june 11 2023
June 11th 2023
Old Testament: Hosea 5:15-6:6
Psalm: Psalm 119:65-72
Epistle: Romans 4:13-25
Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
Sermon Text: Matthew 9:9-13
Sermon Title: “I Believe in the Holy Christian Church” or “Third Article: Part II”
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Two weeks ago, we heard about the person and work of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Today, we will learn about the rest of the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed from Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms; which say “I believe in the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting”. Amen.
Now, before His ascension into heaven, Jesus called the disciples together and gave then the Great Commission; to “go and make disciples of all nations; (by) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded them”. (Matthew 28:19-20) This is how people are brought into the kingdom of God; in the Holy Christian Church; through water and the Word. “For where Christ is not preached, there is no Holy Spirit to create, call, and gather the Christian Church, apart from which no one can come to (faith in) the Lord Christ”. (L. C. Third Article, par. 45-46)
In the Gospel reading for today, we heard of Jesus’ calling one of His disciples; a man by the name of Matthew. He was a hated tax collector, but when Jesus passed by his tax booth, He called Matthew saying; “Follow Me! And Matthew rose and followed Him”. (Matthew 9:9b) In his joy, Matthew invited Jesus and the disciples to a feast at his house; “and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples”. (Matthew 9:10)
Of course, this made the self-righteous Pharisees angry, but Jesus said to them, “the well have no need of a physician; but (rather) those who are sick. Go and learn what this means; I desire mercy and not sacrifice; for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12b-13) to repentance and true faith in Christ. So, Jesus first called the disciples and later sent them out to preach the Gospel to all nations. That is what the church of Jesus Christ is called to do; for He has “entrusted to us the message of reconciliation”. (2nd Corinthians 5:19b)
As the Augsburg Confession declares, “to obtain (saving) faith, God instituted the preaching office to give the Gospel and the Sacraments”. (A. C. Article V, par. 1-2) The main focus of the sermon this morning will be on the part of the Creed which speaks of the “Holy Christian Church and the Communion of Saints”. (the forgiveness of sins?)
First of all, what is the “Holy Christian Church”? Here are some words form our Lutheran Confessions; Luther wrote in the Smalcald Articles; “Thank God, a seven year old child knows what the church is; namely holy believers and sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd”. (S. A. XII, par. 2) “The church is the assembly of saints (true believers in Christ) in which the Gospel is taught purely and the sacraments administered rightly”. (A C, VII, par1)
The Augsburg Confession also teaches that since there are many hypocrites and evil people mixed in with the true believers in the (visible) church, “both the Word and the sacrament are effective by reason of the institution and commandment of Christ, even if they are administered by evil men”. (A C, VIII, par. 2) As we heard recently, the Word of God and the sacraments are the means by which the Holy Spirit calls people to faith in Christ.
This same question (what is the church?) is also asked in the Small Catechism where it says, “the Holy Christian Church is the Communion of Saints (which is) the total number of people who believe in Christ. All believers in Christ, but only believers in Christ, are members of the true church. This is called the “invisible” church, because its members are known only to God. We will hear of the difference between this and the “visible” church a bit later in the sermon.
Now, let us answer a few more of the questions asked in the Small Catechism regarding the Holy Christian Church; the Communion of Saints. “Why do we say, I BELIEVE in THE church”? Because the existence of the church is a matter of faith, since it is invisible to human eyes. The Apostle Paul stated, “the Lord knows those who are His”. (2nd Timothy 2:19b)
The word “the” is important also because we believe, teach and confess that there is only one true church, one spiritual body of believers, whose one and only leader is Christ Jesus our Lord. Again, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Christ is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18) and “there is one body and one (Holy) Spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism”. (Ephesians 4:3-5)
“Why is the church called holy”? Because it is made up of holy people! Who are “holy people”? They are all the saints, all true believers in Jesus Christ, who have been set apart by God; made holy/righteous by the shed blood of Christ. The Apostle Peter calls the church a “holy priesthood” and a “holy nation”. (1st Peter 2:5, 9) “Why is the church called Christian”? Because it belongs to Christ. He is Lord of all. As Paul declared, “You are built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself, being the cornerstone”. (Ephesians 2:20)
“Where is the Holy Christian Church to be found”? Again, the Augsburg Confession teaches that the holy Christian church is to be found “where the Gospel is rightly taught and the sacraments are correctly administered”. A C VII, par. 1) These are called the “marks of the true church”. This is where God has promised to be for His people. The Lord declared through the prophet, “My Word … shall not return to Me empty; but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it”. (Isaiah 55:11)
Now, there is only one true church, what we earlier heard was the “invisible” church. These are all true believers in Christ. The (so-called) visible church are simply the whole number of people who come to hear the word and take the sacrament; who profess faith in Christ. So, not all who profess to be Christians are Christians; for Jesus said there are many hypocrites and unbelievers in the visible church. Again, the visible church are all who publicly profess faith in Jesus, while the invisible church are all true believers in Jesus. Thus, the invisible church is hidden in the visible church.
Knowing all these things, what do the Holy Scriptures teach about our life in the Holy Christian Church or Communion of Saints? First, we should seek always to be and to remain members of the invisible church, by sincere faith in Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, “Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves”. (2nd Corinthians 13:5)
Second, we should be faithful to that visible church or denomination which professes and teaches all of the Scriptures purely and administers the sacraments according to Jesus’ institution. For Jesus said, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly MY disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. (John 8:31-32) Therefore, we should not be going to churches that are heterodox, mixing true doctrine with false teaching and we are not to tolerate false doctrines in our midst.
Third, we should avoid (like the plague) false teachers, false churches, and all organizations that promote anything contrary to God’s Word; for these are a danger to our souls. False doctrine often leads to a false faith. Jesus warned us, “Beware of false prophets”. (Matthew 7:15a) Paul wrote, “Even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one you heard, let him be accursed”. (Galatians 1:8) The Apostle John also warns, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits … for many false prophets have gone out into the world”. (1st John 4:1)
Fourth, we are to maintain and extend God’s kingdom through our personal witness, prayer, and financial support of the church. As we heard a couple of weeks ago, Peter said, “Always be prepared to make a defense … for the reason for the hope that is in you”. (1st Peter 3:15a) Many places in Scripture exhort us to pray for Gods Kingdom and to “send out laborers into His harvest”. (Luke 10:2b) Scripture also declares “the one who is taught the Word must share all good things with the one who teaches”. (Galatians 6:6) Or as Paul put it more directly, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the Gospel should get their living by the Gospel”. (1st Corinthians 9:14)