Believe Week 7: You are a Saint!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 7: Humanity”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Happy All Saints Day!
The observation of All Saints Day in the Christian Church year is one of what is known as the “minor” festivals (major festivals being Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, etc.). The day traditionally has been one where the church remembers those they have designated saints due to their stellar faith and treasury of merits that were available to others to tap into.
The day before, October 31, Martin Luther chose to post 95 statements for debate on the sale of indulgences as a practice that was not beneficial to the souls of mankind and stood in opposition to the very grace of God. He knew that many people would be coming to the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany to give homage to the saints of the past as well as view relics of the deceased saints that Elector Frederick the Wise had collected. Many would buy indulgences to tap into the extra good works of the saints and apply them to their own merit or for a loved one that was languishing in purgatory (so the church of Luther’s day taught). So Luther knew this teaching was against the Scripture and did nothing in reality to make people right with God. He wanted to spark the debate to get people back to the Bible and truth that people are not saved by the merits of saints, but by the merit of Jesus Christ and his perfect life, death and resurrection.
His statements lit a firestorm that became the beginning of the protestant reformation. While he didn’t desire a church named after him, the Lutheran church stands in the legacy of a “Back to the Bible” movement that proclaims our eternity in heaven rests solely on the perfect life, innocent death and glorious resurrection of Jesus. As Jesus’ work is credited to our account we can rightly embrace the title of “Saint!” We ARE holy because Jesus made us holy. We don’t need the merits of other Christians and we certainly don’t have to buy our forgiveness. It was bought for us and given to us as a free gift!
So happy All Saints Day…you are one of them!
Embrace this identity. It reminds you that you are a dearly loved, redeemed, child of God. It reminds you that you are not defined by your sin, but by your Savior.
This week’s key verse is the familiar John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
God sees each human being as valuable. He loves the world and he loves you. That’s why he sent Jesus. He wanted and wants you to spend an eternity with him. That’s how valuable you are to him.
Our key truth this week in our “Believe” series is so fitting: “I believe all people are loved by God and need Jesus as their Savior.” This truth you probably wouldn’t hear many people proclaim around the time of Luther. They, like Luther in his early years, saw God as an angry judge who had to be appeased by a life of works. Salvation was merited by living as the church demanded and paying for indulgences when your life fell short.
We as Christians take this statement for granted. God does love you. We have Jesus as Savior. But for years these glorious truths were buried under the bureaucracy and false teaching of the church. People knew they were sinners, but they missed that Jesus had made them a saint.
Enjoy living this week as a SAINT of God, loved, forgiven, and given a place in heaven by grace alone, through faith alone, found in Scripture alone.
Apply: Consider – do you identify more as a “sinner” or as a “saint”? In Christ, you are a saint! What changes when you begin to embrace this as your primary identity?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the work of Martin Luther to bring back to the forefront of our faith the truth that you love the world and sent Jesus to save the world. Thank you for not just doing that for the world, but for me personally. AMEN.
Believe Week 6: The Church…A Reformation Reflection
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
I wonder what he was thinking?
Did he regret what he did or energized by it?
Isolated, did he feel alone or the presence of God?
Did he have questions as to what he started or confident it was a good work God would see through to completion?
October 31, 1521…honestly we don’t know exactly what happened on that day. But we do know more than likely Martin Luther spent it in the Wartburg Castle near Eisenach Germany. He was in disguise as “Knight George.” It wasn’t a medieval Halloween costume, it was to protect him from those that wanted to rid the earth of him.
Four years prior on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther had posted the infamous “95 Theses” which desired debate against the teaching of indulgences that his study of Scripture found contrary to the teaching of grace. Convicted by the truth of God’s Word and a strong desire to remove the false teaching from the church, Martin Luther became the focus of ire by the pope and the Catholic church.
In April of 1521 (500 years ago!), he stood before a “diet” or group of religious authorities. They listed multiple of his writings and told him to recant or face excommunication. Excommunication wasn’t just “I’m not welcome in the church anymore” but it was “we have the right to burn you at the stake as a heretic.” So it was a big deal.
After prayer and wrestling, Luther stood his ground and said at the end of the hearing:
“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.”
He left the city of Worms on April 25, under a promise of safe passage back to his home. However on May 4 as he traveled, cohorts of his friend, Elector the Wise, “captured him” and brought him to safety in the Wartburg Castle.
He could have been bitter. He did struggle at times with depression. But he used the nearly a year that he was there to translate the New Testament into the German language, a first for German-speaking people.
So what was he doing 500 years ago on October 31, 1521? I don’t know for sure, but maybe he took time to reflect on key passages that God worked with conviction in his heart to stand on the truth of God’s Word and the message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, found in Scripture alone.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
For our culture this weekend is a day to dress up and get candy or celebrate that which is death and darkness. As a Christian (even if you aren’t Lutheran), let your October 31 include a pause of reflection and prayer that we live in the shadow of grace exhibited by our heavenly Father in Christ; rediscovered and defended by his faithful servant Martin Luther; and given to us by God’s Spirit for our hope and peace today!
Apply: I encourage you to review a bit of Luther’s life. Here’s a post on the Diet of Worms which happened 500 years ago this year! https://lutheranreformation.org/history/the-diet-of-worms/
Prayer: (A hymn by Martin Luther)
1 From depths of woe I cry to Thee, In trial and tribulation;
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me, Lord, hear my supplication.
If Thou rememb’rest ev’ry sin, Who then could heaven ever win
Or stand before Thy presence?
2 Thy love and grace alone avail To blot out my transgression;
The best and holiest deeds must fail To break sin’s dread oppression.
Before Thee none can boasting stand, But all must fear Thy strict demand
And live alone by mercy.
3 Therefore my hope is in the Lord And not in mine own merit;
It rests upon His faithful Word To them of contrite spirit
That He is merciful and just; This is my comfort and my trust.
His help I wait with patience.
4 And though it tarry through the night And till the morning waken,
My heart shall never doubt His might Nor count itself forsaken.
O Israel, trust in God your Lord. Born of the Spirit and the Word,
Now wait for His appearing.
Believe Week 6: The Church…I need you…you need me!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Ever had one of those days where you thought, “Life would be easy, if it weren’t for the people”?
Or “Work would be easy if it weren’t for the people.”
Or, true confession, as a pastor there have been moments, “Church would be easy if it weren’t for the people.”
But then again without people, life would be boring, work would not get accomplished and for sure, the Church would not exist!
God designed the Church to be made up of people.
And part of the reason to belong to the Church and a local church is the people!
We need each other for many reasons but here are two key ones mentioned in Hebrews 10:23-25:
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
First: We need each other to hold on to the hope we have in Jesus.
There are many threats to our faith in the world around us. Cultural shifts away from Christ. Political policies making legal what is sinful. Social movements that seek to remove Christ and Christianity from the public sphere. Being a Christian is tough. Not only do we need the power of the Holy Spirit, but we need each other. There is encouragement just in knowing you are not alone. There is strength in knowing that others are there to remind me of God’s power and promises when doubts and uncertainties creep in my heart and mind. The Church is where hope is heard and hope is reinforced as we do church together!
Second: We need each other to move us toward love and good deeds.
The Christian life isn’t a competition. But like a sports team encourages one another to get rid of practices that hinder their performance and engage in habits that allow them to perform at their best, we as Christians need the same from each other. We need the gentle rebuke when we are engaging in behavior that moves us away from reflecting Christ. We need a partner at times to learn and work together to show the love of Christ to others. The Church is where we get to do life together, putting our Christian faith into practice and encouraging others to do the same.
Third: We need encouragement from each other as we get closer to Christ’s return.
Have you noticed that being a Christian and standing up for Christian values, beliefs, and habits is growing increasingly unpopular? Jesus warned us that as the time of his return grows closer. Remember what he said?
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:9-13).
No wonder the writer to the Hebrews said, “Don’t give up meeting together!” We need each other and to be there with other Christians to encourage one another as Satan works hard to discourage us. The Church is God’s design and gift to us to do just that.
Thank you Lord for the gift of your Church and making me, all of us, part if it as a gift of your Holy Spirit and the work of your son, Jesus Christ!
Apply: Which of the three blessings of the Church do you need most right now? Which do you feel someone at your church needs from you?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s head, You are her one foundation
In you she trusts, before you bows, and waits for your salvation.
Built on this rock secure, Your Church shall endure
Though all the worlds decay and all things pass away, Oh, hear, oh, hear us, Jesus
O Lord, let this your little flock, Your name alone confessing.
Continue in your loving care, True unity possessing
Your sacraments, O Lord, And your saving Word
To us e’er pure retain Grant that they may remain Our only strength and comfort.
(CW 536:1,2 “Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head”)
Believe Week 6: The Church…Focused or Distracted?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“Squirrel!”
Ever have someone yell this to you? It’s a little disconcerting as you’re driving along the road and a squirrel runs out in front of you. All of a sudden your focus on moving forward down the road is distracted by a little critter that sometimes has a hard time determining if it wants to cross the road or return back to the side from which it came.
Sometimes that doesn’t end well for the squirrel.
Squirrels are distractions to our focus of driving. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things, not all that serious. However, when we are talking about the Church, distraction from our focus is so important.
Satan loves to put the “squirrels” in the church to distract us from the main thing.
Consider this. Our key verse for this week is Ephesians 4:15: “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Paul was encouraging the Christians in Ephesus to stay focused…on the Word (“speak the truth in love”) and on the work of Christ (helping people grow in there connection to and relationship with Christ).
Now consider this written a number of years later by the Apostle John about the church in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
The church in Ephesus was distracted from their “first love” … their connection to the Words and work of Jesus. What was the distraction? It seems like the legalism of the law had overtaken their love for sharing and living God’s grace.
Satan loves to distract the church. It can be with an overabundance of energy spent on paint colors and flooring discussions (and sometimes heated debates). It can be with a division over worship styles and practices. It can be focusing on fixing the politics of a country or fixing the behavior of a community. All these have purpose and seem noble, but all of them can be agents of Satan to distract us from what is most important:
First: Growing in the Words of Jesus – maturing in our faith:
2 Peter 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Second: Being ready and willing to bring God’s message of grace to people.
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Every generation, every group of Christians must be on the alert for the “squirrels” that can run through the Church. Deal with the distraction quickly, but don’t let it wreck your focus on what is at the heart of the Church: God’s Word and God’s Work!
Apply: What “squirrels” are running through your church right now? How can you be part of fixing or removing the distraction so the ministry can focus more intently on bringing the Word of God to people and doing the Work of God?
Prayer:
Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word;
curb those who by deceit or sword
would wrest the kingdom from your Son
and bring to naught all he has done.
Lord Jesus Christ, your pow’r make known,
for you are Lord of lords alone;
defend your holy church, that we
may sing your praise triumphantly.
O Comforter of priceless worth,
send peace and unity on earth;
support us in our final strife,
and lead us out of death to life.
Believe Week 6: The Church Led by Christ!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” – John Maxwell
From little on we chose or become leaders. The elementary school experience would not be complete without a game of follow the leader. Most kids wanted to be the leader…in fact I recall a few instances where one kid was reluctantly following another leader and announced, “I don’t like where he’s going. Follow me.”
Suddenly the game became more complicated. Who do you follow? Or do you form a third option of leadership?
The church can become like this too. Some follow a theology. Some follow a personality. Some follow prosperity. Some follow simplicity. Some follow a diversity. The list could go on.
Each of these can show up in a church. So it gets complicated. And we feel torn. Because chances are each of these settings claims a connection with Christ.
But each of the above should also be a follower…to Christ.
Satan loves to create disunity and confusion of leadership. Unity in the church comes when we fall underneath the leadership of Christ.
Why does that make a difference? Here’s three reasons…
First, God placed all things under Christ’s feet…not yours. God appointed Christ to be head of the Church, not you.
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22)
Second, God, his Spirit, his Son, his love, his grace, his Words are what unifies the Church. When we get away from that, Satan wins and division occurs.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Third, unity is an answer to Jesus prayer…true unity. Jesus prayer is for us to experience such a close unity under his leadership that we experience the same closeness and connection he and his Father experienced, unified in message, ministry, and mission.
John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Whenever we see division in the church, we must seek it source. Honestly the truth of God and his Word will divide people out of love for the Word of God, the souls that could be led astray by false teaching, and a love for your own soul. In these cases, we separate from those that would harm our or another’s soul. But in many cases, division is simply Satan getting into our hearts and minds and getting us to follow someone or something other than Jesus…which might be at times ourselves.
Games of follow the leader can be fun, even when you are challenged to follow, especially when you follow a leader who is leading you through the challenges of life to your eternal home in heaven.
Unity is found under the leadership of Christ.
Application & Prayer: Reflect on and pray through this hymn:
- The church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.
- Elect from every nation, Yet one over all the earth;
Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
- Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
- The church shall never perish, Her dear Lord to defend
To guide, sustain and cherish, Is with her to the end
Though there be those that hate her, And false sons in her pale
Against a foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail
- Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore;
‘Til, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious Shall be the church at rest.