WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.423 --> 00:00:07.123 In the Name of Christ Jesus, the hope of every generation. Amen. 2 00:00:09.523 --> 00:00:12.123 Well, welcome to this fall term. 3 00:00:12.123 --> 00:00:15.223 The new Academic Year at Concordia Seminary. 4 00:00:15.223 --> 00:00:18.123 I hope that you had a delightful summer. 5 00:00:19.323 --> 00:00:23.723 One of the highlights of my summer was watching the Olympics, 6 00:00:23.723 --> 00:00:26.223 the Tokyo Olympics on television. 7 00:00:28.023 --> 00:00:35.723 Observing those fine athletes compete and cheering on our USA team. 8 00:00:37.723 --> 00:00:42.123 There was one disappointment this summer as I was watching the 9 00:00:42.123 --> 00:00:42.623 Olympics. 10 00:00:42.623 --> 00:00:49.423 That was the Men's Track and Field team competing in the 4 by 100 11 00:00:49.423 --> 00:00:50.423 meter relay. 12 00:00:51.723 --> 00:00:56.223 This team had been touted as having great potential to medal 13 00:00:57.323 --> 00:01:00.623 and yet, they didn't even qualify for the finals. 14 00:01:01.823 --> 00:01:05.823 In the preliminary heat, they placed sixth. 15 00:01:07.423 --> 00:01:10.523 Carl Lewis, that great track 16 00:01:10.523 --> 00:01:14.923 star of past years, immediately tweeted after their performance. 17 00:01:14.923 --> 00:01:19.123 This was a clown show a total embarrassment. 18 00:01:21.723 --> 00:01:26.523 Now the foursome on that team did many things poorly but especially 19 00:01:26.523 --> 00:01:33.223 they failed in the hand off of the baton from one to another. 20 00:01:34.623 --> 00:01:39.823 The passing of the baton was ill-timed and awkward. 21 00:01:41.023 --> 00:01:47.623 As they attempted to relay that baton from one runner to the next. 22 00:01:50.923 --> 00:01:57.923 Our text today from Deuteronomy chapter 4, portrays Moses 23 00:01:58.823 --> 00:02:02.823 and his concern with the passing of the baton. 24 00:02:04.223 --> 00:02:10.023 His concern with the handoff of Faith from one generation to another. 25 00:02:11.723 --> 00:02:16.123 The setting is the plain of Moab 26 00:02:17.123 --> 00:02:22.423 and Moses now is preparing this new generation to go into the land and 27 00:02:22.423 --> 00:02:27.723 take possession of the promised land that God had given to his people 28 00:02:27.723 --> 00:02:29.423 and was giving to them. 29 00:02:31.323 --> 00:02:36.023 The former generation to generation of the Wilderness wanderings have 30 00:02:36.023 --> 00:02:37.323 now passed on. 31 00:02:37.323 --> 00:02:41.723 And so it was time for a new generation to enter into the land. 32 00:02:43.223 --> 00:02:48.223 And Moses was concerned that this new generation would be faithful 33 00:02:49.223 --> 00:02:52.123 to God's word and God's will. 34 00:02:53.423 --> 00:02:55.123 That's what Deuteronomy is 35 00:02:55.123 --> 00:02:56.523 it's his last words, 36 00:02:56.523 --> 00:03:02.323 his last sermon or series of sermons, emphasizing the priorities for 37 00:03:02.323 --> 00:03:05.423 these people as they would enter into this land. 38 00:03:07.223 --> 00:03:12.023 Our text today from Deuteronomy chapter 4 in verse one 39 00:03:12.023 --> 00:03:14.523 Ggives us these words of Moses. 40 00:03:15.723 --> 00:03:20.723 And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am 41 00:03:20.723 --> 00:03:26.123 teaching you and do them that you may live, and go in and take 42 00:03:26.123 --> 00:03:30.023 possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers is 43 00:03:30.023 --> 00:03:30.723 giving you. 44 00:03:32.723 --> 00:03:35.723 Notice what he says, this land is a gift. 45 00:03:36.823 --> 00:03:39.323 The Lord is giving it to you. 46 00:03:39.323 --> 00:03:45.223 It's his gift for you to live in to flourish in. 47 00:03:47.823 --> 00:03:54.123 But he says, you need to listen in order to live in this land. 48 00:03:55.423 --> 00:04:05.023 Listen, Shama, listen to the statutes, the word of the Lord, and then 49 00:04:05.023 --> 00:04:06.223 you will live. 50 00:04:08.223 --> 00:04:14.623 Moses continues in versus nine and following providing this warning. 51 00:04:16.023 --> 00:04:19.823 Only take care and keep your soul diligently 52 00:04:19.823 --> 00:04:23.623 Llest you forget the things that your eyes have seen and 53 00:04:23.623 --> 00:04:28.823 less they depart from your heart, all the days of your life. Make 54 00:04:28.823 --> 00:04:33.023 them known to your children and your children's children. 55 00:04:34.423 --> 00:04:38.623 How on the day you stood before the Lord, your God at Horeb the 56 00:04:38.623 --> 00:04:43.423 Lord said to me gather the people to me that I may let them hear my 57 00:04:43.423 --> 00:04:48.223 words so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on 58 00:04:48.223 --> 00:04:51.923 the earth and that they may teach their children 59 00:04:51.923 --> 00:04:53.423 also. 60 00:04:56.123 --> 00:05:01.423 Moses clear concern here, is that as they receive the gift of the 61 00:05:01.423 --> 00:05:03.323 land, they not forget the giver. 62 00:05:05.423 --> 00:05:12.523 And that as one generation passes after the other that this faith in the 63 00:05:12.523 --> 00:05:17.223 giver would be passed on from generation to generation to generation. 64 00:05:20.623 --> 00:05:21.523 Well, how they do? 65 00:05:24.223 --> 00:05:30.123 The narrative in the Book of Joshua says that that generation was 66 00:05:30.123 --> 00:05:31.623 fairly faithful to the Lord. 67 00:05:31.623 --> 00:05:34.323 They possessed the land. 68 00:05:36.123 --> 00:05:40.823 But at the beginning of the Book of Judges, this is what we read, 69 00:05:40.823 --> 00:05:46.523 Judges, 2 verse 10, and there arose another generation after them, 70 00:05:46.523 --> 00:05:52.323 who did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel. 71 00:05:53.523 --> 00:05:56.623 They did not know what the Lord another generation. 72 00:05:58.323 --> 00:06:01.223 The baton had been fumbled. 73 00:06:02.123 --> 00:06:06.423 The handoff of Faith had failed. 74 00:06:11.023 --> 00:06:12.523 So what about us today? 75 00:06:14.123 --> 00:06:16.323 What relevance does this have for us 76 00:06:16.323 --> 00:06:18.523 as we begin a new Academic Year? 77 00:06:20.023 --> 00:06:24.523 Well in many ways as we start this new Academic Year and we welcome new 78 00:06:24.523 --> 00:06:29.623 students into our community of study here. 79 00:06:30.823 --> 00:06:33.423 It is a kind of passing on of a baton. 80 00:06:34.723 --> 00:06:36.123 Hand off of faith. 81 00:06:37.023 --> 00:06:40.323 To a another generation, a new generation. 82 00:06:42.323 --> 00:06:47.323 And as we see in our society today here, in the United States of 83 00:06:47.323 --> 00:06:48.023 America. 84 00:06:49.023 --> 00:06:55.023 The church is not doing such a good job of passing on that Faith to a 85 00:06:55.023 --> 00:06:55.623 new generation. 86 00:06:59.523 --> 00:07:07.623 Younger generations are not following the Lord as previous ones had. 87 00:07:09.223 --> 00:07:13.423 Scott Chrostek in his study of emerging Generations writes 88 00:07:13.423 --> 00:07:13.723 this; 89 00:07:15.323 --> 00:07:23.323 whereas 85% of the silent generation born 1928 to 1945 call themselves 90 00:07:23.323 --> 00:07:24.123 Christians. 91 00:07:24.123 --> 00:07:31.823 Just 56% of today's younger Millennials born 1990 to 1996 92 00:07:31.823 --> 00:07:32.723 do the same. 93 00:07:33.723 --> 00:07:39.023 Even though the vast majority about 8 and 10 was raised in religious 94 00:07:39.023 --> 00:07:39.523 homes. 95 00:07:40.823 --> 00:07:46.523 Over the past 70 years, each successive generation has included fewer 96 00:07:46.523 --> 00:07:51.923 and fewer Christians and the overwhelming majority of the Christians 97 00:07:51.923 --> 00:07:55.423 remaining today are over the age of 35. 98 00:07:58.923 --> 00:08:02.223 That's the scenario in our society today. 99 00:08:04.123 --> 00:08:07.323 A failure to pass on the faith. 100 00:08:08.823 --> 00:08:11.923 To pass on the baton of faith and faithfulness. 101 00:08:14.223 --> 00:08:21.323 Oh, we might shake our heads and pluck our tongues at Generation X, Y 102 00:08:21.323 --> 00:08:21.823 or Z. 103 00:08:23.623 --> 00:08:29.423 But even my generation the boomer generation is at fault. 104 00:08:29.423 --> 00:08:36.023 Remember, in a relay, it takes both the one who is handing off the 105 00:08:36.023 --> 00:08:40.923 baton and the one who is receiving, the baton and the falult can lie and 106 00:08:40.923 --> 00:08:41.823 either, or both. 107 00:08:43.223 --> 00:08:47.823 And there's plenty of blame to be passed around among all our 108 00:08:47.823 --> 00:08:48.923 generations. 109 00:08:50.823 --> 00:08:56.623 And so, in many ways, there is a sense of hopelessness here. 110 00:08:57.923 --> 00:08:58.923 What can be done? 111 00:09:01.423 --> 00:09:07.723 But we can turn our hope, we find hope not in ourselves in our 112 00:09:07.723 --> 00:09:12.023 faithfulness, but in God and his faithfulness. 113 00:09:13.823 --> 00:09:19.323 This is where Moses turns the attention of the Israelites to Yahweh 114 00:09:19.323 --> 00:09:22.223 and his faithfulness to them. 115 00:09:23.623 --> 00:09:26.523 In Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 9. 116 00:09:26.523 --> 00:09:29.423 Moses says, know therefore that 117 00:09:29.423 --> 00:09:30.123 Yahweh 118 00:09:30.123 --> 00:09:32.023 Your God is God. 119 00:09:32.023 --> 00:09:39.523 He is the faithful God keeping, his Covenant of Love to a thousand 120 00:09:39.523 --> 00:09:41.723 generations of those who love him. 121 00:09:44.023 --> 00:09:46.523 God is a faithful God 122 00:09:47.723 --> 00:09:49.823 and he keeps his promises. 123 00:09:50.923 --> 00:09:54.823 He keeps his Covenant of Love to a thousand Generations. 124 00:09:54.823 --> 00:09:59.223 From generation to generation to generation to generation 125 00:09:59.223 --> 00:10:01.523 God is faithful. 126 00:10:03.623 --> 00:10:09.723 He established that Covenant of Love with Abraham and promised Abraham 127 00:10:09.723 --> 00:10:12.923 that through his offspring, his seed 128 00:10:12.923 --> 00:10:16.823 all the families of the Earth would be blessed. 129 00:10:16.823 --> 00:10:24.523 The curse of sin would be reversed in his offspring in his descendant. 130 00:10:26.323 --> 00:10:30.223 And that seed of Promise was passed on from generation to generation 131 00:10:30.223 --> 00:10:35.323 to generation throughout the Old Testament, until we come to the New 132 00:10:35.323 --> 00:10:41.023 Testament, Matthew chapter 1, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. 133 00:10:41.923 --> 00:10:47.923 And there, according to Matthew, we have 42 Generations from Abraham 134 00:10:47.923 --> 00:10:49.523 to Jesus. 135 00:10:51.823 --> 00:10:54.923 And the Covenant promise is fulfilled. 136 00:10:56.823 --> 00:11:04.323 The descendant of Abraham has come to reverse the curse of sin and 137 00:11:04.323 --> 00:11:08.723 bring blessing to the nation's to all generations. 138 00:11:10.923 --> 00:11:15.723 And Jesus Christ was faithful to his mission. 139 00:11:16.923 --> 00:11:21.723 Faithful to his mission to atone for our sin. 140 00:11:21.723 --> 00:11:25.023 The sin of the world, the sin of every generation 141 00:11:25.023 --> 00:11:26.723 he was faithful to that. 142 00:11:28.423 --> 00:11:32.523 He went to the cross he emerged from the tomb. 143 00:11:32.523 --> 00:11:34.723 He ascended on high 144 00:11:36.123 --> 00:11:37.923 and sent his Holy Spirit. 145 00:11:39.623 --> 00:11:42.923 And on Pentecost day, the Apostle, Peter declared, 146 00:11:43.923 --> 00:11:45.223 You repent 147 00:11:46.423 --> 00:11:52.423 and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive 148 00:11:52.423 --> 00:11:59.123 the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Promise is for you and your children. 149 00:12:01.123 --> 00:12:03.923 For ongoing Generations 150 00:12:04.523 --> 00:12:06.623 the promise for you. 151 00:12:07.723 --> 00:12:09.223 The faithful God 152 00:12:09.223 --> 00:12:10.823 and His faithful promise. 153 00:12:10.823 --> 00:12:17.523 His Covenant love. His New Covenant Love passes on. 154 00:12:19.023 --> 00:12:24.123 And from generation to generation to generation, it has passed on to 155 00:12:24.123 --> 00:12:24.423 you. 156 00:12:26.323 --> 00:12:32.423 And now God gathers you, thank God that he gathers you here in this 157 00:12:32.423 --> 00:12:32.823 place. 158 00:12:34.423 --> 00:12:42.123 To learn to grow, to hear to listen, so that you might live, but also 159 00:12:42.123 --> 00:12:47.923 that you might give that life giving word to others, as you will be 160 00:12:47.923 --> 00:12:53.123 sent forth as pastors and deaconesses and missionaries from this place 161 00:12:53.123 --> 00:13:01.723 to your generation, and the generations that follow. God is faithful 162 00:13:03.623 --> 00:13:05.423 to every generation. 163 00:13:07.323 --> 00:13:13.623 And his faithfulness is shown in his sending of servants of his word 164 00:13:14.723 --> 00:13:17.323 so that generations might listen 165 00:13:18.623 --> 00:13:20.123 and live. 166 00:13:26.023 --> 00:13:28.723 I began this sermon describing 167 00:13:29.823 --> 00:13:33.823 my distain and watching the U.S. 168 00:13:33.823 --> 00:13:40.623 Men's 4 by 100 meter relay relay team and their performance. 169 00:13:42.023 --> 00:13:47.723 But two days after that, on August 7th, I watched another performance. 170 00:13:48.823 --> 00:13:54.823 This was the 4 x, 400m men's relay team 171 00:13:55.923 --> 00:13:57.723 and they performed flawlessly. 172 00:13:59.323 --> 00:14:02.223 Especially those handoffs were 173 00:14:03.323 --> 00:14:06.123 perfectly timed and executed 174 00:14:07.423 --> 00:14:12.123 and they won the gold medal and I cheered, 175 00:14:14.723 --> 00:14:17.123 for this, our team. 176 00:14:19.123 --> 00:14:19.923 Even more 177 00:14:19.923 --> 00:14:25.323 so I rejoice at this our team that God has 178 00:14:26.223 --> 00:14:32.323 and trust that he will use you to pass on the baton of faith 179 00:14:33.423 --> 00:14:35.223 to future generations 180 00:14:37.323 --> 00:14:41.223 that they may receive the Crown of Life. 181 00:14:44.923 --> 00:14:47.923 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.