Sermon - 2012-03-06
2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. 4For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
5But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. 6This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; 7so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. 10Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
17For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.
Matthew 18
15“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Sin has been present within the world. However God gave the world a gift, the Law. While the law was given to separate the people from the other nations within the world. The Law would not destroy human sin. A law given to a people is something that does not redeem or makes them free, but actually will continually remind the people of how they are not worthy of the very gifts that God has given to them. The people became so focused upon the Law, they would often use this as a means of evaluating how close they were to God within their sacrifices or gifts to God. They would often use this as a scale or ruler to determine precisely how close they were to God. However, this is not how God operates. This is precisely the way in which God does not operate. Matthew 18 is a great model for what you should do when someone is struggling with their sin. For they are struggling with the Law and the Gospel, and need help in sorting through the confusion in which they are. For those of you who are not familiar with this text, I would encourage you to become more familiar, and dive into the words and meaning even more. For it is from these words of Jesus Christ, that we are given our authority and what Christians holds as The Office of the Keys. Luther’s Small Catechism gives a great understanding of the power and authority that Christ bestows upon the church.
With the Office of the Keys, we are reminded of the great power that God has given to us, but also the great responsibility that we have. Think about it, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” If something is bound to you on Earth, it shall remain even within heaven, but if you are separated from something on earth, you shall be separated from it in heaven. This has scared people in truly wondering, do I still have that sin? Did I actually forgive or actually receive forgiveness? Many have struggled with this, Luther was one who struggled with this often. He fell into the work of the Devil to deceive and to doubt the work that Christ did for him. Luther would place himself in a room to confess and pray for hours on end. When he would go to confession, he would confess all his sins, everything even the small things that he thought may have happened. Then right after getting done with confession, he would return and confess that there was more. He was not sure he had confessed enough to be forgiven by God for all that he had done.
So read closely, it truly matters about the heart. When you forgive someone you are released from that sin. When you are forgiven, you are released for that sin. As we go through confession and forgiveness within the church, you are able to bring forth the sins that are weighed upon your heart, your mind, and your soul. You are able to come before God to receive that forgiveness. It is one of the main reasons that when I profess the forgiveness, I use the words that “God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven“ Though you had those sins of yours bound to you, God still loved you and gave his only son for you. Through that love, God gives you the glory that was bestowed upon Jesus, resurrection from the dead and to be in the presence of God. As I say the name of Jesus Christ, I make the sign of the cross to remind each and every one of you that it is there on the cross that your sins are forgiven. It is there on the cross that they are placed. For no longer are they sins of yours, but now they are cleansed through the blood of Christ on the Christ.
However, there is more. I then say, “Almighty God, strengthens you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.” You are still alive, you still have life to live and share with others around you. So I ask that the Holy Spirit may enter into your life, lead you, and guide you in your Christian journey to help others around you. Yet there are times when our Christian journey is rocky and other times our journey is smooth. There are times when we receive the forgiveness only to turn around and sin once again. Then we return, we return back to God and the work that Christ has done for us on the cross. We come back to the church to hear that message, and actually receive the body and blood that has done the work for us.
The church is a place in which the people of God are able to worship and give thanks and praise to God for all that God has given to them. It is a place in which the people are able to come and pray to God and know that here is a place set apart from the other places that they would go. The church is a place in which people come and hear the word of God spoken to them. So they are reminded of their very purpose and calling within the world. To be fueled up, so they may go out into the world, for sharing the good news with others. Here in this broken world, we sometimes cling and bind ourselves to something that we think will fill us, and that will help us within life’s struggles. We find that it is here within the church that we find the well spring of water that will fulfill our thirst. It here that we will find the way in which we were created to walk. It is here that we will find the water that will quench our thirst and it is here, that we will find the truth that will set us free.
Now some people will continue to wonder and continue to doubt. There are some among us, that continue to wonder how it is God is working within the events of our lives. We feel that God is coming into our lives and destroying all that we know. That the ways we have been doing things are no longer part of the church. However, we can still rest assured that God will still hear our prayers. God will still provide for our needs. God will still be present within our lives. Not because of something that we have done, but because Jesus Christ has suffered and died for us. The cleansing has been done, but the work within the world has not. God is still working on many of us. After God has done some small thing, we begin to realize and feel like our life makes sense. We think that we may understand what we are called to do. Then God comes once again, turns our lives upside down, and we are reminded of who God truly is. That we are truly God’s people resting in the promise that God will provide for us, care for us, and never leave us. That is what faith and the church is all about. Walking with one another through the toils of this world, reminding one another that God is still working on us, and calling us to new things. It is through the Office of the Keys and the work of Jesus Christ that we are part of the kingdom of God, and can do the work that God intends for us to do.
5But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. 6This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; 7so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. 10Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
17For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.
Matthew 18
15“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Sin has been present within the world. However God gave the world a gift, the Law. While the law was given to separate the people from the other nations within the world. The Law would not destroy human sin. A law given to a people is something that does not redeem or makes them free, but actually will continually remind the people of how they are not worthy of the very gifts that God has given to them. The people became so focused upon the Law, they would often use this as a means of evaluating how close they were to God within their sacrifices or gifts to God. They would often use this as a scale or ruler to determine precisely how close they were to God. However, this is not how God operates. This is precisely the way in which God does not operate. Matthew 18 is a great model for what you should do when someone is struggling with their sin. For they are struggling with the Law and the Gospel, and need help in sorting through the confusion in which they are. For those of you who are not familiar with this text, I would encourage you to become more familiar, and dive into the words and meaning even more. For it is from these words of Jesus Christ, that we are given our authority and what Christians holds as The Office of the Keys. Luther’s Small Catechism gives a great understanding of the power and authority that Christ bestows upon the church.
With the Office of the Keys, we are reminded of the great power that God has given to us, but also the great responsibility that we have. Think about it, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” If something is bound to you on Earth, it shall remain even within heaven, but if you are separated from something on earth, you shall be separated from it in heaven. This has scared people in truly wondering, do I still have that sin? Did I actually forgive or actually receive forgiveness? Many have struggled with this, Luther was one who struggled with this often. He fell into the work of the Devil to deceive and to doubt the work that Christ did for him. Luther would place himself in a room to confess and pray for hours on end. When he would go to confession, he would confess all his sins, everything even the small things that he thought may have happened. Then right after getting done with confession, he would return and confess that there was more. He was not sure he had confessed enough to be forgiven by God for all that he had done.
So read closely, it truly matters about the heart. When you forgive someone you are released from that sin. When you are forgiven, you are released for that sin. As we go through confession and forgiveness within the church, you are able to bring forth the sins that are weighed upon your heart, your mind, and your soul. You are able to come before God to receive that forgiveness. It is one of the main reasons that when I profess the forgiveness, I use the words that “God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven“ Though you had those sins of yours bound to you, God still loved you and gave his only son for you. Through that love, God gives you the glory that was bestowed upon Jesus, resurrection from the dead and to be in the presence of God. As I say the name of Jesus Christ, I make the sign of the cross to remind each and every one of you that it is there on the cross that your sins are forgiven. It is there on the cross that they are placed. For no longer are they sins of yours, but now they are cleansed through the blood of Christ on the Christ.
However, there is more. I then say, “Almighty God, strengthens you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.” You are still alive, you still have life to live and share with others around you. So I ask that the Holy Spirit may enter into your life, lead you, and guide you in your Christian journey to help others around you. Yet there are times when our Christian journey is rocky and other times our journey is smooth. There are times when we receive the forgiveness only to turn around and sin once again. Then we return, we return back to God and the work that Christ has done for us on the cross. We come back to the church to hear that message, and actually receive the body and blood that has done the work for us.
The church is a place in which the people of God are able to worship and give thanks and praise to God for all that God has given to them. It is a place in which the people are able to come and pray to God and know that here is a place set apart from the other places that they would go. The church is a place in which people come and hear the word of God spoken to them. So they are reminded of their very purpose and calling within the world. To be fueled up, so they may go out into the world, for sharing the good news with others. Here in this broken world, we sometimes cling and bind ourselves to something that we think will fill us, and that will help us within life’s struggles. We find that it is here within the church that we find the well spring of water that will fulfill our thirst. It here that we will find the way in which we were created to walk. It is here that we will find the water that will quench our thirst and it is here, that we will find the truth that will set us free.
Now some people will continue to wonder and continue to doubt. There are some among us, that continue to wonder how it is God is working within the events of our lives. We feel that God is coming into our lives and destroying all that we know. That the ways we have been doing things are no longer part of the church. However, we can still rest assured that God will still hear our prayers. God will still provide for our needs. God will still be present within our lives. Not because of something that we have done, but because Jesus Christ has suffered and died for us. The cleansing has been done, but the work within the world has not. God is still working on many of us. After God has done some small thing, we begin to realize and feel like our life makes sense. We think that we may understand what we are called to do. Then God comes once again, turns our lives upside down, and we are reminded of who God truly is. That we are truly God’s people resting in the promise that God will provide for us, care for us, and never leave us. That is what faith and the church is all about. Walking with one another through the toils of this world, reminding one another that God is still working on us, and calling us to new things. It is through the Office of the Keys and the work of Jesus Christ that we are part of the kingdom of God, and can do the work that God intends for us to do.
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