Amen

Thank you! ❤

Faithful Reformation message

St. Micheal and All Angels Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookings, SD Rev. Matthew Wurm September 29, 2004 Sermon Theme: Rejoice! The devil’s gone to hell. Sermon Text: Revelation 12:11-12 In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, who is the Christ. Welcome and join with the Church throughout the world today in celebration of satan’s defeat and the victory that we share with our Lord by His Blood, the Blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Our victory text for today is Revelation 12: 11-12, the loud voice from heaven said, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” If you haven’t noticed the end is coming nearer. The devil’s time is short and he’s getting desperate to maintain a hold upon his kingdom, which is the kingdom of the world. There is an increasing divide between perspectives truth and untruth (lies) in our American context. Have you ever pondered why that might be and secondly worked against it? The Bible says that our God is a God of unity and peace. (Eph. 4:13) The devil, on the other hand, is worker of chaos and the father of lies. (Jn. 8:44) The distinction between truth and lies is becoming ever more clear and this is actually a good thing. For many years now we’ve been fed the lie that abortion and contraception are necessary to preserve the lives of mothers and society as-we-knew it in America. Now that over 60 million pregnancies have been terminated, we’re experiencing a labor shortage across all sectors and we wonder why? In part, it’s because we’ve been fed the lie that children are only a gift from God when they are convenient to our desires. For many years we’ve been fed the lie that there is no difference between male and female and gender can be a human construction of the will. But this too is a lie from the evil one who intends to desecrate all that God has made and called good-and He made them male and female and said that it was good, thus the devil works against the goodness of this simple truth, foundational truth. The list of clearer distinctions between truth and lies, good and evil goes on and on. My point is that it is becoming more clear in the world around us and if you choose to remain within your confirmation vows, with the help of God, you’ll have to defend your faith and stance on the Truth more and more. This is a good thing. How might you work against the devil’s lies? Answer: not by your own power or authority, but by the authority of God’s Word. As Jesus is about to ascend into heaven, He tells His disciples to stay in the holy city, Jerusalem, until they are clothed with power from on high (He means the Holy Spirit at Pentecost). He and this is what He says about the Holy Spirit, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14) The Holy Spirit, upon the authority of His Word (because He is God), will take what is Jesus’ and declare it to you. And what is that? His life’s blood - that is righteous, that is holy, that is pure, that is life-giving, that is eternal, that forgives and covers over all your sins. The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son by declaring the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins for you to you. And this is the work of God for you, that you believe in the One whom He has sent. (Jn. 6:29) Simply put, the truth of Scripture is that God works faith in you so that you may believe that you belong to God, that your sins are forgiven, and the devil has no claim on you anymore. Remember, the devil hates the truth and works day and night to steal the comfort of that truth away from you. Jesus says that the devil was a liar the beginning. (Jn. 8:44) He is the deceiver and he operates in the world about you, prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Pe. 5:8) But he doesn’t just attack other people in the world out there causing them to be deceived and fall into temptation, he attacks the church and you as well. He attacks all who bear Christ’s Name with more wrath and spite than he does the world because he hates Christ and he hates you because you know the truth and that truth has set you free. This is the truth: You have the Holy Spirit and by the authority of His Word, you believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, has washed your sins away. Heaven is yours today. You’ve been loosed from the chains of your sin by the blood of the Lamb poured out for you on Calvary’s cross. You are now free to love God and love your neighbor as you reflect Christ’s love to them through you. By both your word and deed, the truth of God goes out through you as the Holy Spirit works unity and the Holy Angels protect you. How can you work against the devil and his lies? First, remember that satan has fallen from heaven and has no power over you, dear child of heaven. You reign with Christ by the power of His Name that His Holy Spirit has bestowed upon you in Baptism. At your immediate disposal is all the power of heaven’s angels and the full authority of God’s Word which norms and rules all things because His Word made all things. Second, when you pray, pray out loud in Jesus Name and remind the devil, by the word of the testimony of Holy Scripture, that you are clothed in the armor of light, that Jesus’ pure, perfect, holy, and life-giving blood shields you and those for whom you pray against his evil schemes. And lastly, rejoice that the devil has been defeated. He has been cast down, thrown down out of heaven with the door to heaven shut. No longer can he accuse you of your sins before God, his only recourse is to do so within the courtroom of your minds. Resist him, firm in your faith. (1 Pe. 5:9) Remind the devil of the truth in the face of his lies - tell that ancient serpent over and over again that he’s been conquered by the Blood of the Lamb. Drown out that tempters voice and say to him, “My sins have been washed away. The testimony is true: Jesus died for me because He loves me. He has joined Himself inseparably to me through Baptism. My name is written heaven. For this I will rejoice and sing with all the angels and archangels of heaven. Go back to hell where you belong and leave me and my love ones alone.” In Jesus’ victorious Name. Amen.

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Amem. Small cathecism .❤❤

Need more Matt and Micah in the morning!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, Pastor Wurm.

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookings, SD, This is great! I liked it and subscribed!