sermon for reformation sunday 2013

7/27/2019 Sermon for Reformation Sunday 2013

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Revelation14:6-7

EnglishStandardVersion(ESV)

TheMessagesoftheThreeAngels

6ThenIsawanotherangelflyingdirectlyoverhead,

withaneternalgospeltoproclaimtothosewhodwell

onearth,toeverynationandtribeandlanguageand

people.7Andhesaidwithaloudvoice,FearGodand

givehimglory,becausethehourofhisjudgmenthas

come,andworshiphimwhomadeheavenandearth,

theseaandthespringsofwater.

Romans3:19-28


19Nowweknowthatwhateverthelawsaysitspeaks

tothosewhoareunderthelaw,sothateverymouth

maybestopped,andthewholeworldmaybeheldaccountabletoGod.20Forbyworksofthelawno

humanbeing[a]willbejustifiedinhissight,since

throughthelawcomesknowledgeofsin.

TheRighteousnessofGodThroughFaith

21ButnowtherighteousnessofGodhasbeen

manifestedapartfromthelaw,althoughtheLawandtheProphetsbearwitnesstoit22therighteousness

ofGodthroughfaithinJesusChristforallwhobelieve.

Forthereisnodistinction:23forallhavesinnedand

fallshortofthegloryofGod,24andarejustifiedbyhis


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graceasagift,throughtheredemptionthatisinChrist

Jesus,25whomGodputforwardasapropitiationbyhis

blood,tobereceivedbyfaith.ThiswastoshowGod's

righteousness,becauseinhisdivineforbearancehehadpassedoverformersins.26Itwastoshowhis

righteousnessatthepresenttime,sothathemightbe

justandthejustifieroftheonewhohasfaithinJesus.

27Thenwhatbecomesofourboasting?Itisexcluded.

Bywhatkindoflaw?Byalawofworks?No,butbythe

lawoffaith.28Forweholdthatoneisjustifiedbyfaith

apartfromworksofthelaw.

John8:31-36


TheTruthWillSetYouFree

31SoJesussaidtotheJewswhohadbelievedhim,If

youabideinmyword,youaretrulymydisciples,

32andyouwillknowthetruth,andthetruthwillset

youfree.33Theyansweredhim,Weareoffspringof

Abrahamandhaveneverbeenenslavedtoanyone.Howisitthatyousay,Youwillbecomefree?

34Jesusansweredthem,Truly,truly,Isaytoyou,everyonewhopracticessinisaslave[a]tosin.35The

slavedoesnotremaininthehouseforever;theson

remainsforever.36SoiftheSonsetsyoufree,youwill

befreeindeed.


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Witness,Warrior,andWinner:

TransformedbyGodsAmazingGrace

To say the church isnt always in status of reformation

would be to completely ignore the work and person ofthe Holy Spirit. Call it a moment of absolutely irony, amoment of dejavu we heard of the reemergence of contraryliving and extravengence in the Catholic church yet this week.When the church goes array God is swift to bring her back intoline. Perhaps not as strong as dear Martin Luther it certainlyreminds us of the importance of keeping our eyes open lest webecome complacent.

Pope Francis temporarily relieved a spendthrift German bishopof his post Wednesday, taking an extraordinary step against aCatholic official whose penchant for luxury living appeared toclash with the new popes efforts to foster a more humble church.

Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst had dominated tabloidheadlines for weeks in Germany as details emerged of amultimillion-dollar renovation of his official church residence in

the western town of Limburg. Analysts said the popes rarepersonal intercession in the matter,just months into his papacy,sent a strong signal that he intends to back up his rhetoric aboutshifting the churchs focus to the worlds poor with tough actions.

Consider the church of Martin Luthers day. What was the realissue the troubled Martin? If we were to step into his shoes for amoment what we would we see and hear would our stomachschurn and our hearts quiver at the gross infractions living and

breathing in Christs church?

What would ever lead a hot tempered monk who struggledagainst his own demons to stand before the church and state, Icannot and will not recant anything, for to go againstconscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can


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do no other, so help me God. Amen. He had every chanceto recant, to say he was wrong, to convience the church that whatit was doing by selling itself for a price was inline with the HolyWord of God. He couldnt. It wasnt Martin alone who stood

before the church but a man captivated by the very Word of Godand compelled by the Holy Spirit to point out the grave sins ofthe church and point her back to the very Savior who died androse for very soul. Salvation comes not from our own means, ourfeeble efforts to scratch and claw our way back into the goodgraces by obeying every stitch of the law. Martin discovered thatbeing good enough was never enough. That paying indulgencesfor those who had died in order to earn their salvation wascontrary to the absolute grace penned by the very movement of

Gods holy Spirit. What Martin discovered and let loose on thechurch brought her back to life and out of the depths of sinful selfserving surviving by its own merits and addictions to lures of thisworld. Beloved know that the church continues tostruggle against this. The reformation cannot be aonce and its done experience. We are a church that

believes on the very Word that states the Spirit isactively recreating, reigniting, and pouring out itspassion on the church for just as Gods grace and

favor is new every morning and His faithfulness is great His church cannot become complacent, stuck, nor buyinto the idea that the reforming nature of the churchended nearly 500 years ago.

1.Witnessa.Nowweknowthatwhateverthelawsaysit

speakstothosewhoareunderthelaw,sothat

everymouthmaybestopped,andthewholeworldmaybeheldaccountabletoGod.20For

byworksofthelawnohumanbeing[a]willbe

justifiedinhissight,sincethroughthelaw

comesknowledgeofsin.


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b.LikeSt.PaulbeforehimMartinLuthercamefacetofacewiththeboldandabsolutetruthof

GodstangiblegracerevealedinRomans.

Writingthenhiscommentaryheofferedthesepowerfulwordsofdiscoveryawitnesswhich

canstilligniteustoday!i. Faith is a work of God in us, which

changes us and brings us to birth anewfrom God (cf. John 1). It kills the old

Adam, makes us completely differentpeople in heart, mind, senses, and all ourpowers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it.

What a living, creative, active powerfulthing is faith! It is impossible that faithever stop doing good. Faith doesn't ask

whether good works are to be done, but,before it is asked, it has done them. It isalways active. Whoever doesn't do such

works is without faith; he gropes andsearches about him for faith and good

works but doesn't know what faith or

good works are. Even so, he chatters onwith a great many words about faith andgood works.

Faith is a living, unshakeable confidencein God's grace; it is so certain, thatsomeone would die a thousand times forit. This kind of trust in and knowledge ofGod's grace makes a person joyful,

confident, and happy with regard to Godand all creatures. This is what the HolySpirit does by faith. Through faith, aperson will do good to everyone withoutcoercion, willingly and happily; he willserve everyone, suffer everything for the


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love and praise of God, who has shownhim such grace. It is as impossible toseparate works from faith as burning andshining from fire. Therefore be on guard

against your own false ideas and againstthe chatterers who think they are cleverenough to make judgements about faithand good works but who are in reality the

biggest fools. Ask God to work faith inyou; otherwise you will remain eternallywithout faith, no matter what you try todo or fabricate.

2.Warriora.Ifyouabideinmyword,youaretrulymydisciples,32andyouwillknowthetruth,and

thetruthwillsetyoufree.33Theyanswered

him,WeareoffspringofAbrahamandhave

neverbeenenslavedtoanyone.Howisitthat

yousay,Youwillbecomefree?

b.34Jesusansweredthem,Truly,truly,Isaytoyou,everyonewhopracticessinisaslave[a]tosin.35Theslavedoesnotremaininthe

houseforever;thesonremainsforever.36SoiftheSonsetsyoufree,youwillbefreeindeed.

c.What liberates us from our captivity to sin, death andthe devil is the very grace and sacrificial death ofJesus on the cross. The Son set us free and we arefree indeed can I get an Amen?

d.The warrior who goes into battle must have a cause tofight for. Consider those battling against Nazioppression in World War II. The fought to bring whatto those held captive in the concentration camps?FREEDOM!

e.Do you beloved what to be a slave to sin? Abide in HisWord, know that the truth of God revealed in the


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Word will give you absolute and unconditionalfreedom.

3.Winner!a.Its not whether you win or loose but how you play the

game?b.When considering our very souls it does matter whowins. Who has the ultimate victory of sin, death, andthe devil?

c.WE must be a church that is concerned about winningsouls for Jesus Christ. This cannot be just a Baptistbattle cry but a cry echoed by the whole Christianchurch.

d.Forthereisnodistinction:23forallhavesinnedandfallshortofthegloryofGod,24andarejustifiedbyhisgraceasagift,

throughtheredemptionthatisinChristJesus,

25whomGodputforwardasapropitiationby

hisblood,tobereceivedbyfaith.

e.ThereisNOdistinction.ALLandIdomeanallhavesinnedandfallenshortofthegloryof

God(LAW)yetwearealljustifiedbyHISgraceasagiftthroughtheredemptionthatisinChristJesustobereceivedbyfaith.

We all face the same devil the same sinfulnature whatever that sin may be. All havesinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

We face the same Savior who embraces us inour sinful nature, exchanges happily ournature and bears that very nature on the crossdying in our place to grant us life andsalvation.


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When the accuser comes pounding on thedoor of your heart hear these words of MartinLuther today:

So when the devil throws your sins in yourface and declares that you deserve death andhell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve deathand hell, what of it? For I know One whosuffered and made satisfaction on my behalf.His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and

where He is there I shall be also!

sermon for reformation sunday 2013

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