In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace
and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord
and Savior sanctify you in the truth, for His word is truth. Amen
The Fourth Sunday of Easter (2011)
The
Christian’s Loyalty Program
Acts 2:42
(ESV)
And they devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers.
Reviewing
world history, one cannot help but be amazed at the history of the Christian
Church. From its humble, obscure beginnings the world held her in contempt,
labeling her “the sect of the Nazarene.” As such, her members were subjected to
ridicule, harassment, and even persecution. However, in contrast to her humble
beginnings, history shows us that despite the harassment and efforts to quell
her growth, just the opposite occurred. From that first Christian Pentecost day
when St. Peter preached to the people in the streets of Jerusalem, the Church
experienced astonishing, world-wide growth and expansion. This little “sect of
the Nazarene” over the next twenty centuries would have an influence upon the
culture and civilization of the world that has no equal. However, of greater
importance is the Church’s stunning, compassionate, and ennobling effects upon
the hearts and lives of all who would come under her Spirit led, sanctifying
work of proclaiming the Gospel.
The
Church’ history is by itself the most undeniable proof of the truth of the
Christian religion. In fact, every church steeple is visible testimony to the
eternal triumph of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and evidence of its
world-embracing power. When the Apostles stood before the Sanhedrin, their very
lives hanging in the balance, the Pharisee Gamaliel cautioned restraint,
saying, “Men of
This
body of believers was not some creation of men, rather it is God’s creation and
we, by His grace, have been added to this body of the redeemed. We call this
body of believers the Church and to hold membership in her ranks is the highest
and noblest of life’s privileges.
Each
of us is here this morning are active, physical members of the visible Church; however,
the Church in its essence is spiritual. It is not to be identified with any
individual age, race, color, or group, because it is the “communion of saints,” all those who have been given the gift of
faith to believe and trust in the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
God alone knows who are His and although the Church on earth is physical, we
belong to a spiritual fraternity of the redeemed, one which cannot be enclosed
within the limits of some earthly organization.
However,
the Church on earth becomes visible whenever a Christian congregation comes
into being, whenever a group of like-minded followers of Christ assemble to
hear God’s Saving Word and to receive God’s holy Sacraments. Therefore, the
Church is visible among us here, today, and from this Church the lines of
Christian fellowship reach out to our fellow believers in the household of God
all over the world as they also reach out to the lost.
Our
membership in the Church is not simply a willy-nilly association guided by the
rules of men, but rather, our Lord has laid down a specific formula for our
allegiance to this Christian fellowship and for our steadfast continuance
herein. This formula was effectively demonstrated in the life and practice of
the
This
is the pattern of the Christian life; the guideline of the Christian loyalty program prescribed for the children of God.
“They
devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching,” that is, the doctrine,
the body of divine, religious truths communicated to the Apostles by God
Himself and then set forth by the Spirit led apostolic writings of the New
Testament. Today we hear much of a development of doctrine or the adaptation
and reinterpretation of Christian dogma so as to make it fit our twenty-first
century intellect—that wonderfully enlightened intellect which has brought us
civil laws and religious organizations, which conflict directly with God’s Holy
Word and Will.
However,
the question must be asked, does doctrine develop? To answer this question we
need only ask the question: “Does God develop?” God is eternal and
unchangeable. Holy Scripture tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). Furthermore, God identifies
Himself with the truth when He says, “I am the Truth” and “My
Word is truth.” In this context, our Lord’s Word is the same as saying His doctrine. Thus, if God is
unchanging; His Word is unchanging, and His doctrine is unchanging.
In
reference to this question, I might also ask, “Do men insist on logic?” That’s
like asking, “Do we breathe air?” Sure men insist on logic and here within
God’s Word man has the logic he covets! To be a Christian and cling to the
Apostles’ doctrine is the most obvious, the most irrefutable logic one can
find.
In
that doctrine of the Apostles’—that doctrine revolving around the atoning
sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world—we, like the early Christians,
must continue to remain steadfast. Therefore, that doctrine to which we pledged
our loyalty on our confirmation day is fixed and true. Its claim on us is just as
real today as it was then. Therefore, we must cling to that doctrine: for it is
the anchor of our hope and the compass which points our way to heaven.
However,
doctrine is not an end in itself, rather, it is a means. It is the means that
leads you to a new and vital Christian life, a life exhibited by love for God
and love for neighbor. All our theological language, all of our doctrinal
formulas will amount to nothing more than “noisy gongs or clanging cymbals”
unless it is translated into Christian love which imitates the love of Christ,
our Savior.
We
also observe that the life of the early Christian was characterized by
fellowship. Not some social fellowship characterized by social dinners and
games, which has taken over many of the parishes today and has led to many
worthy people believing that is what constitutes
Christian service. No, the fellowship of the
“There
is no fraternity like Christianity.” Thus it is to this fraternity, this
fellowship of faith, that we affirm our unity in the faith as we commune at the
Lord’s Table receiving His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins and
the strengthening of our faith. This very same sacred act loomed large in the
life of the early Christian Church.
We
cannot remind ourselves enough of the true importance of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
In this divine meal our Lord Jesus offers us all the treasures He brought from
heaven for us. He gives us the perpetual gift of Himself by coming to us,
physically, His body and blood in and under the bread and wine, thereby
creating a bridge between ourselves and heaven all to assure us of the
forgiveness of sins in His name and our union with Him as redeemed children of
God. Moreover, we must understand that the reception of this Sacrament is not
an “optional extra” in the Christians life. Martin Luther has been quoted as
saying, “that whoever feels no need of the Sacrament should look around and see
whether he is still in the world and pinch himself to
see whether he still has flesh and blood. For if this is so, he is still a
sinner; and if he is still a sinner, he needs the Sacrament—and he needs it
often.” Moreover, as we see the shadows of our years closing around us, we must
feel an especially urgent need for the Sacrament. It is good to feel that our
Savior is near. It is good to know we are still His own. It is good to feel His
power coursing through our veins. It is good to have His peace in our hearts.
All this shall be yours in just a few short minutes as you come to the chancel
rail to commune with Christ.
Finally,
we are told that the early Christians continued steadfast in prayer. For
prayer, indeed, is the Christian’s personal conversation with God—a God who is
never too busy to listen and never too remote to help. Thus I ask, what are you
praying for these days? Is it the establishment of an end to terrorism and a
lasting world peace, or relief for all the needy people of the earth, or an
avoidance of hard times? Without question, we should pray for all these things,
for they help our neighbor. However, we should also pray for ourselves. What
would you pray for? Would it be happiness in your home, prosperity in your
business, success in your school work, health and strength for yourself or a
loved one, or wisdom to resolve a personal problem? These are all worthy
reasons to pray and it is well that you should pray for such things as long as
their not centered in selfishness. St. Matthew reminds us that our Lord Jesus
said, “But seek first the
More
than all things we should pray for spiritual blessings—the forgiveness of sins,
of which we stand in daily need; a sincere concern for the Church and
unflagging loyalty to her eternal cause; a purer love; a stronger faith to love
the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our
minds and the ability to love our neighbor as ourselves; to make a bolder
confession of Him who loved us and gave Himself up for us; and to be able to
keep our confirmation vows faithfully.
This,
then, is both our highest obligation and our most sacred privilege: that we “devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching
and fellowship and to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” This is The Christians Loyalty Program, those
who are the children of God. Amen.
May the Peace of God which
passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.