Sermon of the Week
23 Pentecost November 12 2017
Pastor Mark Osthus
Did you have a good week? Why do I ask? Perhaps you remember that towards the end of my sermon last Sunday, I challenged you to live this past week with your saintly side foremost in your mind by telling yourself frequently, “I’m a saint! What should a saint do in this situation?” It seems appropriate that on this Veterans Day weekend we take a close look at spiritual freedom as well as democratic freedom.
This is the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. As such, it is appropriate to commemorate and celebrate the most profound religious discoveries of that time. It was a time when a new freedom blew through the church as Martin Luther emerged as the leader of a new movement that insisted on using the Bible as a base for understanding the will of God made known in Jesus, particularly the meaning of the cross for our everyday lives.
In the early days when the Christian church was just getting started through the work of Paul and other leaders addressed the members. In reading your Bible you may have noticed Paul addressing early Christians as “Saints” which means “Holy Ones.” Now, how did they get holy? We ask that question because to us, Saints are perfect people or at least, almost so. For Paul, and early Christian understanding, Saints were simply Christians who became members of the Church by being baptized.
Martin Luther’s discoveries in the Bible brought about new freedom for the soul. The Catholic Church had for some time maintained control over people through fear-based practices that ended up binding Christians, rather than setting them free. When the human spirit is free from guilt, people seek out ways to serve others in the name of Jesus. Back in the days of Jesus and the Apostles, when social services did not exist, it was the Christians who took it upon themselves to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and bury the dead. They were doing the work of the resurrected Jesus as the baptized people of God. Their souls were in God’s hands; thus, they were freed from being concerned about their futures.
If we want to experience the kind of freedom that the Christian church would authentically represent, we need to adjust our thinking a bit. There is such a need in this world to replace fear with faith. Without fear, would wars be fought? Without fear would people be more truthful? Most important of all, without fear, would we live a more full and happy life.
Word Alone, Faith Alone, and the Priesthood of All Believers. These were Martin Luther’s three basic tenets:
I hope that you had so much fun focusing on your saintly side – the real you who as forgiven by God takes joy in your life. It is a joy and a confidence that is passed on others and they gain joy from it. Tell you what, how about all of us doing the same thing next week! Let’s focus on the Saint side of our existence. Let’s try to see all the places where God continues to make us saints. Let’s focus on those places where God’s light shines into our darkness. After all, we are Saints now! And making us saints was God’s idea, not ours, Thanks be to God, AMEN.
Did you have a good week? Why do I ask? Perhaps you remember that towards the end of my sermon last Sunday, I challenged you to live this past week with your saintly side foremost in your mind by telling yourself frequently, “I’m a saint! What should a saint do in this situation?” It seems appropriate that on this Veterans Day weekend we take a close look at spiritual freedom as well as democratic freedom.
This is the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. As such, it is appropriate to commemorate and celebrate the most profound religious discoveries of that time. It was a time when a new freedom blew through the church as Martin Luther emerged as the leader of a new movement that insisted on using the Bible as a base for understanding the will of God made known in Jesus, particularly the meaning of the cross for our everyday lives.
In the early days when the Christian church was just getting started through the work of Paul and other leaders addressed the members. In reading your Bible you may have noticed Paul addressing early Christians as “Saints” which means “Holy Ones.” Now, how did they get holy? We ask that question because to us, Saints are perfect people or at least, almost so. For Paul, and early Christian understanding, Saints were simply Christians who became members of the Church by being baptized.
Martin Luther’s discoveries in the Bible brought about new freedom for the soul. The Catholic Church had for some time maintained control over people through fear-based practices that ended up binding Christians, rather than setting them free. When the human spirit is free from guilt, people seek out ways to serve others in the name of Jesus. Back in the days of Jesus and the Apostles, when social services did not exist, it was the Christians who took it upon themselves to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and bury the dead. They were doing the work of the resurrected Jesus as the baptized people of God. Their souls were in God’s hands; thus, they were freed from being concerned about their futures.
If we want to experience the kind of freedom that the Christian church would authentically represent, we need to adjust our thinking a bit. There is such a need in this world to replace fear with faith. Without fear, would wars be fought? Without fear would people be more truthful? Most important of all, without fear, would we live a more full and happy life.
Word Alone, Faith Alone, and the Priesthood of All Believers. These were Martin Luther’s three basic tenets:
- Word Alone – Our beliefs and practices need to have a strong source of authority
- Faith Alone – Faith is trusting that our God will deliver what has been promised. Freedom from fear, Salvation and the fullness of life.in this world and the next.
- Priesthood of all believers – Every Christian has a purpose in life. In opposition to the Catholic Church system, Luther pointed out the need for an ordained clergy, but saw all the other aspects of church work as belonging to the people, the laity…..
I hope that you had so much fun focusing on your saintly side – the real you who as forgiven by God takes joy in your life. It is a joy and a confidence that is passed on others and they gain joy from it. Tell you what, how about all of us doing the same thing next week! Let’s focus on the Saint side of our existence. Let’s try to see all the places where God continues to make us saints. Let’s focus on those places where God’s light shines into our darkness. After all, we are Saints now! And making us saints was God’s idea, not ours, Thanks be to God, AMEN.