WEBVTT 00:00.300 --> 00:02.800 And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb 00:04.100 --> 00:08.200 and through the word, of their Witness. 00:09.500 --> 00:10.500 Please be seated. 00:12.900 --> 00:15.800 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:15.800 --> 00:16.400 Amen. 00:17.800 --> 00:21.600 I suppose you like me or a little disheveled today thinking about the 00:21.600 --> 00:26.600 hurricane in Florida and the terrible devastation. I found out just an 00:26.600 --> 00:30.200 hour ago that my family's fine so we're very thankful for that. 00:30.900 --> 00:35.000 But many pastors have been deluged their homes destroyed. 00:35.000 --> 00:39.600 Many congregations will suffer huge damage and it'll be tremendous 00:39.600 --> 00:40.100 work. 00:40.600 --> 00:44.000 I remember Katrina some long time ago. 00:44.000 --> 00:46.000 And I was talking to the district president 00:46.000 --> 00:50.800 at the time, Curtis Schultz, right after the storm occurred and said, 00:50.800 --> 00:51.900 what do you need most? 00:51.900 --> 00:56.800 He said, we need chainsaws all the chainsaws you can bring. And so I 00:56.800 --> 01:01.300 found a private jet owned by a nice LCMS guy, and we loaded it up 01:01.300 --> 01:07.800 with chainsaws. Flew down to Baton Rouge started doing an assessment 01:07.800 --> 01:10.100 was one of the craziest few days of my life. 01:10.900 --> 01:16.200 And I had been looking at those people in the South who had suffered 01:16.200 --> 01:17.700 Katrina as victims. 01:18.300 --> 01:23.600 I remember, I was asked to preach at Trinity, Baton Rouge, still 01:23.600 --> 01:27.400 looking at people as victims, needing help from the outside. 01:28.100 --> 01:31.800 And at the end of the service Pastor Schemding asked, if there were 01:31.800 --> 01:35.400 volunteers to do a number of things that needed to be done 01:35.400 --> 01:39.000 immediately. And the whole congregation was like the whole 01:39.000 --> 01:40.500 congregation step 01:40.600 --> 01:42.400 forth in mass. 01:45.200 --> 01:47.200 And here they were the victims of this 01:47.200 --> 01:51.200 and yet all of them said, we're not hit that bad 01:51.200 --> 01:57.800 I know Neighbors in much worse situations. Why does it 01:57.800 --> 01:59.300 Why do things like that happen? 02:01.100 --> 02:06.600 Luther has a profound, exposition of Jacob wrestling with the angel at 02:06.600 --> 02:11.900 Peniel, the Malak Yahweh, the angel of the Lord, who he believes is 02:11.900 --> 02:13.300 the pre-incarnate Christ. 02:14.600 --> 02:16.800 And this was no play 02:16.800 --> 02:19.100 no game says Luther. 02:19.100 --> 02:21.000 This was a fight to the match. 02:21.000 --> 02:25.200 I mean, Jacob was absolutely sure that this Angel was going to kill 02:25.200 --> 02:25.500 him. 02:28.800 --> 02:33.400 And Jacob held to the promise, held onto the angel of the Lord. 02:34.100 --> 02:35.000 I will not go 02:35.000 --> 02:36.600 unless you bless me. 02:39.200 --> 02:40.400 It's the struggle of life. 02:40.400 --> 02:46.000 It's the struggle of knowing deep temptations and struggles come upon 02:46.000 --> 02:46.400 us. 02:47.200 --> 02:50.400 And is it the devil that is afflicting us? 02:51.200 --> 02:53.600 Is it the Lord's Lord himself 02:53.600 --> 02:55.100 who is bringing these upon us? 02:56.300 --> 02:57.500 How do we understand it? 02:57.500 --> 02:59.900 And the answer is probably, yes 03:00.000 --> 03:05.600 both the Lord uses also the evil angels for his purposes 03:06.800 --> 03:07.900 and his good angels. 03:09.500 --> 03:15.000 You here are studying for a profound profession, deaconesses too. 03:16.500 --> 03:18.600 You are studying for the office of the ministry. 03:20.400 --> 03:22.700 And this will be your hurricane in life. 03:24.300 --> 03:26.100 This will be your greatest challenge. 03:27.400 --> 03:32.500 We had an orientation for the new District presidents, couple weeks ago. 03:33.100 --> 03:35.400 And I just laid out 03:36.500 --> 03:42.600 the requirements for the office of Episcopos, applied most 03:42.600 --> 03:43.900 directly to the office 03:43.900 --> 03:50.700 you are going to assume. The saying is trustworthy, if anyone aspires 03:50.700 --> 03:54.000 to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 03:54.300 --> 03:55.300 Praise the Lord. 03:57.100 --> 04:02.300 Therefore, an overseer and Episcopos must be able above reproach. 04:04.500 --> 04:07.700 Not being able to be caught out. 04:09.100 --> 04:11.900 Is there something in your life that if we knew about it or the 04:11.900 --> 04:14.100 Seminary knew about it, would catch you out? 04:16.399 --> 04:17.600 The husband of one wife. 04:19.800 --> 04:21.600 But how many women live in your head? 04:24.100 --> 04:25.200 Sober minded. 04:26.900 --> 04:28.400 Do you find yourself angry? 04:29.500 --> 04:30.400 Jealous. 04:31.300 --> 04:34.600 Fearful. What do you love? 04:36.700 --> 04:38.100 Are you self controlled? 04:40.100 --> 04:40.600 Are you? 04:42.600 --> 04:44.200 Or do you sin over and again? 04:46.100 --> 04:47.400 Are you respectable? 04:49.700 --> 04:50.400 On the outside, 04:50.400 --> 04:50.900 yes. 04:53.400 --> 04:54.800 Are you hospitable? 04:56.500 --> 04:58.300 A lover of strangers. 05:01.900 --> 05:04.300 That will strike you as a pastor repeatedly. 05:06.600 --> 05:13.600 Are you able to teach or are your studies kind of a pain on the way to 05:13.600 --> 05:14.800 your real goal? 05:16.300 --> 05:18.600 The shape a Ministry in your own image. 05:21.000 --> 05:25.100 Or are you here to truly become apt to teach the word of God? 05:26.500 --> 05:27.700 Not a drunkard 05:28.900 --> 05:30.600 that's over fond of wine. 05:32.200 --> 05:36.600 It's a temptation for many and as you face anxiety in the parish or 05:36.600 --> 05:41.800 anxiety here, constant concern about somebody calling you about the 05:41.800 --> 05:44.900 next problem that will arise about that. 05:44.900 --> 05:48.000 One member in the congregation that is an absolute pain. 05:48.900 --> 05:53.000 Causes you anxiety every day and you'll be so myopic that you'll be 05:53.000 --> 05:57.200 worried about the one and forget the 150, who love you. 06:01.500 --> 06:02.900 He must manage his household 06:02.900 --> 06:04.500 well, with all dignity 06:04.500 --> 06:05.400 keeping his children 06:05.400 --> 06:11.900 submissive. I don't even need to say anything. 06:12.900 --> 06:16.000 If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he 06:16.000 --> 06:17.400 care for God's Church? 06:19.000 --> 06:21.700 Think of your interaction with your wife and your children. 06:22.800 --> 06:25.100 Is it something you'd want the church to know about? 06:28.100 --> 06:31.500 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, 06:32.500 --> 06:33.400 etc. 06:36.200 --> 06:40.000 My friends, that is a sobering list of the law, isn't it? 06:40.900 --> 06:42.100 It really is. 06:44.100 --> 06:45.700 And frankly, it's impossible. 06:49.500 --> 06:51.000 The law always accuses. 06:54.200 --> 06:59.400 The accuser has been cast down, according to our text cast down thrown 06:59.400 --> 06:59.900 out. 07:01.900 --> 07:06.800 Luther says that this casting down happens by the blood of the Lamb 07:07.300 --> 07:09.600 and by the proclamation of the Word. 07:10.500 --> 07:14.200 And so therefore, the casting out happened with Christ's death and 07:14.200 --> 07:15.000 Resurrection. 07:15.500 --> 07:17.400 That's what Revelation is talking about. 07:17.900 --> 07:21.400 And the continual casting down of the devil happens by the 07:21.400 --> 07:26.000 proclamation of the Word, and that is the task to which you are spire. 07:27.300 --> 07:32.400 It's a great task and it means you're stepping into the whirlwind with 07:32.400 --> 07:33.600 a devil in front of you. 07:35.300 --> 07:37.100 But he has been cast down. 07:37.100 --> 07:39.100 The accuser is cast down. 07:39.600 --> 07:46.800 I tell you there is an Episcopos the bishop of our souls who is 07:46.800 --> 07:48.800 above reproach for you. 07:49.700 --> 07:53.000 He has never had an unchaste thought for you. 07:53.500 --> 07:57.900 He's always sober-minded assessing the situation for you. 07:58.200 --> 08:01.900 He is self-controlled, never loses it for you. 08:02.000 --> 08:05.000 He's respectable both on the outside and the inside 08:05.200 --> 08:05.800 for you. 08:05.900 --> 08:10.900 He's hospitable, he welcomes the sick, the lame, the leper, the 08:11.700 --> 08:13.400 moonstruck, everybody else. 08:13.400 --> 08:19.200 He welcomes them every time every day has mercy upon them and he does 08:19.200 --> 08:20.300 it for you. 08:20.700 --> 08:25.400 He is apt to teach and he leaves his teaching for you in the gospels 08:25.400 --> 08:29.400 that you might follow right behind him and use his words in your 08:29.400 --> 08:30.000 teaching. 08:30.300 --> 08:34.900 He is not a drunkard, he finds the line between drunkenness 08:35.400 --> 08:42.500 and abstinence and lives a full and wonderful life for you. 08:43.400 --> 08:47.600 He's not violent, but he's meek and he's gentle for you 08:47.600 --> 08:51.000 and to you, He says come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden 08:51.100 --> 08:52.600 and I will give you rest. 08:52.600 --> 08:53.900 He's not quarrelsome. 08:54.600 --> 08:57.100 In fact he silent before Pilate 08:57.100 --> 08:59.800 as he tries him, puts him to death. 09:00.300 --> 09:05.200 He's not a lover of money, foxes have holes birds have nests, but the 09:05.200 --> 09:07.300 son of man has no place to lay his head. 09:07.300 --> 09:08.400 He does it for you. 09:08.500 --> 09:10.500 He manages his household 09:10.500 --> 09:12.200 well, they thought he was crazy. 09:12.400 --> 09:16.100 He binds up loving his mother and giving the right words to them 09:16.100 --> 09:20.300 his brothers and sisters or cousins exactly what they needed at the 09:20.500 --> 09:22.500 time. He wasn't a recent convert 09:22.500 --> 09:24.900 He had 30 years prep for this moment. 09:25.000 --> 09:29.100 If the Christ needs 30 years prep for his moment of ministry, you 09:29.100 --> 09:31.100 better take a few years seriously. 09:33.300 --> 09:34.500 But he does it for you. 09:35.800 --> 09:40.100 And he's well, thought of by outsiders that is so far as the word of 09:40.100 --> 09:43.000 God can be well, thought of, and respectable. 09:44.200 --> 09:46.100 Yet he draws a theological line. 09:48.000 --> 09:53.500 Don't be downcast, the devil's been cast out. On this 09:53.500 --> 09:58.100 Michael must I bring you good news cast down by the blood of the Lamb 09:58.100 --> 10:01.600 is the Great Dragon, the ancient snake, the same snake, who would 10:01.600 --> 10:07.000 deceive you with forbidden fruit, sex, lies, pride, envy anger, and 10:07.000 --> 10:08.800 especially anxiety and fear. 10:09.000 --> 10:13.200 The deceiver of the whole world is cast down by the blood of the Lamb. 10:13.400 --> 10:17.700 He is the accuser of the world who still accuses you, but he has been 10:17.800 --> 10:22.600 cast away from the presence of God, and his accusations have no say in 10:22.600 --> 10:25.800 the face of God, because of Christ Jesus. 10:27.700 --> 10:32.700 Your sins have been dyed to death paid for and you are raised with 10:32.700 --> 10:36.700 Christ, cast down to the Earth and all his angels cast 10:36.700 --> 10:40.400 down. The devil's, all the world will fear. 10:40.500 --> 10:42.200 Fill all eager to devour us. 10:42.200 --> 10:42.900 We trembl 10:42.900 --> 10:45.100 not we fear no ill, 10:45.100 --> 10:49.200 they shall not overpower us. And it is God's own mighty voice from 10:49.200 --> 10:49.600 heaven. 10:49.900 --> 10:55.400 Now aginato. Now is the Salvation and the power and the kingdom 10:55.400 --> 10:57.300 of our God, and the authority 10:57.500 --> 11:02.300 exousia. Matthew 10, the authorities given to his Apostles. Matthew 28, 11:02.300 --> 11:05.900 the authority is given to his Apostles and the church. Christ 11:05.900 --> 11:08.500 own authority with his own word. 11:10.200 --> 11:14.400 Tthe kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for 11:14.400 --> 11:21.700 the accuser of our brothers, has been thrown down. Christ is Michael, 11:21.700 --> 11:22.500 says Luther. 11:24.100 --> 11:26.700 And it even higher authority, Brighton. 11:28.600 --> 11:36.200 This is not our war but this is Michael's war and conflict, 11:36.200 --> 11:44.600 Luther says. You are battlers in his conflict. Let thy Holy Angels, be 11:44.600 --> 11:46.400 with me that the wicked foe 11:46.400 --> 11:50.900 may have no power over me. Most of Luther's mikomo sermons, 11:50.900 --> 11:56.000 probably 12 to 1 use Matthew 18 as the text. The little child in the 11:56.000 --> 11:58.100 midst, when they're arguing, who's the greatest? 11:58.200 --> 11:59.900 And then, at the end their 12:00.000 --> 12:04.500 angel beholds the face of their Father in Heaven. Luther was 12:04.500 --> 12:07.000 convinced that we all have a guardian angel. 12:07.700 --> 12:09.000 Every Man has a good 12:09.000 --> 12:11.300 angel, Weimar 37, 3, 152. 12:14.700 --> 12:19.100 And just as God uses parents to govern the household, rulers to tend 12:19.100 --> 12:23.900 the government, pastors to attend the church, he uses angels to assist 12:23.900 --> 12:26.800 in all three. Without his angels 12:26.800 --> 12:30.300 the home would be nothing but anger and punishment and hatred, 12:30.300 --> 12:35.800 he says. And the devil wouldn't leave a drop of beer in the cellar. 12:36.800 --> 12:40.100 Without his angels, the state would be nothing but hangman, sword, judge 12:40.100 --> 12:42.900 and prison. Without the angels 12:43.000 --> 12:43.700 in the church 12:43.700 --> 12:47.600 it would be not be able to grace would not be preached, and there'd be 12:47.600 --> 12:49.600 nothing but sin and death. 12:50.600 --> 12:53.800 The Word cast out the devil and continues to the preaching of the 12:53.800 --> 12:54.400 Word. 12:55.200 --> 13:00.400 The Lord loves the office you hold and will hold and he will preserve 13:00.400 --> 13:00.800 you. 13:01.300 --> 13:05.600 And his angels will preserve this world. When he draws back his 13:05.600 --> 13:06.500 protection 13:07.900 --> 13:10.900 it appears as though he does not love does not care. 13:10.900 --> 13:15.400 It's nothing less than what he did with Christ himself. 13:16.900 --> 13:18.200 It appeared the worst. 13:18.500 --> 13:23.800 It was the Most Blessed activity in the history of the universe and it 13:23.800 --> 13:25.100 appeared to be the worst. 13:25.500 --> 13:31.700 So right now we mourn the loss in Florida but we know there are 13:31.700 --> 13:35.100 thousands upon thousands of Christian decent citizens 13:35.100 --> 13:35.700 etc. 13:36.200 --> 13:42.000 aided by his Holy Angels who are loving their neighbors right now and 13:42.000 --> 13:45.700 especially our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, loving them, in the 13:45.700 --> 13:46.500 name of Jesus. 13:46.600 --> 13:50.500 May His, Holy Angels be with you. Amen.