) Encourage us to be thankful.
(2) Show us examples of people who expressed thanksgiving, examples for our
benefit.
(3) Giving thanks to the Lord is good for the soul.

(I) The Lord strongly encourages us to be thankful.
(A) Deuteronomy 8:10 (NASB95)
10“When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God
for the good land which He has given you.
(B) Psalm 100:4 (NASB95)
4Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks
to Him, bless His name.
(C) Colossians 3:15–16 (NASB95)
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were
called in one body; and be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching
and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
(D) 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NASB95)
16Rejoice always;
17pray without ceasing;
18in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(II) We have examples of thanksgiving in the Bible that are there for our
benefit.
(A) David Psalm 68:19 (NASB95)
19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our
salvation. Selah.
(B) Psalm 119:62 (NASB95)
62At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous
ordinances.
(C) Daniel 2:23 (NASB95)
23“To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have
given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we
requested of You, For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”
(D) The Samaritan Luke 17:16 (NASB95)
16and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a
Samaritan.
(E) Paul Acts 28:15 (NASB95)
15And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the
Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he
thanked God and took courage.
(F) 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NASB95)
57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
(G) 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NASB95)
15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
(H) 1 Timothy 1:12 (NASB95)
12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He
considered me faithful, putting me into service,
(III) As with taking medication to help our bodies, giving thanks to the
Lord is good for our soul.
(A) 1 Chronicles 16:8, 34-36 (NASB95)
8Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among
the peoples.
34O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is
everlasting.
35Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us and deliver us
from the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your
praise.”
36Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to
everlasting. Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.
(B) Psalm 50:14 (NASB95)
14“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most
High;
(C) Psalm 92:1 (NASB95)
1It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, O
Most High;
(D) Ephesians 5:17–21 (NASB95)
17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled
with the Spirit,
19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
20always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to God, even the Father;
21and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
(E) Philippians 4:6 (NASB95)
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
(F) Colossians 3:17 (NASB95)
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
(G) 1 Timothy 4:4 (NASB95)
4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it
is received with gratitude;
Conclusion

(A) Some thoughts to take to heart:
(1) Martin Luther’s last words are supposed to have been:
(a) “We are beggars all.”
(2) G. K. Chesterton:
(a) “I would maintain, that thanks are the highest form of thought, and
that gratitude is . . . happiness doubled by wonder.”
(3) In the Divine Service:
(a) What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?
I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the
Lord.
I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
(B) Instead of asking “why be thankful and generous to others”, perhaps the
question should be:
(1) Why not give thanks, why not be generous?
(C) As you gather around the dinner table tomorrow to feast on some
wonderful food, be reminded of this:
(1) Remember who it is that is the only source of goodness in the world,
and He is more than enough to fill this and every world that could ever be.
(a) This is the abundance of Lazarus,
(b) the milk and honey of the promised land,
(c) the loaves and the fish,
(d) the never-ending oil and flour,
(e) the life of the dying,
(f) the hope that mends every . . . broken . . . thing. Amen.
(D) Let us pray:
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.] Amen.
From <library.timelesstruths.org/music/Count_Your_Blessings/>
(E) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(F) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin,
Who loved us all, and shed his blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord,
The Lord almighty God,
Who was and is, and is to come.
Sing holy, holy Lord. Amen
From <
dailyprayer.us/Christian_song_lyrics/Christian_song_lyrics.php?s=een_so_lord_jesus_quickly_come
>

Introduction

A. Waiting doesn’t come naturally to us twenty-first-century Christians
living in an instant gratification culture.
1. We want what we want, and we want it now!
A. Read a book? Takes too long. Stream the movie instead.
B. Make dinner? Fast food is faster.
2. But sometimes if we do wait—or even have to wait:
A. to finish your education until the kids are grown,
B. to start volunteering until you retire
C. there’s always a risk.
D. If the waiting goes on for too long, it’s possible we can forget
altogether that for which we ought to hope.
B. Ever since our Lord ascended back to heaven, the Church has been waiting
for His return.
1. In the first years after His departure, there was eager expectation.
2. Then it began to seem that the waiting was too long.
3. Did the people misunderstand what Jesus said?
4. Is Jesus not going to keep His promise?
5. Is Jesus really ever coming back?
C. Since waiting isn’t easy for us, and because there is the risk we can
forget or lose hope, Jesus tells us a parable for this third-to-last Sunday
of the church year.
1. It’s scary—terrifying, in fact—but also hopeful at the same time.
2. It’s a dramatic reminder for us that:
D. Yes, The Lord Is Coming Again!
I. Do we believe it . . . that the Lord is coming again?
A. The early church believed it.
Matthew 25:1 (NASB95)
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took
their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

1. Our text for this morning is part of Jesus’ lengthy discourse on the end
of the world (Matthew 24–25).
A. Highlights of these two chapters:
1) Signs of Christ’s return
2) Perilous times will occur
3) The glorious return of Christ will happen
4) The parable of the fig tree
5) Be ready for His coming
6) The parable of the ten virgins (today’s text)
7) The parable of the talents (next week’s Gospel lesson)
8) The final judgment (the Gospel lesson for the last Sunday of the Church
year two weeks from today)
2. He speaks it during Holy Week, only days before His death on the cross.
a. Which means He’s soon going to be leaving the disciples:
1) first to die,
2) then, a few weeks later, to ascend back to heaven.
b. But he would also promise to return:
1) first from the grave at Easter, which He did, then at the end of the
world, which we still await.
3. The first-century church expected Jesus to return any day, just as the
women in the parable expected the bridegroom to come soon.
B. The world would say no, Jesus isn’t really coming back.
1. Scientists project the sun burning out in several billion years.
a. Some see us destroying ourselves with nuclear weapons.
b. No matter how you look at, Jesus is not coming back.
2. Folks live as if Jesus is never coming back:
a. no accounting for whatever sin feels good today, we’re just going to die
anyway.
Luke 12:19–21 (NASB95)
19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many
years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required
of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God.”
b. Since Jesus is not coming back and there is no proof other than God’s
Word to say otherwise, one can do whatever they want:
1) “The Purge” movies (where all crimes committed were considered legal for
a day)
2) One is no longer allowed to discipline their child:
a) It might hurt their self-esteem.
b) Just let the child be, it’s just a phase.
C. Human nature too easily follows the world.
1. What happened to both the wise and foolish virgins?
Matthew 25:5 (NASB95)
“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to
sleep.
a. None of us is very good at waiting.
b. In fact, it goes against your very nature.
2. Your natural inclination is to forget that what doesn’t happen now can
still happen, then live as if things of this life are all that are real.
a. What one can taste, smell, touch, hear, or see:
1) That is reality.
b. Can one know heaven or hell right now using the five senses?
1) If the answer is no, then heaven or hell is not real.
2) If the answer is yes, you’re classified as crazy!
3. What does this mean?
a. That means being unprepared for what should be expected—Christ’s return
and judgment.
b. But . . .
II. Yes, we do believe it . . . the Lord is coming again!

A. The promises of God—and his warnings—are sure.
1. He kept His promise to die for the world’s sin and then made good on the
toughest promise:
a. to rise again from the dead.
2. Surely, then, He will keep his promise to return.
3. That means all people will surely also rise to stand before him for
judgment.
a. Everyone must give account.
Romans 14:10–12 (NASB95)
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard
your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat
of God.
11 For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO
ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
b. We, and that means everybody, all must be wise, that is, always be
“ready”.
Matthew 25:2–4, 6-10 (NASB95)
2 “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,
4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.
6 “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to
meet him.’
7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out.’
9 “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you
too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom
came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and
the door was shut.
c. How terrifying it was to hear those words the foolish virgins hear!
Matthew 25:11–12 (NASB95)
11 “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for
us.’
12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’
1) They will face unending, unspeakable punishment!
2) Really!
B. But Jesus’ coming among us now strengthens us for the wait.
1. His Word, which speaks again and again to remind us that He really is
coming again, also speaks of the unimaginable joy behind that open door!
a. Pure joy at the birth of a child or grandchild.
b. Renewed strength after having surgery or being sick for any length of
time.
c. Absence of pain, sorrow, problems, trials, tribulations.
2. And His sacrament at this altar only assures us that we will be
admitted, but also pictures that eternal feast.
a. It is a wedding banquet, after all!
Conclusion

A. While the main thrust of the parable is the clear call to be watchful
and ready for Jesus’ return, the setting—a wedding celebration—reminds us
that faithful, waiting Christians do so in hopeful expectation.
1. There is great joy in the promise of the Lord’s return.
2. Even as we wait, we do so in the company of the whole church, sitting
already now at the banquet of the Lamb in His kingdom.
3. The now-but-not-yet end times tension permeates this text, even as it
should the life of every Christian.
B. Jesus’ concluding comment on his parable rests on a key word:
1. Greek: gregoreite, “watch,” which figures prominently in his end times
discourse (10 times) (Matthew 24:42, 43; 25:13; Mk 13:34, 35, 37; see also
Luke’s earlier discussion in 12:37, 38; 13:25–30).
2. Often appearing as an imperative, the word functions as something of a
call to arms.
3. Matthew and Mark use the word for Jesus’ serious request to his
disciples to watch with him while he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane
(Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34), followed later—after finding them asleep—with
the stronger counsel:
Matthew 26:41 (NASB95)
“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
(Also found in Mark 14:38).
C. While the word can refer simply to the task of staying awake, that is,
the opposite of sleeping, it usually is accompanied by the moral imperative
to be alert and on guard.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NASB95)
so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
1. As St. Paul bid farewell to the elders in Ephesus, for example, he
warned of false teachers who would ravage the flock under their care,
urging them to be alert, that is, be on guard
Acts 20:31 (NASB95)
“Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of
three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
2. Similarly, Peter issued his warning:
1 Peter 5:8 (NASB95)
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
3. To the church in Sardis, St. John gave warning to the people to wake up
to the truth that they were dead and not alive.
Revelation 3:2–3 (NASB95)
2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die;
for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
3 ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent.
Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not
know at what hour I will come to you.
D. Whether the word is used to rouse sleepy Christians from a life of
complacency or to caution about sin, which crouches at the door, always
lurking in the background is the general sense of preparedness for the
Lord’s coming:
1. whether that be His final coming at the Last Day or His coming among us
now.
2. The truth is that Jesus is always demanding of us a confession of the
truth, a readiness to answer the question:
Matthew 16:15 (NASB95)
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
E. At the conclusion of the Revelation to St. John, Jesus promises:
Revelation 22:7, 20-21(NASB95)
7 “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of
the prophecy of this book…
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
1. And to that we say, amen!
F. Let us pray:
Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein.
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below.
For Christ is coming, Is coming soon.
For Christ is coming soon.
E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come,
And night shall be no more.
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun,
For Christ will be their All!

From <
dailyprayer.us/Christian_song_lyrics/Christian_song_lyrics.php?s=een_so_lord_jesus_quickly_come
>
G. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
H. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Theme: Blessed are they

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Gospel lesson from Matthew 5 serves as our sermon text for this
morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 679:1-3 Oh, How Blest Are They
Oh, how blest are they whose toils are ended,
Who through death have unto God ascended!
They have arisen
From the cares which keep us still in prison.

We are still as in a dungeon living,
Still oppressed with sorrow and misgiving;
Our undertakings
Are but toils and troubles and heartbreakings.

They meanwhile are in their chambers sleeping,
Quiet and set free from all their weeping;
No cross or sadness
There can hinder their untroubled gladness.

Introduction

A. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
1. If you have been in church any length of time in your life and you have
read through the Bible so many times you have lost count, there are certain
passages in Scripture that are more familiar than others. The Gospel lesson
for today is one of those texts. And it bears to be read again.
Matthew 5:1–12 (NASB95)
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat
down, His disciples came to Him.
2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This is the Word of the Lord…Thanks be to God.
B. Jesus said at the beginning of His earthly ministry:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).
1. These words then serve as the doorway to the Lord’s earthly ministry and
the prologue to the Good News of salvation He brings to us.
2. It also serves as the doorway or prologue to the Sermon on the Mount, of
which we have heard the very beginning in our sermon text for this morning.
3. In turn, these verses are preparation for the rest of the sermon, which
shines the light of the great “Repent!”
C. Not only did “repent” open Jesus’ ministry; it opened the Reformation
too.
1. Last Sunday we celebrated Reformation Day, so appropriately our Gospel
today leads us to the core message of the Reformation struggle and
discovery:
2. Blessed Are They Who Repent and Rest Only in:
A. Sola Scriptura!
B. Sola Gratia!
C. and Sola Fide!
D. through Sola Christus!
E. Sola Deo Gloria!
I. Blessed are those who hear and know the Law.
A. The Sermon on the Mount does contain the Law:
1. “You shall not murder!”
2. “You shall not commit adultery!”
3. “Love your neighbor as yourself!”
4. Jesus says later in Matthew 5:
Matthew 5:17–20 (NASB95)
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to abolish but to fulfill.
18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the
smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is
accomplished.
19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches
others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but
whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of
heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
5. However, we will see later that the purpose of this Law is not to
achieve personal or social perfection.
6. Yes, we are called to be better than the Pharisees and the teachers of
the law, not merely to follow the Law, which we are not capable of doing
anyway since we are prisoners of sin—as Paul reminds us in his letter to
the church in Rome, especially in chapter 7.
7. But we are called to fulfill the Law perfectly:
Matthew 5:48 (NASB95)
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
B. “Well, it’s pretty easy not to kill—but not to call somebody ‘you fool’
or not to be angry with someone?”
1. Have you managed that?
2. Not me!
C. It is less easy not to commit adultery, right?
1. But not even to look or think such thoughts?
2. Have you managed that?
3. Not me!
D. It is pretty easy to love those who are lovable or close to you;
1. it is less easy to love those who are sick or messy.
E. But to love those who hate you, to wish them well and to pray for them?
1. Have you managed that?
2. Not me!
F. The Law in the Sermon on the Mount is not to be abolished, certainly,
but neither is it a road map for personal or social perfection.
1. Christ asks his disciples to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect,” and the Lord himself knows best that his disciples will not be
able to be perfect, that they will fail.
2. Rather, the Law and its perfection in Christ’s teaching is a mirror in
which man sees:
A. his unworthiness,
B. imperfection,
C. and impotency.
3. Thus, the Law and its perfection in Christ’s calling exposes man’s need:
A. for God to break in,
B. for God to intervene,
C. for God to fulfill the Law perfectly.
4. The Law of the Sermon on the Mount is fulfilled in the perfect love of
which only Christ is capable and which reaches its fulfilling climax in
Christ’s saving cross.
5. That is the core discovery and message of the saving Gospel heralded to
the world by the Reformation:
A. Solus Christus!
II. Blessed are those who abide in Christ and his Gospel.
A. The good news of God breaking in with his salvation in Christ is
announced at the very beginning of Christ’s public teaching:
1. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven [has come near]” (Matthew 4:17).
A. This prepares Christ’s listeners (including us) for what is going to
come:
1. the Good News of Immanuel, God with us.
2. God is with us in Christ’s Word, that is,
a. in teaching and preaching,
b. in his acts of mercy, which show us who He is and demonstrate to us His
power to save.
c. in his calling and sending of his Church.
d. in bringing the visible means of His presence and salvation to our
worldly reality, namely, Holy Baptism and His holy Supper.
B. “Blessed (Gk: makarios) means “to be fortunate, well off, or to be
envied”
C. What then does it mean for the “blessed are the poor in spirit” (verse
3).
1. That does not mean the “stupid ones,” as in to make fun of or ridicule
the uneducated.
2. Rather, the “poor in spirit” are those who are aware of their human
condition, their condition in the light of Christ’s demand for perfect love—
A. that is, love as “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
3. The poor in spirit are aware of their condition of having in themselves
no spiritual or other capacity:
A. to improve,
B. to change essentially,
C. or to even save themselves.
D. These deprived ones, these who know they cannot achieve for themselves
the perfection they do not possess, these are the ones who will inherit the
kingdom of heaven.
D. “Blessed are those who mourn” (verse 4).

1. Mourn because of what?
A. In the light of the previous verse, they do not mourn because of any
social misfortune; rather, they mourn because of their own condition.
B. They mourn because they do not have the possibility or capacity to
improve or save themselves.
C. And these, who are aware of their pitiful condition and are devastated
by it, these will be comforted, for they are prepared for the news of
salvation, unlike those who boast of themselves.
E. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (verse 5).
1. No, this is not a Marxist idea concerning the violent revolution of the
working class, nor any other social utopia or happy ending in history.
2. Rather, again in the light of the previous verses, the word meek or
lowly refers to the lowly condition of man.
3. Lowly are those who are aware they:
A. “are dust, and to dust [they] shall return” (Genesis 3:19)
4. or who know that each of us is
A. “a worm” (Psalm 22:6).
B. These humble ones are saved or blessed and may be hopeful to receive the
whole earth when the Savior comes in victory to judge the living and the
dead.
F. These poor in spirit who know they cannot help themselves, these who are
mourning because of that, and these lowly who know their condition as
merely dust and worms do, indeed, “hunger and thirst for righteousness”
(verse 6).
1. That is, these are they who long for God’s intervention in this world of
injustice and evil.
2. They cannot expect such righteousness by society advancing, since these
poor in spirit are mourning over man’s incapability and corruption and are
aware of man’s lowliness.
3. No! This righteousness must come with a break-in from the perfect and
the only just one, that is, God.
4. Only He Himself can fulfill the Law perfectly, and the hunger and
longing of God’s people will be fulfilled by Christ’s presence in their
(and our) world.
5. Only the hope of Jesus’ cross can satisfy their hunger for
righteousness, and they (and we) will be filled again, finally, when the
Savior returns, this time in glory.
6. Solus Christus!
G. “Blessed are the merciful” (verse 7).
1. Who are these?
A. They cannot be those who pursue self-improvement or some kind of social
progress toward a more decent life and society.
B. The previous verses show us that this cannot be the proper
interpretation, since we’ve seen that man does not have the potential to
improve in his real essence—nor the power to rescue himself.
C. Have we seen by now?
D. The Lord isn’t describing the human condition but instead the likeness
of the one who makes us his disciples.
2. The merciful one is first Jesus:
A. and then his disciples, since they are in Christ, who is the perfect
mercy Himself.
B. These, Christ’s disciples, will indeed be shown mercy at the throne when
Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead.
C. Sola gratia!
H. “Blessed are the pure in heart” (verse 8).
1. The pure in heart, in contrast to what we’re tempted to imagine, are not
the ones who are more “holy” or “set their hearts on good things” or “want
to do pure and good things.”
2. There is none among us who is pure in heart in this respect, as the
apostle Paul saw so clearly looking into his own heart in Romans 7.
3. He saw the battles he often lost.
4. Rather, the pure in heart are those whose hearts are not committed to
other loyalties but, instead, whose hearts search for the only true God,
who alone is the I Am.
5. Only these will, indeed, see God.
6. Solus Christus!
I. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (verse 9).
1. Once more, the reference here is not about any hippie activists who
think they will save the world if only there is no war.
2. The word peace here does not mean merely an absence of the negative,
war; rather, it is:
A. something positive,
B. something comforting,
C. something for which man’s heart is desperately searching,
D. something that is connected to man’s final rescue or salvation.
3. It is what is known in Hebrew as shalom.
A. It is something positive that we do not have in this world but that we
long for.
B. Jesus said:
John 14:27 (NASB95)
27 “Peace (Heb: shalom /Gk:eirene) I leave with you; My peace I give to
you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be
troubled, nor let it be fearful.
C. Clearly, this peace is something out of this world.
1. So, the peacemakers are the ones who receive such shalom, such eirene
from the Lord and carry it on.
2. Such will be called the children of God—and rightly so, since these are
the followers of God in flesh among us.
3. Sola gratia!

Conclusion

A. Here are some more thoughts on the word “blessed” (Gk: makarios)
1. possessing the characteristic of deity.
2. It indicates the state of the believer in Christ (Matthew 5:3-11)
3. Jesus declares “Blessed on account of Me, Luke. 6:20-22, “Blessed for
the sake of the Son of Man”.
4. The Christian is indwelt by God because of Christ and as a result is
fully satisfied.
5. Makarios differs from happy because happy is the person who has good
luck (for example, favorable circumstances).
6. A blessed person is one whom God makes fully satisfied, not because of
favorable circumstances, but because He indwells the believer through
Christ.
7. To be makarios, blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within
one’s heart (Matthew 5:2,11; Luke17:21).
8. Makarios is the one who is in the world yet independent of the world;
his satisfaction comes from God and or not from favorable circumstances.
B. It is then these poor in spirit, lowly, mourning, and hungry for
righteousness, and these merciful and pure in heart peacemakers who will
take up the cross of their Savior.
1. They, too, will be ridiculed, rejected, and persecuted for their faith.
2. Persecution is a sign of the disciples of our Savior, just as it was the
case for the prophets and for the Lord himself.
3. Our own kinds of persecution are the sweet and intimate bonds that we
share with our Lord.
4. Therefore, we can be free, rejoice, and be glad in this persecution.
5. Our Lord assures us that we will receive the kingdom of heaven, for
we’ve been given faith in Christ.
6. That is, faith in our broken and bleeding Savior, who even on the cross
is the Lord of lords and King of Kings, who will one day judge the living
and the dead, and whose face we will see.
7. Sola Scriptura!
8. Sola Gratia!
9. Sola Fide!
10. Through Sola Christus,
11. Sola Deo Gloria! Amen.
C. Let us pray:
LSB 679:4-5 Oh, How Blest Are They
Christ has wiped away their tears forever;
They have that for which we still endeavor.
By them are chanted
Songs that ne’er to mortal ears were granted.

Come, O Christ, and loose the chains that bind us;
Lead us forth and cast this world behind us.
With You, the Anointed,
Finds the soul its joy and rest appointed.
Text: Public domain
D. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
E. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
God, our eternal refuge, throughout all generations, You’ve sheltered us.
Before the mountains rose, before the world began, You have always been,
and forever you will be.
Our days, like morning grass, may be fleeting and momentary.
Yet, every sunrise is a reminder of Your unchanging love and new mercies.
Turn to us, O Lord, with compassion in times of distress and uncertainty.
Fill our days with joy and gladness, reflecting the time we’ve faced
hardships.
Show us the wonders of Your deeds and the hopes of your promise.
Guide our actions, Lord, and bless our efforts for Your glory.
May the enduring love of our eternal God be our foundation, today and
always, as we gather in worship.
Introduction

A. The appointed Gospel reading for this morning is the last of an
important series of Holy Week interactions in Matthew between Jesus and his
various opponents (21:23–22:46).
1. Our Lord has just finished a debate with the Sadducees (22:23–33), one
in which the answer He gave to their questioning was so stunning that the
text reveals that they were completely silenced.
2. They were unable to speak, and the crowds were “astonished at His
teaching” (22:33).
3. The Lord boldly corrected the Sadducees and their false theology of the
resurrection of the dead.
4. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and so
Jesus made their error evident by a pure preaching of God’s Word.
5. Within the crowd listening, the Pharisees are present and preparing one
more assault, what is found in today’s text.
6. In addition, it is important to note the time of the event.
7. After this, Jesus’ enemies will take a new tack, and that one will
succeed; the Lord will suffer and die for the sins of the world.
8. But that death will also be for the Sadducees and Pharisees.
9. The Lord loves them, and He knows that His time is running out, so our
text is a last opportunity to teach them.
B. Within the context I just described, let’s go back in time 2,000 years.
1. You are making your way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
2. You have come upon the scene as described in our Gospel lesson for this
morning.
3. You have never heard such noise!
4. But, of course, you’re not from around here.
5. Just like a lot of people, people are here in the city from all over.
6. It’s Passover time.
7. The sounds, the bustling—it’s crowded and very busy.
8. You can smell the smoke from the temple sacrifices.
9. Animals are calling out from the cages in the temple, awaiting their
fate.
10. You’re going to buy one and sacrifice it.
11. Looks like a long line.
12. All this pushing and shoving has you trapped out here in the temple
courtyard, near the pillars.
1. As you go to the temple to offer your sacrifice, you see Jesus, the one
many are saying is the Christ, the man born of David’s royal line to
deliver us, being questioned by his enemies. He’s brilliant!
A. What’s going on over here? Something’s happening.
1. I recognize that man talking to the Sadducees.
2. That’s that man from Nazareth.
3. His name is Jesus, who is called the Christ.
4. He’s the man everyone’s been talking about.
5. He’s healed many people of their terrible diseases.
6. I heard He just did that recently in the temple.
7. I heard that he’s even raised people from the dead.
8. People have been calling his preaching “Good News.”
9. I’m not sure what they mean.
10. Not much of the news I’ve heard lately is good.
B. Just two days ago, I was in the same crowd when he came into the city on
a donkey.
1. People were shouting out the praises of our blessed King David, calling
out to this man and laying their cloaks on the road.
2. People are calling him the Christ, the Anointed One.
3. Could he be the future King of the Jews, the one who’ll conquer the
Romans and restore Israel?
4. That’s what the Pharisees have taught us about the Christ, the man born
of David’s royal line.
5. But this guy doesn’t look like much now that I get a closer look.
6. I heard Jesus has been here in the temple teaching since He came into
the city.
7. I haven’t had a chance to hear Him myself.
8. I should have been here yesterday.
C. I heard He was very angry, knocking over the money-changers’ tables,
even using a bullwhip to drive them out.
1. I hear He called the temple his Father’s house, as though He were the
Son of God.
2. I see.
D. It looks like a debate is taking place.
1. Oh, the Sadducees.
2. Those guys are brilliant!—freethinkers.
3. I feel sorry for that no-name country boy Jesus.
4. No regular guy outwits these intellectual types.
5. Jesus is no match for . . . Oh, my, wait a minute!
6. They look embarrassed!
7. I don’t know what Jesus just said, but it sure shut up the Sadducees!
8. Now everybody’s staring at them.
9. The Sadducees aren’t saying anything.
10. They’re stunned!
11. I don’t know what he said, but whatever it was, they’re leaving,
slinking away.
12. Wow! No last words?
13. Indeed! They have nothing to say!
E. Oh, I understand now.
1. Jesus must believe what the Pharisees teach.
2. I know the Pharisees and the Sadducees hate each other.
3. Jesus must be on the side of the Pharisees.
F. Behind me—people are whispering.
1. I don’t want to look obvious, but I can’t quite see who it is.
2. Oh, it’s the rulers of the Pharisees.
3. Wait a minute.
4. Jesus isn’t with the Pharisees either.
5. They’re saying they don’t want people to think he’s one of them.
6. They’re speaking more softly now.
7. Can I hear them?
8. They’re talking about what they can ask Jesus to trip him up.
9. They’re choosing one of their people, a lawyer, to approach Jesus.
10. They’re going to try to trap him.
G. Here goes: “Jesus, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
1. Oh, that’s a good one.
2. Be careful, Jesus.
3. He’s trying to trick you.
4. I can hear them chuckling and snickering back here.
5. Even I know that any answer you give will be wrong.
6. These guys are just waiting for you to stumble through all 613 of the
rabbinical laws.
7. If you choose one as the greatest, they’ll say there is no greatest
because different ones become greater at different times based on the
situation.
8. If you say there isn’t a greatest one, they’ll chide you for your not
knowing which is the greatest right now, in this circumstance.
9. No matter what you say, you’ll look like a fool.
10. Just don’t say anything, Jesus.
11. Just call this one “lost” and come back another day.
12. Oh, Jesus, wait!
13. Give yourself a second to think before you answer!
14. Don’t . . .!
H. Whoa! Did you hear that?
1. He just quoted from Deuteronomy and Leviticus.
2. He’s going to the Law that trumps ALL the rabbinical laws.
3. Well done, Jesus, well done!
4. He just said,
a. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a
second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
5. Brilliant!
6. That’s a summary of all Ten Commandments.
7. That is the greatest, because that says it all!
8. Well done, Jesus.
2. But he’s more! He is the Christ, David’s Son and David’s Lord! My temple
sacrifice is no longer necessary, for he is the sacrifice!
A. But wait a minute!
1. If the entirety of the Law and the prophets hang on perfect love, how
can I ever please God?
2. I mean, I can keep at least some of those rabbis’ laws, but surely even
the Pharisees—good people that they are—know that only God is capable of
perfect love.
3. Oh, my! Jesus just proved from the Torah that the fulfillment of the Law
comes through perfect loving of God and neighbor.
4. I know I can’t do that.
5. So what’s the point of this sacrifice I’m buying to offer?
B. Only God can keep the Law perfectly.
1. So the Pharisees are failures too, like me?
2. Their own question has condemned them in their sins.
3. It’s condemned all of us.
4. So now what do we do?
5. I can’t save myself!
C. Look at them.
1. They know what he’s saying.
2. They get it.
3. But they’re not saying anything.
4. They’ve been stumped just like the Sadducees.
D. Uh, oh. Here we go.
1. Jesus is looking back here now.
2. He’s getting the Pharisees’ attention.
3. He knows it was all their setup.
4. He called their bluff and they’re not happy!
5. Let it go, Jesus.
6. Don’t push it.
7. They hate you.
8. You proved your point.
9. I can hear what they’re muttering.
10. They want you dead.
E. He’s asking them another question.
1. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”
2. They’re answering, “The son of David.”
3. Sure.
4. Obviously.
5. Everybody knows that.
6. Why even bring it up?
7. Are you really trying to teach them something, Jesus?
8. These guys just condemned themselves in sin.
9. Truth is, Jesus, you just crushed all of us with the Law.
10. Why now talk about the Christ?
11. Let it go.
12. Just leave us all condemned.
13. You win.
F. Shhh. Jesus is asking another question.
1. “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘The
Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under
your feet’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
2. Hmm. That’s a tough one.
3. We all know that passage too.
4. That’s found in Psalm 110.
5. It’s all about the Messiah.
6. We know that.
7. My rabbi, a Pharisee, taught me that that text is specifically talking
about the Christ.
8. But what’s Jesus getting at?
9. Jesus just asked about the Christ, the Son of David.
10. Obviously there can be no authority other than God.
11. And obviously no king of Israel would dare call anyone below him
“Lord,” especially his son.
12. I’ve always been taught that only the king is lord.
13. The only one higher than David, the only one David would call Lord, is
Yahweh, God.
14. So, in other words, King David will have a son, a man, the Christ, whom
he will call “Lord.”
15. That can mean only one thing: the Son born of David will be God!
G. Jesus did it again!
1. The Pharisees are silent.
2. They know he’s right.
3. Of course.
4. It makes perfect sense.
5. But they’re so angry.
6. They’re leaving.
7. They’re covering their ears and waving him off.
8. Why? Why should that make them angry—that the Christ is God?
9. That’s not what upsets them at all, is it?
10. It’s not that the Christ is God that makes them mad!
11. It’s the fact that Jesus said it!
12. They just don’t want to hear from him!
H. I have ears to hear, Lord!
1. I’ve heard of your miracles.
2. Jesus, you are the man performing the perfect acts of love that only God
can do!
3. You are the one who saw the heart and knew the pure Word of God’s Holy
Law was needed to show our sins.
4. You are the one now giving understanding of the Scriptures and showing
us a merciful God, a Messiah, a Christ who will be born of man and yet will
be God to be our deliverer, and not from bondage to the Romans, but from
bondage to sin and death and hell!
Conclusion

A. Oh, my! It’s YOU!
1. YOU are David’s Lord!
2. YOU are God in the flesh, the Son of God.
3. The temple is your Father’s house.
4. You are the King of the Jews.
5. You are the Christ!
6. They will not believe, but I do!
7. I’m hanging on your words, Lord.
8. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!
9. Kyrie eleison!
10. Have mercy on me, a sinner, and save me!
B. He’s moving up a few steps near the pillars.
1. He’s preparing to preach.
2. I must hear this wonderful good news, this Gospel of forgiveness.
3. Never mind what I was doing—my sacrifice here at the temple.
4. Never mind where I was going.
5. I must stay right here.
6. This is where I need to be, with David’s Son, my God and my Lord.
C. I am reminded of what it says in Isaiah 53:
Isaiah 53:4–5, 7 (NASB95)
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we
ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His
scourging we are healed.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent
before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
D. The Forgiveness of My Sin Has Been Revealed in Jesus, the God-man of
Nazareth Amen.
E. Let us pray:
Gracious and loving God, whose wisdom and understanding is beyond all human
comprehension, we gather before You, drawn together by Your love which
surpasses all understanding.
As the Pharisees questioned Jesus, seeking to test His wisdom, we are
reminded of Your command to love You with all our heart, soul, and mind,
and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Help us, O Lord, to genuinely embrace this command, making it the
foundation of our lives.
Let our actions, our words, and our very thoughts reflect this great love.
We acknowledge that our understanding is limited, and often we are
challenged by the teachings of Your Word.
As Jesus stumped those who thought they knew everything, let us always
approach Your Word with humility, seeking to learn and grow, rather than to
justify our preconceptions.
In a world divided by countless differences, help us to be ambassadors of
Your love, reminding all that before You, we are all equal.
As we navigate the complexities of our daily lives, let the two greatest
commands be our guiding light.
And Lord, as we lift up our joys and concerns, may our prayers always find
their foundation in love.
Whether we are praying for guidance, healing, comfort, or gratitude, let
our love for You and for one another be the thread that ties our hearts
together.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of our faith, we pray.
Amen.
F. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
G. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 45 serves as our sermon text for
this morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 745 In God, My Faithful God (stanzas 1-3)
In God, my faithful God,
I trust when dark my road;
Great woes may overtake me,
Yet He will not forsake me.
My troubles He can alter;
His hand lets nothing falter.

My sins fill me with care,
Yet I will not despair.
I build on Christ, who loves me;
From this rock nothing moves me.
To Him I will surrender,
To Him, my soul’s defender.

If death my portion be,
It brings great gain to me;
It speeds my life’s endeavor
To live with Christ forever.
He gives me joy in sorrow,
Come death now or tomorrow.

Introduction

A. Isaiah saw a dismal day ahead.
1. Yes, it would be more than a century after his lifetime, but it would
deeply affect his people.
2. Judah would be carried off to captivity in Babylon.
3. The city of Jerusalem would be laid waste, all the way to the ground.
4. It would seem to be the end for God’s people as a nation; countries
simply didn’t rise again from this kind of death.
5. Worst of all, the line of kings, successors of David, from which the
Lord’s Messiah was to come, would be cut off.
B. And yet, Isaiah also saw that there was hope.
1. Against all odds, Judah would come home.
2. Jerusalem and the temple would be rebuilt.
3. And somehow, God would continue the line of the Messiah, the Savior.
C. But here’s the really remarkable thing about our text.
1. Isaiah sees that the Lord would accomplish this through another
“messiah” (lowercase m), another savior (lowercase s), who didn’t even
believe in Him.
2. Talk about against all odds!
3. This other messiah, this savior, would think he was accomplishing so
much by his own power and with the help of many gods, but our text, and the
history that did indeed come true just as Isaiah saw it, is in fact another
proof that
D. There Is No God like Our God.
I. Throughout the world, people choose their gods.
A. We see this in our society today.
1. The obvious part:
a. All kinds of religions are represented, and people combine them at will.
2. The less obvious part:
a. People choose whom or what to trust with their lives.
b. Martin Luther’s explanation of the First Commandment in the Large
Catechism says it this way:
1. “A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we
are to take refuge in all distress.
2. So, to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with
the [whole] heart.”
B. But those gods are no help when it counts.
1. They were powerless against the military and political developments of
the prophet’s time.
2. They leave us powerless against the developments around us.
3. Worst of all?:
a. They promise but fail to deliver!
II. But with the one true God, it is the other way around.
A. God chooses an unlikely “savior,” “messiah,” to bring the people of
Israel back to Himself.
Isaiah 45:1–2,4 (NASB95)
1 Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right
hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open
doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter
the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.
4 “For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also
called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have
not known Me.
1. Cyrus doesn’t know God.
a. Historical sources tell us that he worshiped all kinds of deities,
including those of Babylonia, which he had conquered.
2. He doesn’t realize that all political power comes from the Lord,
something Jesus pointed out to Pilate while Jesus was on trial:
John 19:11 (NASB95)
Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been
given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the
greater sin.”
3. The Lord reveals to Cyrus that he is responsible to God.
a. God names him, meaning God was first, and Cyrus’s life comes from him.
b. He has to answer to God.
B. This “savior,” Cyrus, is a preview in history of the coming “Anointed”
Christ—like a low-resolution thumbnail picture.
1. His origin is unimpressive.
a. Babylonia is the superpower of his time, but he is from Persia.
2. His rise to power surpasses all expectations.
3. His idea that everybody should choose his own gods is nothing but a
pagan doctrine, but this policy saves those whom God has chosen
a. that is, those who believe that there is only one God.
III. This one and only true God, found in Christ the Lord, is alone the
Savior of all men.
A. He seems even less impressive than Cyrus.
1. A God in human nature doesn’t seem very impressive.
2. He was born into a poor family and grew up in a negligible town, that is
Nazareth, with no formal education.
3. At least one person had a low opinion of the little town of Nazareth and
the people that came from there, as we hear in John 1:46 (NASB95):
Nathanael said to [Philip], “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
4. And in the end, He was seemingly deprived of all power, condemned to
death by two courts.
B. But He has won the victory in this world once and for all.
1. The ruler of this world is disarmed.
Isaiah 45:1 (NASB95)
Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right
hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open
doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
John 14:30 (NASB95)
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming,
and he has nothing in Me;
John 16:8–11 (NASB95)
8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and
righteousness and judgment;
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no
longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
2. The tomb of death and the gates of hell break open.
3. People will know that there is none besides Him
Isaiah 45:6 (NASB95)
That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is
no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other,
IV. Unlike the other gods or “saviors,” our God is the one who is in
charge, always and forever.
Isaiah 45:7 (NASB95)
The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and
creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.
A. That gives us comfort . . .
1. When our experiences seem different.
2. When we feel powerless against the developments around us.
B. Dr. Daniel Schmidt, provost in the North region of the Independent
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, relates the following story:
1. “My family and I worked for the church in southern Africa for almost
seventeen years.
2. At that time, the crime rate in the Republic of South Africa was rising
constantly.
3. One Sunday morning in his sermon, a pastor of the Free Evangelical
Lutheran Synod encouraged parishioners to believe that God is in charge in
spite of that daily experience of crime.
4. When he came out of the church, his pickup truck was gone.
5. He stood in the parking lot, silently struggling with God, who had
allowed that to happen after what he had just preached.
6. But he had to conduct a second service in another congregation.
7. The organist in turn gave him a ride.
8. On the way, they passed a mobile speeding camera.
9. Several cars had been pulled over.
10. As the organist slowed down to pass them, the pastor realized that one
of the trucks was his.
11. The thug, trying to get away quickly, had been stopped by a police
officer.
12. God used a person of authority to return the pastor’s property to him
and did so in a way that he had not expected, something we hear in our Old
Testament lesson from Isaiah 45:1, 4–5.
13. Just imagine how he preached on the same theme in the second service!
C. That gives us certainty . . .
1. That the Lord will bring us home against all odds.
2. That in the end, the whole world will have to acknowledge the truth that
we confess: the Lord is God, and there is no other.

Conclusion

A. Even those who don’t believe that there is only one true God live by His
power and by what He daily provides for their lives.
1. But without Him, they will be lost eternally.
2. That is why God calls us with the First Commandment, saying: “I am the
Lord, your God, who saves you.”
3. He gives us every reason to trust Him against all worldly opposition and
to believe that He will bring us to the heavenly Jerusalem.
4. In truth, there is no other like Him. Amen.
B. Let us pray:
LSB 745 In God, My Faithful God (stanzas 4-5)
O Jesus Christ, my Lord,
So meek in deed and word,
You suffered death to save us
Because Your love would have us
Be heirs of heav’nly gladness
When ends this life of sadness.

“So be it,” then, I say
With all my heart each day.
Dear Lord, we all adore You,
We sing for joy before You.
Guide us while here we wander
Until we praise You yonder.
Text: Public domain
C. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
D. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Epistle lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 919 Abide, O Dearest Jesus (stanzas 1-3)
1
Abide, O dearest Jesus,
Among us with Your grace
That Satan may not harm us
Nor we to sin give place.

2
Abide, O dear Redeemer,
Among us with Your Word,
And thus now and hereafter
True peace and joy afford.

3
Abide with heav’nly brightness
Among us, precious Light;
Your truth direct and keep us
From error’s gloomy night.

Introduction

A. In our worship together on this Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, we are
directed to the rich banquet that is our life as God’s people redeemed and
chosen in Christ—both here in time and hereafter in eternity.
1. This week’s Collect reminds us that because of our sinfulness, we
deserve only God’s severe judgment—no lavish banquet!—yet He still invites
us to trust in him for our salvation because of the greatness of his grace
and mercy.
2. In today’s Old Testament Reading (Isaiah 25:6–9), we are given a
description of the joyous feast of eternal life that awaits us in heaven, a
feast we can anticipate in true joy even now because our death has been
conquered once and for all!
3. In the Epistle (Philippians 4:4–13), Paul can only recall abundant
banquets in his past (4:12), yet he affirms that even while our way to
heaven may be in hunger, we can rejoice in all circumstances—for God grants
us peace and strength through his Spirit!
4. And in this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 22:1–14), Jesus’ parable of the
royal wedding banquet of the king’s son, Jesus shows us that salvation is
extended to all by God’s free grace.
B. Knowing all this, we can truly celebrate the peace and contentment that
God pours out upon us. How so?
1. By letting others know of the joy we have in Christ,
2. By the gentle attitude and selflessness we strive to exhibit in our
dealing with others, and
3. By testifying by our attitude that anxiety has been lifted and peace of
heart given to us:
A. even as we maneuver through all the ups and downs of life in the here
and now,
B. waiting to be welcomed into our Lord’s heavenly kingdom.
C. Joy is a key word and a key concept in the apostle Paul’s letter to the
Philippians.
1. Here in chapter 4, it is good for us to remember that even while Paul
was in prison, his joy abounded beyond all the adversity and suffering he
was encountering.
2. In addition, he was ever mindful of the ministry and love poured out
upon him by warm-hearted Christians.
3. Yet at the same time, he knew how to rebuke the Philippians lovingly.
4. In connection with the “secret” he talks about in verse 12 and that
which Paul deals with in verses 5–7, it is encouraging to know that this
secret can pass all misunderstanding as well as all understanding.
5. What great assurance we are given in verse 13!:
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
6. Do you believe that we can do “all things” through Christ who
strengthens us?
7. What a blessing it is to realize that while there is every need for
grace, there is always grace for every need.
8. And the divine supply of our Lord’s grace is inexhaustible, since it
comes from His riches in glory.
9. Without saying it in our text for this morning, Paul tells us: “I have
got a secret” and he wants to share it with us.
I. To learn Paul’s secret, we begin by recapping what we were told in last
Sunday’s Epistle.
A. Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was in prison.
1. To a church that was undergoing persecution.
a. From Rome
b. From those within the Church.
2. To a church that disagreed as to what identified each individual as
being a Christian.
a. Did one have to follow the Jewish ceremonial laws in order to be a
Christian?
B. Paul himself came to the realization of how easy it is to make a “wrong
turn.”
1. He’d spent his younger life piling up every conceivable work of the Law
to be a good Israelite.
2. Then he’d learned we are raised up instead by the power of Christ’s
death and resurrection.
3. So now he counted all the old things as rubbish.
4. But in Christ he could still keep “running the race” while on his
earthly pilgrimage.
II. Now while he was in prison, the Philippian congregation had sent Paul a
gift, though he was quite content.
A. The size and details of the gift are not identified.
1. However, it was almost certainly a collection of money.
2. The gift supplied not only Paul’s physical need but also, more
important, his need for their love.
B. For some reason, the gift was delayed in getting to Paul.
1. Still, the apostle rejoices, for he knew that the Philippian
congregation was concerned for him all along
Philippians 4:10 (NASB95)
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your
concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked
opportunity.
2. In addition, he eases the minds of the Philippian congregation regarding
the gift’s delay by assuring them with these words:
Philippians 4:11–12 (NASB95)
11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am.
12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live
in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of
being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
III. Well, what was it that allowed Paul to be content?
A. Three things:
1. he had learned he could rejoice in the Lord always,
2. he had learned to have reasonableness (moderation, forbearance) in all
things, and
3. he had learned not to be anxious about anything.
B. Paul could “rejoice in the Lord always” (verse 4)!
1. There are many kinds of rejoicing.
a. There is rejoicing in committing sins.
b. There is rejoicing in receiving gifts—which may be by no means sinful.
2. However, the rejoicing of which Paul is speaking here:
a. Is a lasting rejoicing that remains when all other rejoicing vanishes.
b. Is a rejoicing in the Lord who has won for us salvation and saved us
from eternal death.
C. Of equal importance is what Paul says in verse 5:
Philippians 4:5 (NASB95)
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
1. This is something Paul had to learn, perhaps under difficult
circumstances.
2. The message of the Gospel should affect all of our actions.
a. Even as our God has forgiven us, we should forgive others.
b. We should conduct ourselves with love and genuine concern for others.
3. Even if we are suffering wrongly at the hands of others, we should
follow the example of our Savior when He went to the cross to die there for
our sins.
4. And we should remember that the “Lord is at hand” to take us out of this
world of strife.
D. Paul knew, practiced, and directs us not to be “anxious about anything”
(verse 6).
1. Be careful to worry about nothing
2. Cast all your cares upon the Lord.
3. Already now we can give thanks for His answer!
IV. So, then, what is Paul’s secret that taught him this?
A. Again verse 12 of our text:
Philippians 4:12 (NASB95)
12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live
in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of
being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
B. Here’s the secret (it is like Paul is calling up us to lean in closer to
hear him): having Christ is having all.
1. That’s what Paul means when he says:
Philippians 4:13 (NASB95)
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
2. Remember last week:
a. Paul learned that everything he’d formerly counted on was rubbish.
3. What mattered most to Paul?
Philippians 3:8 (NASB95)
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of
all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
C. By virtue of his living union and identification with his Lord Jesus
Christ, who always was, is, and ever would be his strength and his tower,
Paul could face any and every circumstance!
1. Neither the abundance of things nor the lack of them moved Paul away
from that which was the most important.
2. When we have Christ:
a. We have forgiveness of sins.
b. We have eternal joy.
c. We have the certainty that He is caring for us now—in whatever the
circumstances.
d. What does this mean? What verse 7 of our text says!
Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
D. You and I can now say the same!
1. What Paul wrote to the Philippians in this heart-felt letter he also
says to us:
a. Rejoice in the Lord always!
b. Let all people know our forbearance (reasonableness, gentleness).
c. Have no anxiety about anything.
d. Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross to take away our
sin.
e. He rose from the dead.
f. He has placed faith into our hearts and has kept it there through the
working and power of the Holy Spirit.
g. And He is coming soon to bring us to His heaven to live with Him forever.
h. We know that!
Conclusion

A. Knowing this secret can certainly make it possible for us to look beyond
the problems and obstacles we face in our lives here on earth.
1. We can cast all our cares on him who is our strength and our tower.
2. We can have true peace!
B. We, Too, Now Know Paul’s Secret of Having the Peace of God in Every
Circumstance:
1. It’s all about Having Christ.
2. And when you have Christ, you have everything you need. Amen.
C. Let us pray:
LSB 919 Abide, O Dearest Jesus (stanzas 4-6)
4
Abide with richest blessings
Among us, bounteous Lord;
Let us in grace and wisdom
Grow daily through Your Word.

5
Abide with Your protection
Among us, Lord, our strength,
Lest world and Satan fell us
And overcome at length.

6
Abide, O faithful Savior,
Among us with Your love;
Grant steadfastness and help us
To reach our home above.
Text: Public domain
D. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
E. In the Name of the Father…Amen.