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Let us pray.

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May the words
of my God and the

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meditation of our
hearts be accepted by

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my sight, O Lord,

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our strength and our redeemer.

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Amen.

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It's hard to believe
that Thanksgiving is

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right around the corner.

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You are in the middle
of a fall semester

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with lots of work
yet to be done before

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you get

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released for a
Thanksgiving break and

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then finish it out
before Christmas.

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Yet before we get to
Thanksgiving, we've

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had some very
special days that we're

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coming

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off the heels of in
October and November.

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We have Reformation
Day, All Saints Day,

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and then yesterday,
November 10th, which

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we as

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Lutherans know and
celebrate as Martin

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Luther's birthday.

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However, after almost
30 years as a Navy

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Chaplain who spent
many of those years

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with Marines,

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one never forgets
that it is also the

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birthday of the
United States Marine

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Corps.

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In fact, when I
served in the Pentagon

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with the Marines,
I used to call this

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their Holy

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Week.

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As it seemed all
week, I was praying at

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ceremonies for cake
cutting or birthday

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dinners, but

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now we are on the
day after that, the

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11th of November,
which also has two

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special things

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that we remember
in both realms, civil

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and the church.

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In the civil realm,
we remember it's

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Veterans Day where
we are reminded and

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give thanks

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to all those who
have served our nation

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in uniform and
continue to serve

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honorably and

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faithfully.

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Yet today in the
church at our chapel, we

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commemorate
St. Martin of Tours.

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In honor of St. Martin
of Tours, we have

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a tradition of
announcing the names of

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LCMS

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chaplains who will
be receiving the St.

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Martin of Tours Medal.

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An award in the name
of St. Martin Tours

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is properly
appropriate for Lutheran

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chaplains.

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As a young man,
Martin of Tours, who was

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born in 316 AD,
served as an officer in

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the Roman

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Army.

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Tradition has it
that one day he

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encountered a poor
beggar shivering from

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the cold.

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Martin drew his
sword, cut his military

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cape into two, and
covered the beggar

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with one

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half.

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Martin eventually
became a cleric,

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founded a monastery,
and over the years

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of his piety

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and devotion to
Christ became so well

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known that he was
installed as Bishop of

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Tours,

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France.

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Following his death,
the remaining half

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of Martin's cape
became an object of

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veneration.

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French kings had
the cape carried into

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battle and prepared
a tent-like portable

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shrine for

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it.

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In Latin, the
shrine was called a

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cappella, and the
priest who was given

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responsibility

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for the cappa and the
cappella was called

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the capellanus.

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It is through these
terms that we now

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have the English
words chapel and

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chaplain.

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Consequently, since
the medieval days,

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Martin of Tours has
been identified with

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those serving

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as military chaplains.

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In fact, if you walk
over to the Concordia

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Historical Institute,
immediately on your

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right you will see
a Saint Martin of

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Tours display.

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So for us Lutherans,
Martin of Tours has

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an additional
significant connection

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because

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as we know, Martin
Luther was born

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November 10, 1483,
and the day after he

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was baptized,

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and since it was
Saint Martin of Tours

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Day, the baby
was called Martin.

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Thus, two Martins
as defenders of the

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faith.

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So the reading
appointed for this

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commemoration is
appropriate and yet a

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challenging word

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of scripture that
could lead us to

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self-righteousness
or despair because

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it's a terrible thing to

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fall into the hands
of the living God.

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You see, both the
sheep and the goats are

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unaware of the
eternal significance of

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their

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action or inaction.

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Their action or
inaction are simply

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external evidence
of faith, and faith is

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not their

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doing.

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God does the work of faith.

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God makes the sheep.

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This parable does
not teach that sheep

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save themselves by
feeding the hungry,

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clothing

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the naked,
visiting the sick or

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imprisoned.

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We know this already
of course, for it is

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believers, if
believers are saved by

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feeding

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the hungry, visiting
the sick, then they

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are saved by
works, not by Christ.

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By the death of
Jesus, Saint Martin of

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Tours or Martin
Luther for that matter

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are not about

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saving themselves
or earning God's

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salvation.

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They were serving
God and their neighbor

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while proclaiming the gospel.

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God makes us his
sheep through Christ's

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death on the cross.

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The King says in our text,

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The Father has blessed
us by sending his

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Son Jesus into our
world to take on our

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guilt

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of sin.

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The suffering and
death of Christ on the

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cross forgives all
our guilt and frees us

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to be

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people of God intended
that he has given

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us for the works to do.

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The resurrected
Christ delivers this new

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life to us in our baptism
and we are made

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new people,

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Christ's sheep to
care for our neighbor.

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My friends, this is
your joy and certain

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hope.

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Therefore as you
wait for his coming, you

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are set free in
thankfulness to do good

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works

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according to your vocation.

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Serving your neighbor
is certainly what

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Christians are set free to do.

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In the vocations of
father and mother,

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parents care for
those who are hungry,

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thirsty and

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sometimes sick.

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In the vocation of
seminarian, professor,

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staff, spouse, you
do your diligent work

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and

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serve and work hard
to bring the gospel

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of Jesus Christ.

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As a neighbor
and citizen, there is

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always an opportunity
to assist the poor,

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the indigent,

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the unemployed
and the downtrodden.

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You are set free
to do these things

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because the Lord
has served you with

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compassion.

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You do not do these
things to become a

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believer or to
earn your salvation.

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You do these things
because you believe,

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because you have
heard the word and the

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gospel has

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led to deeds.

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Isn't it a great
point in our text that

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the sheep are
surprised that they are

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doing acts

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of charity for the king?

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This is what
happens in life of a

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Christian.

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The gratitude of
God for his gracious

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work in our lives
simply overflows into

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doing good

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works.

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It's like the apple tree.

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It never decides
to bear apples.

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It just is what
apple trees do.

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Christians filled
with Christ's love

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share that love
with their neighbors.

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While you as
seminarians, professors,

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staff of Concordia,
family, friends of

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the seminary

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are not beggars by
worldly standards.

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We are all beggars
before the Lord in the

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need of his charity,
his love, his mercy,

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his cross, his
forgiveness and his

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resurrection.

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So as one beggar
to another, I'm

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privileged and humbled
to share with you

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this good news

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of Jesus Christ that
we can bask in his

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glory and not be
afraid of that judgment

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day because

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we know with all
confidence that we are

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saved by the grace
of God for Christ's

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sake through

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faith, not by our works
what we have done

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or not done.

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Thus we are not
afraid of death and hell.

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Like for both Saint
Martin's, God's call

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has been overwhelming.

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As you live your life
as a Christian, who

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are those from whom
God is calling you to

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00:08:08,433 --> 00:08:09,566
share your cloak?

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Where are those who
need to experience

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the love of Christ
to know like you his

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wonderful

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00:08:15,900 --> 00:08:18,833
salvation won for
you and them and the

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00:08:18,833 --> 00:08:20,466
world by his cross?

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What a message we
find in this parable of

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the sheep and goats.

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Yes, there is a warning
that judgment day

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is coming, but for
you there is no fear.

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Yours is not a life of terror.

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Instead, it is one
of joyful service and

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grateful obedience
to him who came to

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serve and give

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His life as a ransom
for you and the

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world.

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This lack of fear
and confidence is not

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00:08:47,933 --> 00:08:50,266
arrogance or thinking
we have earned

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00:08:50,266 --> 00:08:51,700
anything by helping

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the poor.

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It's because you
already know the outcome

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of the final judgment for you.

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The judge who
sits upon the throne

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declares, I have
suffered your sentence

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for you.

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The price has been paid.

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You are not guilty
because you are

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00:09:08,066 --> 00:09:10,100
forgiven of all your
sins in the name of

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the Father

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00:09:10,766 --> 00:09:12,600
and of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost.

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So this judge, this
Jesus in our text

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says to you, come
you who are blessed by

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my Father,

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00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,833
inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from

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00:09:24,833 --> 00:09:27,033
the foundation of the world.

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00:09:27,833 --> 00:09:28,066
Amen.