Am I the only person in the United States who predicted that Casey Anthony would be found “not guilty” in the first degree murder of her child? Of the seven charges against her, she was found to be not guilty of those three that would have brought the greatest amount of jail time. In the aftermath of the surprising verdict to most, the talking head commentators of every stripe are attempting to find reasons why their predictions of guilty were so off base.

 Like with the O.J. Simpson trial, which I also predicted ahead of time that he would be found not guilty, the pundits were once more shocked. I have a very simple explanation of why they react as they do. We live in an age in which emotions trump facts. But to those who examine the evidence provided by the prosecution objectively attempting as best as one is able to separate emotions from facts, there was no evidence presented at all that she was a bad mother, that she was abusive to her child or that fingerprints or DNA pointed to her being guilty of killing her child.

 Let me be as clear as I can. Whether either O.J. or Casey is guilty of the charged crimes, the fact is that the prosecution simply did not meet the burden of evidence necessary for a guilty plea. Some may argue that having been sequestered, the jury was not privy to much of the conversation between the lawyers and the judge as the public was. On the other hand, being sequestered meant that they could focus on their real job as to whether the evidence presented met the burden of proof regardless of their personal feelings.

 I have lost some respect for those who normally I listen to when it come to politics. They also contradicted themselves again and again. For example, after mouthing the political correct statement that the American justice system is the best in the world, they would then proceed to talk about how blind it was today. After stating that they would not want to criticize the jury, they then spoke about how the jury members did not use common sense.

 Now what has all this to do with Law and Gospel? One item comes to mind. The first is that a woman who was thought to be guilty by a majority of those watching the case was found to be not guilty of the major charges of first degree murder, manslaughter and abuse. She probably will be freed this Thursday on the remaining guilty charges due to time already spent in jail awaiting trial. And this in spite of the fact that she did not take the witness stand.

 How different is our court case soon to be upon us either at the moment of our death or, if we are so fortunate, Judgment Day. There we will be found guilty of many sins worthy of temporal and eternal punishment. But because we have taken the witness stand—so-to-speak—by true repentance (contrition plus faith in Jesus), we will hear the Judge Himself invite us into heaven. We enter heaven not because we are “not guilty” but because we are “guilty” yet have trusted in the blood-bought sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Savior to forgive us.

 And what is forgiveness? It is the declaration of God Himself that He will no longer hold any believer in Christ accountable for his sins! Indeed, the criterion one must meet to go to hell is to be a sinner. And the criterion one must meet to go to heaven is to be a sinner. The difference? Those who go to hell are unbelievers rejecting the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who go to heaven hold fast to that significance.

 Yes, two court room scenes but very different in both their purpose and outcome. One held on earth judging a mother to be not guilty in the death of her child due to lack of evidence; the other held on Judgment Day judging every human being to be worthy of eternal punishment for our sins but freed from that result because of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

It’s the last Sunday of the Church Year in the Series C set of readings with the following three passages: Malachi 3:13-18; Colossians 1:13-20 and Luke 23:27-43. The text chosen for the last sermon of the Church Year is Malachi 3:14, “You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the LORD of hosts?’”

At first reading today’s Christian probably imagines that the people of Malachi’s day should have been destroyed by the LORD for saying and thinking such terrible things such as it is useless to serve God. The task of today’s preacher therefore is obvious. From a L&G perspective, the sermon is not to denounce the people of Malachi’s day but to accuse today’s Christian of saying or thinking the same thing! How so? Behind the thinking of the Israelites is the idea that God appears at times not to be fair because the wicked seem to get all the breaks while the believers seem to get the short end of the stick.

The preacher needs to give examples of how often today’s believer behaves just like those in Malachi’s day. For example, how many times is it not heard from a believer something along the following: “What did I do to….deserve this?” Such an attitude reveals one who lives under the Law imagining that one can discern God’s attiude toward us by examining how our life is going. If it goes badly, God is angry with us; if it goes well, God is pleased with us.

Christians, like unbelievers, are inconsistent with their thoughts about God at times blaming Him when things are not going well. In fact, an atheist can be defined as someone who realizes that if the true God exists, He must be all-powerful and because it appears obvious that He is not using such power to stop evil, one can only conclude that God does not exist. Our old Adam is always living under the Law imagining that our works are better than God declares them to be and that our sins are not near as bad as God declares them to be.

Verse 18 of Malachi 3 hits the nail on the head when God clarifies who truly are the righteous. They are those who serve the Lord in contrast to the wicked who do not serve the Lord. And such serving means that we bow at the decisions of God trusting his promises that He will take care of us better than the birds in the air and the flowers of the field notwithstanding all the evidence apparently against such a reality. We thank God that He is not a god of justice giving us what we deserve but instead He is the God of mercy not giving us what we deserve and the God of grace giving us what we do not deserve; namely, eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior.

Just two Sundays to go in this Church year as the three readings for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost are Malachi 4:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-13 and Luke 21:5-36. The sermon text is Luke 21:34, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”

We probably understand that it’s not a good think for us to be carousing and drunk on the Day of Judgment. But not to have “cares of this life” is impossible. Who is not concerned and at times worried about events of life that leave us apparently helpless and with no power to change the past, present or future? Does that mean that no one–even believers in Jesus–who have cares about this life will be saved?

However, from a L&G point of view, the problem for those on Judgment Day is not simply that they may be carousing, drunk or worried about life. The problem is that because of these things “your hearts be weighed down.” What does that mean? It means that they are not taken to the LORD in prayer. You do not look to Him for help. There is no repentance. In other words, you are in a state of unbelief.

Jesus also was weighed down with those who deserted Him; with those who denied Him; with those who put Him to death. However, even His call from hell, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” revealed a faith in His Father that we would do well to imitate. Yes, we are beset by the world, our flesh and the devil. However, whether that translates into occasions of carousing, drunkenness and even cares of this life, we always have a Friend to whom we can turn in full assurance that our sins are forgiven, that we are dressed in the robe of righteousness and that no care of this life will come upon us to destroy us as we trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior.

Yes,we walk not by sight but by faith in the promises of the Gospel connected to the death and resurrection of Jesus. For those promises are many that He will never leave us nor forsake us; that all things will work to our good; that never will a temptation come upon us beyond God’s control as we turn to Him for help. Indeed on the Day of Judgment every believer will be a sinner deserving nothing but temporal and eternal punishment. But we have a God Who will not give us what we deserve but instead furnish us with His gracious attitude of the forgiveness of sins and robe of righteousness. In Jesus, we are prepared for that Day of Judgment!

For All Saints Day the three readings are Revelation 7:2-17; 1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12. Chosen as the basis of the sermon is Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Christianity doesn’t sound very user friendly what with blessings provided to the “poor in spirit…those who mourn” and “those who are persecuted.” Once more we meet a God that doesn’t make worldly sense. We fall back on that principle, “If you want to know how God thinks, think common sensically and then reverse it!” Of course, there are those who conclude that the poor in wealth are being meant rather than the poor in spirit. Just what does it mean to be poor in spirit?

From a L&G point of view, God considers all unbelievers as poor in spirit in the sense that they have nothing to give to God to offset His wrath. While that might appear at first hearing to be a negative, in reality it is a positive. For the task of the preacher is to get members of the congregation to begin to think like God rather than their normal ungodly way of thinking on the part of their old Adam. The positive is not just that even believers are poor in spirit but that they recognize and confess their condition before God. It’s called repentance.

Repentance includes not only an awareness of one’s impoverishd sinful condition but also a confession of sin that looks to God and Him alone for salvation. Unlike every other religion in the world, Christianity does not offer any notion of team work between us and God to satisfy His demand that we be perfect in our works, thoughts and words. Instead, God sends His only-begotten to take upon Himself the punishment you and I deserved. It is not just our sin that separates us from God; it is the curse of the Law that reveals in the day we sin, death is the result.

It’s just that the Christian faith reveals that you and I don’t fulfill that curse. Jesus does by becoming sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. As our substitute Jesus takes upon Himself the punishment we deserve and then transfers His righteousness to us in the waters of baptism. Forgiveness is more than we normally think. From God’s point of view it is the Good News that you are no longer held accountable for your sins eternally. The words “It is finished” signal an end to sin being a problem for the whole world. Hell is no longer for sinners but for unbelievers. For if hell were for sinners, then no one would be saved.

And that is the comfort we have on All Saints Day as we remember those of our loved ones who died in the Lord. They are now with Him awaiting that great and wonderful Day of Judgement when their bodies will be restored to their spirits and the whole company of heaven will spend an eternity with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For the festival of Reformation the three readings to be read are Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28 and either Matthew 11:12-19 or John 8:31-36. The sermon text is Romans 3:21, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”

The primary doctrine of the Christian faith is “justification by grace through faith on account of Jesus Christ.” The second most important teaching of the Christian faith, without which the Bible remains a sealed book, is the distinction between Law and Gospel. This probably is never more true than with our Reformation epistle reading from Romans 3 in which the word “law” occurs nine times and with significant differences in meaning.

While some imagine that the difference between L&G is the difference in their content alone, the true distinctions which are often confused is in regard to their use. The primary use of the Law in the spiritual kingdom is to make you aware of your inability to save yourseslf even with the help of God. Never does God permit a use of the Law by which we get closer to God by our obedience to the Law. Part of this confusion occurs because the word law in both Hebrew and Greek have a number of different meanings that can only be ascertained by the context. It is a primary reason why an English concordance is not that helpful because the same English word can have a multitude of nuances and meanings.

In verse 19 through 28 of Romans, chapter 3 we have the same word “law” used but with these meanings as synonyms. Verse 19: commandments and the idea of salvation through obedience; Verse 20: obedience and God’s will; Verse 21: obedience; 5 books of Moses; Verse 27: Principle of life; Verse 28: obedience to God’s will.

The Reformation clarified that the Law can never be a means of grace; that is, a means God uses to bring you into His family by your obedience to the Law. Rather, true salvation and receiving the righteousness of God Himself, is witnessed by the Old Testament writings but comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believer. Therefore, the way of salvation is not by the principle of obedience to the Law but by the princple of trusting in the Gospel promises of Jesus Christ. In other words, the means bywhich we bring another person into a right relationship with the true God is by providing them with the promises of the Gospel.

For the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost the three assigned readings for Series C are Genesis 4:1-15; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 and Luke 18:9-17. Chosen to preach on is Luke 18:11a, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.”

Of the ridiculous notions found in the Christian faith, one of the most disturbing is that outwardly fine religious leaders may go to hell while the members of the Hell’s motorcyle club may go to heaven. It’s precisely that kind of teaching that got Jesus crucified as He continued to speak against the common sense notions of Judaism in regard to God. This parable from Luke 18 is introduced by Luke as about those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. But are we not to know and be assured that we are righteous? For there is no unrighteous person who will enter into the kingdom of God!

The answer to such a dilemma is to look at the context. Jesus’ parable does not speak against our assurance of being righteous. It is a parable that speaks out against such assurance based on our own works, words and thoughts. The Pharisee makes it clear that his assurance for being saved is that he is not an extortioner, unjust, adulterer or a tax collector and, in fact, fasts two times a week plus gives tithes of all that he has. This is called boasting of one’s self-righteousness.

In contrast, the tax collector pleads for mercy because he knows that he does not deserve any salvation at all. Those living under the Law have a just god in mind who supposedly gives you what you deserve while those living under the cross have a merciful God Who does not give you what you deserve and a gracious God Who gives you what you do not deserve, such as the forgiveness of sins, the robe of righteousness, eternal life and so forth.

That such a boastful Pharisee is not praying to the true God is clear from how Jesus describes his prayer, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself…” Note the “with himself.” For who is the god of the unbeliever? Bottom line is that the unbeliever worships himself.

The sermon would point out how every member of the congregation tends to think that God loves me more or will bless me more insofar as I am obedient to His will. Our old Adam is nothing but a self-righteous Pharisee. Thanks be to God that rather than getting what we deserve, our merciful and gracious God gives us what we do not deserve all out of his bountiful love towards those of us who are unable to love Him until He first loves us. And how can we be sure that we are righteous in God’s sight. Not by looking at our works but by meditating on the work of God in baptizing us into His family.

The three assigned readings for Series C on the 21st Sunday after Pentecost are Genesis 32:22-30; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 and Luke 18:1-8. 2 Timothy 3:17 is the chosen text for the sermon: “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The problem this passage presents is that it appears that the primary goal of the Bible is to make us thoroughly equipped for every good work. Yet the primary purpose of the Bible according to John 20 is to believe in Jesus Christ and receive full salvation apart from any works we can do. So how does being fully equipped for good works relate to the purpose of the Bible?

First we look at context. In the previous verse 15 we read that the Holy Scriptures are “able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Now that coincides with the rest of the Scriptual witness. How then do we fit in the idea of being equipped for good works? It is a L&G distinction known as the difference between justification and sanctification. On the one hand, in regard to your right standing before God, the Scripture is clear that salvation is by grace, through faith. On the other hand, in regard to your response to what God has done for us in Christ, we are eager to have the Holy Spirit do fruit through us.

To be thoroughly equipped for every good work does not mean that we will no longer sin. Rather it points to the fact that from God’s viewpoint, a truly good work; that is, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, takes place in light of one’s motivation. For one’s body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit and to have the New Man within the believer, the outward good works as seen by the observer are also influenced by love of Christ as seen by God Himself.

For the 20th Sunday after Pentecost, the scheduled Series C readings are Ruth 1:1-19a; 2 Timothy 2:1-13 and Luke 17:11-19. For the sermon the text chosen to peach about is Luke 17:19, “And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’”

This well-known pericope about the cleansing of the Ten Lepers does cause a host of questions. What is the specific point? It appears that one point would be the fact that the only cleansed leper that returns to Jeus to give Him thanks is a hated Samaritan from a Jewish point of view. When Jesus said that “your faith has made you well” does He mean that it was His faith that healed him? But if that is true, how were the other nine healed? Did they also have faith when they asked Jesus as Master to have mercy on them? And if they did, why did they not return to give thanks? But if they did not have faith, why would they obey Jesus’ words to go to the priests?

The first point to be made is that even unbelievers can become the recipients of the miracles of Jesus. For example, at the feedings of the 4,000 and 5,000 not just the believers but also those outside the faith received fish and bread. One could also surmise that the 9 ungrateful lepers were cleansed by the power of Jesus alone while the believing Samaritan was also cleansed in light of his faith that Jesus was more than “Master” (verse 13); He was also God Himself (verse 18).

The second point is to examine the word in English translated as “well” or “whole.”  The Greek word is not only used for physical healing but also for spiritual salvation from eternal death, judgment and sin. See Matthew 18:11; Romans 11:14; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 7:25 and 1 Peter 3:21. What Jesus could be saying then is that the faith the cleansed leper has in Jesus as both Master and God Himself “has made you well” or “has saved you.”

The point of the sermon would be that not our works, not our thoughts, not our words and not even our gratitude saves us. For none of these can even occur until we are fully saved. How so? That by the power of the Holy Spirit we are given the gift of faith; that is, believing in the gracious promises of Jesus Christ being fulfilled in our lives notwithstanding all the evidence that appears to contradict such promises. The poster boy for such faith would be the impoverished beggar Lazarus destitute and poor during his entire life while here on earth but fully restored to the original creation after death.

For the 19th Sunday after Pentecost in Series C readings, the passages are Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:1-14 and Luke 17:1-10. For the sermon the entire first chapter of Second Timothy is chosen.

There are only 2 religions in the world:  Christianity and everything else! And everything else reflects a “living under the Law” perspective in that what you do, say or think makes the difference as to whether you go to heaven or hell. In contrast, the Christian faith is unique in that it’s foundation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This means that salvation is not by works but by grace through faith in the promises connected to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And these promises are unconditional.

It is true that there are many individual passages which reveal the true nature of the Christian faith. But it is rare when in one chapter there are found 12 specific instances of unique Christian thought. The first chapter of Second Timothy is one such passage. What follows is a listing of the 12 unique statements of the Christian faith that can be individually expanded in a sermon or as a total package during a Bible study.

1) by the will of God; 2) the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus; 3) Grace; 4) Mercy; 5) Peace; 6) the genuine faith that is in you; 7) the gift of God which is in you; 8) not according to our works; 9) who has abolished death; 10) through the gospel; 11) to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day and 12) keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Now it is clear that there are certain concepts listed that are used by other religions such as grace, mercy and peace. For example, ”grace” is regarded as some kind of power source with which we humans cooperate in order to be saved. But God’s view of “grace” points to His gracious attitude toward sinners in giving to us what we do not deserve. Therefore, all other religions do not define or use these concepts according to the Will of God. Instead, they have a human dimension in them and do not realize the gracious and Christ-centered facet of each of these phrases. Each of the 12 are truly a fine example of the distinctions between Law and Gospel.

For the 18th Sunday after Pentecost in Series C the three readings are Amos 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:1-13 or I Timothy 6:6-19 and Luke 16:19-31. The text chosen for the sermon is Luke 16:27, “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house.’”

Normally, the primary theme in this parable is that miraculous signs and wonders have no effect on bringing someone to faith. Instead, the means God uses to do so is Moses and the prophets. In other words, the means of grace is God’s Word with specific attention to the Gospel promises of Jesus Christ connected to His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. 

However, for this sermon we will focus on the attitude of the rich man; named Dives from the Latin Vulgate as Jerome translated the word for “rich”. First, it appears that Dives has not changed his attitude toward Lazarus as a beggar with the task of serving the rich. He tells Abraham to order Lazarus to bring a tip of his finger with water to him. Then, he orders Abraham to send Lazarus to the five brothers of Dives so that they will not come to this place of torment. Finally, he argues with Abraham that the Word of God is not sufficient to save but what is needed is that someone, like Lazarus, should rise from the dead.

Dives’ attitude of unbelief even in hell results in no repentance for the way that he had treated Lazarus. Instead, the universe still revolves around Dives as he attempts to order Lazarus around and seeks comfort and help only for those of his own household. It is true that nowhere in the Bible is there an indication that those in hell will repent of their sins. In fact, will they not be like Satan who prefers hell to worshipping the true God?

The attitude and predicament of Dives is in strong contrast to that of Lazarus who is said to be in the bosom of Abraham. That is significant as we remember how John was also in that position at the Last Supper. That beggar and impoverished Lazarus would be near Abraham after death while Dives is in another dimension of existence apart from Abraham would be a shock to the hearers of Jesus’ day. For they imagined that riches were a result of God’s blessings while poverty was a result of His curses. How different is the Christian faith from that not only of Judaism but from every other law-centered religion of the world!