Catechesis on Trinity Six 2017 (St. Matthew 5:17-26)

On Wednesday nights, Trinity Lutheran Church(Herrin, IL) offers to both children and adults an opportunity for teaching with Learn-by-Heart at 6:30 PM and a catechetical service at 7:00.

In this video from July 19, 2017, we learned stanza 1 of “The Will of God Is Always Best” (Lutheran Worship, #425), the third commandment and meaning from Luther’s Small Catechism.  This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service.  The dialog sermon explains Jesus’ teaching on His own fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17-26), which is the Holy Gospel for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity.

The service concludes with “Recite Word by Word” (pdf link below).  [Length: 1 hour, 2 minutes]

Bulletins: Catechesis-Trinity-Six-7-19-2017-online.pdf
Responsive Prayer: Recite Word by Word

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 43: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Class #43:  Where there is no concord in the true Christian doctrine, there is also no peace in Christian love. Parties and factions form based on human law opinions. Making demands for particular external works, these self-appointed life-styles create dissension and thus cause limitations on love. In the end, each one bites and devours the other. For the Christian, the law reveals sin and the Gospel message is to be trusted for righteousness/ forgiveness. The forgiven Christian is free to serve the neighbor in love–the true spiritual life.  We carry each others burdens.

This lesson examines a list of good works compiled by Dr. Martin Luther.  It may not be what you would expect.  Some are passive directing us not to strike back when offended or harmed.  Others are mundane works within your vocation.  We also consider a list of those who are “your neighbor.”

Overhead: Galatians Class 43 Overhead
Handout: Galatians Bible Study Chapter 5 16 thru 21

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 30: Not Knowing, Then Knowing

Class #30:  Before the Galatians knew the one true God, they served, or rather were enslaved by idols.  They feared, loved, and trusted in something which wasn’t God.  Through St. Paul’s preaching of the Word and the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit, these pagans came to be saved through faith in the work of Christ, and not by obedience to any weak and miserable principles(laws).

In Galatians 4:8ff, St. Paul is shocked that the Galatians are leaving the freedom of the Gospel in order to be enslaved again.  This time they are beginning to trust in their obedience to the Mosaic law.

Overhead: Galatians Class 30 Overhead
Handouts: Galatians Bible Study Chapter 4 8 thru 20

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 25: The Law Increases Sin

Class #25:  Sinful human reason wrongly assumes that God gave the law so that by keeping it people would become righteous and thus be saved.  When told that the law and the works of the law do not contribute to our salvation, the usual response is to assume an antinomian (against the law) position.  Slanderously they accuse St. Paul of abolishing the law and saying, “Let us do evil, that good may come” (Rom 3:8).  St. Paul’s answer is that the law “was added for the sake of transgressions” (Galatians 3:19).  This does not mean that the law’s purpose was to reduce sin, but the very opposite.  The giving of the law increased sin (Romans 5:20).  The law both exposed sin (Rom 3;20), and stirred up the sinful nature, which desires to do that which is forbidden (Rom 7:7ff).

The law was temporary and designed only to prepare for the promise of the Gospel.  The law lasted only until the Seed, Jesus Christ, came.  Jesus Christ forgives sin and frees from the requirements and curse of the law.

Overhead: Galatians Class 25 Overhead
Handouts: Use page two of Galatians Chapter Three 15 to 25

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 24: Gospel + Law = Law

Class #24:  In Galatians 3:15-18, St. Paul uses the example of the unchangeability of a probated last will and testament to teach about the divine covenant which God made with Abraham and Christ (Genesis 3;15, Galatians 22:18).  The introduction of the law 430 years later cannot annul the promises made to Abraham and received through faith in the promise.  Furthermore, because the law is not of faith (Gal 3:12), you cannot add law, as a kind of codicil to a promise.  When you add any law to an inheritance of promise, “it is no longer of promise” (Gal 3:18).  Therefore, St. Paul concludes that it is by faith in the promise alone, without works of the law, that a person is saved.
If the law was neither an addition, nor an annulment of the gospel promise, then what is the purpose of the law?  St. Paul will answer that question when we resume our Bible Study in two weeks.

Overhead: Galatians Class 24 Overhead
Handouts: Galatians Chapter Three 15 to 25 and seed offspring descendant NKJV

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 10

Class #10:  The false judaizing prophets, who were troubling the Galatians, had denied St. Paul’s apostolic call and perverted the Gospel. St. Paul’s response was to defend his call and to intricately connect it with the true Gospel message. St. Paul was called immediately by Jesus (not by or through men) and the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith apart from works came “through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Galatians are “brothers” in the faith, because they had received the the true Gospel taught by St. Paul.

Handout: Galatians Bible Study Handout-for-11-13-2016

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 9

Class #9:  The work of a faithful pastor over many years can be ruined by a heretic so quickly.  Though we should rightly be concerned about falling into the gross outward sins(Jude 4) of immorality, there is a sneakier way in which we can fall away from the true Gospel.  In Galatians, the Judaizers are wanting the people to trust in Jesus AND the morality of their works righteousness(Acts 15:1ff).  When even one law requirement is added to the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus, the Gospel is perverted and ceases to be the true Gospel.

The Holy Scriptures, which teach salvation by the Gospel apart from Law, are the norm by which the church and her teachers are judged.  St. Paul’s varying approach with regard to Timothy (Acts 16:1-3) and Titus (Galatians 2:3), makes it clear that circumcision is not necessary for salvation.  If St. Paul would give in to the Judaizer’s legalistic demands, he would be guilty of removing the offense of the cross (Galatians 5:1).

Handout: Galatians Bible Study Handout-for-11-6-2016

Baptismal Life Bible Class – The Baptized Using the Law Lawfully, Part 14

The law can only produce “works of the law”(Rom 3:28).  The Gospel creates faith, which brings forth good works, which are called “fruits of the Spirit”—“love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).  So what are Christians to do with the law?  How do Christians use the law?  St. Paul tells Timothy, “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully…” (1 Timothy 1:8).  This lesson introduces the topic of using the law lawfully.

Handout: Baptism Apr 24 2016 Lesson 14

Baptismal Life Bible Class – The Image of Christ or Moses, Part 12

There is a Scriptural difference between “the new man” who should daily emerge and arise and what the new man does “to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”  One is faith and the other is the fruits of faith.  “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Gal 2:20).  The Christian mind is faith, which is produced by the ministry of the Word.  When Christ is formed in you(Gal 4:19), faith brings forth good works.  When your confidence rests on the law, it is the image of Moses that is formed in you.

Overheads:
Lesson Twelve Overheads Baptism Apr 10 2016

Resources:
Lesson 11 Yellow Sheet LW v26 p431
Lesson Nine Baptism Mar 20 2016