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To you from God,
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our Father and our Lord and
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Savior Jesus Christ.
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Today's sermon concludes the
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series on the Small Catechism
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here in this year's chapel.
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And it is as we just recited
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over that question of who
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receives the sacrament the
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Lord's Supper worthily.
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The question of out worthy
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reception, I believe,
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is best heard as ultimately an
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invitation to desire
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Holy Communion.
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While it also involves biblical
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instruction on the literal
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meaning of Christ's words which
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we've heard in other sermons as
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we go through the catechism,
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it also involves teaching about
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repentance and faith,
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law and gospel to receive what
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is being given. And of course,
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when it comes to leadership
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in congregations,
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as we discuss here
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at the seminary,
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it also involves setting helpful
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parameters for faithful
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participation to guard against
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spiritual peril.
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That is what guides a faithful
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practice of closed communion.
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But these practices are always
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and only for the sake of
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receiving Holy Communion with
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God and his people.
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Listen again to Luther's words
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and hear them as an invitation
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to commune.
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Fasting and bodily preparation
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are certainly a fine
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outward training,
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but that person is truly worthy
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and well prepared who has faith
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in these words given and shed
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for you for the forgiveness
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of sins.
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But anyone who does not believe
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these words or doubts them is
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unworthy and unprepared for the
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words for you require all
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hearts to believe.
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In these words,
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these words of invitation.
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I find two aspects that teach us
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to desire the Lord's Supper.
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One is quite obvious,
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the other is a little more
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subtle and is picked up in the
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scripture reading
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we heard before.
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But the first is this that we
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learn to desire the body and
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blood of Christ in faith for
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the forgiveness of sins.
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And secondly,
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that we desire the Lord's Supper
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as Holy Communion with
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God and his people.
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In other words,
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faithful preparation,
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desires Christ's forgiveness and
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his fellowship given
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in this meal.
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Well,
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these desires sometimes begin
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like they did for some friends
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of mine named Eric and Vicky
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about 20 years ago.
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It started with an introduction
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from their friend to me as the
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pastor of a congregation.
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And it went something
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like this. Pastor,
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you met Eric and Vicky at
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Vacation Bible School last week.
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They came to church with us
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today and they re interested in
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being part of our congregation
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after their experience during
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VBS not an uncommon thing.
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Well,
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I visited with this couple and
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in the few minutes we
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had before church,
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I could share with them a few
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things and told them we could
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talk more after the service.
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But I wanted to make sure that
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they felt comfortable
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and welcome,
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just as they did at VBS.
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So I explained a few
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things to them.
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I shared that in the service and
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I know your friends are going to
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be sitting with you because
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they said they would.
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In the service we'll have
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scripture readings and
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there'll be a sermon,
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there will be prayers
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and singing.
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And I also explained that at a
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particular time in the service
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that people will come forward
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to the altar rail.
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And I invited them to come
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forward, if they chose to,
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to receive a blessing at
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the altar. And I said,
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cross your arms over your
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heart and bow your head.
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When I come around,
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I'll give you a blessing.
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And I also noted that there will
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be other people attending who
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will be up there to receive what
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we call Holy Communion.
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And I said,
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we'll discuss what that's about
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later, after the service,
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if you would like.
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So we did that and they
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participated in the service.
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They came forward to receive a
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blessing at the altar with a
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big smile on their face.
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And afterwards we discussed
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more of this.
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Well,
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that's how their journey to
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desire Holy Communion began.
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Obviously not with
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Holy Communion,
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but the desire began there.
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That led to instruction,
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that led to attending services.
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And during those times they
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heard a message that
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captivated them.
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What first captivated them was
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the desire to be in
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this community.
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The second thing though was
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hearing this message of sin
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and grace, law and gospel,
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repentance and faith, and then,
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of course,
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specific instruction into
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the Lord's Supper.
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At the end of that,
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they joyfully came forward to
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receive those gifts of Christ
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and still continue to
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do so to this day.
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I share that as a way of
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describing how faithful
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participation in the Lord's
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Supper can also be loving and
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caring participation.
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Well,
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how ever your journey began to
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desire the Lord's Supper, we
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have words in our text today
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that remind us how we can
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continue to desire to read that,
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to receive that gift.
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So that was their story.
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You have yours, I have mine,
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whatever that your story is.
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The Catechism's invitation is
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that we continue to desire
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the Lord Supper.
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So we're going to pause for a
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few moments and reflect on the
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words of Jesus that Luther
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quotes in the text and also
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those that are given in First
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Corinthians. Specifically,
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most of our attention is going
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to be on these words,
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given and shed for you,
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for the forgiveness of sins.
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Well,
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Luther taught people to receive
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the body and blood of
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Christ in faith,
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trusting in the pure gift.
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In his day,
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this was one of the reasons he
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wrote the Catechism people had
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for years been taught that this
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was simply an ordinance,
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a church rule or law that
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they had to obey.
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The church required them to
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attend the Lord's Supper.
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So they went,
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and it was a focus on their
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works of devotion,
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not on the gift of Christ's
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forgiveness being given,
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at least in most cases
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that we know of.
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When The Reformation began,
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however,
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Luther still needed to exhort
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people to go to the
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Lord's Supper,
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but rather to come in faith,
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focusing on the words and
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promises of Jesus and exhorting
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people to trust those
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promises. That yes
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when Jesus instituted this on
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the night in which
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he was betrayed,
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before he would die
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on the cross,
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before he would rise from
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the dead, he said,
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this is given and shed for you
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for the forgiveness of sins.
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And in the Large Catechism,
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Luther writes about how you
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should approach this if you're
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not feeling this need.
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And he stresses there about
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recognizing your sinful flesh
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and the sinful world and the
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reality of the devil.
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And you can find this also in
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your hymnal in the Catechism,
00:08:17.842 --> 00:08:18.938
section four.
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Not Luther's words,
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but really based on those words
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of Luther in a section called
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Christian Questions,
00:08:26.192 --> 00:08:27.930
and their answers still
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very useful today.
00:08:30.610 --> 00:08:32.861
So the first aspect of our
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desiring worthy preparation,
00:08:35.258 --> 00:08:36.682
receiving the forgiveness
00:08:36.746 --> 00:08:38.830
of God as a gift,
00:08:39.250 --> 00:08:41.741
is this thing that we sometimes
00:08:41.876 --> 00:08:44.910
call the paradox of preparation.
00:08:45.490 --> 00:08:48.286
And the paradox is this you are
00:08:48.388 --> 00:08:50.030
worthy or you receive this
00:08:50.100 --> 00:08:52.234
worthily when you don't
00:08:52.282 --> 00:08:53.434
feel worthy.
00:08:53.562 --> 00:08:55.906
When you recognize your own sin,
00:08:56.018 --> 00:08:57.862
and when you see that here is
00:08:57.915 --> 00:08:59.446
forgiveness promised for you
00:09:00.170 --> 00:09:01.082
for the forgiveness
00:09:01.146 --> 00:09:02.350
of your sins.
00:09:03.490 --> 00:09:03.998
So,
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brothers and sisters in Christ,
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I exhort you like Luther does
00:09:08.436 --> 00:09:09.950
in the catechism here,
00:09:10.100 --> 00:09:11.914
to receive this promised
00:09:11.962 --> 00:09:13.482
forgiveness of Jesus,
00:09:13.626 --> 00:09:16.814
given at his table of mercy for
00:09:16.852 --> 00:09:18.960
sinners like you and me.
00:09:19.970 --> 00:09:20.334
Well,
00:09:20.372 --> 00:09:21.994
the second aspect of worthy
00:09:22.042 --> 00:09:25.026
participation is in repentance
00:09:25.178 --> 00:09:26.934
faith in Christ's death and
00:09:26.972 --> 00:09:30.102
resurrection that gives perfect
00:09:30.236 --> 00:09:33.414
fellowship with God and others.
00:09:33.612 --> 00:09:35.686
This is what Paul exhorted the
00:09:35.708 --> 00:09:38.362
Corinthian Christians to do in
00:09:38.415 --> 00:09:40.300
using some rather hard words.
00:09:40.990 --> 00:09:42.986
The situation in Corinth when
00:09:43.008 --> 00:09:44.665
the apostle wrote the words of
00:09:44.688 --> 00:09:47.514
today's reading was that people
00:09:47.632 --> 00:09:49.242
in their house churches were
00:09:49.296 --> 00:09:50.954
receiving the sacrament
00:09:51.082 --> 00:09:53.150
in an unworthy manner.
00:09:53.890 --> 00:09:54.762
Specifically,
00:09:54.826 --> 00:09:56.654
they were sinning against one
00:09:56.692 --> 00:09:58.830
another and against the Lord.
00:09:59.170 --> 00:10:01.322
They were acting in divisive,
00:10:01.386 --> 00:10:02.154
judgmental,
00:10:02.202 --> 00:10:05.665
and unloving ways to others in a
00:10:05.688 --> 00:10:08.450
rather factuous congregation.
00:10:09.110 --> 00:10:10.738
They were thus sinning against
00:10:10.824 --> 00:10:12.530
the body of the Lord.
00:10:12.950 --> 00:10:14.814
So the Apostle Paul calls
00:10:14.862 --> 00:10:16.386
them to repentance.
00:10:16.578 --> 00:10:18.550
They were to examine themselves,
00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:20.310
confess their sins,
00:10:20.970 --> 00:10:23.074
and then be prepared to receive
00:10:23.122 --> 00:10:24.614
Christ's body and blood in
00:10:24.652 --> 00:10:26.902
communion with Christ and their
00:10:26.956 --> 00:10:28.134
brothers and sisters
00:10:28.182 --> 00:10:29.420
gathered with them.
00:10:30.910 --> 00:10:32.282
Luther's question about
00:10:32.336 --> 00:10:35.062
worthiness engages this aspect
00:10:35.126 --> 00:10:36.970
of preparation in a rather
00:10:37.040 --> 00:10:38.300
indirect way.
00:10:39.230 --> 00:10:41.165
It actually is in the words of
00:10:41.188 --> 00:10:42.990
Jesus I referenced before,
00:10:43.140 --> 00:10:44.846
given and shed for you for
00:10:44.867 --> 00:10:46.590
the forgiveness of sins.
00:10:47.010 --> 00:10:48.622
The literal meaning there
00:10:48.676 --> 00:10:50.800
is shed for you all.
00:10:51.569 --> 00:10:54.658
The word Jesus used here
00:10:54.824 --> 00:10:56.690
is in the plural,
00:10:57.030 --> 00:10:58.658
the plural form of you.
00:10:58.744 --> 00:11:00.100
It's to you people.
00:11:00.550 --> 00:11:02.594
He institutes this sacrament for
00:11:02.632 --> 00:11:05.290
his people as a Holy communion
00:11:05.390 --> 00:11:06.360
among them.
00:11:07.370 --> 00:11:09.298
When Jesus instituted the Lord's
00:11:09.314 --> 00:11:11.346
Supper during that Passover,
00:11:11.538 --> 00:11:14.514
he was doing this to establish
00:11:14.642 --> 00:11:17.802
them as his people with this
00:11:17.856 --> 00:11:19.558
special communal meal,
00:11:19.654 --> 00:11:21.354
to keep them together
00:11:21.552 --> 00:11:22.982
until he returns.
00:11:23.046 --> 00:11:24.970
That's why we keep doing this.
00:11:25.040 --> 00:11:26.486
That's why Paul instructs
00:11:26.518 --> 00:11:28.230
this in First Corinthians.
00:11:28.390 --> 00:11:30.114
As the collect indicates,
00:11:30.182 --> 00:11:31.934
it's a foretaste of
00:11:31.972 --> 00:11:33.440
the feast to come.
00:11:34.690 --> 00:11:36.074
Along with the forgiveness
00:11:36.122 --> 00:11:36.810
it promises
00:11:36.890 --> 00:11:38.814
the fellowship of this meal is
00:11:38.852 --> 00:11:42.206
another aspect of what it gives
00:11:42.308 --> 00:11:43.870
and what we desire.
00:11:44.610 --> 00:11:46.366
I have a few features I want you
00:11:46.388 --> 00:11:48.014
to consider before we wrap up
00:11:48.052 --> 00:11:50.350
today, this catechetical sermon.
00:11:51.090 --> 00:11:51.646
First,
00:11:51.748 --> 00:11:53.918
consider that it promises you
00:11:54.084 --> 00:11:56.534
perfect unity with God and
00:11:56.572 --> 00:11:58.242
others. That's a reality.
00:11:58.386 --> 00:11:59.700
We confess it, I believe in
00:12:00.250 --> 00:12:02.538
the one Holy Christian
00:12:02.634 --> 00:12:04.430
and Apostolic church.
00:12:04.850 --> 00:12:06.942
The sin that separates from God
00:12:06.996 --> 00:12:09.086
and one another is removed in
00:12:09.108 --> 00:12:10.734
the mystical communion of
00:12:10.772 --> 00:12:12.270
Christ and His Church.
00:12:12.770 --> 00:12:14.926
This unity is given through the
00:12:14.948 --> 00:12:17.440
forgiveness Jesus gives to you
00:12:18.210 --> 00:12:20.942
that can then help you work in
00:12:20.996 --> 00:12:23.262
manifesting that unity in your
00:12:23.316 --> 00:12:25.350
life of love towards others.
00:12:25.540 --> 00:12:27.126
Something Paul was exhorting the
00:12:27.148 --> 00:12:29.160
Christians at Corinth to do.
00:12:30.170 --> 00:12:32.262
We saw a version of that last
00:12:32.316 --> 00:12:33.586
week in the Multiethnic
00:12:33.618 --> 00:12:34.630
Symposium
00:12:36.090 --> 00:12:37.966
there we celebrated Holy
00:12:38.018 --> 00:12:39.066
Communion right in
00:12:39.088 --> 00:12:40.474
the middle of it.
00:12:40.672 --> 00:12:42.550
During the Festival of Nations
00:12:42.630 --> 00:12:44.730
we came together with people
00:12:44.800 --> 00:12:46.170
of different races.
00:12:46.830 --> 00:12:48.346
And then that day as
00:12:48.368 --> 00:12:49.530
well as the next,
00:12:49.680 --> 00:12:52.046
we talked together about how we
00:12:52.068 --> 00:12:53.982
can serve God's kingdom and
00:12:54.036 --> 00:12:56.922
manifest our unity in ministry
00:12:56.986 --> 00:12:58.282
efforts to various
00:12:58.346 --> 00:12:59.710
ethnic groups.
00:13:00.530 --> 00:13:01.710
That's the first one,
00:13:01.780 --> 00:13:03.486
that we have this perfect unity.
00:13:03.598 --> 00:13:05.182
The second is the promised
00:13:05.246 --> 00:13:06.862
fellowship of Holy Communion
00:13:06.926 --> 00:13:10.866
means that you are not alone in
00:13:10.888 --> 00:13:12.542
the midst of this conflicted
00:13:12.606 --> 00:13:13.314
world.
00:13:13.512 --> 00:13:15.006
In the midst of social
00:13:15.128 --> 00:13:16.150
isolation.
00:13:16.490 --> 00:13:18.290
In the midst of the separation
00:13:18.370 --> 00:13:20.630
of distance and even death,
00:13:21.210 --> 00:13:23.142
you are in fellowship with God
00:13:23.196 --> 00:13:24.614
and his people in this
00:13:24.652 --> 00:13:26.470
very real communion.
00:13:27.870 --> 00:13:29.286
Next Wednesday,
00:13:29.478 --> 00:13:31.146
many of you will celebrate the
00:13:31.168 --> 00:13:33.866
Lord's Supper for the last time
00:13:33.968 --> 00:13:35.766
being together physically
00:13:35.878 --> 00:13:37.930
before Christ returns.
00:13:38.590 --> 00:13:40.750
We will be saying goodbye to
00:13:40.900 --> 00:13:43.360
folks who we have known here.
00:13:43.730 --> 00:13:45.040
But in the future,
00:13:45.569 --> 00:13:47.514
you can be comforted whenever
00:13:47.562 --> 00:13:49.482
you come to Holy Communion
00:13:49.626 --> 00:13:50.906
by faith,
00:13:51.098 --> 00:13:53.034
knowing you are still together
00:13:53.172 --> 00:13:56.002
in this one Holy Christian or
00:13:56.056 --> 00:13:58.450
Catholic and Apostolic Church.
00:13:59.270 --> 00:14:01.006
This is a dearer and dearer
00:14:01.038 --> 00:14:03.022
comfort to me as I get older,
00:14:03.086 --> 00:14:04.642
as more gray hairs happen
00:14:04.696 --> 00:14:06.302
and more hairs fall out.
00:14:06.456 --> 00:14:08.146
As I think of the saints whose
00:14:08.178 --> 00:14:10.246
funerals many that I have
00:14:10.268 --> 00:14:12.200
participated in over the years
00:14:12.650 --> 00:14:15.986
and as I think of those who I've
00:14:16.018 --> 00:14:17.894
been together with in the past,
00:14:18.012 --> 00:14:20.380
but now, whom I no longer see.
00:14:21.550 --> 00:14:23.046
When I go to the Lord's Supper
00:14:23.078 --> 00:14:24.854
with angels and archangels,
00:14:24.902 --> 00:14:27.146
as well as with you and all the
00:14:27.168 --> 00:14:28.700
company of God's people,
00:14:29.069 --> 00:14:32.286
I find peace now and hope for
00:14:32.308 --> 00:14:34.446
the future with that feast to
00:14:34.468 --> 00:14:35.534
come when Christ our
00:14:35.572 --> 00:14:36.830
Lord returns.
00:14:39.090 --> 00:14:39.994
As a pastor,
00:14:40.042 --> 00:14:42.638
one often wonders how those
00:14:42.723 --> 00:14:45.514
people are doing whom you taught
00:14:45.562 --> 00:14:46.880
and ministered to.
00:14:48.050 --> 00:14:49.680
A couple of years ago,
00:14:50.050 --> 00:14:52.122
I was blessed to have a random
00:14:52.186 --> 00:14:54.042
encounter with my friend Eric
00:14:54.106 --> 00:14:55.046
that I mentioned before.
00:14:55.108 --> 00:14:57.526
I happened to be at the
00:14:57.548 --> 00:14:59.140
Denver Airport and I was on a
00:15:00.250 --> 00:15:01.210
vicarage visit.
00:15:01.370 --> 00:15:03.114
I was there with my head buried
00:15:03.162 --> 00:15:04.382
in my computer trying
00:15:04.436 --> 00:15:05.914
to take some notes.
00:15:06.042 --> 00:15:07.614
And then out of the blue I heard
00:15:07.652 --> 00:15:09.834
this voice say, pastor,
00:15:09.882 --> 00:15:10.958
is that you?
00:15:11.124 --> 00:15:13.550
And I looked up and it was Eric.
00:15:14.050 --> 00:15:15.760
It had been a long time,
00:15:16.370 --> 00:15:17.674
but it was a blessing
00:15:17.722 --> 00:15:18.880
to catch up.
00:15:19.250 --> 00:15:21.214
Yet I have to say that the
00:15:21.252 --> 00:15:22.446
real blessing to me,
00:15:22.468 --> 00:15:23.822
because I often wonder about
00:15:23.876 --> 00:15:26.774
this was to hear that he and his
00:15:26.812 --> 00:15:27.702
family were still
00:15:27.756 --> 00:15:28.950
going to church.
00:15:29.610 --> 00:15:31.334
It was wonderful to hear that
00:15:31.372 --> 00:15:33.282
we still share in that Holy
00:15:33.346 --> 00:15:34.982
Communion even though we're not
00:15:35.036 --> 00:15:37.334
together physically and that we
00:15:37.372 --> 00:15:39.282
look forward to that blessed
00:15:39.346 --> 00:15:41.926
reunion at the feast to come
00:15:42.028 --> 00:15:43.670
when Christ returns.
00:15:44.730 --> 00:15:46.886
So may the faithful receiving of
00:15:46.908 --> 00:15:48.486
Christ's body and blood that
00:15:48.508 --> 00:15:50.382
gives the peace of God and
00:15:50.436 --> 00:15:52.078
fellowship with one another
00:15:52.244 --> 00:15:54.334
whose unsurpassing grace and
00:15:54.372 --> 00:15:56.762
mystical communion surpasses
00:15:56.826 --> 00:15:58.506
all understanding.
00:15:58.698 --> 00:16:00.762
Keep your hearts and minds
00:16:00.826 --> 00:16:03.194
together in the Holy Communion
00:16:03.242 --> 00:16:05.806
of Christ until he returns and
00:16:05.828 --> 00:16:08.526
we celebrate the feast face to
00:16:08.548 --> 00:16:10.586
face in his eternal kingdom.
00:16:10.698 --> 00:16:11.626
Amen.