Words of Encouragement
Words of Encouragement
from
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
2305 S. Dixieland Rd. / P.O. Box 2335, Rogers, AR 72757
Sunday School & Bible Class: 9 a.m. / Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.
August 19, 2009
Paul’s Letter to the Believers at Colosse (continued)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:15-18
Who is Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul answers that question in unmistakable terms. Jesus is “the image of the invisible God.” In other words, if you desire to know God, know Jesus, for He is God Himself in human flesh.
The Gospel of John (1:1, 14, 18) states of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. … No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
Jesus is the firstborn of all creation – not in the sense of being created, but in that all was created by Him and for Him, and He is the inheritor of all. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Again, the Gospel of John says (1:3, 4): “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
Jesus is before all things, for in the beginning He was. He is the great “I AM,” Jehovah God in the flesh (cf. Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).
Jesus is the head of the body, the church, for He loved the church and gave Himself for it – suffering and dying upon the cross for the sins of the word – that He might present it to Himself, “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:22; cf. Ephesians 5:25ff.).
Jesus is the firstborn from the dead because He died for the sins of all and rose again from the dead on the third day. He is firstborn because all who trust in Him for forgiveness and life will also be raised up with glorified bodies on the last day to live and reign with Him forever in His eternal kingdom.
Paul’s point to the Colossian believers and to us? Jesus is indeed God Himself in human flesh, being miraculously conceived and born of the virgin Mary, and we are complete in Him. He is our creator and He has accomplished our salvation by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. As He rose from the dead on the third day, so He will raise up on the last day all who trust in Him and grant them life everlasting in His heavenly kingdom. Christ Jesus is our life and hope! We need look nowhere else!
O dearest Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, thank You for creating us and giving us life; and thank You for redeeming us with Your holy and precious blood shed for us on the cross that we might be granted forgiveness, new life and a place with You in Your eternal kingdom. Keep us steadfast in You. Amen.
Why Do We Humbly Worship?
We read in Isaiah 6:1-7: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”
Think about Isaiah’s vision of the LORD God. What if we were suddenly standing in the presence of the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth? What if we saw His glory and heard His holy angels crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”?
Wouldn’t we also, like Isaiah, say, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts”?
The truth is, though we may not see it with our earthly eyes, we do stand in the presence of the LORD of hosts – He is everywhere and the whole earth is filled with His glory! His angels are around us, not only watching over us as believers, but also uttering the praises of the Almighty. And here in our humble church building, the crucified, risen and exulted Christ comes to us offering us His Word of forgiveness, His body and blood shed for the remission of all our sins. And, of course, lest we forget, our bodies are His temple. He dwells in us by His Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).
One of the hymns in our hymnal (LSB 621) says it so well in the ancient words translated from the Greek by Gerard Moultrie:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descending,
Comes with homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of light descending
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the powers of hell to vanquish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
The theme of this ancient hymn is based on the words of Habakkuk 2:20: “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
As we ponder God’s majesty and holiness, the words of Isaiah come to our lips as well: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
How unworthy we are – and deserving of God’s wrath and judgment – to stand in His very presence! In fact, the more we see His glory, majesty and holiness from His revelation of Himself in the pages of our Bibles, the more we are struck with our unworthiness to stand in His presence. Even our best worship of Him is from unclean lips and comes so far short – it is filthiness in His eyes (cf. Isaiah 64:6). And the people around us – in our congregation – have unclean lips too!
But, as one of the seraphim took a live coal from the altar – where sacrifices were offered up that sinners trusting in God’s promise of a better Sacrifice for all sin might be forgiven and walk in God’s presence – so Christ Himself, the almighty and everlasting God in human flesh, our Redeeming Sacrifice, comes to us with His word of forgiveness and His body and blood given and shed upon the cross for the remission of all sins. He touches our lips and our hearts, cleanses away all our sins and opens our mouths to worship Him and sing His praises.
“If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday
The Adult Bible Class will continue on Sunday with its study of Revelation, at the close of chapter 20 and then into the final two chapters. In particular, we will look at the final judgment and the glories believers will see and know with Christ in heaven. In preparation, read the closing chapters from the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Catechism Class is just beginning its study of the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the teaching of the Apostles recorded for us in the Scriptures. Students are encouraged to read through the Apostles’ Creed and consider the three parts of this creed and summarize them. In the first article of the Creed, we speak of God the Father as Creator of heaven and earth. Read Genesis 1 and 2 and consider also the role of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in Creation. Compare John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:12-23.
Sunday School Classes will continue with their study of well-known Bible narratives and lessons. The Sunday School kickoff will be on August 30, with a special opening, new classes and a potluck dinner following the worship service.
The Sunday Sermon will focus on the role of Christian pastors (elders) among God’s flock and on Christian humility. Why are pastors to shepherd the flock? How are they to do it? What does it mean to shepherd God’s sheep? What reward is promised to the faithful? By whom? With what should we all be clothed? Why? What should we do with our cares and concerns? Read 1 Peter 5:1-7 to find the answers.
What do we believe about the God? Consider the following summary statement and look up the supporting Bible passages:
GOD
We believe that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; I Corinthians 8:4). This God (called the LORD or JEHOVAH) is one divine Being or Essence, but three distinct Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (thus the name, Triune or Three/One God), each being eternal and equal in power and majesty, because each Person is the LORD God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; I John 5:7; Isaiah 48:16-17; John 1:1; Colossians 2:9; I Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 4:14). We believe that no one can worship or serve the Triune God except he believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the Savior of mankind from sin and its consequences (John 3:18,36; 5:23; 14:6; I John 2:23; 5:11-12). Hence, all who deny the Trinity of God (that God is three Persons) or the Unity of God (that God is one divine Being), or who do not trust in Jesus Christ, the Son, for salvation, do not worship and serve the true God.
Remember to pray for our congregation and all its members that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. Pray for Sam Rusch who was hospitalized; for Ron Wellander, who has been struggling to live with a troubling medical condition; for Dave Brown; for Tonny Mayer; for any others who have been sick or suffering among us; and for the soldiers we have adopted.
Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at randy@mollfoto.com.
“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21
Pastor Randy Moll 479-233-0081
[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.]
