What is a Lutheran

Title:  What is a Lutheran By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text:  Romans 1:16-17  16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, just this last week I was asked to come up with a class for our school teachers on “What is a Lutheran?”  As I began to work on that it seemed that it would be a good topic for this Sunday – for Reformation.  So I ask: “What is a Lutheran?”  Of course, this question is very vast.  We can’t cover it all. For example in the Seminary there were three volumes that tried to answer this question and that only scratched the surface.  But we can get an overview.  And when we consider this question the first thing we have to clear up is that a Lutheran has nothing to do with Martin Luther King Jr.  That’s usually the first thing someone unfamiliar with Lutheranism thinks.  Although we may respect MLK’s contribution to American history, he has nothing to do with Lutheranism other than, most likely, his mom and dad named him after the founder of Lutheranism.  The founder of Lutheranism is a 16th century Roman Catholic monk—professor Martin Luther in Germany.  (But even this is a misnomer because Jesus Christ is really the founder of Lutheranism.)  But back then Luther was struck by practices in the church that were contrary to the Scriptures.  He sought to return the Church to the authority of the Scriptures.  His protests ended up with this famous scene:

I.  In the process of Luther’s working the reform, certain teachings drawn from the Scriptures became very prominent.  Foundationally to all Luther brought out from the Scriptures, is the fact that God is a Hidden God.  Yes, Luther did have a unique perspective on the nature of God.  That perspective begins by clearly stating that God is Holy – totally untainted by sin, evil or anything like that.  And since we are sinful and even the best of us are corrupted by sin, if our holy God would come into contact with a sin corrupted man or woman that man or woman would be destroyed.  God doesn’t want that to happen. So God hides to protect us.  God didn’t just hide away and withdraw from us.  He determined safe ways to reveal Himself to us.  These safe ways all follow a pattern. That pattern is that God connects Himself to some material means and works through those means to give of Himself to us—and what He gives is special and exactly what we need most.

A. The first way God reveals Himself and gives out His gifts is through the Bible.  The Bible is a unique book because it is God and man coming together to give a safe revelation of God to man.  God moved the men to record what He wanted revealed.  It was done is such a way that there were no errors in the record, but the flavor of the men came through.  So the Scriptures are God and man combined to give what God desired to give man.  And because God is behind the Scriptures they have God’s authority.  In Luther’s day this became known as “Scripture alone.”  And it became part of the slogan of the Reformation.   In other words Scripture was the ultimate authority in determining teaching about God.

1. And because the Scriptures have God behind them they are handled in a special way.  In other words we have reading rules.  It is not subject to our whims and fancies.

a. If the literal sense of a passage makes good sense, seek no other sense or you will have nonsense.  b.  The more difficult sections are interpreted in light of the clearer sections of Scripture.  So Scripture interprets Scripture. c. Context is important.

2. And we must realize that the text we have is accurate.

a. It is not corrupted.  Any major teaching has full support of an accurate text. b. Translations may vary in quality but that’s not the problem of the original text.

3. Also Luther determined that Scripture contains two basic teachings which have different purposes.  These teachings are Law and Gospel.  To correctly understand Scriptures you have to distinguish between Law and Gospel.

a. The Law is designed to show us our sin and thereby bring us to realize that we need help that only God can supply.  b. The Gospel points to our Savior, who is the help we need from God.

B. The second way that God reveals Himself is through His only Son, Jesus Christ.  Again we see the pattern, God + a material human body =Jesus.  He was fully God and fully man.  This we can’t understand fully.  But here is God walking among us in a safe way.  His miracles show us He was from God.  And God even testified about who Jesus was.

1. He certainly showed us He was from God by what he did.

a. He lived a perfect life.  He never once sinned.  Never once disobeyed God as we do.  Only Jesus could and did do this.  And He did it for us. b. Then He was taken to the cross by evil men like us.  There He was crucified.  There he paid for our sin. There God punished Him in our place.  He paid the penalty of hell – the penalty we deserve.  He was and is the help we need.  He was the infinite sacrifice for an almost infinite amount of sin.  He died. c. On the third day He rose from the dead.  This shows us that God accepted His sacrifice in our place.

2. This became the “Grace alone” piece of the slogan of the Reformation.  You can look at it like this: G od’s R iches A t C hrist’s E xpense C. Now God gives out what Jesus has done in the same pattern that He has worked in the Scripture and in Jesus.  He gives out what Jesus has done through what we call the means of grace.  These are the Word and the Sacraments. In these means the Spirit works as He has promised.

1. The sacraments are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.   This is God’s word and promise attached to some material means.  Again we have the pattern for God to come to us safely.

a. Baptism is the Word and water and it conveys what Jesus has done.  We are given faith.  Faith that saves.  Faith that looks to Jesus alone for salvation.  b. The Lord’s Supper is the word, connected to the bread and wine and it carries Jesus’s body and blood to us.  We are really given Jesus in this supper.  We are strengthened and more…

2. Through the Word and Sacraments we are brought to another piece of the slogan of the Reformation: “Faith alone” because faith is given out in these means.   We are saved only by faith that looks to Jesus.  Nothing can be added to faith.  Anything added would take away from Jesus.

II. Through the means of Grace we are made part of God’s family the Church.  The Church is nothing other than a container for God’s gifts.  And again we see God’s pattern of working.  But now we are the material means. Jesus says: I am the Light.”  That light is contained in His church.  The Church is a lit up structure of people reaching into the world – it’s lit up by Jesus and its purpose is to give out God’s gifts.

A. Now we who have been given faith are made the “Body of Christ.”

1. And now we who are gathered together become the Church. And Jesus is in us.

a. And the purpose of those who contain Jesus is to carry God’s gifts to the world in a safe way.  b. We all have individual purposes as body parts have individual purposes.  Our task may be small or large.  Either way Jesus is shown through us to the world.

2. And to be about our purposes we must be connected to the source of our “light,” Jesus.

a. Our Worship and Bible study is designed to fill people with Jesus – to empower us to carry Jesus to others. b. In other words the light of Jesus is encouraged to shine out of us to others.

B. And we are to be constantly on guard that nothing dims the light of Jesus.  But sadly things do tend to dim the light of Jesus in us. Accordingly I have to make a note about other denominations – other than Lutheran. And there is even problems with some Lutheran groups too.

1. Other denominations tend to dim the light of Jesus in us.

a. They do this by denying or twisting or confusing some of the teachings of the Bible.  b. So It really does make a difference to which denomination you belong.  This may not be an immediate threat to your faith but it can be, especially over time.

2. Luther began the Reformation in the first place because it makes a difference what denomination to which we belong.  That’s why it is important to continue the Lutheran Church.  That’s why it’s important for us to continue as Lutherans.

CONCLUSION:  What is a Lutheran?  Again it is far more complicated than can be addressed in one sermon.  But we can summarize and say a Lutheran is a Christian who has been brought to realize that God works in this pattern – the pattern of God of coming to man in a safe way through material means.  A Lutheran is a Christian who knows that Scripture alone is our authority on teaching.  A Lutheran is a Christian who knows we are saved by Grace alone, which means through the work of Jesus given freely to us through Word and Sacrament.  And a Lutheran is a Christian who knows that our Faith alone, given by God and  apart from works, appropriates what Jesus gives out freely.  And a Lutheran is a Christian who knows that they are part of that pattern – we have received God’s gifts.  And now we are the material means God uses to carry his gifts to the world.  So really the answer to the question: “What is a Lutheran?” is really “You.”  Amen.

Jesus Binds us Together

Title:  Jesus Binds us Together By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text:  Mark 10:6-9 (ESV) 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

INTRODUCTION My dear friends in Christ, A young couple decided to wed. As the big day approached, they grew apprehensive. Each had a problem they had never before shared with anyone, not even each other. The groom-to-be, overcoming his fear, decided to ask his father for advice. “Dad,” he said, “I am deeply concerned about the success of my marriage. I love my fiancée very much, but you see, I have very smelly feet, and I’m afraid that my future wife will be put off by them.”   “No problem,” said his dad. “All you have to do is wash your feet as often as possible and always wear socks, even to bed.” Well, to him this seemed a workable solution. The bride-to-be, overcoming her fear, decided to take her problem up with her mom. “Mom,” she said, “When I wake up in the morning my breath is truly awful.” “Honey,” her mother consoled, “everyone has bad breath in the morning.” “No, you don’t understand. My morning breath is so bad, I’m afraid that my new husband will not want to sleep in the same room with me.”  Her mother said simply, “Try this. In the morning, get straight out of bed and head for the bathroom and brush your teeth. The key is not to say a word until you’ve brushed your teeth. Not a word,” her mother affirmed. Well, she thought it was certainly worth a try. The loving couple was finally married in a beautiful ceremony. Not forgetting the advice each had received, he with his perpetual socks and she with her morning silence, they managed quite well. That is, until about six months later. Shortly before dawn, the husband woke with a start to find that one of his socks had come off. Fearful of the consequences, he frantically searched the bed. This, of course, woke his bride, who without thinking, immediately asked, “What on earth are you doing?”  “Oh, no!” he gasped in shock, “You’ve swallowed my sock!” (1) Terrible joke, I know. But would anybody argue with me that we take marriage far too lightly in our society? It is a serious matter.

I. But to understand the seriousness of marriage we must look at God’s intention in establishing marriage.

A. To understand God’s intention we must go back to creation.

1. Adam was made a complete, self-contained individual.  Adam was made from the earth (Adam means earth or earth man). 2. And Adam was made to be in relationship.

a. He was the image of God, and even God exists in a trinity of Persons in relationship with each other. God is never alone even in Himself. b. And so it was not good that Adam was alone.

B. And so God put Adam to sleep and took something away from him to give him more.

1. The word that is used here may mean a human rib bone, but, more often it refers simply to “a side of something.” But it may be better not to think of God removing a single rib from Adam, but you might say He divided His “female side” out.

a. So guys, there’s no point getting in touch with your “female side.” You don’t have one. Your female side is your wife. b. So God built a woman. She isn’t made from the earth like Adam, but from his side.

2. Adam awoke and instantly recognized his own reflection in her. “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

a. She was like him but not interchangeable with him. And in union with her, he receives what was taken and more. This is the mystery of our being male and female, and why we are so fascinated by each other. b. “One flesh” means something whole worked by the creative Word of God that cannot be undone by a piece of paperwork. This is what elevates human sexuality above the animal. The birds do it, the bees do it, all our fellow creatures do it, but when we, who are made in the image of God, do it, something greater and more significant takes place. “They are no longer two but one flesh.” c. Maybe you can see it like this: Perhaps you saw the original "Rocky" film…. Do you remember the love relationship Rocky had with Adrian in "Rocky?" She was the little wallflower who worked in the pet shop, the sister of Pauly, an insensitive goon who worked at the meat house. Pauly couldn't understand why Rocky was attracted to Adrian. "I don't see it," he said. "What's the attraction?" Do you remember Rocky's answer? Rocky said, "I don't know, fills gaps I guess." "What's gaps?" asks Pauly. "She's got gaps," says Rocky, "I got gaps. Together we fill gaps." In his simple but profound way, Rocky hit upon a great truth. He was saying that he and Adrian each had empty places in their lives. But when the two of them got together, they filled those blank spots in one another. Rocky saw a bit of what Adam saw.  It would pay for each of us to see this too. d. And note that none of this is connected in any way to same sex anything. That is never a part of God’s intention.  It’s part of our next section.

II. It’s too bad that we wreck what God intended—that’s what our text is about.

A. It was Sin that changed all that God had intended.

1. It brought shame, and self-centeredness. Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves with their own fig leaves. They hid from God. They blamed each other.

a. The union between man and woman became a competition to see who would rule. Their “one flesh” union became a struggle leading to divorce and adultery. b. We bear witness to that in the brokenness of our own lives – in our multiple “one flesh” unions, our divorces, our adulteries, our same sex union, and all the ways we attempt to justify ourselves in these wrong ideas and deeds.

2. Now you see how Jesus can make the blanket statement that to divorce and marry again inevitably results in adultery, because the “one flesh” union has been adulterated, and no amount of legal fiction will make it right.

a. Divorce can never be "justified." Just like no other sin can be “justified.”  b. On the contrary, divorce’s very existence stands as an indictment of the human condition. Divorce reflects the pervasive reality of sin. Divorce reflects our "hardness of heart."  "Hardness of heart" results in a life where divorce becomes common.

B. Already by asking the "Is it lawful?" question, the Pharisees reveal their hardened hearts. Hard hearts want to show God how right they are.

1. This text is about exposing the hardness of hearts. This text is seeking to expose every one of us -- Pharisees, disciples, and even you and me. It’s a hardness that not only has put us at odds with one another but also with God!

a. And in case you are sitting there smugly with your happy marriage and thinking, “I thank God I’m not like one of those he’s talking about,” well, remember what Jesus said about that stray look and that adulterous thought. You’ve already committed adultery too. b. All of us have hard hearts too.  So for us there are no loopholes, no arguments or self-justifications.

2. And think about how far Sin has corrupted the good that God has given.

a. Think about how Sin has dulled that joy that Adam spoke of when he first laid eyes on Eve and said, “Finally – bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” b. Think about how Sin takes the joy of the wedding day and turns it into a drudgery and weariness so that religious people can come up to Jesus looking for a reason to divorce their wives.

III. But fortunately God fixes what we have broken in a unique way.

A.  God joined together your sins--all of them--with Jesus. It was why He came.

1. Jesus was condemned in your place. He stood before Pilate as the One, and the only One, who had to die.

a. And as Jesus was thrust onto a cross, God put every sin-- your sins of thought, and word, and deed--all your sins God joined to Jesus. He was so covered with sin that St. Paul says of Him, “He became sin for us.” b. And then He died. And your sins were buried with Christ in His tomb. And when Jesus rose on the third day, He left your sins behind. They can haunt you no more. The deed is done. c. In baptism your sinful flesh dies with Christ, but you, rise with Christ free and forgiven. God has brought us to the Second Adam and joins us to Him in our baptisms.  He has made us one with Him.  “What God has joined together, let man not separate.”

2. Remember your sins are joined to Jesus...and He left them in His tomb.  And you cannot have them anymore.

a. You cannot continue to live in them.  And so put them away from your heart and life. b. Do not separate your sins from Jesus. He took them from you because He loves you. He took them and you are forgiven.

B. Now for us marriage takes on this flavor too.

1. God is the One who joins husbands and wives together. But instead of just two joined, He also joins us with Jesus in our marriages.  Like this: In 1986 they discovered a boat from the first century in the mud along the shore of the Sea of Galilee during a drought. Immediately word spread of this fantastic discovery...the first 2000 year old boat every found in the Sea of Galilee. Newspapers dubbed it “the Jesus boat,” but it is not known for sure whether or not Jesus may have used it. Still, it did ply the waters of the Galilee during Jesus’ day. The problem was how to get the boat out of the mud and into a museum without having it fall apart at the seams. The wood was terribly brittle and had to be kept in water to keep from cracking. Somebody got the idea of filling it with polyurethane foam which was sprayed into the boat and around the boat, so it looked like an overgrown, melted marshmallow. Thus filled, the boat rose and floated at lake level. For the first time in two millennia, the boat “sailed” again to the cheers of an on-looking crowd.  There is symbolism here.  We are that brittle boat and Jesus is the polyurethane foam. 2.  I know that as Adam was incomplete without Eve, so we are incomplete without Jesus. Our marriages are even held together by Him.  We can look to Him for forgiveness for past sins and look to Him to hold us together when our sin tends to drive us apart.

CONCLUSION: We are not alone abandoned in our sin, lost in our hardness of heart.  We are not left to our crumbling relationships.  But Jesus has come. He has taken our sin and gives us forgiveness.  In Baptism we are made one with Him.  Being one with Jesus changes our perspective on life – it changes our perspective on marriage.  He is what holds us together by the power of His love and forgiveness.