Reformation Sermon:
Why do we still have a Lutheran
church today?
Reformation Day
commemorates the beginning of the Protestant movement back in the early 16th
century. The reformation – the
movement to reform the catholic church of that time - had an unintended
consequence. Rather simply
changing the church, it led to the formation of Protestant churches in various
European nations - Lutherans in
I think most now agree that church was in need of reform back then. Many of the church practices that that the
reformers protested have long since disappeared.
So rather than talking about the rationale for reformation of
the 16th century, the more interesting question is “Why do we
still have a Lutheran church today?”
If many of the abuses of the medieval catholic church
have been corrected, why do we still remain separated?
While one could answer those questions in many ways, today I’ll look at
just three different Lutheran emphases which, when linked together, could
explain why the universal church needs a Lutheran voice:
The focus on Christ above all;
The centrality of scripture;
The priesthood of all believers.
Together, these three address what Lutherans would see as the problem
with the institutional church. The
problem is that the church is always made up of folks like us. We have met the enemy and they are us. We remain sinners, whose spiritual vision
is imperfect. And that‘s equally
true of bishops. Bishops and councils do err - make mistakes – and even get
things headed in the wrong direction. Hence,
Lutherans have generally had a healthy distrust of church hierarchy and their
authority. While organization is
necessary to accomplish the mission of the church, we don’t have to
accept unquestioningly everything they say.
Rather, we
rely on two reformation principles as a constraint on the church hierarchy: The
centrality of scripture; and the priesthood of all believers.
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Doesn’t every church claim to teach the Bible?
Yes, and most would agree with the Lutheran statement that the Bible is
the sole norm and guide for the church – the supreme authority for faith and
life – that everything we teach
must come from holy scripture.
But as soon
as I begin to teach from the bible, I am interpreting the Bible. I can’t help adding what I think to my
explanation.
The Lutheran answer to the problem is a rule of interpretation: the
purpose of the Bible is to bring us to faith in Jesus Christ, and to show us
how to live that faith every day.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of salvation
to everyone who has faith.
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Luther went on to say that with guidance of the Holy Spirit any
believer can read the Bible for themselves, and the basic message is clear. Yes, some passages are difficult to
understand. There may be more than
one level of meaning. In spite of that,
the Spirit can use the words of scripture to speak to you – and teach
you what you need to know for your life.
This idea is summed up in the phrase “the priesthood of all
believers”. You don’t need a priest
or pastor as an intermediary between you and God. Jesus Christ is the one priest who
acts as your intermediary – you pray to God through him and he speaks to
you directly through the words of the Bible.
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In that sense, Lutheranism is a way for mature adults. You are responsible for your faith and
life. You are expected to study the Bible and think for yourself. I, as a pastor, may offer guidance
and suggestions, but you have to make up your own mind. Your individual conscience is answerable
only to God – but your conscience should be shaped and governed by His word.
One instance from Luther’s life illustrates this. He was called on the carpet by church
authorities for what he had written and asked to take it back. His reply began: “Unless I am convinced by holy scripture and plain reason that I am wrong, I will not
recant.”
His standard
was the words of the Bible and common sense.
That’s still the standard for Lutherans. When the
Finally, if you are concerned about that social issue, you’ll have to
study the Bible and pray, listen to their guidance and finally think for
yourself.
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Where Lutherans do take a firm stand – and have definitive positions – is on subjects like
faith and Christ and salvation. We focus
on the essentials – and that is what binds us together,
Luther would direct us away from periphery issues and focus our
attention back to Jesus Christ.
The central truth of the gospel is
neither an idea nor a proposition.
The truth is a person --
Jesus Christ.
We study the Bible, not to gain information, but to be drawn closer
to Christ and his way.
Because it
all depends on Christ.
Without Jesus,
God remains hidden and we drift, because our faith depends
on Christ who reveals God to us.
Without Jesus,
suffering is never redemptive and there is no exit from the grave, because
our faith depends on Christ, who frees us from sin and bestows the warmth
of the Spirit.
It all depends on Christ.
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Today’s gospel reports a confrontation Jesus had with some Jews who had
believed in Him. The “had” gives a past
tense sense to the phrase. It sounds
like these people initially found Jesus’ teaching persuasive, but now had
second thoughts. They had their
doubts.
It’s interesting to see how Christ responds to those who have
doubts about Him and His way.
“If you continue in my word, you are truly my
disciples…”
“Continue” – Whatever doubts that are now pulling you away from
believing Jesus will be satisfactorily addressed – but only if you continue
to follow. Plunge in – take the leap
of faith in spite of your doubts – and then you will come to know the
truth –and that truth will make you free.
Finally, the only way you discover for yourself the truth of Jesus
teaching is to try them out in your own life. You learn the faith by living the faith – you
learn from your own experience.
So “Follow me” is not a demand for a declaration of faith, but an
invitation to come and find out for yourself.
In the gospels only three times does Jesus say “believe in me.”
On the other hand, the word “follow” is used 87 times –
over and
over Jesus says “Follow me”.
Which means, Jesus said “continue in my word” follow
it, obey
it - and thus be His disciple.
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Today two little disciples, Beverly and Lauryn will receive Holy
Communion for the first time. Some
of you may think that they seem too young to understand everything about
communion. And that’s true. At their age they don’t completely
comprehend. When they are old enough for
confirmation instruction, we’ll spend weeks teaching them more about the
sacrament – but they still won’t fully appreciate it.
But the requirement to receive the sacrament is not what you know
but a child-like faith in Jesus. Luther
wrote: A person who has faith in these words, “given for you” and “shed for
you… for the forgiveness of sin,” is really worthy and well prepared.
How Christ can come to us personally in the Eucharist remains a
mystery. So we simply trust His
promise Whoever eats and drinks – receives
my body and blood – abides in me and I dwell in them. He promises that as we kneel at the altar
rail, he is present – and would become a part of each one of us that we might
be the body of Christ in the world.
So whether we’re young or old, we come forward simply trusting
Christ to work as he has promised.
His invitation to the Lord’s table is like His
words in today’s gospel – continue in my word and you will know the truth
- you learn by practicing the faith. So
we invite Beverly and Lauryn to receive communion not because they fully
understand, but rather because as they
participate today and on future Sundays and over the years, their appreciation
of the meaning of communion will grow and mature.
That’s how we all continue to mature in the faith – by living the faith
and putting it into practice in our daily lives. It’s not that we understand it all – or
even believe it all – but rather in spite of lingering doubts we have
decided to trust God’s word and walk in faith relying on His grace
alone.
Jesus is ever inviting us to continue to follow.
Listen God is calling, through the Word inviting...