Sermon Audio
May
the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your
sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN.
Today
we are at a milestone. Not the kind of
milestone like climbing Pike’s Peak or Mount Everest, finishing the Appalachian
Trail either in Georgia or Maine or even the milestone of finishing corn, milo
or soybean harvest for this year. The
milestone we cross today is our completion of the Ten Commandments. It may seem insignificant, but in our review
of the 6 Chief Parts of Luther’s Small Catechism, this is definitely a
milestone in our learning more about God’s Commands. For today we conclude the Law section of the
Small Catechism, where God is telling us what we are commanded to do.
However,
why would we have KU and K-State paraphernalia as well as the plaque that
honors our military and those who served from here at Emmanuel up front here
and what does that have to do with the Close of the Commandments? Before we make this neat connection, let’s
pull out our bulletin insert and join together and read together in unison both
of the sections “What does God say about all these commandments? And the What
does this mean” sections as a congregation.
“What does God say about all these commandments? He says: “I, the Lord Your God, am a jealous
God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth
generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of
those who love Me and keep My commandments.” What does this mean? “God threatens to punish all who break these
commandments. Therefore, we should fear
His wrath and not do anything against them.
But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these
commandments. Therefore, we should also
love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.” As the true meaning and connection of the
Close of the Commandments sets in, let us ask God in prayer to bless His
message for each and every one of us here today.
Let
us pray, Merciful Lord, You clearly call us to not only heed Your Word, but understand
that You are a jealous God and punish all of mankind for our sin, even to the
third and fourth generation. But clearly
you have shown all of mankind love, mercy and grace because of what Your Son
and our Savior, Jesus Christ has done on the Cross of Calvary. May we be reminded of Your promise of grace
and mercy and enabled to trust in You more fully for our salvation for all of
mankind, but especially for and including all of us gathered here at Emmanuel
on this Veterans Day Weekend. AMEN.
If
I were to quote the following, “I shall see this great sight, why the bush does
not burn (Ex. 3:3)” or “Rule by Obeying Nature’s Laws”, or “In Christ’s Love,
Everyone is Someone”, or “Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Scripture Alone” or “In God
We Trust” what do each of these sayings have in common? And do you know where each of them comes
from?
In
order, the first is the KU motto, ironically biblical from the Old Testament in
origin, the second, K-State motto agricultural in nature, the third is the
motto of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society which we have here in
Goodland, next is the motto of all Lutherans and the basis for our faith and
finally the last is the motto that is on every piece of currency that is
legally used in the United States. What
each of these has in common is that they are not only motto’s of schools,
societies, countries and movements, they are a mantra or battle cry or perfect
summation of the beliefs, values and ideals of each organization or group of
people, whether KU, K-State, Good Samaritan, the Lutheran church or what the
United States believes in and was founded upon.
This
morning as we reach the milestone of completing the Law from the tablets Moses
brought down the mountain as explained in the 10 Commandments further explained
by Martin Luther, we encounter not just a motto, but a perfect summation of the
entire Law of the 10 Commandments as found in the Close of the Commandments. Mottos are not just sayings but have an
intrinsic meaning that we display, whether on crests of families, schools,
state seals, dealership or seed dealer hats or even our money. In our displaying these they not only become
who we are, but are our identifiers and give us meaning and connection with
others. Such as when we see someone
wearing K-State or KU colors, Case or John Deere, Pioneer or Fontanelle. So to with the Close of the Commandments and
what they really mean.
In
the Close of the Commandments Martin Luther was trying to give a clear summation
and reminder of the history of Christianity and the church, but also the
promises of God. Clearly God, creator of
the universe has every right to punish us for disobeying Him, but notice God
also clearly and emphatically says He will show ‘love to a thousand generations
of those who love Me and keep My commandments.’
We are included in this thousand generations, we are the descendants of
Moses and the Old Testament people and have been grafted into the promises of
God through our Baptism.
Just
as we are grafted into the promises of the family of God, we are also reminded
that we should fear God, but also lay claim to the promise God makes to us of
grace and every blessing. So clearly,
God wants us to be blessed and receive the gift of grace and mercy He offers to
us in His Son, Jesus Christ. But how do
we lay claim to it and how does all of this KU and K-State paraphernalia and
the list of veterans fit into this?
Today
we not only celebrate the milestone of the Close of the Commandments, we also
celebrate Veterans Day. Not only do the
schools that we honor when we wear the paraphernalia, remember the mottos and
have our individual rivalry, but also the sacrifice of the warriors who have
laid down their lives and defended our nations freedom in order for us to come
here and worship today. The Close of the
Commandments connects today, because just as mottos are a summation or battle
cry for schools, what we close with today is to be a reminder of God’s gift of
grace and mercy given to each and every one of us today. The Close of the Commandments are to be our
battle cry, our motto, our reminder of how God intersects our lives and wants
us to rely solely upon Him in every aspect of our lives. God wants us to understand He would love it
if we kept His Commandments perfectly, but He understands our nature and says,
I have a plan for you and part of the plan includes the military who protect
our rights daily with their lives and service.
The
plan from God was instituted from the Garden of Eden, through the wilderness
where the Commandments were given, by the prophets telling of Who would be
coming and finally fulfilled in the grace and mercy found in Jesus Christ on
the Cross of Calvary. It is in, through
and by this perfect plan and Jesus innocent death for you and for me that we
receive the greatest gift of mercy and grace.
And it is through and by our trust in Him that we find the ultimate
fulfillment in our lives that is the blessing offered for each and every one of
us today by Jesus Christ.
And
our military in serving with their oath, pledge and motto’s remind them Who
they really serve. Not only do they
serve their country, they serve God Who called them into the profession of
service in the military. Let me share
with you the motto’s of our military.
The Coast Guard’s is, “Always Ready”, the Army, “This We’ll Defend”, The
Navy, “Honor, Courage, Commitment”, the Merchant Marines, “Deeds not Words”, the
Air Force, “Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do”
and the Marine Corp, “Always Faithful”.
These are the motto’s of those who serve our country. The motto that God offers us in the Close of
Commandments is also very clear, of forgiveness, grace and mercy through Jesus
Christ. This is the gift offered to us
today that we lay claim to that is offered for all of mankind, including all of
us saints gathered here at Emmanuel who honor, not only the military today, but
who honor God’s gift and sacrifice for all of us saints gathered today in Jesus
Christ, life, death and resurrection that we have been baptized into. AMEN.
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