Trinity 8

Good Shepherd

2004 Pass Rd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Draft Jer 23:16–29; Rm 8:12–17; Mt 7:15–23; Ps 26; Antiphon v. 12   –     7/26/26

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus said, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. What is the will of God the Father? That is a most important question that we all ought to know the answer to since on that question hangs our eternity and our life here.

First we must address the misunderstandings of the will of God. Jesus exposes one such misunderstanding when He says, On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” This is the primary sin and unbelief which concerns our readings for this Sunday. It is also a problem that has clearly plagued the Church for all her existence, from the days of Adam until today. Thus we read in Jeremiah, Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. And, I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? See that God despises those who lie about His Word and will. He hates when a man is led astray by a false prophet, for these false prophets, false dreams, and false signs lead people to believe in lies and not the truth. Those who believe lies will have no place with God. Thus these false prophets, false dreams, and false signs are the devil’s servants and they do his will to lead their hearers to hell and eternal damnation.

The will of God the Father is that we judge between the truth and the lie, so we may see who are the false prophets, and who are those who preach God’s Word faithfully, thus Jeremiah writes, Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What does this sin and unbelief look like today? It is easy to spot in televangelists and in those who call themselves apostles or prophets, it is less easy to discern among the more regular seeming churches, but especially so in your own heart. After all, who is the first person who will lie to you? It is your own heart that will lead you astray. Your will is to follow your own heart, the mantra of PBS, Disney, and all Hollywood for a few generations now. But remember that your heart is corrupted by sin and easily misled by the devil. It desires contrary to the will of God the Father; so disbelieve your own heart, refuse the teaching and prophecies of the televangelists, modern prophets, and modern apostles, but be wary also of the soft spoken preacher. Turn rather to Scripture, where God has caused His will to be written. St. Paul says, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. If you know Scripture, you will know the will of the Father, and you will be able to judge what is truth, and what is a lie.

St. Paul condemns another sin in Romans 8. The error of understanding God’s will here is that some believed that once a man believed in Jesus he was freed from the Law, by which he understood that to mean he no longer had to abide by any of the restrictions of God’s Law but was free to live however he pleased because he thought he could no longer sin. The error is in thinking that by believing in Jesus his sinful flesh no longer counts and that those things which were sins before now do not matter but may be enjoyed with a clean conscience. But what did St. Paul say against this? we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons. How does this sin of unbelief appear today? There are churches and men and women who claim to be pastors who teach that many of the laws and, indeed, the order of creation itself are antiquated ideas. They claim that God’s will has changed to fit the modern times. That prohibitions against divorce, against sodomy, against gay marriage, against female pastors, against abortion, against contraceptives, against euthanasia, were merely cultural prohibitions which we modern “Christians” don’t need to follow because we are more enlightened as to what God’s will truly is. These people are, of course, false pastors and false prophets who teach lies so that God’s people will forget His name.

To divorce is sin against God’s creation of the family, sodomy and all homosexuality and transgenderism are sin against God’s creation of the human body, support of female pastors is sin against God’s order of creation in Genesis, abortion and euthanasia are sins against the fifth commandment and God Who owns and loves all human beings, contraception is a sin against God who gives life. These are not cultural rules, but woven into the fabric of the universe.

Jesus lays out the criteria which God will use on the day of judgment against the false prophets and against those who follow them, Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And God said, let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Where you or I have sinned, where we have listened to these false prophets and believed them, where we have supported or engaged in the sins that modern man calls good, God will judge us. Therefore, we must identify our sin and unbelief, and we must repent, confess our sins to the Lord our God. What does God our Father say about the one who repents? First, in Ezekiel 18 and 33 He says, if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (18:21–23) And in 1 John 1: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1:9) Why does He do that? St. John answers a few verses earlier, if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (7).   The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. You who are baptized into Christ, who believe in Jesus your Savior, are forgiven these sins for the sake of Christ who died for you and rose again. God has wiped away your guilt because of Christ, freely and out of love for you.

What, then, is the will of God the Father for us? It is there at the beginning of what St. John wrote, if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and Ezekiel, f a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live, and Jeremiah, let him who has my word speak my word faithfully, and St. Paul, So then, brothers, we are debtors, debtors to Whom? To Jesus who has saved us from our sin. St. Paul says, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, that is, under sin. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live, by which he means that since you have been forgiven your sins for Christ’s sake you are no longer bound by your sin, by your deceiving heart, but God has given you a new heart so that you may now walk according to His ordering of creation. The Law no longer compels you with the threat of force, it no longer tries to terrify you so you obey it, but God’s Law is now your guide, that you may live according to God the Father’s will for you and for all men: be faithful to your marriage vows even if your spouse abandons the marriage; if you are single then guard your mind and your eyes against sin, and serve your family the church; pray for and support the husbands and wives whom you know, and praise the institute of marriage so that children we see the blessing that God made marriage to be; seek out and support faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word, not neglecting to gather at church as is the habit of some, but being present with your brothers in Christ that you may learn and you may encourage one another toward good works; receive little children among you with patience and joy, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them; and in marriage, receive the blessing of children with joy; visit the elderly among you and help them in whatever way you can. When you see your brother or your neighbor sin, pray for him, give him gentle council if he will hear it. In all these things do them as though they were done for for your Savior Jesus. That is our Father’s will.

Our prayer should be, and our lives should be modeled after, one of the Psalms which depicts the life and righteousness of Christ. We chanted, Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Christ alone has walked in integrity and trusted His Father without wavering. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would equip us to as well. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. Christ alone withstood scrutiny and remained faithful. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would strengthen us to walk in His faithfulness. I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. Even so, Jesus spoke with and ate with sinners, not to join them in their sin but to preach forgiveness to them. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would equip us to do as Christ did. I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. Jesus alone washed His hands in innocence. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would make our hands clean and guide us to proclaim our thanksgiving for what God has done for us. O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Christ alone is found in the church and He calls you there where He will give you His blessings. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would always bring us to the table of the Lord. But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. Christ alone has integrity. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would redeem us and be gracious to us that we may bear the integrity of our Savior. My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord. Christ alone is our foundation. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would keep us in the faith and guide us into all good works that we may bear fruit pleasing to God our Father. Amen.

Now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.