Meditations in the Parables of Jesus
THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT
Read Matthew 18:21-35
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
How often should we forgive a brother who sins against us? This is the question Peter asked of Jesus. Note Jesus’ answer: “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” Jesus did not mean only 490 times, but all the time! Like our Lord, we are always to be ready to forgive. “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” (Psalm 86:5).
The parable of the unforgiving servant illustrates Jesus’ point to Peter. A certain servant owed the king such a great amount that he would never be able to work off and repay his debt. When the king justly would have sold him and all that he had to recover at least a part of this debt, the servant pleaded for mercy. The king was moved to compassion and forgave the entire debt. But then this servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him only a very small and insignificant amount in comparison with the huge debt which had been forgiven him. Rather than showing mercy to this servant, as he had been shown mercy by his lord, he refused to forgive this small debt and “cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.” When the king saw that his compassion and forgiveness had no effect on this unforgiving servant, he was angry and “delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.”
We, like the first servant in this parable, owe to God a greater debt than we can ever repay. Our sins against the LORD God are so great that we deserve only to be cast into the eternal fires of hell! But God, in His grace and mercy, has forgiven our great debt of sin. Because Jesus Christ took our great burden of sins upon Himself and bore on the cross the just punishment for them, God has canceled out our debt of sin and has given to us complete pardon and forgiveness!
In our earthly lives, others sin against us many times; but this debt of sin, though it may seem great to us, is small and insignificant in comparison with the great debt of sin that the LORD God has forgiven to us. As a fruit of our faith in Christ Jesus, and as a result of God’s great mercy to us in Christ, we ought also to forgive those who sin against us, even “until seventy times seven.” If we refuse to forgive from our hearts those who sin against us, neither will our heavenly Father forgive us; instead, He will cast us into the fires of hell!
Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore, remove from us their burden sore, as we their trespasses forgive who by offenses us do grieve. Thus let us dwell in charity and serve our brother willingly. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn #458, Verse 6)
Pastor Randy Moll
Christ’s Ship on the Sea of Galilee,
a Picture of the Church of Our Times
Matthew 8:23-27
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
By C. F. W. Walther
(Translated by Rev. Donald E. Heck)
(Editor’s Note: C.F.W. Walther was one of the founding fathers of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, then the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. He was the first professor and president of Concordia Seminary in Altenberg, Mo., and later in St. Louis. He was also the first president of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. He vigorously fought for the true doctrine of God’s Word and opposed those who compromised any part of God’s truth.)
Grace be with you, mercy and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus.
Reading the history of the Christian Church, we find that men think the Church is always in great danger of being annihilated; yet it has always regained its strength.
How small Christ’s Church was when he left the world after his work of redemption! It consisted of no more than a few hundred souls, and most were poor simple folk. Even the twelve apostles were uneducated, timid men; through the preaching of the Gospel they of all people were to spread the Christian Church throughout the whole world. This appeared to be wholly impossible.
But what happened? Miraculously equipped on the first Pentecost with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they went out into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature; after no more than about thirty years, Paul, who himself became a Christian after being a persecutor, could report to the Colossians that the Gospel was “preached to every creature which is under heaven.” (Col 1:23). A few years later he could write to Timothy, “God was manifest in the flesh … preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world,” I Timothy 3:16. When all the apostles had died, the Christian Church had already spread over the whole world; there were Christian congregations in all the lands of the world.
If the Christian Church was founded during the bloody persecutions by the Jews and heathen, these persecutions really first began after it had been founded – the more numerous Christians became, the more the worldly rulers feared that the Christians could become dangerous. Hence, they and particularly the Roman emperor decided to wipe out the Christian Church. The Roman emperors and their officials used every imaginable device to torture the Christians, in order to cause them to deny Christ and thus exterminate the Christian Church.
They did not only behead, drown, strangle, and burn Christians but also dreamed up every possible way to make their death especially frightful and painful. Christians became food for wild animals; they were roasted slowly over a fire; smothered in sewers; crucified head down and ravening animals were allowed to gnaw at them; killed by thirst; the heathen tore off little by little every piece of flesh from their bones with shells or white hot tongs; they poured boiling oil and pitch into their mouths; they tied their naked bodies to corpses, threw both into dark and stinking pits, and let them die of hunger and rot with the corpses. In the first three centuries many hundreds of thousands of Christians were killed. When the persecution of Emperor Diocletian and his coregents ended in the year 310, they issued as a remembrance of their victory over the Christians edicts with the superscription, “After wiping out the name Christians who wanted to overthrow the kingdom,” or, “After the complete extermination of the Christian heresy everywhere.”
But was this proud superscription really true? No! Just before a Church father had written, “The more you cut us down the more we increase. The blood of the Christian is a seed.” Yes, the church historian Eusebius writes, “The very swords at last became dull and broke in pieces as though worn out; the hangmen became tired and had to relieve one another; but the Christians began to sing songs of praise and thanks until their last breath to the honor of almighty God.”
All the persecutors died a frightful death. The last such, Emperor Galerius, his body rotting with inexpressible pains, feeling God’s wrath, published in the year 311 another edict. He declared that his intention of bringing the Christians back to the religion of their fathers was not attained, and they themselves were only hindered in the worship of their own gods. They should therefore be tolerated and now pray to their God for the welfare of the kingdom and their emperor.
When this fanatic had died and Emperor Constantine became a Christian himself in the year 323, the Christians with but brief interruptions enjoyed complete rest from persecution. But now even more dangerous enemies, false teachers, arose in their own midst; they did not seek the temporal life of the Church but the truth on which it was founded and thus slay it spiritually. But see! No matter how many heretics arose, God always awakened men who exposed the heresy and defended the truth. The Church faced even greater danger through the rise of the papacy. It seemed to have become a worldly kingdom of priests, Christ pushed from his throne, the saving Gospel done away with, and thus the Church surely wrecked. Even the earlier bloody persecutions arose again, and now in the midst of the Church herself. But lo! Just when all help seemed to be gone, it was at the door. God awakened Dr. Martin Luther who carried out the work of a complete reformation of the Church.
Alas, today the Christian Church again lies in the dust. It is true that hundreds of millions of men still are Christian in name, but they are either unbelievers who laugh at the mysteries of the Christian religion, or they are the sects who cling to comfortless human doctrines. The true Christians who stand in the true faith are only a very small flock. The enemy of the Church again triumphs and predicts in a thousand writings that the Christian Church will soon be completely wiped out.
What now? Do we have reason to fear that the Church will at last perish? No, no! My friends! According to God’s Word this is absolutely impossible. Today’s Gospel guarantees that no matter how severely the storms may rage now, Christ’s little ship will not be wrecked. Let us now hear and consider this Gospel for the purpose of strengthening us in this belief.
Scripture text: Matthew 8:23-27. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
On the basis of this text let the subject of today’s consideration be: Christ’s ship on the Sea of Galilee, A picture of the church of our times: A Picture of the dangers in which it hovers, A Picture of the members it has, and A Picture of the protection under which it stands.
1. A picture of the dangers in which it hovers
The day on which the event related in our text took place was the same day in which Christ had miraculously healed the leper and the servant of the centurion at Capernaum. That we heard in the Gospel of last Sunday. This had been a day of especially hard work. Matthew tells us that Christ that same day healed not only Peter’s mother-in-law, but in addition whole crowds of possessed and sick. Evening finally came and many people still crowded around him; perhaps they merely wished to see still more miracles; he therefore commanded his disciples to prepare ship for a trip to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Whereupon we read in our text, “And when he entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.” (v. 23).
In any case, the ship was no palatial merchantman, but one of Peter’s small simple fishing boats. No vessel had ever carried a more precious cargo than this little boat. It carried something more precious than all the gold, pearls, and precious stones in the world. It bore the Savior of the world and the twelve apostles who were to carry the message of salvation into all the world. It carried the Lord of the Church himself and its twelve pillars. One can indeed say that had this ship sunk the Church would have gone down and the whole world would have been lost.
Now one would have supposed that if any ship would have had smooth sailing then this would have been the one. But what do we hear? We read in our text, “And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves.” (v. 24).
“And, behold,” the evangelist writes. With this little word he shows that something which no one expected suddenly arose. When the ship had thrust from land, the evening sky was clear and bright. Wind and sea were calm, but behold, scarcely had they reached the high seas than suddenly, as we read in our text, “a great tempest” arose “in the sea.” As we see from the original text, this “storm” was a swell which came from the lake bottom as would arise from an earthquake. The sea suddenly swelled and created waves which, rising and falling rapidly, lifted the ship like a ball, now to giddy heights, now hurling it down into the trough. Mark adds that also a “great storm of wind” or a hurricane was added to the “swell” from the depths of the sea. It seized the little ship and spun it like a top. Sky, wind, and sea seemed to have rebelled.
The result was that the waves not only smote the ship but, as our text says, “the ship was covered with the waves.” Covered by the sea, it appeared to be about to sink. All human help, strength and wisdom was helpless. Even those in the ship, fishermen familiar with the sea, who certainly had passed through many a dangerous storm, now feared for their lives.
And what was the most frightening, we read that Christ the Lord, in whose presence the disciples otherwise feared nothing, “was asleep.” He seemed neither to know of nor care about the danger in which his disciples were. Yes, Mark informs us that he lay on a pillow near the helmsman. Christ seemed to be the reason why the ship was in this danger. Only one push – and ship and crew would sink into the depths of the sea.
What does our text vividly picture to us? Nothing else than the great danger in which the ship of the Christian Church is at all times, especially in our day! Like a ship the Church sails from country to country on the sea of time. Christ is the captain. The preachers of the Gospel are the helmsmen. Faith with baptism is the ship’s gangplank, hope its anchor, the cross its mast. The word is the sails; the wind which swells these sails is the Holy Ghost, its flag the creed, the Christians compose the crew, and the harbor toward which the ship sails is heaven.
What happened to this ship of the Church? It had no sooner quietly weighed anchor at the time of the apostles and sailed upon the world, when behold there arose a swell from beneath and a hurricane from above. Hell, world and heaven itself seemed to have conspired against the ship of the Church and resolved to destroy it. Then, the swell of bloody persecution raged; now, the hurricane of false doctrine.
If the ship of the Church always was in danger of running aground, shattering, and sinking, it is really the case today. It is true we today do not groan under the cruel rod of persecution. Yes, God be eternally praised we here in America enjoy a degree of religious freedom which God has scarcely granted any other land. Nevertheless, here the ship of the Church hovers in greater danger. Our America is not only the land of the sects who preach their false faith everywhere with great show of being the only true saving faith, but also the very enemies of Christ and his Church are here in great power. Unless God prevents it they can, after they are in power, take our freedom from us. In many newspapers and other periodicals they rail at everything holy. They organize secret societies into which they draw the unsuspecting, but from whom they hide their plans. They beguile more and more with their sweet talk of light, enlightenment, progress and freedom.
Truly, the ship of the church is again in great trouble. The spirit of the times like a hurricane sometimes lifts it up to giddy heights and sometimes pulls it down into frightful depths. Countless baptized Christians have already fallen away and daily more follow. And what is most frightening, Christ seems again to sleep and watch peacefully how the storm tears the sail of the Word and the flag of the creed into tatters, snaps the mast of the cross, and covers the ship of the Church with the waves of sin and unbelief.
2. A picture of the members it has
Christ’s ship in the storm on the Sea of Galilee pictures not only the dangers in which the Church now hovers, but secondly the members it has.
We read in our text, “And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us; we perish.” (v. 25). This tells us two facts about the disciples. First, that they truly believed, but secondly, that their faith was extremely weak. They had forsaken the whole world and its enticing splendor to follow Christ even into the ship on the sea. And when great trouble and danger befell them and human aid was of no avail, they did not doubt but turned to Christ, awakened him, and offered this ardent prayer to him, “Lord, save us!” Had they not believed that Christ was the almighty Son of God, they would not have turned to Him, when only an experienced seaman would know what to do.
Nevertheless their faith was weak. Had it been a strong faith, they would have thought of Christ’s many miracles which they had witnessed. In the middle of the storm they would have, after their prayer for help, certain of an answer, joined in a song of praise and thanksgiving. There would be no room in their hearts for the faintest suggestion of the thought that their ship would sink. With David they would have thought, “Yea, though I walk through the dark valley of mountain high waves, I will fear no evil, for the Lord is with me.”
But what did they do? It is true they pray in faith, “Lord, save us!” But full of anxiety and fear they immediately add, “We perish!” Yes, Mark tells us that several even cried out, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (4:38). We see from this that their faith was very weak and no doubt bordered on unbelief. It was no more than a smoking flax and a bruised reed. Hence, Christ did not reject them but rebuked them saying, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” (v. 26a).
This is the picture of the membership of the Church. There still are, praise God! people who have left the enticing world, cling to Christ, confess that he is God’s Son, and, in their troubles in true faith call on him, “Lord, save us!” even when man is helpless. Alas, the age of the strong in faith, the heroes of faith, as we repeatedly meet them by name in the first 300 years and in the time of the Reformation, is past. The believers of our times are almost without exception weak and small of faith. Very much smaller storms than the storm on the Sea of Galilee, much weaker attacks and temptations now cause Christians to waver and totter. If a bloody persecution would break out today and Christians were no firmer in their faith than they are now, most would deny the faith and fall away.
Now, my very dear friends, does not this present a sad, hopeless prospect? Must we not fear that the Church will go under after all? Must we not expect that in the last times of the Church increasingly greater troubles, attacks, and temptations are near? Yes, we must expect the latter; but we do not have to fear that for this reason the Church will perish. Christ does not reject even the weak in faith, put out the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed. For the ship of Christ upon the Sea of Galilee is not only a picture of the dangers in which it hovers, and the weakness of its members, but also the protection under which it stands. And it is of this which I speak to you now.
3. A Picture of the Protection Under Which it Stands
It is true that Christ slept while the disciples were in the greatest danger. It seemed as if Christ neither knew of the danger to his disciples nor cared. Yet it only seemed so. Christ did actually sleep but only as a true man. Even then He was and remained the Keeper of Israel who does not slumber and sleep, for according to His divinity He watched; He saw everything which took place, and took care that in spite of the storm and waves the ship did not become wrecked while He slept. To the disciples He seemed to sleep, only to tempt and test them, to strengthen their faith through temptation, and to make them pray. When Christ was therefore awakened by the disciples’ cry for help, he fearlessly let the storm rage on for a while and first of all stilled the storm in the hearts of the disciples. “Then,” we read, “he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” (v. 26b.) This was an incomprehensible miracle. At times it happens in a natural manner that a hurricane on the sea suddenly stilled. But then the waves would rise for a longer time and only gradually diminish after the wind had been calm for a long time. But Mark tells us, as soon as Christ had said to the wind and sea, “Peace, be still!” both were immediately and absolutely quiet. The howling winds and the raging sea quieted. It became a glassy surface in which the evening sky quietly reflected the glittering stars; those in the ship cried out in amazement, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (v. 27).
Here we have the last picture of the Church of our times. It is an inexpressibly comforting one. We see that though the Church may be like Christ’s ship on the Sea of Galilee, though the whole world with all its mighty and wise may surprise the Church like a sea whipped by the wind, though its sinking may seem to be inevitable, though it may seem as if Christ is asleep again at the helm and his (unspoken) Word the hindrance to the only possible deliverance of the Church, though the very members of the Church seem to be ever so faint-hearted today and in despair cry out, “Lord, save us; we perish! Yes, though many today desperately jump out of the ship into the sea of the world, we nevertheless have no reason to fear and despair. Christ is in our ship, and He does not sleep according to His divine omniscience, omnipotence, and care. When His hour is come, he will arise, chide our faint-heartedness, and say to the world, “Peace, be still.” It will then become absolutely quiet and in triumph the ship of the Church will sail into the harbor of heaven. Christ has promised, “On this rock (he means himself) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20).
Oh, therefore, do not despair, even in these last troublesome times. Do not leave the ship of the Church, because you think it will soon go down. Otherwise you will regret it eternally, because outside this ship is no salvation, as once outside Noah’s ark there was no deliverance. And as Noah’s ark sailed successfully over the waves of the flood and finally, safe and sound, landed on the mountains of Ararat, so will also the ship of the Church sail safely over the stormy sea of the world and land on the eternal mountains of divine grace. There if you have remained in the faith, you will also in amazement cry out, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” and will eternally rejoice. For …
The Word they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain
With his good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Let these all be gone,
They yet have nothing won;
The kingdom ours remaineth. Amen.
(TLH 262, st. 4)
The Brief Statement
of the
Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod as adopted in 1932
(Editor’s Note: This remains the official position of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod yet today, though in practice, many have departed from it.)
Of the Church
24. We believe that there is one holy Christian Church on earth, the Head of which is Christ and which is gathered, preserved, and governed by Christ through the Gospel.
The members of the Christian Church are the Christians, that is, all those who have despaired of their own righteousness before God and believe that God forgives their sins for Christ’s sake. The Christian Church, in the proper sense of the term, is composed of believers only, Acts 5:14; 26:18; which means that no person in whom the Holy Ghost has wrought faith in the Gospel, or – which is the same thing – in the doctrine of justification, can be divested of his membership in the Christian Church; and, on the other hand, that no person in whose heart this faith does not dwell can be invested with such membership. All unbelievers, though they be in external communion with the Church and even hold the office of teacher or any other office in the Church, are not members of the Church, but, on the contrary, dwelling-places and instruments of Satan, Eph. 2:2. This is also the teaching of our Lutheran Confessions: “It is certain, however, that the wicked are in the power of the devil and members of the kingdom of the devil, as Paul teaches, Eph. 2:2, when he says that ‘the devil now worketh in the children of disobedience,”‘ etc. (Apology. Triglot, p. 231, @_ 16; M., p. 154.)
25. Since it is by faith in the Gospel alone that men become members of the Christian Church, and since this faith cannot be seen by men, but is known to God alone, 1 Kings 8:39; Acts 1: 24; 2 Tim. 2:19, therefore the Christian Church on earth is invisible, Luke 17:20, and will remain invisible till Judgment Day, Col. 3:3, 4. In our day some Lutherans speak of two sides of the Church, taking the means of grace to be its “visible side.” It is true, the means of grace are necessarily related to the Church, seeing that the Church is created and preserved through them. But the means of grace are not for that reason a part of the Church; for the Church, in the proper sense of the word, consists only of believers, Eph. 2:19,20; Acts 5:14. Lest we abet the notion that the Christian Church in the proper sense of the term is an external institution, we shall continue to call the means of grace the “marks” of the Church. Just as wheat is to be found only where it has been sown, so the Church can be found only where the Word of God is in use.
26. We teach that this Church, which is the invisible communion of all believers, is to be found not only in those external church communions which teach the Word of God purely in every part, but also where, along with error, so much of the Word of God still remains that men may be brought to the knowledge of their sins and to faith in the forgiveness of sins, which Christ has gained for all men, Mark 16:16; Samaritans: Luke 17:16; John 4:25.
27. Local Churches or Local Congregations. – Holy Scripture, however, does not speak merely of the one Church, which embraces the believers of all places, as in Matt. 16:18; John 10: 16, but also of churches in the plural, that is, of local churches, as in 1 Cor. 16: 19; 1: 2; Acts 8: 1: the churches of Asia, the church of God in Corinth, the church in Jerusalem. But this does not mean that there are two kinds of churches, for the local churches also, in as far as they are churches, consist solely of believers, as we see clearly from the addresses of the epistles to local churches; for example, “unto the church which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified, in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,” 1 Cor. 1: 2; Rom. 1: 7, etc. The visible society, containing hypocrites as well as believers, is called a church only in an improper sense, Matt. 13:47-50, 24-30, 38-43.
28. On Church-Fellowship – Since God ordained that His Word only, without the admixture of human doctrine, be taught and believed in the Christian Church, 1 Pet. 4: 11; John 8:31,32; 1 Tim. 6:3,4, all Christians are required by God to discriminate between orthodox and heterodox church-bodies, Matt. 7:15, to have church-fellowship only with orthodox church-bodies, and, in case they have strayed into heterodox church-bodies, to leave them, Rom. 16:17. We repudiate unionism, that is, church-fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine, as disobedience to God’s command, as causing divisions in the Church, Rom. 16:17; 2 John 9,10, and as involving the constant danger of losing the Word of God entirely, 2 Tim. 2:17-21.
29. The orthodox character of a church is established not by its mere name nor by its outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but by the doctrine which is actually taught in its pulpits, in its theological seminaries, and in its Publications. On the other hand, a church does not forfeit its orthodox character through the casual intrusion of errors, provided these are combated and eventually removed by means of doctrinal discipline, Acts 20:30; 1 Tim. 1: 3.
30. The Original and True Possessors of All Christian Rights and Privileges. - Since the Christians are the Church, it is self-evident that they alone originally possess the spiritual gifts and rights which Christ has gained for, and given to, I-!is Church. Thus St. Paul reminds all believers: “All things are yours,” 1 Cor. 3: 21, 22, and Christ Himself commits to all believers the keys of the kingdom of heaven, Matt. 16:13-19; 18:17-20; John 20:22, 23, and commissions all believers to preach the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments, Matt. 28:19,20; 1 Cor. 11:23-25. Accordingly, we reject all doctrines by which this spiritual power or any part thereof is adjudged as originally vested in certain individuals or bodies, such as the Pope, or the bishops, or the order of the ministry, or the secular lords, or councils, or synods, etc. The officers of the Church publicly administer their offices only by virtue of delegated powers, conferred on them by the original possessors of such powers, and such administration remains under the supervision of the latter, Col. 4:17. Naturally all Christians have also the right and the duty to judge and decide matters of doctrine, not according to their own notions, of course, but according to the Word of God, 1 John 4: 1; I Pet. 4:11.
Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday
The Adult Bible Class will continue its study of the Gospel of John in chapter five. To prepare, read John 5:17-30. Why did Jesus say He worked on the Sabbath? Who was He claiming to be? Did the Jews recognize this? What work, does Jesus say, which the Father does is also a work which is done by the Son? Who does the Son raise to life? To whom is the judgment of all people committed? Cf. Acts 10:42; 17:31; Matthew 11:27. How will the Son judge? Cf. John 3:18-21, 35-36; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. Can one know and honor God the Father if he does not know and honor the Son? Cf. 1 John 2:23. What of those groups and organizations which claim to serve God but do not acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and Savior? Cf. John 14:6. What does Jesus mean in v. 24? What comfort may we draw from this truth? What does Jesus mean in verse 25? Which dead does He speak of here? How are they raised up from spiritual death to spiritual life? How did this happened to you? What is meant by v. 26? Why should we not be amazed or marvel at this truth? What will happen on the Last Day? How will they be judged? Cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15. Whose will does Jesus carry out in the judgment?
The Catechism Class continues studying the Lord’s Prayer and the Sacraments and learning of Jesus and what He has done to redeem all mankind.
The Appointed Sunday Readings are Psalm 146; Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-8; and John 16:12-22. Please take the time to read them in their context in preparation for Sunday. The sermon text for Sunday is the reading from John 16. Psalm 146 – Who are we called to praise? When? Why is it foolish to trust in human leaders? Who should be our refuge? Why can we be happy and rejoice? What does this psalm say of the work of the LORD? Acts 11:1-18 – What is the setting of this portion of Scripture? Why did the Jewish believers contend with Peter? How did Peter explain his actions? What was the result? How might we apply this Scripture truth yet today? Revelation 21:1-8 – What did John see? What happened to the first heaven and earth? What was not present? Cf. Isaiah 65:17ff. What did John see coming down from God out of heaven? What is this? Who is a part of it? Cf. Ephesians 2:11-22; 5:22ff.; Hebrews 11:10; 2 Cor. 11:2. What did the voice out of heaven say? What is significant about this? What will not be there in heaven? What does God say? What does this mean? (Verse 8 was omitted from the appointed readings but we include it.) Who will be have their part in the lake of fire? What is this called? John 16:12-22 – Who does Jesus say would come? What would He do? How would He guide them into all truth? What would He show Jesus’ disciples? Who would He glorify? How? What things would He reveal? Is this true yet today? How? Cf. 1 John 2:19-29. What did Jesus mean when He said in a little while His disciples would not see Him, but then in a little while they would see Him again? Why was it necessary for Jesus to go to the Father? cf. John 16:7ff. Why would Jesus’ followers weep and lament? How is it that their sorrow would be turned to joy? To what did Jesus compare this? Why could no one take this joy from Jesus’ disciples? How does this yet apply to us as believers in Christ Jesus?
Remember to Pray
Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Sam Rusch, who is again hospitalized – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families, for Christians who are alone and have no congregation, and for our adopted soldiers. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.
Events and Announcements
The Choir is practicing for upcoming services. More voices are always welcome.
Congregational Evening Bible studies will resume on the second Wednesday in May, at 7 p.m.
Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at goodshepherdrogers@yahoo.com.
“God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2
[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible]
