october 22 2023
October 22nd 2023 (Confirmation Day)
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Psalm: Psalm 1
Epistle: 1st Thessalonian 1:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22
Sermon Text: Psalm 1
Sermon Title: “Delight in the Law of the Lord’
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Psalm for this morning contrasts the life and destiny of the righteous person with that of the wicked person. Those who are righteous before God, are those who have acknowledged their sin and gladly heard and believed the Gospel of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. These are people who “are not ashamed of the Gospel (knowing) it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes … the righteous shall live by faith”. (Romans 1:16-17)
In contrast, the wicked are not like them. Wickedness here does not just mean those who are in open sin or rebellion against God and His Word, but also those who pay lip service to the Word of God and good works, but continue to walk in their own ways, “disguising themselves as servants of righteousness” (2nd Corinthians 11:15a) all the while teaching and living contrary to the Word. In other words, the wicked are all who are without faith in Christ. Remember last Sunday; the man from Jesus’ parable for the Wedding Banquet, who tried to get into the Kingdom of heaven on his own terms, but was cast out by the Master/King?
Again, the one who is righteous is the one who has been declared so by faith in Jesus; not by their works. As the Apostle Paul declared, “the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ (is) for all who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift”. (Romans 3:22-24a) We will hear more of this next week, on Reformation Sunday.
The Psalmist begins, “Blessed is the one who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord (Word of God) and on His law, they meditate day and night”. (Psalm 1:1-2) As Moses instructed the Israelite people in the book of Deuteronomy, “These words that I command you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise”. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) The Word of God, the Bible is a means of grace, by which God works saving faith in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Notice the words, walk, stand, sit in verse 1? These speak of the way we should live (or not live) as Christians in this wicked world. The one who is blessed by God is not to walk according to or accept the advice/values of the world. They are not to cooperate/stand with sinners in their wicked behaviors/ways. They are not to sit/join with those in our world who mock or ridicule the Word and ways of God. The righteous one is to occupy themselves with the Word of God, to let the law of the Lord be our delight, even (especially) when it contradicts the wicked ways of this world.
We cannot expect to resist temptations to sin by embracing the values of our culture, if we ourselves are not willing to devote time to God’s Word. I read a survey of religious affiliation recently and for the first time ever in this country, a majority of people (53%) had no religious affiliation at all. Regular church attendance, which is now defined by the pollsters as once a month, has dropped to 41 %. Weekly church attendance is at only 20%; probably not coincidentally, so is the percentage of people who believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God.
But even those who attend once a week, need the Word more than the 1-2 hours a week they spend in church. We all need more regular Bible study (devotions) with fellow Christians (Sunday Bible class) and with our families. We need to be intentional about this, remembering and applying the Word of God to our everyday lives, especially when we are confronted with temptations to compromise our faith (and even demands from schools, employers, government) that we sin. We cannot immerse ourselves only in the values of the culture/world 167+ hours a week and 1 hour or less in church and the Word, and expect anything good/godly to come from it.
Again, the one who has been declared righteous through faith in Christ, apart from their own works, knows this and in the “new man/creation” (2nd Corinthians 5:17) wants to learn and keep God’s Word in their lives; they want to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ”. (2nd Peter 3:18) The “new man” or “new creation” loves the Word of God for that is where we find the testimony of our Lord and Savior, who atoned for our sins on the cross and rose bodily from the dead. A person can only do good works if they are connected to Christ Jesus by a living faith, for Jesus said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing”. (John 15:5)
Of course, we often do not delight in God’s Word as we should, after all we still have our old Adam (sinful nature) clinging to us. Sometimes, as the Apostle Paul said, we do what we don’t want to do and don’t do what we want to do. (See Romans 7) That is why Luther in the Small Catechism stresses “daily contrition and repentance” as a necessary part of the Christian life, striving against the old man and living in the new life.
The Psalmist also prayed, “search me O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”. (Psalm 139:23-24) The Apostles also testify in many places in Holy Scripture to “put to death what is earthly in you … on account of these things, the wrath of God is coming”. (Colossians 3:5-6) And “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue … knowledge … self-control … steadfastness … brotherly affection … and love”. (2nd Peter 2:5b-7) This is not possible apart from the Word.
Now, the word translated “law” in our text is the Hebrew word Torah, which literally means teaching or instruction. Therefore, it refers to the whole Word of God, both law and Gospel. Listen then to the blessings given to the person who by faith “delights in … meditates” upon the law/Word of God; the Holy Scriptures.
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water; that yields its fruit in its season, its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers”. (Psalm 1:3) It is most certainly true that this person is blessed, even though they endure suffering and trials in this world. They are blessed because the Word of God that they guard and treasure in their hearts will, “not return empty, but will accomplish that which I (God) purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it”. (Isaiah 55:11)
“The wicked (all unbelievers) are not so (says the psalmist), but are like chaff that the wind drives away”. (Psalm 1:4) The wicked have no use for the Word of God and become dried up, shriveled, and useless, driven away like the chaff in a breeze. They have no root in God’s Word, therefore they cannot bear good fruit/good works. They are cut off from the only source which can produce good works in them for the Scripture declares, “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”. (Romans 14:23b)
Therefore, “These wicked (who despise God and His precious Word) will not stand in the (final) judgment, nor (will) sinners (stand) in the congregation of the righteous”. (Psalm 1:5) It may seem as if the wicked unbelievers get rich and prosper in this life, but there is coming a day when they will have to answer to God for all they have said and done. Jesus said, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”. (Matthew 25:46)
This contrast between the righteous and the wicked is expressed by the Psalmist again in the last verse, “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” forever. (Psalm 1:6) There are two ways, two roads, two paths one can be on and they run in opposite directions. One delights in and meditates on the Word of the Lord, while the other has no use for it whatsoever. One way is blessed richly by God, both now and eternally; the other is the road that leads literally to hell, and Jesus warns “the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many”. (Matthew 7:13)
The law of the Lord, the Torah, the Word is the word of the one true and only living God. As the Apostle John declared, “these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of (the living) God, and that by believing you may have (eternal) life in His name”. (John 20:31) So as you (all of you) learned in the Small Catechism “hold God’s Word sacred and gladly hear and learn it”; in sermons, in Bible class, in daily devotions at home; “Delight in the law of the Lord … meditate on it day and night”. (Psalm 1:2)
Do this, and you will be blessed by God; for the gifts He gives us here are more important than anything else you value in this life; spouse, family, friends, job, bank account, sports, music, politics, etc. This is because here is where Christ gives us Himself, in His Word and sacrament, for the forgiveness of your sins and the strengthening of your faith.
In a few minutes we will have the confirmation liturgy for Kacie Rubin. She will be asked a series of questions regarding her confession of faith, the same questions that most of you were asked when you joined the church. As you hear Kacie make her confession, I would encourage you this morning to reflect on (consider again) the confession of faith and promises that you made however many years ago.
Dearly beloved, stay in the safety of Christ’s church; abiding in His Word. For, here is where you find life and salvation. Amen.
The peace of God …