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Thursday Outline

“If you remain in My Word, then you’re truly my disciples, and you’ll know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

᛭ INI ᛭

Reformation gives us the chance to rejoice in the Reforming of abuses in the Western Christian Church, but more importantly Reformation gives us the chance to rejoice in the restoration of God’s Word. The centrality of the Word is wrapped up in what Christ is talking about in John chapter 8. “If you remain in My Word, then you’re truly my disciples, and you’ll know truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

It’s not only that the Word should be central. It’s not only that the Word should be the sole and final authority for judging all preaching and teaching. The Word is necessary. In fact, Christ’s preaching hits home for all of us. He’s giving a talking to (λέγειν πρός), to all the “Jews who have believed in Him.” As Christ’s preaching is “for the Jew, first, then also for the Gentile,” so Christ is giving a talking to to all the Christians “who have believed in Him.” It’s no simple thing to be a believer in IHS.

True Christians, those who believe and trust in Christ alone, are disciples. “Go, make disciples of all nations, [by] baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and [by] teaching them to cherish (τηρεῖν) all that I’ve commanded you.” (Mt 28) And to be a disciple means you will be in the Word. If you don’t, how are you a disciple or stay a disciple? That’s just what Christ Himself is saying today: “If you remain in My Word, then you’re truly my disciples.” And so it’s the duty of all Christians to be Disciples, i.e., to be in the Word! “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” (Small Catechism)

The Word is a necessary and essential part of being a disciple of Christ, but let us now consider and rejoice in all the ways that we do that or maybe don’t…

(4. The Word is central at church.)

The Word is an essential part of church. When it comes to the Bible, God’s Word, we Lutherans “receive and embrace with our whole heart the Prophetic and Apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the pure, clear fountain of Israel.” (Formula-SD-Summary § 1) But when you come to church here, it’s like drinking from a fire hose. The Word isn’t just the three readings. It’s the introit, it’s all the parts of the Litrugy, it’s all the hymns! It’s Sunday School. It’s Bible Study. It’s the sermon. It’s even the ceremonies we observe because they help teach the truth of what the Bible says. Here’s just one example: when I genuflect after blessing the Bread and Wine with Christ’s Words, it’s bowing, kneeling before Christ who’s brought us His body and blood, just like the Wisemen knelt before the flesh and blood toddler Christ.

(3. The Word is essential at home.)

The Word isn’t just necessary at church. It’s necessary at home, too. This is a hard thing when it comes to the many directions we’re all pulled by our normal—maybe abnormal!—daily schedules! But “if you remain in My Word, then you’re truly My disciples.” Fathers ought to be the priests in their homes, leading through the Word and “the laymen’s Bible,” the Small Catechism. (Formula-EP-Summary § 5) All the chief parts written “as the head of the household should teach it in a simple way to his children” (SC) Pastors serve to examine and deepen what parents teach. (AP XXIV) Mothers, too, should be like Eunice and Lois who taught Timothy the faith (2-Tim 3). Luther’s daily prayers bring the Altar into the Home, so that the walls of Christian homes should echo with the Word and the Apostle’s Creed, even as the Word and the Nicene Creed echos here. This is why the congregation at prayer is printed for you, so that, your family, even a family of 1, can read the Word of God, worship, and pray in an orderly way.

(2. The Word is central at school.)

Finally, the necessity of the Word of God is why we have a school and early childhood center! There’s no other reason to have these things!!! We support the school with our tithes and offerings—money—of course. (Choice covers most…) But also with our time or even buying things it needs, why? Because this is another way that the congregation delivers the Word to our member children or not! We support not replace Christian parents in the Word. We support not replace church. So that the 105 students hear the Word of God daily—multiple times a day!—in devotion, study, and prayer. And so the words of Christ ring true “If you remain in My Word, you’re truly my disciples.”

The Word is necessary to be a disciple, a true disciple of IHS. Disciple isn’t just a nice label or idea about yourself or because you feel that way or because you make a decision to be one. It’s being in the Word. It’s as Christ says: “If you remain in My Word, then you’re truly my disciples.”

(1. The Word is essential because it makes you free.)

But when you do all this, what then? Is it that you’re better than others? Being in the Word at Church, or Bible Study, or at Home, or in School makes you awesome. I mean it would be awesome. But, it’s because it’ll make you free. The Word, Christ’s Word, will make you free. Free from the sins your flesh is constantly doing. Like living as if the Word isn’t all that necessary. We say it is but we don’t behave like it. “If you remain in My Word, then you’re truly my disciples, and you’ll know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

Discipline equals freedom is a good slogan for worldly wisdom. But for the Christian the discipline of reading the Word makes you free because by the Word the Son of God Himself is setting you free through that Word. Because through the Word of God, not only are your sins made known, but Christ’s death and resurrection for your sins are made known. He really did die and rise for your sins, which we commit daily and much, and He forgives and gives new life daily through the Word. It’s a good thing. Daily, you’re bombarded, attacked, by the world’s words. It’s in your music. It’s in your movies, shows, reels, and tiktoks. It’s the articles and books and tweets you read. And they bind you in your sins. Putting sin into you, lies into you, falsehood into you.

(Conclusion.)

False words destroy you; true Words build you up. False words keep you bound; true Words set you free. The true Word of Christ in the Bible sets you free. Get people into church. Get kids in our school, our early childhood center. Get into Bible Study and Sunday School. Listen to the Sermon, sing the liturgy, sing the hymns. Use the congregation at prayer at home. Christ will make you free. That’s what He does, delivering the promise of forgiveness, in fact, delivering forgiveness, fortifying your faith in Christ, filling you with hope and life and love.

THE WORD IS NECESSARY AT HOME, IN CHURCH, AND AT SCHOOL BECAUSE ONLY THROUGH IT DOES CHRIST FREE YOU FROM YOUR SINS.

His Word of Law will chop of the chaff in your life. But His Gospel, His promises, His forgiveness abounds all the more! All the more in Baptism and Absolution, and the Sacrament of the Altar!

The Word is necessary. You can’t have a worship service without it! There wouldn’t be much left if you took out the Bible. You can’t have a baptism without the Word. You can’t have a sermon, bible study, or catechism without it. You can’t have an absolution without it. You can’t have Communion without it. You can’t have a Christian home without it.

Christian men ought to be Word warriors. Christian women ought to be shield maidens. Not only because the Sword of the Spirit defeats the devil. But because receiving and reading and contemplating the Divine Word will make you free. It’ll make you a better Christian. We all want to be better. Through the forgiveness proffered in the Word Christ will do that.

THE WORD IS NECESSARY AT HOME, IN CHURCH, AND AT SCHOOL BECAUSE ONLY THROUGH IT DOES CHRIST FREE YOU FROM YOUR SINS.

After all, “everything is made holy by God’s Word and prayer” (Rom 14). “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” (Rom 10) And “we consider a man to be justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.” (Rom 4)

᛭ INI ᛭