WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.500 --> 00:00:02.300 In the name of Jesus. 2 00:00:02.500 --> 00:00:03.000 Amen. 3 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:10.300 Today we commemorate the Apostle St. 4 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:11.200 Peter and St. 5 00:00:11.200 --> 00:00:18.400 Paul. Article, 21 of the Augsburg confession gives us a lens to 6 00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:23.400 approach, what the confessors call, The Cult of the Saints. 7 00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:27.200 In other words, the remembrance of the Saints. 8 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:33.600 The introductory sentences of Article 21 read as follows. 9 00:00:34.700 --> 00:00:40.000 Concerning the cult of the Saints are people teach that the Saints are 10 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.000 to be remembered so that we may strengthen our faith. 11 00:00:45.800 --> 00:00:51.900 When we see how they experienced Grace and how they were helped by 12 00:00:51.900 --> 00:00:52.500 faith. 13 00:00:53.800 --> 00:00:59.500 Moreover, it is taught that each person according to his or her 14 00:00:59.500 --> 00:01:00.300 calling 15 00:01:01.400 --> 00:01:02.800 should take the Saints 16 00:01:02.800 --> 00:01:05.500 good works as an example. 17 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:12.600 Now based on this insight from the confessions we can ask two 18 00:01:12.600 --> 00:01:15.100 questions. First, 19 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:19.100 how the Peter and Paul experience Grace 20 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:22.000 and were helped by faith? 21 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:24.400 And second. 22 00:01:24.900 --> 00:01:27.900 What good works did they do that 23 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:30.500 we should follow in their footsteps? 24 00:01:32.100 --> 00:01:35.000 Each according to his, or her calling. 25 00:01:36.600 --> 00:01:41.000 And the assigned text for today, give us some insight into those 26 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:41.800 questions. 27 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:49.000 Peter experienced God's grace when Jesus asked the disciples. 28 00:01:49.700 --> 00:01:51.100 Who do you say that I am? 29 00:01:51.100 --> 00:01:52.400 And he replied. 30 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:55.100 You are the son of the Living 31 00:01:55.100 --> 00:01:55.800 God. 32 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:02.800 After this confession, Jesus tells Peter blessed, are you 33 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:09.300 a sign of divine favor. And the same language we here earlier in the 34 00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:11.300 gospel in the Beatitudes. 35 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:17.800 It is as if Jesus were telling Peter that what he says, reveals who he 36 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:25.200 is a blessed man, that his confession shows, he is indeed 37 00:02:25.200 --> 00:02:30.200 one of the poor in spirit for whom is the kingdom of God. 38 00:02:31.600 --> 00:02:32.100 Blessed 39 00:02:32.100 --> 00:02:33.300 are you Peter 40 00:02:34.300 --> 00:02:37.400 for your confession, reveals your faith in me. 41 00:02:37.600 --> 00:02:41.500 Yours is the kingdom of my Father in heaven. 42 00:02:43.600 --> 00:02:45.600 By the kingdom of God, Peters' 43 00:02:45.600 --> 00:02:48.300 Faith is not of human origin. 44 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:53.200 His confession of Jesus is not his work. 45 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:56.700 And so Jesus explains to Peter 46 00:02:57.900 --> 00:02:58.700 that he is 47 00:02:58.700 --> 00:02:59.800 indeed blessed 48 00:03:00.700 --> 00:03:06.000 because his very confession is a gift from above. 49 00:03:07.300 --> 00:03:15.200 For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is 50 00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:15.900 in heaven. 51 00:03:17.900 --> 00:03:24.700 The church to is a gift from above, it is built on the rock of Peters 52 00:03:24.700 --> 00:03:25.500 confession. 53 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:31.600 That is to say on Jesus Christ himself, the Son of the Living God and 54 00:03:31.600 --> 00:03:33.800 his work of Salvation. 55 00:03:34.700 --> 00:03:39.200 The church's One Foundation is Jesus Christ 56 00:03:39.200 --> 00:03:40.300 Her Lord. 57 00:03:41.600 --> 00:03:46.400 And because Jesus redeems, his church from the Devil, the Gates of 58 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:49.900 Hell cannot prevail against her. 59 00:03:51.800 --> 00:04:00.300 Jesus also redeems us from sin and to do so bestows upon Peter and 60 00:04:00.300 --> 00:04:06.600 soon afterwards, the rest of the disciples, the Office of the Keys. 61 00:04:07.700 --> 00:04:13.400 The authority to forgive sins on Earth in his name. 62 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:20.500 He tells Peter, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and 63 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:25.600 whatever you bind on Earth, shall be bound in heaven and whatever you 64 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:27.200 loose on Earth 65 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:29.500 shall be loosed in heaven. 66 00:04:31.100 --> 00:04:34.300 So Peter is blessed twice. 67 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:40.000 He is blessed because the Father has brought him into his kingdom, 68 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.600 through faith in his Son 69 00:04:42.900 --> 00:04:44.600 and he confesses Him. 70 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:52.600 But also he is blessed because he gets to bring others into Christ 71 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:56.000 Church, by forgiving their sins. 72 00:04:57.200 --> 00:05:03.300 His calling as an apostle as one sent by Christ to forgive sins, 73 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.000 becomes his good works. 74 00:05:07.700 --> 00:05:09.000 Now, what about Paul? 75 00:05:10.100 --> 00:05:15.300 How did he experience God's grace and what good works follow from 76 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:15.900 that? 77 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:22.100 Like Peter, who's confession of Christ has not come from human origin, 78 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.400 but as a revelation from the Father in heaven. 79 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:33.100 Paul tells the Galatians that he did not receive the Gospel, that was 80 00:05:33.100 --> 00:05:39.000 preached to him from any man but through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 81 00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:44.900 Paul specifically says to the Galatians God, the Father who called me 82 00:05:44.900 --> 00:05:46.600 by his grace. 83 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:52.800 Was pleased to reveal his Son to me in order that I might preach 84 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:55.100 him among the Gentiles. 85 00:05:56.400 --> 00:05:59.500 Paul experienced the grace of God, in his 86 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.600 conversion on that road to Damascus, when the Lord Jesus call him from 87 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:10.600 persecuting, his disciples to becoming his suffering, disciple, 88 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:11.400 himself. 89 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:16.100 Paul also experienced the grace of God 90 00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:23.400 when the Lord Jesus sent his servant Ananias to laid hands on him, in 91 00:06:23.400 --> 00:06:30.500 order to heal him, from his blindness, fill him with the Holy Spirit 92 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:33.700 and baptize him in Jesus name. 93 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:37.600 In his letter to the Galatians 94 00:06:38.400 --> 00:06:39.800 Paul also says. 95 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:47.000 That 14 years after his conversion upon returning to Jerusalem, the 96 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:53.000 apostles, James, Cephas or Peter, and John who were pillars of the 97 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:59.200 church perceived the grace of God that was given to him 98 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:03.500 for his work as an apostle to the Gentiles. 99 00:07:04.900 --> 00:07:11.700 They acknowledged his ministry and good work, as an apostle as God's 100 00:07:11.700 --> 00:07:12.400 gift. 101 00:07:15.200 --> 00:07:18.900 Paul experienced God's grace for him when he was called to Faith In 102 00:07:18.900 --> 00:07:19.600 Jesus. 103 00:07:20.200 --> 00:07:26.300 And also when he was called to do, the good works of an apostle. The 104 00:07:26.300 --> 00:07:30.500 Father revealed, the Son to him on that road so that he might preach 105 00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:30.900 Christ 106 00:07:30.900 --> 00:07:32.500 among the Gentiles. 107 00:07:34.900 --> 00:07:41.500 And Paul attributes to God, the Father, his calling for Ministry 108 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:47.200 among the uncircumcised as well as Peters Ministry to the 109 00:07:47.200 --> 00:07:50.000 circumcised like their faith and confession. 110 00:07:50.400 --> 00:07:53.800 Paul's and Peter's Ministry is not of human origin. 111 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:56.800 It all comes from God. 112 00:07:57.700 --> 00:08:04.100 In fact Paul defends his apostleship to the Gentiles before the 113 00:08:04.100 --> 00:08:10.700 Galatians and the apostles by arguing that he who work through Peter 114 00:08:10.700 --> 00:08:15.500 for his Apostolic Ministry to the circumcised worked 115 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:20.400 also through me for my Ministry to the Gentiles. 116 00:08:21.900 --> 00:08:27.600 And the apostles concurred and extended to Paul and Barnabas the hand 117 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:32.200 of fellowship with their blessing to proclaim the gospel among the 118 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:33.000 nations. 119 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:37.700 And finally, at the request of James, Peter and John 120 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:43.700 Paul also includes as part of his work, the remembrance of the poor in 121 00:08:43.700 --> 00:08:50.300 Jerusalem. A matter, he gave eager attention to during his apostolate. 122 00:08:52.300 --> 00:08:57.000 Thus far Peter and Paul, what about us? 123 00:08:58.200 --> 00:08:59.200 How do we 124 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:05.200 commemorate these things in order to be strengthened in our faith 125 00:09:05.800 --> 00:09:11.700 when we see how they experience, God's grace? How do we in our 126 00:09:11.700 --> 00:09:12.700 callings 127 00:09:13.400 --> 00:09:15.900 follow their example of good works? 128 00:09:18.400 --> 00:09:19.800 A couple of lessons. 129 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:26.000 The first lesson we can gather from Peter and Paul is that God's call 130 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:33.200 to Faith in his Son is not our work, but the work of divine 131 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:34.200 revelation. 132 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:39.400 This is even true of Peter's confession of Jesus. 133 00:09:40.500 --> 00:09:44.700 Which we might be tempted to attribute, to his confessional zeal. 134 00:09:45.800 --> 00:09:52.800 But no, there is no confession of Jesus as Lord, without the Father's 135 00:09:52.800 --> 00:10:00.200 opening, our eyes to see and our mouths to speak. Or as Paul puts it to 136 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:07.100 the Corinthians, no one can confess Jesus as Lord, except by the Holy 137 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:07.900 Spirit. 138 00:10:09.300 --> 00:10:14.600 Is so easy to think of faith and confession as our possession. 139 00:10:15.800 --> 00:10:21.300 Like a thing we own and display before others so that they know that 140 00:10:21.300 --> 00:10:26.300 we are truly faithful and so on. 141 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:33.700 We can easily manipulate faith and confession to make ourselves look 142 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:34.200 good. 143 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:37.300 better than others, even. 144 00:10:39.300 --> 00:10:42.600 But Jesus would have none of that. 145 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:50.800 He reminds Peter and us that our confession is not our thing, which we 146 00:10:50.800 --> 00:10:57.000 possess and display before others, to show them our faithfulness and 147 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:57.600 zeal. 148 00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:04.000 Rather faith and confession are a Divine gift. 149 00:11:05.500 --> 00:11:07.000 We receive 150 00:11:08.300 --> 00:11:13.800 and always in the context of a loving relationship with our heavenly 151 00:11:13.800 --> 00:11:14.400 Father. 152 00:11:17.700 --> 00:11:23.100 We learn from Jesus words to Peter that we have a gracious Father who 153 00:11:23.100 --> 00:11:30.500 reveals His Son to us calls us, blessed, and puts the name of his Son 154 00:11:31.700 --> 00:11:32.800 on our lips. 155 00:11:33.400 --> 00:11:34.000 A gracious 156 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:38.900 Father who brings us into his kingdom gathers us in fellowship with 157 00:11:38.900 --> 00:11:44.200 his Son and one another in the church and preserves us from the gates 158 00:11:44.500 --> 00:11:45.300 of hell. 159 00:11:46.300 --> 00:11:47.700 In the true faith 160 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:50.500 through the Forgiveness of sins 161 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:52.800 every day of our lives. 162 00:11:52.900 --> 00:11:54.000 What a gift. 163 00:11:57.100 --> 00:11:59.800 A second lesson, we can 164 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:04.100 gather from Peter and Paul is like faith and confession 165 00:12:04.100 --> 00:12:09.200 the ministry of the Gospel is also a gift from God. 166 00:12:10.800 --> 00:12:14.500 Jesus, literally tells Peter, I give you 167 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:17.000 gift. 168 00:12:18.400 --> 00:12:23.600 I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and Paul calls his 169 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.200 apostleship, the grace that was given to me. 170 00:12:29.400 --> 00:12:34.600 The ministry is not seen first in the context of doing something, 171 00:12:35.300 --> 00:12:37.000 although it is that too. 172 00:12:38.800 --> 00:12:44.500 But first in the context of receiving a gift that is not ours from 173 00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:45.800 Jesus himself. 174 00:12:47.500 --> 00:12:52.700 And because the ministry is first a gift, a Grace all, who preach the 175 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:58.900 Gospel stand before, the Christ, who sends them into the world as 176 00:12:58.900 --> 00:13:01.400 co-partners in Ministry. 177 00:13:03.500 --> 00:13:08.100 Although pastors have different supervisory functions in relationship 178 00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:09.000 to one another. 179 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:11.200 Which we honor. 180 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:18.700 And although some are perhaps honored more publicly than others because 181 00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:22.300 of their years of service or special types of work. 182 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:28.000 There is only one Office of the Holy Ministry. 183 00:13:29.300 --> 00:13:29.500 No 184 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:31.800 pastor is greater than another. 185 00:13:33.100 --> 00:13:37.000 All are ministers, which means servants. 186 00:13:38.800 --> 00:13:44.800 Standing and administering, the Gospel under one pastor and one 187 00:13:44.800 --> 00:13:48.200 shepherd of our souls Jesus Christ. 188 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.600 And Paul is quite aware of this. 189 00:13:53.800 --> 00:13:57.100 Although, he knows that the apostles are influential men of great 190 00:13:57.100 --> 00:13:58.000 reputation. 191 00:13:59.300 --> 00:14:04.000 He also says this makes no difference to him because his ministry 192 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.000 comes not from men, but from God. 193 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:12.900 From this Divine perspective, the apostles added nothing to the 194 00:14:12.900 --> 00:14:13.700 ministry. 195 00:14:15.900 --> 00:14:18.100 The same God, who entrusted 196 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:22.300 the ministry to the Peter among the Jews has given to Paul the 197 00:14:22.300 --> 00:14:24.200 ministry to the Gentiles. 198 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:29.700 Different people to minister to the same Ministry. 199 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:38.900 And this is good news for current and future pastors, there is no 200 00:14:38.900 --> 00:14:41.700 competition among us. 201 00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:48.400 At times, there are discussions in the church about which pastors are 202 00:14:48.400 --> 00:14:50.100 better trained than others. 203 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:56.200 Which if not careful can create the impression in the church that some 204 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:57.900 pastors are better than others. 205 00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:05.300 Now discussions about excellence in pastoral formation are important. 206 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:11.400 It is after all our bread and butter at a seminary and we should have 207 00:15:11.400 --> 00:15:14.500 those discussions and do the very best we can. 208 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:18.100 To form pastors for Ministry. 209 00:15:19.400 --> 00:15:23.300 But we must tread carefully in such discussions 210 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:30.300 making sure we honor Christ in all his servants, who occupy his office 211 00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:33.100 as partners in His ministry. 212 00:15:34.500 --> 00:15:40.200 No time to waste on comparison games when the harvest is plenty, and 213 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:42.100 the laborers are few. 214 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:50.700 We are all recipients of God's generosity ready to deliver His 215 00:15:50.700 --> 00:15:56.300 generous gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation, to all people. All 216 00:15:56.300 --> 00:15:57.300 ministers 217 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:02.600 receive the same grace and revelation from God, the Father, the same 218 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:04.200 Gospel of Jesus Christ. 219 00:16:04.800 --> 00:16:09.500 And the same charge to proclaim faithfully this gospel in the name of 220 00:16:09.500 --> 00:16:12.200 Jesus to all people. 221 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:20.000 On that visit to Jerusalem, 14 years after his conversion. 222 00:16:21.300 --> 00:16:26.300 Paul and his associate Barnabas experience the church at her best. 223 00:16:27.300 --> 00:16:33.300 When they receive from the apostles, the right hand of fellowship with 224 00:16:33.300 --> 00:16:38.400 their blessing to proclaim the gospel among the nations. The church is 225 00:16:38.900 --> 00:16:46.300 at her best today when she acknowledges supports and celebrates the 226 00:16:46.300 --> 00:16:51.500 grace of ministry bestow upon all, Ministers of the Gospel. 227 00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:59.800 When we honor one another and work together as co-laborers in the 228 00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:05.000 Harvest, we honor Christ working in and through us. 229 00:17:06.700 --> 00:17:10.900 And we honor the precious gospel at work among us. 230 00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:18.900 We give the church an example of what collaboration solidarity and 231 00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:24.700 unity in service to Christ and his church, looks like a welcome 232 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:29.300 witness in our deeply divisive times. 233 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:33.100 Friends in Christ 234 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:39.500 seeing how Peter and Paul experience God's grace and were helped in 235 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:43.600 their faith by receiving undeserved gifts. 236 00:17:44.600 --> 00:17:49.200 Let us then rejoice in the knowledge that the strength of our faith, 237 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.900 the faithfulness of our confession and the joy of ministry 238 00:17:56.500 --> 00:17:58.900 comes from the Holy Spirit alone. 239 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:05.900 Who as Luther puts it in the catechism has called us by the gospel, 240 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:13.000 enlightened us with his gifts, sanctified, and kept us, and the whole 241 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:19.500 Christian Church on Earth in the true faith. And seeing how Peter, and 242 00:18:19.500 --> 00:18:24.400 Paul did not use their gifts in competition with one another, but 243 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.000 ultimately in service to the gospel. 244 00:18:28.100 --> 00:18:31.100 Let us encourage and support each other 245 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:34.600 to remain steadfast in Ministry. 246 00:18:35.700 --> 00:18:38.000 These are tough times for Ministry 247 00:18:39.500 --> 00:18:44.600 with many pressures from outside and divisions from within. 248 00:18:46.100 --> 00:18:52.800 So let us encourage and support each other to remain steadfast and to 249 00:18:52.800 --> 00:18:59.800 rejoice together in the works of proclamation and of care for the poor 250 00:18:59.800 --> 00:19:00.700 and the needy, 251 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.500 we all share in common. 252 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:11.600 So on this day be strengthened by the testimony of Paul and Peter 253 00:19:11.700 --> 00:19:17.100 Apostles have a blessed day of Saint, Peter and Saint, Paul, in the 254 00:19:17.100 --> 00:19:20.000 name of Jesus, their Lord and our Lord. 255 00:19:20.300 --> 00:19:20.800 Amen.