Tag Archives: Doctrine

Devoted & Multiplied – Sermon on Acts 2:41-47 for the Fourth Sunday of Lent

Acts 2:41-47

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

It’s not uncommon to hear people – both Christians and unbelievers – say that the current Church is nothing like what depicted here on the day of Pentecost and the first days following Pentecost. You can hear heathen unbelievers say that Christians are just a bunch of selfish capitalist hypocrites while the Church here in Acts 2 was communist. I said it a few weeks ago, but I’ll say it again. Don’t let people who hate God and His Word interpret Scripture for you. Jesus didn’t institute a Communist church. Here, the believers are lovingly and willingly selling their possessions and giving them away. These brothers and sisters in Christ were saying, “What’s mine is yours.” Communism is different. Communism says, “What’s yours is mine. And we’ll make sure the state agrees, takes it from you, and gives it to someone else.” The early New Testament Church wasn’t Communist, but it was commonist [sic.]. There’s a big difference. Communism is when the state breaks the seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.”

But even Christians will lament and say that today’s Church isn’t like the believers here in Act. 2. They’ll say, “That was the real Church. It was vibrant, united, multiplying. And look at it now. It’s antiquated, old, dying.” They think we’ve lost something and that we need to get back to what we see in the early days after Pentecost.

That simply isn’t true. The pattern of life that those first Christians had is exactly what we have here – maybe not identically, but substantively. That isn’t to say that we are flawless – far from it. Do we have issues? Yup. That’s why we confess our sins every week. We do it for good reason. We are in constant need of God’s absolution. But the same living Lord who Baptized those 3,000 souls in May of 33 AD in Jerusalem is the same Savior who gathers us here in East Grand Forks in 2026. Christ’s work in them and among us is the same, and the pattern of life they had is the pattern we have.

After Peter’s Pentecost sermon pierced their hearts (Act. 2:37), those 3,000 repented, were Baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, and received the Holy Spirit. Then, what did they do? They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

That word translated ‘devoted’ is strong. It means they steadfastly persisted in these things. They held on to those things like a man clinging to a lifeline in a storm in the middle of the ocean. It wasn’t optional. It was essential. And notice what these pillars were. In our translation, it looks like there are four, but it might be only three. I’ll explain when we get there.

First, they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. The apostles were the men Jesus had chosen, taught, and sent to be His witnesses (Act. 1:8). They proclaimed what they had seen and heard – the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of their Lord and Savior and your Lord and Savior. Through their teaching, the early Christians heard the voice of Christ Himself (Jn. 13:20, 1 Th. 2:13). Jesus sent them to proclaim and teach how Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms – all the Old Testament – pointed to Him (Lk. 24:44-48). Their teaching wasn’t just bland, mundane information. It was life-giving truth that nourished their souls day by day.

Second, the believers devoted themselves to “the fellowship.” The Greek word there is koinonia. It’s two Greek words smooshed together that mean ‘common’ and ‘union.’ The believers weren’t just acquaintances. They were family and a body (1 Co. 12:12ff) bound together by their unity with Jesus.

Next is “breaking of bread.” There’s no question that ‘breaking of bread’ here refers to Communion, the Lord’s Supper, where Jesus gives His true Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins (Mt. 26:26-29; 1 Co. 11:23-25). Grammatically, it could be that Luke intended that the “breaking of bread” is directly tied to the “fellowship” he just mentioned. I won’t get too technical about the grammar. (You’re welcome.) Luke might be mentioning two pairs of things the people were devoting themselves to – the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, as well as Communion and the prayers. But it’s also possible Luke is listing three things – 1) the apostles’ teaching, 2) the fellowship that comes from the breaking of bread in the Lord’s Supper (1 Co. 10:16), and 3) the prayers. When we meet Luke at Jesus’ feet, we can ask if he intended this to be three or four things.

Finally, the first Christians devoted themselves to the prayers. ‘The prayers’ here refers to the liturgical prayers they had been using before they believed in Christ. These prayers included the Psalms, the Lord’s Prayer, and the parts of the liturgies that had echoed in synagogues and temple for hundreds of years. Now, all of those prayers are now rightly centered on Jesus as the fulfillment of those Old Testament liturgies that had been established by God. In other words, the New Testament Church was devoting itself to corporate, collective prayers.

Dear saints, this is also a description of us. Every Sunday we gather around the apostles’ teaching as we hear it in the Gospel and Epistle readings. God’s Word is read, proclaimed, and applied to our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. We share in the same fellowship because we are also Baptized into Christ and break bread in the holy Sacrament, receiving the medicine of immortality. And we pray together as our Lord taught us and as the Psalms direct us. Here in this building, week by week, we devote ourselves to the exact same things. So, the Church here in Acts 2 isn’t a distant memory of some bygone era of Christianity. It’s the living reality we are participating in right now – today and every week.

As we are devoted to those things, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit. Love and concern for our neighbor. Joy and peace that enable us to open our hands to share. Patience that calms us when we have to wait for God to provide. Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that are visible to others and appealing to them.

Think of how amazing this newly formed congregation is. Our Gospel reading today (Jn. 6:1-15) was Jesus feeding the 5,000 men plus women and children. Before the meal was distributed, Jesus gave this pop quiz to Philip and Andrew, “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?”Both Philip and Andrew throw up their hands. Philip looks at their lack of money, and Andrew looks at the tiny bit of food they do have. Both say, “It isn’t enough.” So, Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and multiplies them.

Dear saints, it’s nothing for Jesus to do that. It isn’t a problem for Him. And here in Acts 2, this fellowship is formed a little more than a year after the feeding of the 5,000. Apparently, Philip and Andrew get a retake on Jesus’ test. And they teach the crowd about how generously God gives. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they taught the people how Jesus multiplied the bread and fish, which results in such a generous congregation. The same apostles who once despaired of not having enough become instruments through which the Holy Spirit creates this fellowship of radical generosity. “All who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Act. 2:44-45).

What changed the apostles and their teaching? It wasn’t a new philosophy or political program. It was Christ’s resurrection. It was the fact that the Holy Spirit now dwelled in them (1 Co. 6:19-20). The One who multiplied loaves now multiplied faith, hope, and love in their hearts. Scarcity gave way to abundance – not because they had more stuff, but because they had a firmer devotion to Christ.

Dear saints, the same Gospel is at work among us. In a world gripped by fear of scarcity – too little money, too little time, too little security – Jesus invites us to trust His provision. He doesn’t always multiply literal bread and fish before our eyes, though He could. Instead, He multiplies grace through His appointed means. Through the apostles’ teaching preached and heard, He feeds our faith. Through fellowship, He binds us together so that no one suffers alone. Through the breaking of bread in Holy Communion, He gives us His very Self, Body and Blood, for the forgiveness of sin and strengthening of our faith. Through the prayers, He draws us into communion and fellowship with Himself and with the Father (Jn. 10:14-15).

Dear saints, we are the same Church with the same Lord and the same Savior. So, when doubts creep in and you wonder if God has forgotten you, the Word declares, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). When loneliness hits you hard, the fellowship of this congregation reminds you that you belong to a family bought with the Blood of Christ. When guilt weighs heavy, the Supper assures you, “This is My blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt. 26:28). When anxiety about the future grips you, the prayers lift you to the throne, where God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, guards your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Php. 4:7).

So, continue to devote yourselves to these things. Don’t treat them as optional add-ons to life. Make the apostles’ teaching in the Scriptures your daily nourishment. Read your Bible with your family at home. Meditate on it in quiet moments. Cherish the fellowship. Stay after service to talk. Hear and bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). Come often to the breaking of bread in the Lord’s Supper for your strengthening in faith. And join faithfully in the prayers – our regular services here in this building, where we confess the Creed, pray, sing the hymns, and lift our common supplications to our God who sits on the throne of all creation. These are the very conduits through which Christ pours His life into yours.

Jesus is here now in our midst (Mt. 18:20), and He calls you to His table where He gives you the benefit of His death and resurrection. Here, in this Sacrament, He joins you to God the Father through His Body given for you and His Blood shed for you. And because you are individually joined to God, you are also joined to one another. Forgiven together, fed together, united in the one holy Christian Church. Come, dear saints. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

From, Through, & To – Sermon on Romans 11:33-36 for Holy Trinity Sunday

Romans 11:33–36

33 Oh, the depth of the riches
and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments
and how inscrutable his ways! 
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, 
or who has been his counselor?” 
35 “Or who has given a gift to him 
that he might be repaid?” 
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Who has seen the ocean? Probably everyone has seen the ocean. If you haven’t, I can show you a picture or video after the service and, technically, you will have seen the ocean. But a picture or video doesn’t do the ocean justice. It isn’t the same as seeing it in person with your own eyes. So, how many of you have been to the ocean and have seen it, smelled it, and felt it?

Now, which ocean(s) – the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Antarctic? Maybe you have seen each of them, but how much of them have you seen? Did you see a bit of it from a beach? Have you been on a boat where no land is in sight? “Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.” Even then, you only saw just shy of three miles of ocean before the curve of the earth pulled the rest of it away from your sight. And your field of vision only allowed you to see so much without turning your head or spinning around in circles, which, if you are prone to seasickness, is not something I would recommend. And even if you’ve been so far out to sea that no land was in sight, you can only say that you’ve skimmed the surface of the ocean – literally.

Have you seen what’s in the ocean and on its floor? Have you been able to snorkel or scuba dive to see what’s down there? How deep have you gone? Twenty, fifty, one-hundred feet? I have one friend who has dived to somewhere near that depth. As far as I know, I don’t know anyone who has been 1,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. The average depth of the ocean is about 2.3 miles deep. Some people have gone that deep. But think about the deepest part of the ocean, Challenger Deep, which is nearly 7 miles below sea level. Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only three have ever been down there.

Many people have gone up into space, orbited the planet hundreds of times, and have seen the majority of the oceans’ surface. But they haven’t been through all the oceans at all the depths to see what lies underneath the surface. So, I ask again, have you seen the ocean? Ultimately, no one can claim to have seen the oceans in their entirety. The best anyone can accurately say is, “I’ve seen a tiny fraction of the ocean.” The oceans are too big, too wide, too deep for anyone to see very much of it. But still, we wouldn’t call someone a liar if they said that they have seen the ocean. To see part of it is to truthfully say that you’ve seen it.

All of that is to set this up: These verses come at the tail end of Paul’s main theological treatise in Romans. In the first eight chapters, Romans is a thorough skimming of the surface of theology. It has dealt with the fact that no one is righteous in the way that God demands. Because of that everyone deserves death and condemnation. But God, in His mercy, has delivered the very righteousness He demands to those who have faith in Christ. By believing that God has come in the flesh of Jesus; believing that Christ suffered, bled, and died; and believing that He rose again for you, you are righteous – as righteous as Jesus is righteous. 

Then, Paul dives deeper into the depths of the theological ocean. He writes about how God delivers that faith through His gracious choosing of you. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul talks about the doctrines of election and predestination. Believer, you are saved exclusively because of what God has done. Jesus has done the work to deliver, rescue, and save you from your sin. The Holy Spirit has called you through God’s Word, given you faith to believe, and will sustain your faith as He works through the Scriptures (Ro. 10:17). Your salvation is entirely based on God’s mercy (Ro. 8:29-33) and the fact that He chose you to be in Christ from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-5). The culmination of Paul’s short dive into the doctrine of predestination comes in the verse just before this text where his conclusion is, “God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all” (Ro. 11:32).

Now, the doctrine of predestination is a huge topic, and I’m not going to go into it today. I have preached on it the past. And if you ever have questions about it, please feel free to talk with me. (I enjoy having any theological conversations.) The only reason I mention predestination here is to set up the context of the praise that we heard in this reading. God’s mercy in delivering salvation to us unworthy sinners leads to this doxology, this song of praise that is our reading: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!”

Whenever we study theology, no matter what branch of theology is being studied, we come to a point where we realize the simple truth that God is bigger than us. God has revealed much to us in His Word, but He hasn’t revealed everything. His riches, wisdom, and knowledge go to a depth that we cannot reach. His ways are inscrutable and inconceivable. It isn’t just that they are hard to understand they are far, far beyond our comprehension. Just like how you’ve only seen a small sliver of the ocean, but you haven’t seen the whole thing. The more I study theology and the Bible, the more I realize there is to learn. It’s a regular occurrence for me to be reading a passage and suddenly realize, “I’ve never noticed that before.” Christian, there’s always more to be learned and meditated on when it comes to theology and the Bible. More and more and more and more. And it is always a joy and delight to discover more.

Today is Holy Trinity Sunday which ends the festival half of the Church year which began in Advent. The Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost seasons focus on God’s work for us by coming, declaring, suffering, dying, rising, ascending, and sending the Holy Spirit. Now, on Trinity Sunday, we recognize that the work of our salvation is exclusively brought about by the plan and efforts of the one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, Trinity Sunday is a fitting time to pause, step back, and simply praise God for all He has done, accomplished, and delivered to us. Even though we’ve spent the past six months considering what God has done to save us, we’ve just barely scratched the surface. Even when we do it again and again, there is still more.

We can’t know God’s mind. We can’t advise Him. We can’t give or offer anything to Him. That’s why Paul closes in v. 36 with this doxology, “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”

Consider each of those in order. “From Him,” God the Father is the source and Creator of all things. “Through Him,” God the Son has set all things in order and gives them to us. “And to Him,” the God the Holy Spirit directs all things so they find their end and meaning in this one God.

Rejoice because this One unfathomable, inscrutable, inconceivable God took it upon Himself to create, redeem, and sanctify you. So, “to Him be glory forever.” In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Slaves & Sons – Sermon on John 8:31-36 for Reformation Sunday

John 8:31–36

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus says, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Those words of our Lord have been rolling around in my mind this past month. What Jesus says there has a lot of implications both for individuals and, by extension, for congregations. To be a disciple of Jesus – in other words to be a Christian – means abiding, remaining, and staying in Jesus’ Word. Those who are saved love to hear their Savior’s words. And that does not only refer to the red-letter words in our Bibles. It’s the whole thing. From the words, “In the beginning,” in Gen. 1:1 through the final, “Amen,” of Rev. 22:21 are all Jesus’ Words.

And notice to whom Jesus says this – this is so important. Jesus is speaking to “the Jews who had believed in Him.” In other words, Christ is speaking to Christians (Ro. 10:17) – people who believe His words. So, what Jesus is calling them to do is to continue abiding and remaining in His Words because if they do notremain in Jesus’ Words, they will not be His disciples, they will not know the truth, and they will not be free. Dear saints, your life as a Christian is to continue to learn and grow in your knowledge and understanding of the Bible. To be a Christian is to be a student of the Scriptures.

Now, all of that is important to ponder and consider, but there is something even more profound here that I want us to consider today. Again, as Jesus speaks to people who believe in Him, He calls them to abide in His Word so that they will (future tense) be set free. In other words, those who believe in Jesus are waiting for a freedom that is still to come. That freedom is promised, and that freedom is the hope of every Christian, but it is still in the future.

Today, as Jesus’ disciples, let’s abide in these words of Jesus here for a moment because many other passages in Scripture say that we are free when we believe. Romans 6:22 says that you, believer, have been set free from sin. A little later in Romans 8:2, Scripture says that the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus. Galatians 5:1 says that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Just like the people in this reading did, we might want to ask Jesus, “How is it that You say, ‘You will become free’? Aren’t we free already?” Well, Jesus is clear. “Truly, truly. Amen, amen, I say to you everyone who practices,” probably a better way to translate this would be ‘does,’ “everyone who does sin is a slave to sin.” To do sin is to be a slave to sin.

So, dear saints, consider this: Are you a Christian? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe His Word? Yes. Then Scripture is clear, you are free – right now.

But also consider this: Are you perfect? Do you do things that God forbids? Do you not do things that God demands? In other words, do you sin? Yes. Then, your Lord is also clear – you are a slave to sin. And you can’t wiggle out of this. It isn’t just that you make mistakes or that you are programmed to do things that aren’t quite right. No. All of us deliberately sin. We sin on purpose, with full knowledge, and repeatedly. And by sinning, we place ourselves under slavery to sin and put our faith in danger. Repent.

Jesus knows when He says that those who do sin are slaves to sin is a devastating judgment. That’s why He continues speaking and offers us hope saying that even though, “the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Jesus doesn’t just leave you in slavery to sin. He is the Son who sets you free – both now and in the future. Romans 6 says that you have been joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection in your Baptism, and it goes on to say, “our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin may be brought to nothing, so that,” and listen carefully here, “so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Ro. 6:6-7). 

Jesus tells us the truth. The one who does sin is a slave to sin, and He sets us free from the evil master of sin. These two clear truths from Scripture have to be one of the most difficult tensions in all the world. You are, for a time, both slaves (because you sin) and sons (because you believe and are redeemed). You are free, and at the same time you are a slave to sin. You aren’t one or the other or bounce back and forth. At the same time, you are sons of God and still slaves to sin. The last half of Romans 7 talks about this tension (Ro. 7:14-25).

You are simultaneously saint and sinner, or, as Jesus puts it here, simultaneously slaves and sons. The tension between those two teachings isn’t understandable or comprehensible. But that’s ok. The Bible teaches all sorts of things that are beyond our understanding like the Trinity; the two natures of Jesus, that He is both God and man; etc. We don’t hesitate to believe those things because Scripture clearly teaches them. Well, Scripture also teaches that you are a slave to sin and a redeemed son of God. 

This tension is what keeps you running back to Jesus. It isn’t your obedience or your consistency or the fact that you feel bad about being a sinner that sets you free. Yes, you should feel bad about being a sinner, but that isn’t what sets you free from your slavery to sin. It’s Jesus, the Son, and Him alone who sets you free now and will make you free forever.

Dear saints, when – not ‘if’ but ‘when’ – when you feel the weight of your slavery, when the shackles of your iniquities rub your wrists and ankles raw, when the whip of your transgressions has shredded your back, remember Jesus came for you. He came – not for the righteous because there aren’t any righteous – He came to call you, sinner, to repentance and faith (Mt. 9:13; Mk. 2:17; Lk. 5:32). Jesus sets you free, and if He sets you free, then you are free indeed.

Child of God, abide in Jesus’ Word, and you will remain in the house forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Fruit & the Foundation – Sermon on Matthew 7:15-27 for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 7:15–27

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I thought about beginning this sermon by yelling, “Look out!” But I have a mic, and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s ears or cause a heart attack. Jesus’ first word in this Gospel reading really sets the tone for everything else in it. “Beware.” It’s the kind of thing you shout when someone is in imminent, immediate danger. Throughout the Gospels, the thing Jesus regularly tells Christians to beware of is false teaching. In Jesus’ opinion – which, by the way, is the only opinion that matters – the thing you need to watch out for is false teaching and incorrect doctrine taught by ravenous wolves wearing sheep’s clothing.

One of the difficulties about these false teachers is spotting and recognizing them for what they are. False teachers don’t go around wearing t-shirts or name tags that say, “False teacher.” Instead, they are cleverly camouflaged. Under their soft, wooly exterior are jaws filled with fangs that are stained with the blood of sheep. They might bleat about Jesus and call Him, “Lord, Lord.” They might strut around like sheep, casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and doing many mighty works in Jesus’ name. But, on the Last Day, Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me you workers of lawlessness.”

So, how are you supposed to recognize these dangerous false prophets? Well, Jesus switches pictures and imagery. Now, it isn’t wolves and sheep; instead, it’s trees and fruit. Jesus says twice, “You will recognize [false prophets] by their fruits.” Now, we need to be clear here. Usually when the Bible uses a fruit analogy, it is talking about Christians’ service of love and good works, like the fruit of the Spirit. A false prophet, a false teacher, could very well appear to have all of those fruits. But here Jesus isn’t talking about the fruit of Christians in general; instead, He’s talking about the fruit of prophets.

So, think through this: What is the fruit of an apple tree? Apples. What is the fruit of a raspberry bush? Raspberries. You don’t go to a raspberry bush looking for apples, potatoes, or beets. Now, take that to different areas of work. What is the fruit of a baker? Bread, doughnuts, pastries, and cake. What is the fruit of an auto mechanic? A fixed car. You don’t go to a baker when you need your transmission fixed.

So, what is the fruit of a prophet? Their prophesizing, in other words, their teaching. In v. 16, when Jesus is talking about grapes and thornbushes and figs and thistles, He is saying that you must judge a prophet (which is just a teacher of God’s Word) by what he teaches. It doesn’t matter if they look good, are a nice person, or speak eloquently. What that person teaches is all that matters. A diseased apple tree is going to produce bad apples, but even if it produces nice shade, it isn’t really worth anything. When Jesus says you will know a prophet by his fruit, He means that you have to evaluate a prophet by the content of his teaching, by the doctrine. A false teacher will produce rotten, worthless, evil teaching. I know v. 18 talks about bad fruit and diseased trees, but ‘rotten, evil, and worthless’ are better translations of the words Jesus uses to describe the nature of those trees and their fruit. 

What that means, dear saints, is that you must, for the good of your soul, you must pay attention to and constantly evaluate what you are being taught. Don’t blindly trust whomever you hear on the radio, or who wrote a national best-seller, or who happens to be in your podcast playlist, or has a YouTube channel. Listen, and evaluate the fruit, evaluate the teaching – even if it’s a boring sermon or study on something you’ve heard a thousand times.

You have to do this because the most dangerous false teachers will be very subtle and deceptive. It might just be one little thing that slips in. But the more often you hear something, the more likely you are to believe it. In fact, it’s even possible that a false teaching might slip in without the person being aware of it. Some of the most important conversations I’ve had as a pastor have come about because I taught something that threw up a theological red flag. A person came to me, told me what they heard, and challenged me on it. Those conversations can give me a chance to clarify what I taught and go back to Scripture. They help me be more careful, clear, and thorough when I preach and teach.

So, this warning from Jesus about you needing to be on the lookout for false teaching definitely applies to me. It doesn’t matter how nice and good looking I am. It doesn’t matter how many sermons you’ve heard me eloquently preach. Don’t blindly trust me. You have to discern if what you are hearing from my lips lines up with the Bible; if it points you to Jesus as the incarnate, crucified, and risen Savior; if it calls you to repent of your sins; if it encourages you to believe in Christ; if it urges you toward love for God and your neighbor.

You have to beware because false teaching might make you feel good and give you the warm-fuzzies. But that doesn’t always mean that it is the teaching God wants you to hear. In our Old Testament lesson (Jer. 23:16-29), God says that the false prophets say things like, “It will be well with you,” and, “No disaster will come upon you.” Because of our sinful nature, false teaching is often right in line with what we want to hear. But you have to evaluate the fruit of every teacher and every teaching you encounter because when you stand before God on Judgment Day, you don’t get to claim ignorance and deception for following wrong theology. Eve didn’t get a pass in the Garden of Eden just because the serpent deceived her (Gen. 3:13; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14).

And, I have to briefly add this: Theology is all round you. The nightly news has a theology. Gretta Thunberg and the whole climate change crowd have a theology. The commercials you see on TV, the songs you listen to, and the videos you watch all have a theology. Here, Jesus says that you must evaluate and discern the theology even of those things. I’m not necessarily saying you have to completely eliminate your intake of those things. That might be the case. But when those inputs cause you anxiety and despair, remind yourself of the true theology that Jesus is crucified, risen, has all authority in heaven and on earth, and is with you always even to the end of the age (Mt. 28:18-20).

Remember, false teaching is rotten, worthless, evil fruit. But it’s effects are more devastating than eating a bad orange. It is completely ruinous. False theology is like building a house with a foundation on sand. When the rains fall and the winds and the floods come, that house is going to have a catastrophic, disastrous fall.

But, God be praised, a house built on the foundation and rock of right, good, sound theology will withstand everything the devil and the world can throw at it. Dear saints, be wise. Eat the good fruit of sound theology. Build your house on the solid foundation of the rock of Christ. And you will never be moved. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

One – Sermon on Ephesians 4:1-6 for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Ephesians 4:1-6

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

What is your impression of or reaction to the following words: unity; inclusion; oneness; togetherness?

They are all good words and concepts, but those words probably throw up some red flags for you. Who doesn’t want unity? Wouldn’t it be great if our country was really the United States of America? No one wants to be excluded and left on the outside. It’s true that the team that plays together wins together. But would you say that we live in a time of unity? Probably not. We’ve gotten used to hearing that we are more divided now than at almost any other point in our nation’s brief history. Some even speculate that we may be on the verge of another civil war. Who knows?

But the more divided, fractured, and fragmented we become, the higher the desire there is for unity. The biggest obstacle to unity in this world, though, just might be the desire and calls for unity. For there to be unity, there needs to be something people are united on. And because the world is full of sinners who all want our own way, we are going to have a difficult time finding a point of unity. The selfishness, pride, and greed around and within us – yes, even in us Christians who still wrestle with our old Adam – will continue to cause division.

Well, this text doesn’t give us any suggestions for bringing unity to our culture or nation. There is nothing here to help us mend the political, economic, racial, and other divisions that we face in our society and culture today. Sorry. There are other passages of Scripture deal with that. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Strive for peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” And Philippians 2:4 probably gives us the best advice in achieving peace in our culture when it says to not look only to your own interest but to the interest of others.

Our text today, when it talks about unity and being one, refers to the unity that exists between Christians, and this unity between Christians is twofold.

First, there is a unity that all Christians simply have. We could call this a ‘vertical unity,’ and this unity consists of how sinners are made one with God. All Christians are sinners who by nature were children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). Christians of all time and in all places are united by the one faith in Jesus who is our Savior, the only Savior. Because Jesus is the only Savior, we are united in Christ who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the only access we have to God the Father (Jn. 14:6). When the Holy Spirit works faith in us, this unity simply exists.

All Christians believe that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). Through Him, every Christian of every tribe, language, race, and even denomination is united on the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16). Through that Holy Spirit-wrought faith, every Christian is joined to the one holy Christian Church confessing the one hope of forgiveness and eternal life. That means that every Christian is part of the one body with Christ as the head (Eph. 4:15). This unity exists, but we also recognize that this unity is invisible.

This brings us to the second unity, and that is the unity that all Christians are to strive for. We can call this a ‘horizontal unity’ of how we as Christians are united with one another. This unity is of conviction and true confession. We rejoice in the unity we have here in our congregation, and we have been rejoicing in the unity we have with our sister congregation on the other side of the river as we gather together on Wednesdays. But we also rejoice in the unity we have with Christians of other denominations: Lutheran Brethren, AALC, Missouri Synod, ELS, ELCA, Evangelical Free, Covenant, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Catholic, and I could go on and on.

Now, even as I mention all those different church bodies, you are probably thinking, “Pastor, aren’t all the different denominations a sign that we Christians are not united?” To a degree, yes. But there is also something counterintuitive about all the different denominations is actually a sign of our unity. 

Now, please bear with me as I flesh this out. Go back to the first unity, our vertical unity. All Christians have one Lord, one faith, one Baptism. But one of the things that divides the various Christian denominations and disrupts that horizontal unity is what the different church bodies believe and teach about Baptism. Here at Christ the King, we teach that Baptism is God’s work where He forgives sins (Act. 2:38), joins us to Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ro. 6:3-11), gives us the new birth (Jn. 3:5), and saves us (1 Pet. 3:21). Many Christians (and please note that I am calling them ‘Christians’) who attend other churches do not believe that is what the Bible teaches about Baptism. They will say that Baptism is something a believer does for God as an outward expression of an inward change.

The Bible does not teach both of those things. Those two doctrines cannot both be true. One is right, and the other is wrong. And it would be wrong and even sinful for either us or other Christians who believe differently to say, “Well, it doesn’t really matter what we believe about Baptism.” It does matter. What we believe about Baptism matters because Scriptures teach us about Baptism. And Jesus tells Christians to keep and observe all that He has said to us in and through the Scriptures (Mt. 28:20). Just a few verses after our text, Paul tells us to “not be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). God wants us to be rooted and grounded so that we rightly handle His Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

Christians want to stay true to what the Scriptures teach. The only way we can stay true to what the Scriptures teach is to continue to grow in our knowledge of the Scriptures. That is why it is important for you, Christian, to keep learning and diving into the Scriptures that are inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16). So, dear saints, be in the Scriptures. Read and meditate on them daily. Come to Bible study and Sunday School to continue being equipped by and through God’s Word. The best way to maintain and strengthen the horizontal unity between Christians is to be grounded in the Bible.

This brings us back around to the differences between Christian church bodies: The silver lining in the doctrinal differences that exist between the various denominations is that we are all trying to be true to what the Bible teaches. In other words, we are taking what Jesus teaches in the Bible seriously. We take it seriously enough that we recognize when those differences exist and when we are not united in doctrine. We don’t rejoice in that horizontal disunity, but we love each other enough to be honest about it because what the Bible teaches is important. That is why we – with humility, gentleness, and patience – point those who believe differently than we do to what Jesus has said. We don’t pridefully lambast them saying, “You aren’t a Christian if you don’t believe just like I do.” No!

Instead, we do what our text calls us to do. We work to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We can’t maintain or keep the unity of the Spirit unless that unity already exists, and it does. The unity of the one holy Christian Church is a gift given by God Himself through faith in Christ.

The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, the oneness that God has given all Christians, is a precious thing. We hold on to this unity as we hold onto Christ and His Word in humility. Jesus was glorified after He humbled Himself by being obedient to His death on the cross (Php. 2:8). That act of humiliation was rewarded by God the Father. And because of Christ’s obedience, the entire Christian Church is washed clean of sin. Christ’s humiliation is the glory of every Christian. So, let us imitate His humility by bearing with our brothers and sisters in Christ in love and forgiving as we have been forgiven. And we rejoice in God’s promise that we are now, right now, united in Him and are one with all our fellow Christians in a unity that is real whether or not we see of feel it.

And we patiently await the day when Christ will return and bring His one holy Christian and apostolic Church to live forever with Him as one. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Beware – Sermon on Matthew 7:15-23 for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 7:15-23

15 [Jesus says,] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christian, the greatest danger you face is not a virus, riots, or any natural or manmade disaster. The greatest danger to a Christian is not politicians, persecution, or even martyrdom. The greatest danger you face, dear Christian, is false teaching. The worst any of those other things could do is send you to be with your Savior. But false teaching from false prophets, who are ravenous wolves, can lead you to eternal hell.

I came across an illustration that is based on a true story: There was a train operating during a severe blizzard, and the spaces between the stops for this train were empty, barren country. A woman was on that train with her infant child and was very nervous about the whiteout conditions. Whenever the train would stop, she would ask the conductor if she was supposed to get off. She couldn’t tell by looking out the window because it was storming too hard.

This happened several times. The train would stop, and the woman would ask the conductor, “Are you sure this isn’t my stop?” “No, mam. This isn’t it.” After this happened a couple more times, and the conductor reassured the woman, “No, this still isn’t your stop, but when we do get to your stop, I’ll come and let you know. I’ll make sure you get off when it’s time.” The train went on and stopped a few more times, when a man in a seat near the woman leaned over to her and said, “We’re at your stop.” And the woman hesitated, “But, the conductor told me he would come and let me know.” The man replied, “It’s ok. He must have had to take care of something else. I’ve been riding this train for years. I heard where we were two stops ago, and trust me, this is your stop.” So, the woman grabbed her things, carried her infant to the door, and stepped off into the blizzard.

The train started again and eventually came to another stop. The conductor walked to the seat where the woman had been, but as he looked around the woman wasn’t there. So, the conductor asked the man, “Where’s the woman and her baby?” The man said, “Don’t worry. I took care of it for you. Even though you missed it, I let her know the last stop was hers. She got to her destination.”

The conductor shouted, “You told her to get off! The last time the train stopped wasn’t at a station. We had to stop in the middle of nowhere because of snow on the tracks!” They immediately threw the train in reverse and went back. But when they got there it was too late. They found the woman holding her baby, and both were frozen to death. That woman and her child needlessly died because of bad information from a well-intentioned individual who was simply wrong.

Dear saints, that story has a lot to say about the last paragraph of this Gospel text. According to Jesus, there are those who have all the appearances of being genuine and biblically informed. They will refer to Jesus as Lord. They will teach and prophesy in Jesus’ name. They will do many mighty works claiming the power of Jesus. But when they stand before Christ on the Last Day, they will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

On that day, many will be shown to be false teachers and false prophets. Even though they seem to be knowledgeable and can to point to a high worship attendance, their impressive buildings, and their many podcast downloads and views of YouTube, it won’t matter. Numbers and statistics are meaningless to Christ. The only thing that matters is if that teacher faithfully preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Now, good intentions but bad information is one thing. But Jesus also warns us about false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Dear saints, Jesus cautions us that there are those who intentionally lead people astray into false theology and doctrine.

It has been said that the most common command in Scripture is to not fear, and that’s probably true. There is nothing that we need to fear except God alone. But the Scriptures do a lot of warning when it comes to false doctrine and teaching. And you have heard some of that in our readings today. This Gospel text is filled with Jesus’ own words warning against false, misleading teaching. Our Old Testament lesson (Jer. 23:16-29) was also a lengthy diatribe on the dangers of false prophets and the ruin that they bring instead of the preaching of repentance that God wants His people to hear. And the Scriptural warnings don’t stop there.

1 Timothy 4:1 says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” Did you catch that? Some “will depart from the faith” – that means Christians will stop believing in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. And in the place of the Gospel, those people will devote themselves to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons.

In 2 Peter 2:1, Peter recounts how false prophets arose in the past and goes on to say, “[T]here will be,” notice this isn’t just a hypothetical, “there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”

In Acts 20:17-35, Paul says his final goodbye to the leaders of the church in Ephesus. Paul had been pastor there for three years (Act. 20:31), but he knows that he won’t see them again. So, Paul spends his last moments with these believers warning them about the danger of false teachers. He says, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert” (Act. 20:29-31).

Dear saints, you need to be alert. When Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets,” Your Savior is giving you a command. Again, there is no need to fear but you do need to beware, and Jesus gives you a sure way to detect when ravenous wolves and even good-intended people teach falsely in His name. You will know them by the fruit of their teaching. Any teaching that does not ultimately point you to Jesus’ work of purchasing your forgiveness by His death and resurrection is bad fruit that comes from the thorns, thistles, and bad trees of false doctrine.

The best way to recognize the bad fruit of ravenous wolves and those who are well-intentioned but misguided is to know good theology yourself. That means – know your Bible. Be in the Word. Read it. Study it. Immerse yourself in it every chance you get. Check the sermons and theology you hear – even from this pulpit and this mouth – with what the Bible says. If you hear me preach or teach something that doesn’t line up with what Scripture says, call me out. And if I can’t back it up from the Bible, run me out of here.

And, parents, train your children in the Word of God. Teach them the Bible stories. Constantly point them to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Help them memorize the Catechism. It teaches the main doctrinal truths of the Bible and has stood the Scriptural test for 500 years. We will be starting Sunday School and Confirmation again in a little more than a month, and, as a congregation, we are to help you teach the Bible to your children. But don’t think for one second that coming to church and Sunday School for two hours a week is enough Bible for your kids. Your kids need to see you model the importance of studying the Scriptures.

Dear saints, Jesus is everything. Without Christ’s death, resurrection, and forgiveness, nothing else matters. In Jesus is life, eternal life. He has done what was necessary to deliver you from sin, death, and the devil. Because of what He has done, you can walk through the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil because He promises to be with you (Ps. 23:4).

And, ultimately, take comfort. Jesus tells us to beware false teachers and their hellish doctrines, but He also makes a promise. Just after this text, Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount by saying, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Mt. 7:24-25).

May this be true of us all as we stand firm upon the sure and certain promises of our Lord. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.