(test) Cantate sermon from 2024

 

Purpose Of Preaching
Luke 24:36-49
Cantate – Easter V – 04.28.’24
(Easter Tuesday Propers)

      Luke 24:36-49 As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me, and see. For a spiritdoes not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate before them.

      Then He said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,  and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day  rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed  in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 Have you ever wondered, “What is the purpose of preaching?” Or maybe…“Why do pastors preach sermons?” Indeed, that is a good question. Maybe we should answer it.

 In fact, even if you have no such question, I know there are a bunch of reasons people think pastors preach sermons – but many are in error.

“Really?” you are thinking.

Here are a few that are either – at the worst, completely in error – or are at least, incomplete reasons for why sermons are preached. They may begin to get at the purpose but do complete the process.

 Some erroneously believe that the sole purpose of the sermon is to make you feel good about yourselves – as if your pastor is some sort of group therapist.

 Some erroneously believe that the purpose of sermons is to pump you up, get you stoked for the week ahead – the pastor becomes kind of like a holy pep rally speaker.

 Some believe that the purpose of the sermon is to tell you what to do so you can live a good Christian life. This arises from the belief that the good Christian life is what you do and what you do not do in obedience to God’s Law. Indeed, there are things you should be doing, and there are some things you should avoid doing. And yes, the sermon should address those things. But that is just a part of it.

 What is worse, if that is all sermons do, then they are failing. Such sermons leave people trusting in themselves. Some people trust themselves by thinking they are doing a pretty good job of doing what they should and avoiding the sins they should avoid.

 Other people hear such incomplete sermons and are led to trust their own works. Unfortunately, they think they are utter failures, they have no chance for eternal salvation. Some may not go to utter despair, but when led to examine their life, what they should and should not do, they harbor doubts about their eternal well-being. In their minds is this question, “Have I done enough? Will I gain a place in God’s kingdom? I’m not really sure!”

 Let us be honest about what we should and should not be doing. You know the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. You know what you should be doing and what you should not be doing.

 God’s first table of the law is summarized; Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. How are you doing with those first three commandments? Do you fear, love, and trust in God ABOVE  ALL  THINGS?  You never misuse His name? You never use it in vain – for no purpose?

 You ALWAYS remember the sabbath day, you ALWAYS keep it holy? You never despise preaching and the Word of God, perfectly loving the habitation of His house and the place where His glory dwells. Whenever you have opportunity to gather to hear or study His Word, you are always there – johnny on the spot? You would never miss time in God’s Word – services in His house and Bible Study are the first priorities on your monthly calendars – everything else revolves around them.

 Then there is God’s second table of the law summarized; Love your neighbor as yourself.

How about it? You always honor all those in authority over you – boss, traffic laws, and any others?

 And as far as the fifth commandment goes, remember that, Jesus declares that if you are harboring bitter anger towards another, that is also murder.

 As for adultery, Jesus helps further define this for us, saying that whoever has lusted after a woman in his heart has committed adultery with her. This is also true for those who have lusted after a man in her heart. And yes, internet porn is sin.

 Should we continue through the second table? It says that stealing is a sin, but coveting is a heart thing – and that too is sinful. We could say that coveting is stealing in the heart.

 Bearing false witness doesn’t need to be untrue. You sin whenever your words hurt someone’s reputation. Or, when you sit and listen as another runs someone’s reputation through the sewer.

 Having reflected upon God’s Law, you know what you should be doing and what you should not be doing. Is that the sole purpose of the sermon?

 You know what, I love our text for today. Jesus Himself tells us the purpose for preaching. Let me read it to you again. Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed (by the way, the Greek word translated as proclaimed here, is translated as preached in other places in the New Testament) in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

 Jesus declares that the purpose for preaching (proclaiming) is repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

 If you are honest with yourselves earlier in this sermon, as I was going through the commandments you were thinking through them: I haven't done that! I have done that! I shouldn't have done that! Oooo, that’s not good.”

If so, those are proper responses. They are repentant response.

 In the seminary, one of my homiletics professors, that is a prof teaching about the art of preaching, told us about the preacher’s task. “Your job as preacher in the sermon is to drag your hearers kicking and screaming to the gates of hell, to shake them and say, ‘This is what you deserve.’”

“Then turn them around and drag them to the foot of the cross. Make them kneel there. “This is what you deserve – even more – this is the love of God for you! Here is God’s Christ enduring the punishment you deserve for your sins. This is the love of God incarnate, paying the price for your sins. He declares the work of redemption – purchasing your forgiveness – complete, by saying, “It is finished!” Then, He buries your sins in His own tomb.”

 Dearly beloved of God, everything Christ did – why He was born in our flesh, suffered, died, and rose from the dead in that flesh – was done so that repentance for the forgiveness of sins might be proclaimed to you in His name.

If anything about the first or second table of the law described you and your sinfulness, repent. You are hearing this sermon for the first time – I have heard it a couple times already. Every time I did, it made me squirm. My sinfulness was exposed. It drove me to my knees – even as it did again today. Great sorrow breaks the heart. That is true sorrow over sin – true repentance.

True repentance does not end there though. Repentance includes the desire to no longer continue in whatever sin one is repenting. True repentance includes the deep desire to stop doing those things which we should not be doing – and to do those things we should be doing. In other words, repentance is not just in the mouth and heart, it will be followed up by actions.

True repentance includes the forgiveness of sin. You and I need forgiveness. It is not something we earn. It is purchased for us. It is in Jesus, in the Crucified One that sins are paid in full forgiven.

So, as I called you to repentance, I also proclaim to you who are repentant – your sins are forgiven. In Christ, your sins are removed from you as far as the East is from the West.

As your sins have been removed from you, now rise and go in peace.

After this sermon we will sing what our hymnal calls the offertory. You know the words: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.

It is not just some song we sing. It is a sung prayer that is basically saying, “What I have just heard in this sermon – do in me! Make my heart right according to Your Word. Do not abandon me, keep me by Your Holy Spirit to do Your will. In the joy of the forgiveness you have given me, keep me to live a life pleasing to you.

You have gathered today to hear God’s Word come to you – to hear Christ come to you. In this entire Divine Service, you are served by God. It is all about repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the Word and the Sacrament. You are refreshed anew in body and spirit to live as the dearly beloved children of God. You have been granted forgiveness and peace.

As God’s love and joy fills you, as you hear and taste of the goodness of your God – go out and sin no more.

Christ Himself comes to you. God strengthens you to live in Christ.

Yes, we celebrate! Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

He is alive! Because He lives, you and I also live.

You and I live each day in the name of Jesus. Amen.