Questioning

May 22, 2016
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

All that we do is all about Jesus. Jesus FOR YOU. That’s the summary of the Christian faith. It’s not about being good. Not having the right answers. Not about prosperity now. It’s all about JESUS FOR YOU and TO YOU. Jesus being born for you, fulfilling the Law for you, dying for you, rising for you, and delivering that salvation to you at the Font, in the Pastor’s absolution, and with His body and blood in the Supper. That’s what we’re all about as Lutherans. That’s what were all about when it comes to confirmation instruction. That’s why were so big on the Small Catechism. It’s all about Jesus FOR YOU. It’s hinges on His cross and crucifixion where He died for you. That catechism is full of the joy of Jesus’ resurrection. The catechism teaches us the true content of what we believe in, what we trust in: that Christ died for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

So we have the 10 Commandments. The gifts of God, His name, His Word, our parents and other authorities, life, marriage, property, our good name are all protected by these commandments. He tells us to not murder, not gossip, not covet, and all the rest, but we’re also commanded to help our neighbor, to forgive him, to speak well of him at all times. We fail and so the Father sends His eternal Son, Jesus, who died and rose, and the Spirit is also sent from them. This is the salvation we confess in the Apostles’ Creed. We’re not only taught God’s will for us in the Commandments, not only taught what we believe from the Bible, but we’re taught to pray. We’re taught how to fulfill the Second Commandment, “calling upon Him in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.” We’re taught this in the Lord’s Prayer, where we’re taught to pray like Jesus taught us, and just like He did in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Thy will be done.”

The Commandments, Creed, and Lord’s Prayer all lead us to the cross. Next we have Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar. Those three flow from the cross. Salvation was won on the cross, and now it’s delivered to you. The water from Christ’s side flows into the Font. In Baptism you are made a disciple, as Jesus says in Matthew 28, by being washed in His death and resurrection. In Confession, or rather in the Absolution, the Pastor forgives your sins, and it’s just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our Lord dealt with you himself. That’s what Jesus says in John 20 to His pastors, “If you forgive, they are forgiven.” In Absolution you hear the “it is finished” for the sins that really bother you. In the Supper the blood from Christ’s side flows in the chalice. The Supper is what JESUS says it is. No interpretation whatsoever. Just Jesus’ Word at face value. Straight up! “This is My body, given for you; This is My blood shed for you.” And it’s “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins,” exactly as Jesus said.

All that we do is all about Jesus. Jesus FOR YOU. That’s why were so big on the Small Catechism. It’s all about Jesus FOR YOU. It’s hinges on His cross and crucifixion where He died for you. You need a Savior. The Commandments show you that. Jesus is that Savior as the Creed Confesses. We pray like our Savior. He baptizes us into His death. He sends His pastor to forgive us. He delivers His body and blood to us in His Supper. That’s what the Bible’s all about so that’s what Luther’s Small Catechism is all about. That’s what we’re all about as Lutherans. That’s what we’re all about when it comes to confirmation instruction. It’s ALL, every last bit of it, straight up, no interpretations, no alterations, no exchanges, no substitutions. Just 200 proof Gospel: Jesus FOR YOU.

INI + AMEN.