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Just like in the days of Noah … [and] … in the days of Lot … so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

᛭ INI ᛭

(5. Oops!: The Wordless are always destroyed.)

Destruction comes. It comes suddenly. “While they’re saying, ‘Peace and security!’, sudden destruction will come upon them [like a woman going into labor], and they [won’t] escape.” (1 Th 5:3) Destruction comes upon the ungodly, the godless, people who don’t have faith in Jesus.

It’s very sudden! In Noah’s day, things were fine, and then “the fountains of the deep burst forth” (Gen 7), and “the flood destroyed them all.” Same thing with Lot: Sodom was there, and then it wasn’t! “Fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all.”

They didn’t expect it, not because they’re godless (“bad people”), but because they’re wordless. They didn’t listen to Noah, who was a “preacher of righteousness.” (2 Pet 2:5) They didn’t listen to Lot, “whose righteous soul was tormented by their actions.” (2 Pet 2:7) He pleaded with them, “Don’t do this!” (Gen 19)

God destroys those who are wordless, whose actions despise “preaching and His Word” (3rd Commandment)

God’s own people can become wordless, by putting “[His] Word behind them.” (Ps 50) (Not listening.) To them God swears: “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I’ll send a famine… It won’t be food or water that’s lacking, but hearing the words of the LORD. They’ll search everywhere looking for the Word of the LORD, but they won’t find it.” (Amos 8:11–12)

The Wordless sometimes appear to have His Word. “They [just] don’t put up with healthy doctrine, but, having itching ears, they pile up teachers to fit their personal desires. They turn away from listening to the Truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Tim 4:3)

They deny the main purpose of God’s Word! They preach and teach the Word mainly as principles to be put into practice, to prove to yourself or others or even to Him that you’ve made Him Lord of your life. Yet, Jesus says, “The Scriptures testify abut Me.” (Jn 8) Or Paul says, “Jews seek signs.” (That’s what the Pharisees are doing in our reading today.) Paul then says, “Gentiles seek wisdom,” that is, a philosophy that’s practical for daily living. “But we preach,” Paul finally says, “Christ and Him crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”(1 Cor 1) The wordless want something greater or better or more practical than the Word of Christ crucified for the sins of the world permeating everything!

So, they “pay attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Tim 4:1), “following false teachers, who sneak in destructive heresies, who even deny the Master who bought them. [These bring] upon themselves swift destruction, and many will follow after their sensuality, on their account the Way of Truth is blasphemed.” (2 Pet 2:1–2) They “profane the name of God among us!” (SC)

(4. Ugh!: What does it mean to be “wordly,” i.e., people of the Word?)

The opposite of “godless” is “godly.” The godless are godless not because they’re “bad people” but because they’re wordless. So also the godly aren’t godly because they’re better than others. (That’s what the men of Sodom said about Lot’s preaching…) The godly are godly because they’re wordly.

But what does it mean to be wordly? What does it look like? For a congregation of wordly people? For our families or ourselves?

It isn’t just for pastors. Many people think you’ve got to become some massively powerful or well-trained Christian overnight. Do the little things: start with the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the 10 Commandments. Pray ‘em daily. Maybe a Psalm, a chapter—even a page!—from a Gospel or other Book of the Bible. The Congregation at Prayer is a helpful guide. Do as little or as much as you can right now. God will bless you, for “the Holy Spirit is present in such reading, repetition, and meditation.” (LC Preface) He knows how His Word will bless you. After months or years, you’ll look back and say, “Oh, wow! Look at what He did! Look at what His Word has made me!”

It’s all the same methods: reading and praying, asking the Spirit to help you retain and rightly believe and understand His Word. God’s given each of us unique gifts. “One body, many members,” (1 Cor 12) as Paul says. A Christian who comes to church on Sunday, goes home, reads the Bible regularly, prays with their family, knows the Commandments, Creed, and Lord’s Prayer, comes to the Sacrament, clings to God’s baptismal promises as you live your daily callings, you’re no different than me! I’m no different than a district president or seminary professor. We just have different vocational responsibilities.

I’m given by Christ to preach, you’re given by Him to hear, but we come to preaching and hearing the same way. Who we are individually doesn’t change that we do the same things, use the same techniques, tactics, or strategies. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Eph 4) There’s no reason to say, “I could never explain it like you, pastor.” Good! You can probably do it better. You’ll teach your children the faith and confess the faith to the unbelievers in your life differently than I would. “Everything is made holy by God’s Word and prayer.” Whatever’s actually from His Word, God will bless. (His Word will clarify what is or isn’t.)

All wordly Christians rejoice in God’s Word, in whatever ways it comes into our lives: “Preaching and His Word” at church; reading the Word at home (maybe listening on your phone); the Word of Holy Baptism; the Word of Absolution; the Words of Institution and taking Communion. Wordly people rejoice because through the Word “the Kingdom of God is among you.” (That’s partly what Jesus means today.) Christ does come among us with His Word, as He promises in Matthew 28.

(3. Aha!: THE WORDLESS MAY SUFFER SUDDEN DESTRUCTION, BUT THE WORDLY ARE FOREVER SAFE AND SOUND.)

From Jesus’ examples of Noah and Lot, we see there are two kinds of people: the wordless and the wordly. The wordless suffer sudden destruction, but the wordly don’t. They are safe and sound—saved!

Sometimes, it looks like the Wordless do have His Word. They misuse it. Or they don’t believe it, like Lot’s sons-in-law who thought his preaching was a joke. They were destroyed. Or his wife who didn’t believe the angel’s sermon—“Don’t look back…lest you be swept away.” (Gen 19:17) She became a pillar of salt. Since the Wordless reject His Word, God destroys them. It’ll be that way on the Last Day, too!

The wordly rejoice in His Word. They receive it, listen to it, and believe it. They’re people of the Word and not only in just one way. In whatever ways it’s given, they rejoice! Why? Because that very Word is what makes wordly people. God’s Word makes you wordly.

God’s Word sanctifies you. (Jn 17) “Already you’re clean because of the Word I’ve spoken to you.” (Jn 15) God’s Word is “living and active” (Heb 10) within you. James says, “Receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls.” (James 1) Whenever the Word is received with faith (true “meekness”), the Spirit implants it into “your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” There it’s living and active, there it sanctifies you, saves you. “I’ll put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, guard My just decrees, and you’ll do them.” (Ezek 36:27)

(2. The Wordly are “safe and sound” saved by faith in that Word of Christ.)

THE WORDLESS SUFFER SUDDEN DESTRUCTION, BUT THE WORDLY ARE FOREVER SAFE AND SOUND.

They’re safe and sound by faith alone. The bare “I did the thing” (ex opera operato) won’t save you. Yet faith comes to reading God’s Word, or listening to Gospel sermons, or hearing the Absolution, or taking Communion, like this: “This Word, this Sacrament will make me holy, will give me the forgiveness of sins because that’s what Jesus promises. Not because I’ve done anything, but because it will do everything. It’s the only thing that’ll make me holy, because He makes me holy thought it! It’s the only chance I’ve got. Because, Lord knows, I’m never making myself holy.”

Jesus’ Word, as He promises, keeps you, who have and trust His Word, safe and sound. It saves you.

(1. The Wordly will be “safe and sound” on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.)

The Last Day is coming, “when the Son of Man is revealed.” Christ “will come to judge the living and the dead.” (Apostles’ Creed) On that day:

THE WORDLESS SUFFER SUDDEN DESTRUCTION (eternal hell), BUT THE WORDLY ARE FOREVER SAFE AND SOUND.

The Wordless are judged by the words of their deeds, written in God’s books (Rev 20:12; Dan 7). But, the wordly, you will hear words—your name!—read from the Book of Life of the Lamb slain for you (Rev 20:12, 21:27) Your name was written there from before the creation of the world. (Rev 13:8) That that’s true and real is actually made yours right now through the Word! (Eph 3:7–10; Col 1:26; 1 Tim 2) Can’t get much more safe and sound than that!

᛭ INI ᛭