Word of God, word of life...

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ...

 ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.        –John 15:5-8 (NRSV)

Why do we/you gather to hear the Word of God each week?

What’s the point?

Talk to God about his word and what he wants it to mean to you...

Cutting through the crap...

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
                                                                    –Hebrews 4:12 (NRSV)

We hear and read a lot of words in a day.  Some are meant to inform, others are meant to comfort, some are meant to challenge or correct... but many are meant to mislead and deceive...they carry a lot of ‘spin.’

As the author of Hebrews illustrates for us, the word of God is very alive and active in our world.  It’s not meant to hide or deceive or mislead.  The word of God means to cut through the crap and get to the truth of the matter.

Many use words to get their way.  They think that if they say whatever they want ‘you’ to believe...true or not...that eventually you will believe them.  But let the word of God do its job.  Find the truth.  Cut through the crap and let your heart and mind be clean and true.

Take a moment and imagine the day when we will mean what we say... and say what we mean.  No crap...no bull...just the honest-to-God truth.

It's the Gospel!

 

Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, ²⁴ God did it for us. Out of

sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.
                                                      –Romans 3:23-24 (The Message)

What we can’t do...God did...through Jesus.  He bore our consequences and then comes alongside to give us ‘the will and the way’ to become the kind of people we were always meant to be.

It still isn’t easy...to follow Jesus on the journey to the image of God... and we’ll fall flat on our faces from time to time, but we have this Good News that, in Christ, we have already been brought to the goal... (holiness, the image of God, the light and maturity of Christ...) now we just need to go with him to get there. 

Talk to God about your journey...

 

It's the Law!

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.... For there is no distinction, ²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...                         
                                                                –Romans 3:19-23 (NRSV)

We legislate lots of laws...how we ‘expect’ people to behave.  Sometimes people follow the law; sometimes they break it...and there are consequences.

God’s law is meant to let us know what’s expected of us.  It’s meant to instruct us in the ways of God, the ways of life.  Often it shows us where we have failed...that we are not heading in the direction of life, but of death.  All of us fall short.  As the Confession & Forgiveness reminds us:  “we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.”

If that was the end of the story, we’d be a hopeless lot.  But we know there’s more.  That’s both good...and challenging.  God still has expectations...it’s how we get there that is the light at the end of sin’s dark tunnel...  Talk to God about laws...expectations...and tunnels...

Washed or Wishy-Washy?

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷ And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
                                                                –Romans 8:26-27 (NRSV)

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts...

I need to spend time thinking about that sentence...that thought.  What are the ‘thoughts of your heart’?  Are they being ‘washed’ by the “living water” of Christ...or are they just wishy-washy?

 

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for praying for me when I don’t know how to pray for myself.  Cleanse my heart, my thoughts, my life.

Let's be honest... I already know...

And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
                                          –Hebrews 4:13 (see also Psalm 139:1-4)

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from who no secrets are hid:

Most certainly as a kid and (if you have them) with your own kids, there is that situation where the Kid thinks they’re hiding something...but the Parent already knows.  Busted!  Then the Kid receives the Law...or maybe the Gospel...or if you have a good, Lutheran Mother (Fathers can do this too, but it’s usually, Mom) ...both Law & Gospel (We actually need both.)

How does it feel to know that God already knows you...your thoughts, your habits, your weakness for...?  God also knows the good in you...and desires to bring out more...so... Today, Lord...

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Worship: we gather together

Worship begins with gathering...  How we gather says a lot about who we are, who God is, and what we deem important...or not.  It can determine whether someone comes back or not.  And it’s not only words, songs, and smiles that help us gather.  The space plays an important part as well...