Sunday, December 31, 2017
Sermon Audio: Luke 2:22-40, December 31, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 31, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Luke 2:22-40. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Luke 2:22-40, December 31, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Luke, the second chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
When it was that Christ was presented in the Temple, this was to fulfill the Law of Moses, which required that the firstborn son should be redeemed to the Lord. This doesn’t mean that Christ had sin, or that the sacrifice performed for Him wiped away any sin, for He is and was the perfect Son of God, but that the sacrifice pointed to something greater. This sacrifice was to remind all the people of the redemption of Israel through the Passover, when God would take the firstborn of all those who did not listen to the Word of the Lord.
Remember back to Egypt, when the last of the ten plagues struck Egypt and Israel alike, when the Angel of the Lord passed through the land and took the life of the firstborn of the families who would not put the blood of the lamb upon their house. Yet, those who did were spared. This sacrifice was meant to take us back that we should see that the firstborn would be redeemed through the sacrifice for sins.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Luke, the second chapter:
And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
When it was that Christ was presented in the Temple, this was to fulfill the Law of Moses, which required that the firstborn son should be redeemed to the Lord. This doesn’t mean that Christ had sin, or that the sacrifice performed for Him wiped away any sin, for He is and was the perfect Son of God, but that the sacrifice pointed to something greater. This sacrifice was to remind all the people of the redemption of Israel through the Passover, when God would take the firstborn of all those who did not listen to the Word of the Lord.
Remember back to Egypt, when the last of the ten plagues struck Egypt and Israel alike, when the Angel of the Lord passed through the land and took the life of the firstborn of the families who would not put the blood of the lamb upon their house. Yet, those who did were spared. This sacrifice was meant to take us back that we should see that the firstborn would be redeemed through the sacrifice for sins.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Sermon Audio: Hebrews 1:1-6, December 25, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 25, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Hebrews 1:1-6. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Hebrews 1:1-6, December 25, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Epistle to the Hebrews, the first chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
Last night we began the celebration of our Lord’s nativity, the moment our Lord stepped into history and took on Himself human flesh. Today, we continue that celebration as we look to that which He shall do through His life, through His death, and through His resurrection. We give thanks to god that He has brought us here, that we should delight to see Him and receive all that He would give us.
After all, through the centuries, we were content to hear from God through His prophets. These holy men, and some women, of course, spoke on behalf of God as He spoke to them. The Word they would speak must come from the Lord, else nothing would, could be believed. We were content with this.
The text this morning is from the Epistle to the Hebrews, the first chapter:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Last night we began the celebration of our Lord’s nativity, the moment our Lord stepped into history and took on Himself human flesh. Today, we continue that celebration as we look to that which He shall do through His life, through His death, and through His resurrection. We give thanks to god that He has brought us here, that we should delight to see Him and receive all that He would give us.
After all, through the centuries, we were content to hear from God through His prophets. These holy men, and some women, of course, spoke on behalf of God as He spoke to them. The Word they would speak must come from the Lord, else nothing would, could be believed. We were content with this.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Sermon Audio: The Nativity of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, December 24, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 24, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on the Nativity of Jesus Christ, our Lord. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: The Nativity of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, December 24, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
My dear friends in Christ,
Behold this new and wondrous mystery.
My ears ring with the shepherd’s song, though it is no mere lullaby, but a full-throated heavenly hymn. The angels sing. The archangels blend their voices in harmony. The cherubim lift up their joyful praise. The seraphim exalt the glory of the Lord. All creation joins to praise this holy feast, taking in the Godhead now arrived on earth, and men’s entry into heaven secured. For He Who is above, now, for the sake of our redemption has come to dwell below, and mankind, who is lowly and sinful, is by divine mercy raised to the place of Christ.
Bethlehem this day resembles heave, hearing from even the stars the angelic voices. In place of the sun, shining from every angle is the Son of Righteousness. But do not ask how this could be; do not ask how it would be that God would bring heaven to earth, for wherever God wills, nature bends to Him. And He willed that all things would bend the knee this day to the Lord of all Creation. He, Jesus, has the power, He descended from heaven, He redeemed creation, and all things are brought in obedience to God. He who is I Am is born, taking to Himself human flesh, but never leaving His divinity, His Godness, behind. Christ the Lord has always been God, and always will be, but today, He binds to Himself humanity forever.
And so, the kings have come to see the King from heaven that has come to the earth, not bringing with Him Angels nor Archangels nor Thrones nor Dominions nor Powers nor Principalities, but, doing a new thing, walks a path no king before Him ever has: to be born of a virgin’s womb.
Who can understand this? We ought not look to deeply into these things, for we can never understand the mechanisms of the holy birth of God the Son out of woman, the Eternal One becoming mortal and rising to bring immortality to light. Our nature cannot understand this, but we believe by faith that God the Son was begotten before all time, yet the virgin gave birth to Him. We ought not look too deeply, but venerate our Lord in silence and accept that He who has promised this would happen has done it. He has come.
What can we see this day? We see a mother, holding her child that she has born. I see a Child come to the light of this world by such a birth. Yet, we see that the mother was a virgin. The birth of this child is extraordinary, it is unique, never having happened and never happening again. Our Lord chose to be born from eternity through His mother, Mary.
It is only by the grace of God that we can see yet never fully understand. It is only by the grace of God that He who is beyond time and space, He who is before all ages, He who is simple in His nature, being spirit, for God is spirit, that we should behold His coming, that we should see His body, that He has taken on my body, your body, that He is visible and suffers as we do. And why has He done this? That He might teach us and lead us by the hand to things we cannot see. He guides us like a father to his son, to see and understand that which He gives and that He might remove all doubt from our hearts.
Christ built for Himself a Temple in human flesh, unashamed of sharing our human nature, lowering Himself to be like one of His own creation. Yet, He did not despise this, but was set firmly in love that by this act He should save those whom He loves. He did that so that this corruptible, this killable body He took to Himself would be glorified in the resurrection from the dead for the forgiveness of all sins.
How better can we describe this? The most astonishing act in all of history is that the Ancient of Days should become an infant. He who sits on the throne of God now lies in a manger. And He who cannot be touched or see lest the sinner die, now gives His life into the hands of men. He who has broken the bondage of sinners has His own hands swaddled to His side. Yet, for all the disgrace He should suffer at the hands of men, He counts it as honor, that He should, by His humiliation, win your eternal life.
For this reason, He shares in your very flesh, that you might come to faith by the very power of His Word. He takes your flesh, He gives you His spirit. He gifts, you receive. He prepares you for eternal life, you live forever. He has sanctified you, made you Holy, giving you His Spirit that He might save you.
So, come and observe the Feast. Come and observe His Supper, His Mass. Come and observe the Mass of Christ. Come observe this Christ’s Mass. This is the wondrous story of the Nativity, that He who would be the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, should lay Himself in a sheep’s manger, He who is life-giving bread would place Himself in the place where the sheep would eat.
And on this day, in this Mass, the ancient slavery to sin is ended, the devil and his demons are flattened under our feet, the power of death is broken, paradise is opened, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error is driven out, truth has been brought back, the kindliness of speech is given to all and spreads throughout the world, a heavenly way of life has been planted in the earth ready to give sprout, the angels speak along with man without fear, and men now possess the words and speech of the angels.
Why is this? Because God is now on earth and man is in heaven, and in every way, we now comingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He is God, He was God. But now He became flesh, so that he whom heaven did not contain would be caught up in His swaddling cloths in a manger. He who feeds the millions on His body and body would receive an infant’s food from His virgin mother. He who was before all time is now caught up in mortality. All that is human is now Christ’s and all that is God’s is now ours through Christ Jesus.
We toast them, to Him, who brought us out of our confusion and made a way. To Christ, to the Father, to the Holy Spirit, we offer all praise, now and forever. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
My dear friends in Christ,
Behold this new and wondrous mystery.
My ears ring with the shepherd’s song, though it is no mere lullaby, but a full-throated heavenly hymn. The angels sing. The archangels blend their voices in harmony. The cherubim lift up their joyful praise. The seraphim exalt the glory of the Lord. All creation joins to praise this holy feast, taking in the Godhead now arrived on earth, and men’s entry into heaven secured. For He Who is above, now, for the sake of our redemption has come to dwell below, and mankind, who is lowly and sinful, is by divine mercy raised to the place of Christ.
Bethlehem this day resembles heave, hearing from even the stars the angelic voices. In place of the sun, shining from every angle is the Son of Righteousness. But do not ask how this could be; do not ask how it would be that God would bring heaven to earth, for wherever God wills, nature bends to Him. And He willed that all things would bend the knee this day to the Lord of all Creation. He, Jesus, has the power, He descended from heaven, He redeemed creation, and all things are brought in obedience to God. He who is I Am is born, taking to Himself human flesh, but never leaving His divinity, His Godness, behind. Christ the Lord has always been God, and always will be, but today, He binds to Himself humanity forever.
And so, the kings have come to see the King from heaven that has come to the earth, not bringing with Him Angels nor Archangels nor Thrones nor Dominions nor Powers nor Principalities, but, doing a new thing, walks a path no king before Him ever has: to be born of a virgin’s womb.
Who can understand this? We ought not look to deeply into these things, for we can never understand the mechanisms of the holy birth of God the Son out of woman, the Eternal One becoming mortal and rising to bring immortality to light. Our nature cannot understand this, but we believe by faith that God the Son was begotten before all time, yet the virgin gave birth to Him. We ought not look too deeply, but venerate our Lord in silence and accept that He who has promised this would happen has done it. He has come.
What can we see this day? We see a mother, holding her child that she has born. I see a Child come to the light of this world by such a birth. Yet, we see that the mother was a virgin. The birth of this child is extraordinary, it is unique, never having happened and never happening again. Our Lord chose to be born from eternity through His mother, Mary.
It is only by the grace of God that we can see yet never fully understand. It is only by the grace of God that He who is beyond time and space, He who is before all ages, He who is simple in His nature, being spirit, for God is spirit, that we should behold His coming, that we should see His body, that He has taken on my body, your body, that He is visible and suffers as we do. And why has He done this? That He might teach us and lead us by the hand to things we cannot see. He guides us like a father to his son, to see and understand that which He gives and that He might remove all doubt from our hearts.
Christ built for Himself a Temple in human flesh, unashamed of sharing our human nature, lowering Himself to be like one of His own creation. Yet, He did not despise this, but was set firmly in love that by this act He should save those whom He loves. He did that so that this corruptible, this killable body He took to Himself would be glorified in the resurrection from the dead for the forgiveness of all sins.
How better can we describe this? The most astonishing act in all of history is that the Ancient of Days should become an infant. He who sits on the throne of God now lies in a manger. And He who cannot be touched or see lest the sinner die, now gives His life into the hands of men. He who has broken the bondage of sinners has His own hands swaddled to His side. Yet, for all the disgrace He should suffer at the hands of men, He counts it as honor, that He should, by His humiliation, win your eternal life.
For this reason, He shares in your very flesh, that you might come to faith by the very power of His Word. He takes your flesh, He gives you His spirit. He gifts, you receive. He prepares you for eternal life, you live forever. He has sanctified you, made you Holy, giving you His Spirit that He might save you.
So, come and observe the Feast. Come and observe His Supper, His Mass. Come and observe the Mass of Christ. Come observe this Christ’s Mass. This is the wondrous story of the Nativity, that He who would be the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, should lay Himself in a sheep’s manger, He who is life-giving bread would place Himself in the place where the sheep would eat.
And on this day, in this Mass, the ancient slavery to sin is ended, the devil and his demons are flattened under our feet, the power of death is broken, paradise is opened, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error is driven out, truth has been brought back, the kindliness of speech is given to all and spreads throughout the world, a heavenly way of life has been planted in the earth ready to give sprout, the angels speak along with man without fear, and men now possess the words and speech of the angels.
Why is this? Because God is now on earth and man is in heaven, and in every way, we now comingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He is God, He was God. But now He became flesh, so that he whom heaven did not contain would be caught up in His swaddling cloths in a manger. He who feeds the millions on His body and body would receive an infant’s food from His virgin mother. He who was before all time is now caught up in mortality. All that is human is now Christ’s and all that is God’s is now ours through Christ Jesus.
We toast them, to Him, who brought us out of our confusion and made a way. To Christ, to the Father, to the Holy Spirit, we offer all praise, now and forever. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
Sermon: John 1:14b, We Have Seen His Glory!, December 24, 2017
This sermon series for Christmas Eve 2017 is taken from and based on Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing's Concordia Seminary Series, "The Word Became Flesh." You may play the audio of the sermon here or by clicking the post's title.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this evening is from the Gospel according to John, the first chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
If you really take the time to hear these words, we have seen His glory, these words will change your life. Imagine, if you will, the first time you saw the Grand Canyon, or the first time you saw your baby smile, or the first time you noticed a sunrise, or the first time you saw a wild creature you never had before, or the first time you saw the new puppy your parents brought home.
Our sight is so incredible. It lets us experience so much. It lets us see the amazing wonders of God’s creation and try to make sense out of it all. But, what if you were blind? What if you never knew the colors of a sunrise? What if you never knew where the dimples were on your daughter’s face? What if you never knew how many colors God could put in a field of flowers and never have them clash with one another?
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this evening is from the Gospel according to John, the first chapter:
…and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
If you really take the time to hear these words, we have seen His glory, these words will change your life. Imagine, if you will, the first time you saw the Grand Canyon, or the first time you saw your baby smile, or the first time you noticed a sunrise, or the first time you saw a wild creature you never had before, or the first time you saw the new puppy your parents brought home.
Our sight is so incredible. It lets us experience so much. It lets us see the amazing wonders of God’s creation and try to make sense out of it all. But, what if you were blind? What if you never knew the colors of a sunrise? What if you never knew where the dimples were on your daughter’s face? What if you never knew how many colors God could put in a field of flowers and never have them clash with one another?
Bible Study: Proverbs 4:1-27, December 24, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 24, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 4:1-27. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 18, December 24, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on December 17, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
The Lutheran subscribers, the defenders of the faith, knelt down and bared the lack of their necks to the emperor, that he could remove their heads with ease. They’d rather give up their life over their faith. And the emperor, Charles V, considered the German situation. He had just signed a peace treaty with France, he was trying to defend everyone against the Turkish invasion, he was trying to assuage fears that another peasant revolt was coming. The only end he could come to was to allow, for a time, the German princes and rulers to do as they saw best. He allowed the subscribers to live and to leave in peace.
The Lutheran subscribers, the defenders of the faith, knelt down and bared the lack of their necks to the emperor, that he could remove their heads with ease. They’d rather give up their life over their faith. And the emperor, Charles V, considered the German situation. He had just signed a peace treaty with France, he was trying to defend everyone against the Turkish invasion, he was trying to assuage fears that another peasant revolt was coming. The only end he could come to was to allow, for a time, the German princes and rulers to do as they saw best. He allowed the subscribers to live and to leave in peace.
The Romans formed their own defense against the Augsburg Confession called the Confutation. It started doubling down on the Roman Catholic errors the Lutherans had called out. So, the Lutherans responded with the Apology to the Augsburg Confession. This doesn’t mean they were sorry for anything they wrote; the word “apology” literally is pointing to the Latin for defense. The Lutherans doubled down right back at the Romans. Theologically, none of this was very pretty, and it ended with the formation of the Smalkaldic League.
The Smalkaldic League was an alliance formed by different territories that wanted to protect the Reformation doctrines. They wanted to make sure that the recess the emperor called for after Augsburg, the peace after Augsburg until everything could be decided rightly, continued on and protected their people. They didn’t do too badly, actually, at least for a while, until the Smalkaldic War in 1546.
During these 15 years of the League, Ulrich Zwingli decided to lead the troops of Zurich to fight against much larger cities and their allies because they didn’t like his theology. In fact, the Zurich army started leading wars against other areas because they felt isolated having been lead into Zwingli’s doctrines. Ultimately, Zwingli would fight for Zurich and lose badly. Sadly, his symbolic theology still exists today.
Henry VIII, a staunch Roman Catholic, and an avowedly anti_Lutheran, wrote to his friend, the pope, regarding his marriage. His wife had given him no son, and it wasn’t acceptable to Henry that a female daughter take his throne. So, he wanted an annulment so he could try again for a son with a new wife. The pope steadfastly refused, and could not be bribed with any amount of money. So, Henry VIII declared a separation from the Romans and began the Church of England, of which the monarch was the head. In the beginning the Church of England was more Roman Catholic than anything else, but today its become largely, and liberally, Protestant, with very squishy doctrine everywhere you look.
Probably the most positive thing Henry did was to allow the English Bible to be read legally through the land. The Roman church would not allow the Bible to be published in anything but Latin, and so they hated Luther’s German translation, and many others, too. But, with the pressure now from England, it eventually made the Roman church give way and all anyone to read the Bible in their own language.
All through this time, the Lutherans continue to preach, teach, and confess the Christian faith according to the Word of God. Towns, cities, and entire countries begin to leave the Roman church. The Lutheran confessional documents begin to be written. There's so much more we can talk about, but the idea is to give us a knowledge of where we've come from and where we're going. This will end, for now, our Reformation study.
Sermon Audio: 1 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, December 24, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 24, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on 1 Samuel 7:1-11. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, December 24, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Prophet Samuel, the 7th chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
David had been warring for many years. He had been running from Saul, he had been fighting with the Philistines, he had been battling with his wife, Michal, who was torn between being a daughter of Saul and the wife of the king. But now David had a moment to rest, he had a moment to breathe, relax, look around, and ponder.
I know this is what I do when I have a second to think. Usually, and maybe this is a byproduct of my vocation, but I usually end up thinking about theological things. But, apparently, it’s not just me. David did this, too. When he had this moment, he realized that he was living in this beautiful house, a place built and designed and decorated for a king. But, when he looked out of his window, he saw the old tabernacle, the tent where God would come down and accept the sacrifices of the people.
The text this morning is from the Prophet Samuel, the 7th chapter:
Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house…
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
David had been warring for many years. He had been running from Saul, he had been fighting with the Philistines, he had been battling with his wife, Michal, who was torn between being a daughter of Saul and the wife of the king. But now David had a moment to rest, he had a moment to breathe, relax, look around, and ponder.
I know this is what I do when I have a second to think. Usually, and maybe this is a byproduct of my vocation, but I usually end up thinking about theological things. But, apparently, it’s not just me. David did this, too. When he had this moment, he realized that he was living in this beautiful house, a place built and designed and decorated for a king. But, when he looked out of his window, he saw the old tabernacle, the tent where God would come down and accept the sacrifices of the people.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 3:19-35, December 17, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 17, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 3:19-35. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 17, December 17, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on December 17, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Wittenberg was a light in a dark time. The year was 1527 and plague struck the city of Wittenberg. The Luthers, Martin and Katie, had been living in Luther’s old cloister, the place where all the monks lived, since they were married. It was a big house, and they didn’t fill it all yet. So, they opened it up as a hospital. You can see Katie tending the sickness while Martin preached the hope of the resurrection in Christ. And yet, tragedy would strike the Luthers. The plague would take the life of their daughter, Elizabeth, not nine months old. Martin was devastated, yet his faith was sure. Because of that tragedy, in his grief and sorrow, he penned the hymn, A Mighty Fortress, based on Psalm 46, which is obviously still with us to this day.
Patrick Hamilton was a Scottish reformer. He turned to the doctrine of Luther and found it to be what God’s Word taught. He was on the faculty of St. Andrew’s University, and when he was found to be a Lutheran, he was tried in a churchly court, convicted and sentenced to death. Hamilton was the first Lutheran martyr. Albrecht Dürer, the famous artist and famous Lutheran, whose works still continue to inspire deep devotion died as well. He didn’t die a martyr, but the people grieved. The Muslims were literally at the gates of Vienna, Austria, threatening to destroy everything if the people wouldn’t convert. They were, thankfully, rebuffed, but the Turkish threat loomed over the empire.
The world was going crazy. All Luther wanted during this time was a fair hearing. He wanted a council of the Church. It wouldn’t happen for quite a while. In the meantime, Luther and Melanchthon went to Marburg, a city on the western side of Germany, to meet with Ulrich Zwingli, the priest who said that all the sacraments were only symbols, but still wanted to aid Luther in the Reformation.
The story goes that Luther heard Zwingli out. There was much they agreed on. Rome had gone too far and needed to br brought back to the Word of God. But, as Luther listened, he put a napkin over his hands and started carving something into the table. When Zwingli finally asked Luther if they could work together with all they agreed upon, Luther pulled the napkin back and revealed the words, carved into the wooden table, hoc est corpus meum, this is my body. Luther threw Jesus’ words at Zwingli and declared that they were of a different spirit. If Zwingli wouldn’t believe Jesus’ plain words, they could not work together. The Anabaptists never forgave Luther for that, though they have, through the centuries been attempting to coopt Luther’s theology for their gain–hence, the reason so many of them threw a Reformation festival this year, claiming Luther for their own.
Finally, an invitation was issued. The emperor would hear the theology of Luther in a town called Augsburg in 1530. Wittenberg, other cities, other leaders of the empire, were invited to present their theology and make their case. Melanchthon started preparing the document which would come to be called the Augsburg Confession, a document that, still today, is the foundational and first confession of Lutheran theology, outside of the Word and the creeds. Luther approved it and it was sent to those who would go to Augsburg. They approved as well.
So, on June 25th, John the Steadfast, George, Margrave of Brandenburg. Ernest, Duke of Lüneberg, Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, John Frederick, Duke of Saxony, Francis, Duke of Lüneberg, Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt, Senate and Magistracy of Nürnberg, and the Senate of Reutlingen, went before the emperor and presented their theology. As they did so, the knelt before their emperor and bared their necks, saying to him that they would rather lose their life than forsake their faith. These brave men waited for the emperor to make his decision. And we’ll hear what that was next week.
Wittenberg was a light in a dark time. The year was 1527 and plague struck the city of Wittenberg. The Luthers, Martin and Katie, had been living in Luther’s old cloister, the place where all the monks lived, since they were married. It was a big house, and they didn’t fill it all yet. So, they opened it up as a hospital. You can see Katie tending the sickness while Martin preached the hope of the resurrection in Christ. And yet, tragedy would strike the Luthers. The plague would take the life of their daughter, Elizabeth, not nine months old. Martin was devastated, yet his faith was sure. Because of that tragedy, in his grief and sorrow, he penned the hymn, A Mighty Fortress, based on Psalm 46, which is obviously still with us to this day.
Patrick Hamilton was a Scottish reformer. He turned to the doctrine of Luther and found it to be what God’s Word taught. He was on the faculty of St. Andrew’s University, and when he was found to be a Lutheran, he was tried in a churchly court, convicted and sentenced to death. Hamilton was the first Lutheran martyr. Albrecht Dürer, the famous artist and famous Lutheran, whose works still continue to inspire deep devotion died as well. He didn’t die a martyr, but the people grieved. The Muslims were literally at the gates of Vienna, Austria, threatening to destroy everything if the people wouldn’t convert. They were, thankfully, rebuffed, but the Turkish threat loomed over the empire.
The world was going crazy. All Luther wanted during this time was a fair hearing. He wanted a council of the Church. It wouldn’t happen for quite a while. In the meantime, Luther and Melanchthon went to Marburg, a city on the western side of Germany, to meet with Ulrich Zwingli, the priest who said that all the sacraments were only symbols, but still wanted to aid Luther in the Reformation.
The story goes that Luther heard Zwingli out. There was much they agreed on. Rome had gone too far and needed to br brought back to the Word of God. But, as Luther listened, he put a napkin over his hands and started carving something into the table. When Zwingli finally asked Luther if they could work together with all they agreed upon, Luther pulled the napkin back and revealed the words, carved into the wooden table, hoc est corpus meum, this is my body. Luther threw Jesus’ words at Zwingli and declared that they were of a different spirit. If Zwingli wouldn’t believe Jesus’ plain words, they could not work together. The Anabaptists never forgave Luther for that, though they have, through the centuries been attempting to coopt Luther’s theology for their gain–hence, the reason so many of them threw a Reformation festival this year, claiming Luther for their own.
Finally, an invitation was issued. The emperor would hear the theology of Luther in a town called Augsburg in 1530. Wittenberg, other cities, other leaders of the empire, were invited to present their theology and make their case. Melanchthon started preparing the document which would come to be called the Augsburg Confession, a document that, still today, is the foundational and first confession of Lutheran theology, outside of the Word and the creeds. Luther approved it and it was sent to those who would go to Augsburg. They approved as well.
So, on June 25th, John the Steadfast, George, Margrave of Brandenburg. Ernest, Duke of Lüneberg, Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, John Frederick, Duke of Saxony, Francis, Duke of Lüneberg, Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt, Senate and Magistracy of Nürnberg, and the Senate of Reutlingen, went before the emperor and presented their theology. As they did so, the knelt before their emperor and bared their necks, saying to him that they would rather lose their life than forsake their faith. These brave men waited for the emperor to make his decision. And we’ll hear what that was next week.
Sermon Audio: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, December 17, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 17, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, December 17, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Isaiah, the 61st chapter:
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Today is known as Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice Sunday. Our reading in the Epistle reminds us of this. During this Advent season, though we are penitent, though we are looking at our sins and repenting of them, though we are preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord, it is a confident searching that brings us to the Lord this day. It is a joyful thing that we await His coming; we rejoice when we think of His return.
We who are Baptized in His name have no need of fear over our sins. We lament of them, yes. We repent of them, yes. We strive to leave our sin behind and lives live holy and pleasing to God our Father, yes. Still, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and if He has died for us then He shall certainly return for us, to bring us to where He is, to give to us the promise of everlasting life.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Isaiah, the 61st chapter:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Today is known as Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice Sunday. Our reading in the Epistle reminds us of this. During this Advent season, though we are penitent, though we are looking at our sins and repenting of them, though we are preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord, it is a confident searching that brings us to the Lord this day. It is a joyful thing that we await His coming; we rejoice when we think of His return.
We who are Baptized in His name have no need of fear over our sins. We lament of them, yes. We repent of them, yes. We strive to leave our sin behind and lives live holy and pleasing to God our Father, yes. Still, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and if He has died for us then He shall certainly return for us, to bring us to where He is, to give to us the promise of everlasting life.
Friday, December 15, 2017
Sermon for the Funeral of +Carl Lawrence Risberg+, December 15, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 11th chapter:
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Thus far the text.
Bobbie, Mom, John and Rita, and my dear friends in Christ,
Anyone who knew Carl knew that he embodied a certain joy about life. It’s easy to look at Carl, see all that he suffered through his life, and imagine that he could have been upset, that he could’ve been mean, but he wasn’t that. All my life, I’ve known Carl, he’s always greeted me with joy, with laughs, and the same words, every single time, “Hey, Lew!” He always had that smile and we’ll miss that.
But the smile isn’t gone forever. The joy that Carl had in life is now completed in the work of Christ. Carl’s work in this life is over, and he now awaits the day of Resurrection, the day we are all hoping for, and he is resting in his Savior.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Chapel Sermon: Luke 2:1-20, December 14, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 14, 2017 for the Thursday Chapel of St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran School in Milwaukee, WI, on Luke 2:1-20. You may read the text and play the audio of the sermon here.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 3:9-18, December 10, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 10, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 3:9-18. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 16, December 10, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on December 10, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Wittenberg stood at the precipice. They could hear the Word of God and keep it, or they could bow to the pressure being put on them from all sides. There were the Roman Catholics, who attempted to bring people back under their umbrella by force. There were, and I love the German word for it, the schwärmeri, the enthusiasts who tried to show people that what mattered was a feeling of devotion to God and depended on revelations from Him into their hearts. There were even, what would be called, the Reformed, eventually led most famously by John Calvin, who pushed Wittenberg to keep reforming and get rid of anything that looked, smelled, or tasted Roman Catholic.
But Wittenberg, led faithfully by Martin Luther’s theology, the theology of the the Word of God, held fast. I put it these terms, that Wittenberg held fast, because what would come next would place the need to hold fast to doctrine squarely on the shoulders of the leaders of all of the towns and cities, the elected officials, the mayors, town councils, princes, and electors. In fact, really, while the theologians kept bring the Church back to the Word of God, it was those who were in power who ultimately had to lay their reputations and, literally, their necks on the line for that confession of faith.
What was happening in Wittenberg was incredible, and led by Luther under the protection of Frederick the Wise, gave rise to what we even have in the Church today, where the people of God are called to listen to His Word with open ears so that they may know when their theologians, their pastors and teachers, are deviating from His Word and turning toward any of the groups we’ve mentioned today.
People came to Wittenberg from all over to see these changes, to see how its done. There was a group of nuns, who in 1523, escaped from their convent, abandoned their vows, a capital offense in that day, to seek the freedom of which they heard tell. Eventually, all of those nuns would be married off to good, Godly men, except one hard-headed nun who, no matter with whom she was matched, refused to marry, unless it were Luther himself. Luther, worn down by trying to match her up, desiring to show how much he valued marriage, and, perhaps, even having had fallen for her a bit, finally relented and married the former nun, Katherine von Bora, in 1525. The world watched their marriage, an ex-monk and an escaped nun, and saw that this was good.
When Frederick the Wise died in the same year, just a month before Luther married, the world held its breath. Who would defend the faith now? Could anyone step up? Would the whole Reformation collapse under its own weight? God saw fit to elect Frederick’s brother, John the Steadfast, to that role. And he did well. He guided his region into peace, organizing the Lutherans into a bit of power both at the state and the administrative levels. He even worked to organize pastoral visits all over Saxony, where pastors would go out and evaluate what was being taught in the churches that left Rome behind. It wasn’t always good news, but it was a start, and this led directly to Luther writing his beloved Small Catechism, which was intended to help parent teach the faith to their children, so the Word of Christ would live in each parish. This led to the Lutherans finally saying the whole mass, the service, in German in 1525, having the Lutherans ordain their first pastors on their own, working on new hymnals and church instructions. Ultimately, Wittenberg’s courage would inspire many other cities to follow suit, and the Lutheran movement began to build up its steam, all the way to Augsburg, which we’ll talk about next time.
Wittenberg stood at the precipice. They could hear the Word of God and keep it, or they could bow to the pressure being put on them from all sides. There were the Roman Catholics, who attempted to bring people back under their umbrella by force. There were, and I love the German word for it, the schwärmeri, the enthusiasts who tried to show people that what mattered was a feeling of devotion to God and depended on revelations from Him into their hearts. There were even, what would be called, the Reformed, eventually led most famously by John Calvin, who pushed Wittenberg to keep reforming and get rid of anything that looked, smelled, or tasted Roman Catholic.
But Wittenberg, led faithfully by Martin Luther’s theology, the theology of the the Word of God, held fast. I put it these terms, that Wittenberg held fast, because what would come next would place the need to hold fast to doctrine squarely on the shoulders of the leaders of all of the towns and cities, the elected officials, the mayors, town councils, princes, and electors. In fact, really, while the theologians kept bring the Church back to the Word of God, it was those who were in power who ultimately had to lay their reputations and, literally, their necks on the line for that confession of faith.
What was happening in Wittenberg was incredible, and led by Luther under the protection of Frederick the Wise, gave rise to what we even have in the Church today, where the people of God are called to listen to His Word with open ears so that they may know when their theologians, their pastors and teachers, are deviating from His Word and turning toward any of the groups we’ve mentioned today.
People came to Wittenberg from all over to see these changes, to see how its done. There was a group of nuns, who in 1523, escaped from their convent, abandoned their vows, a capital offense in that day, to seek the freedom of which they heard tell. Eventually, all of those nuns would be married off to good, Godly men, except one hard-headed nun who, no matter with whom she was matched, refused to marry, unless it were Luther himself. Luther, worn down by trying to match her up, desiring to show how much he valued marriage, and, perhaps, even having had fallen for her a bit, finally relented and married the former nun, Katherine von Bora, in 1525. The world watched their marriage, an ex-monk and an escaped nun, and saw that this was good.
When Frederick the Wise died in the same year, just a month before Luther married, the world held its breath. Who would defend the faith now? Could anyone step up? Would the whole Reformation collapse under its own weight? God saw fit to elect Frederick’s brother, John the Steadfast, to that role. And he did well. He guided his region into peace, organizing the Lutherans into a bit of power both at the state and the administrative levels. He even worked to organize pastoral visits all over Saxony, where pastors would go out and evaluate what was being taught in the churches that left Rome behind. It wasn’t always good news, but it was a start, and this led directly to Luther writing his beloved Small Catechism, which was intended to help parent teach the faith to their children, so the Word of Christ would live in each parish. This led to the Lutherans finally saying the whole mass, the service, in German in 1525, having the Lutherans ordain their first pastors on their own, working on new hymnals and church instructions. Ultimately, Wittenberg’s courage would inspire many other cities to follow suit, and the Lutheran movement began to build up its steam, all the way to Augsburg, which we’ll talk about next time.
Sermon Audio: Mark 1:1-8, December 10, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 10, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Mark 1:1-8. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Mark 1:1-8, December 10, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the first chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
John the Baptizer is kind of a weird guy. He wears camel hair clothes. He eats locusts and honey. His beard and hair are long and unkempt. And most of the time, he’s standing up to ankles in water, yelling out at people. And what happens? All of Judea and Jerusalem are coming out to see him.
Now, you might think that they’re going out to look at the strange sight. You might think they’re going out to make fun of him. But, what does Mark say of this? They’re going out and confessing their sins. They’re not going out to mock this man of God, but to submit to his preaching, to do what he says.
And why is this? I think there’s this impression out there that John the Baptizer is just this fiery preacher, preaching down the law onto everyone’s heads, scaring the wits out of them. After all, he’s called to make the paths of the Lord straight, right? And we kind of assume that involves us getting right with God. And then John comes out of the woods, almost like walking out from behind a tree, and there’s just something that’s kind of scary about him.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the first chapter:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
John the Baptizer is kind of a weird guy. He wears camel hair clothes. He eats locusts and honey. His beard and hair are long and unkempt. And most of the time, he’s standing up to ankles in water, yelling out at people. And what happens? All of Judea and Jerusalem are coming out to see him.
Now, you might think that they’re going out to look at the strange sight. You might think they’re going out to make fun of him. But, what does Mark say of this? They’re going out and confessing their sins. They’re not going out to mock this man of God, but to submit to his preaching, to do what he says.
And why is this? I think there’s this impression out there that John the Baptizer is just this fiery preacher, preaching down the law onto everyone’s heads, scaring the wits out of them. After all, he’s called to make the paths of the Lord straight, right? And we kind of assume that involves us getting right with God. And then John comes out of the woods, almost like walking out from behind a tree, and there’s just something that’s kind of scary about him.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 3:1-8, December 3, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 3, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 3:1-8. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 15, December 3, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on December 3, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Luther was alive and he was back from Wartburg Castle and stood in his pulpit in Wittenberg. He stood before these people who he knew and pastorally loved, these people who had been lead astray by the false prophets, by Luther’s friend, Karlstadt, even by the failure of leadership from Melanchthon. What would he say? What could he say? He began by undoing some of the damage Karlstadt had done to the church. He told them that the liturgical innovations he had introduced would be repealed. He wouldn’t stand by and let their consciences be broken. But Luther also began to preach against the heresies of these prophets who were just making up their theologies as they went along. While Wittenberg repented, the spirit of these Zwickau prophets, who placed the emphasis on what God revealed to them rather than in the Scriptures, still persists today. Almost every American evangelical church, American protestantism, is beset with this silliness.
Now, there’s so much we could talk about next. There was the Diet at Nuremberg that declared that Luther’s death sentence was unenforceable. That, at least, allowed Luther to travel through Saxony without any danger from Roman Catholic or Imperial enforcers. This way, Luther could visit where he needed, and teach the people of God’s Word freely.
Then, there was Thomas Münzer, a wild priest in Germany who began to preach that infant baptism was evil and sinful and carried no promise of God and that all people needed to be re-baptized because the first, infant one didn’t count (this was the first time the Church had ever heard either such evil doctrines). Münzer’s theology, and Münzer himself, would ultimately lead to the Peasant’s War in 1524, where poorly armed peasants and farmers revolted against the lords and electors of their territories because they felt oppressed. Luther wrote against their revolt, reminding the people that the Lord God has ordained the government over them and they had no right, heavenly or temporal, to try to overthrow anyone. Luther also wrote that the nobility had the duty to put down the rebellion leaders like dogs. He also wrote that the nobility had the duty to make sure all their people were taken care of and that the injustices the peasants suffered needed to stop. The nobility turned around and slaughtered anywhere between 100,000 and 300,000 peasants over the course of a single year.
Ultimately, though, the most important thing to mention is how Wittenberg was quickly becoming a model for the rest of the empire and all those who would choose to leave the Roman church. Luther never set out thinking to start his own church; he loved the Roman church, but she had excommunicated him. The Roman church, by her actions, told the world that the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone wasn’t a Christian doctrine. Because Rome stood against the Word of God, and would officially do so, finally, in the 1560s, Rome became a new church, a new sect, a heresy. The church in Wittenberg, influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther, but formed by the Word of God, began to take her place. The Wittenbergians were focusing on God’s gifts through Word and Sacrament and rediscovering the freedom of the Gospel, out from the tyranny of Rome, and everything that would happen from that point on would be because of that. We’ll do more of an overview of that next week.
Luther was alive and he was back from Wartburg Castle and stood in his pulpit in Wittenberg. He stood before these people who he knew and pastorally loved, these people who had been lead astray by the false prophets, by Luther’s friend, Karlstadt, even by the failure of leadership from Melanchthon. What would he say? What could he say? He began by undoing some of the damage Karlstadt had done to the church. He told them that the liturgical innovations he had introduced would be repealed. He wouldn’t stand by and let their consciences be broken. But Luther also began to preach against the heresies of these prophets who were just making up their theologies as they went along. While Wittenberg repented, the spirit of these Zwickau prophets, who placed the emphasis on what God revealed to them rather than in the Scriptures, still persists today. Almost every American evangelical church, American protestantism, is beset with this silliness.
Now, there’s so much we could talk about next. There was the Diet at Nuremberg that declared that Luther’s death sentence was unenforceable. That, at least, allowed Luther to travel through Saxony without any danger from Roman Catholic or Imperial enforcers. This way, Luther could visit where he needed, and teach the people of God’s Word freely.
Then, there was Thomas Münzer, a wild priest in Germany who began to preach that infant baptism was evil and sinful and carried no promise of God and that all people needed to be re-baptized because the first, infant one didn’t count (this was the first time the Church had ever heard either such evil doctrines). Münzer’s theology, and Münzer himself, would ultimately lead to the Peasant’s War in 1524, where poorly armed peasants and farmers revolted against the lords and electors of their territories because they felt oppressed. Luther wrote against their revolt, reminding the people that the Lord God has ordained the government over them and they had no right, heavenly or temporal, to try to overthrow anyone. Luther also wrote that the nobility had the duty to put down the rebellion leaders like dogs. He also wrote that the nobility had the duty to make sure all their people were taken care of and that the injustices the peasants suffered needed to stop. The nobility turned around and slaughtered anywhere between 100,000 and 300,000 peasants over the course of a single year.
Ultimately, though, the most important thing to mention is how Wittenberg was quickly becoming a model for the rest of the empire and all those who would choose to leave the Roman church. Luther never set out thinking to start his own church; he loved the Roman church, but she had excommunicated him. The Roman church, by her actions, told the world that the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone wasn’t a Christian doctrine. Because Rome stood against the Word of God, and would officially do so, finally, in the 1560s, Rome became a new church, a new sect, a heresy. The church in Wittenberg, influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther, but formed by the Word of God, began to take her place. The Wittenbergians were focusing on God’s gifts through Word and Sacrament and rediscovering the freedom of the Gospel, out from the tyranny of Rome, and everything that would happen from that point on would be because of that. We’ll do more of an overview of that next week.
Sermon Audio: Mark 11:1-10, December 3, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 3, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Mark 11:1-10. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Mark 11:1-10, December 3, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the 11th chapter:
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
It’s odd, isn’t it, that the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem should also be for us the traditional first Gospel reading in the Advent season. Yet, Advent and Lent, Advent and Holy Week are so inextricably linked, that it begins to make more sense the more we look at it.
The incarnation, the Son of God taking upon human flesh, was necessary in order that God might die, for a spirit only can’t die, but a body can. Christmas and the Cross are together there. Advent looks back towards the hope of the incarnation, forward to the second coming, and Lent encourages us to look back on the passion of Christ as well as look forward to the day we will need no longer repent. Advent is about the second coming of Christ when He returns to dwell with His people bodily forever, Holy Week begins where Jesus comes into Jerusalem to die, bodily, for His people forever.
The two seasons, Advent and Lent, and what they lead into, Christmas and Easter, are so linked, the Church has often put the same readings in at the same time to make the point. Thus it is we find ourselves on Palm Sunday today.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Sermon Audio: Matthew 25:31-46, November 26, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 26, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 25:31-46. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Matthew 25:31-46, November 26, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25th chapter:
My dear Ava, the Coopers, and my dear friends in Christ,
The Last Sunday of the Church Year is a special day. It’s the last Sunday before Advent begins, the time where we look to the breaking of the light over the darkness of this world. This happened once, in the Incarnation, and it will happen again in the second coming of Christ. But this day, we see the culmination of the warnings of the Scripture over the last few weeks. The Lord gives us a final picture of His judgment, and it’s dark. The Lord has told us this is a dark day, the day of His coming, for the in His judgment, many will suffer. And how so?
This morning, on the Last Sunday of the Church Year, our Lord tells us of the day which is coming when He shall judge all people, even according to their deeds. It is a scary thought, isn’t it, that Jesus would look at the people He created, the people for whom He spilled His blood, and judge them either righteous or cursed? It’s not a comfortable place for us to sit, especially as we’ve just recently celebrated 500 years of the Reformation, when the Gospel, in all its glory returned to the Church.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25th chapter:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”Thus far the text.
My dear Ava, the Coopers, and my dear friends in Christ,
The Last Sunday of the Church Year is a special day. It’s the last Sunday before Advent begins, the time where we look to the breaking of the light over the darkness of this world. This happened once, in the Incarnation, and it will happen again in the second coming of Christ. But this day, we see the culmination of the warnings of the Scripture over the last few weeks. The Lord gives us a final picture of His judgment, and it’s dark. The Lord has told us this is a dark day, the day of His coming, for the in His judgment, many will suffer. And how so?
This morning, on the Last Sunday of the Church Year, our Lord tells us of the day which is coming when He shall judge all people, even according to their deeds. It is a scary thought, isn’t it, that Jesus would look at the people He created, the people for whom He spilled His blood, and judge them either righteous or cursed? It’s not a comfortable place for us to sit, especially as we’ve just recently celebrated 500 years of the Reformation, when the Gospel, in all its glory returned to the Church.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Sermon Audio: Philippians 4:6-20, November 22, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 22, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Philippians 4:6-20. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Philippians 4:6-20, November 22, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this evening is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the 4th chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
Al Franken. Harvey Weinstein. Charlie Rose. Kevin Spacey. All men caught, allegedly, doing evil things. North Korea. The opioid epidemic. Charles Manson in the news… again. Fidget spinners. The world seems to get worse and worse, or at least we hear about it more and more. What’s there to be thankful for right now?
Maybe your family is in disarray. Your kids haven’t called in a long time. No one’s coming for dinner tomorrow. People are fighting with one another. You can’t make rent this month. What’s there to be thankful for right now?
Maybe you’re focused on the congregation here. Giving is down. Attendance in down. Your friends might be gone. Some of them, dead, others just left. The same people do the same thing every year, every Sunday. The community is changing. It’s not the same as it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 50 years ago, 160 years ago. What’s there to be thankful for right now?
Life is hard, and it gets harder. There’s no end to the difficulties it brings us. Why? Because, quite honestly, as long as there is sin in this world, we will be disturbed by the inability to do everything, anything perfectly. We will suffer in this life, both by sin which we commit that has consequences for us, and by sin that others commit that has consequences.
The text this evening is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the 4th chapter:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Al Franken. Harvey Weinstein. Charlie Rose. Kevin Spacey. All men caught, allegedly, doing evil things. North Korea. The opioid epidemic. Charles Manson in the news… again. Fidget spinners. The world seems to get worse and worse, or at least we hear about it more and more. What’s there to be thankful for right now?
Maybe your family is in disarray. Your kids haven’t called in a long time. No one’s coming for dinner tomorrow. People are fighting with one another. You can’t make rent this month. What’s there to be thankful for right now?
Maybe you’re focused on the congregation here. Giving is down. Attendance in down. Your friends might be gone. Some of them, dead, others just left. The same people do the same thing every year, every Sunday. The community is changing. It’s not the same as it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 50 years ago, 160 years ago. What’s there to be thankful for right now?
Life is hard, and it gets harder. There’s no end to the difficulties it brings us. Why? Because, quite honestly, as long as there is sin in this world, we will be disturbed by the inability to do everything, anything perfectly. We will suffer in this life, both by sin which we commit that has consequences for us, and by sin that others commit that has consequences.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 2:16-22, November 12, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 12, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 2:15-22. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 14, November 12, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on November 12, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Luther left Worms, a condemned man, a declared heretic, and he had 20 days to turn himself in or he was fair game for anyone. He made his way back to Wittenberg, but he would never reach it. As his coach crested a hill, five brigands jumped out, aimed a crossbow at Luther’s coachman, and pulled Luther out of the cart and off into the darkness. Luther’s friends were screaming after him, but there would be no answer.
A few days later, some 150 miles away, at a rundown, ramshackle castle called Wartburg, a man arrived there calling himself Junker Jörg, Knight George. The man came with letters of introduction from Frederick the Wise, and so the few castle guards and few servants opened up to him and were ready to serve him as they would their master, but Jörg only wanted basic meals, a room in a tower, and someone to run his correspondence back and forth. It was easy enough, so the staff obeyed. Over the next year, this Jörg never really left the castle, but stayed alone in his room.
With everyone thinking Luther dead, what had happened in his absence was a theological vacuum. His mind was so sharp, his personality so calculating, that, with all that gone, just about anything got sucked into the void. So when three men calling themselves the Zwickau Prophets appeared, people were willing to give them a listen. These men were no prophets, but made up their own theologies. They preached a type of spirituality that placed their authority on direct revelations from the Holy Spirit, as opposed to Luther’s call to return to the Scriptures as authoritative.
Melanchthon, seen as Luther’s colonel before he disappeared, didn’t know what to do. Melanchthon, in reality, was a weak leader and often, when he was in charge, made the wrong decision and messed everything up. He had let the Prophets speak too much, apparently, and the people, stirred up by them and Luther’s old acquaintance, Karlstadt, began to lead charges across the region to destroy the last vestiges of Rome in their churches. These churches lost their windows, their art, their statues through was was called the Iconoclastic Revolt, iconoclasm meaning a rejection of images, especially of God and God in Christ. Karlstadt forced changes to the liturgy that the Church had never seen before. Karlstadt even took a 15-year old girl as his bride, 20 years her senior. The church in Wittenberg began to lose its way, lose what it had gained through Luther’s work, and, if it continued like this, everyone knew that the emperor would have to come down hard on the people and it wouldn’t be pretty.
News of the forced reforms reached the Wartburg, and Jörg, a year after his arrival, with his beard and hair grown very long, left the tower, left behind his books, his letters, and almost everything else, and set out for Wittenberg.
Jörg arrived on the scene March 6, 1522, and found political and ecclesiastical, churchly, chaos. When he arrived, you can seem him riding right to the Black Cloister, the large dormitory that the Augustinian monks all shared, barging in, finding a pair of scissors and cutting all of his hair off. From Junker Jörg emerged Martin Luther, friend, reformer, wanted man, Roman heretic. He had been hidden away by Frederick the Wise over the last year, but returned when the Reformation needed him the most, and, with him, possibly the most important thing he ever did.
During his time in the castle, even suffering from the damp, the cold, the attacks from the devil, from not being able to be active and free, suffering over his captivity, Martin Luther prevailed over all of these through the help of the Lord and had translated the entire New Testament from Greek into the common German tongue. This wasn’t the first translation into a common language, it was the best, and it set the stage for everything to follow. It gave the people the responsibility, never again should they blindly hear a priest with an open mind, never should they blindly trust, but now compare all things to the Word of God. They would begin doing this the very next week, when Luther began to preach back in the pulpit against the Prophets and the Radical Reformation. We’ll talk more about that next time.
Luther left Worms, a condemned man, a declared heretic, and he had 20 days to turn himself in or he was fair game for anyone. He made his way back to Wittenberg, but he would never reach it. As his coach crested a hill, five brigands jumped out, aimed a crossbow at Luther’s coachman, and pulled Luther out of the cart and off into the darkness. Luther’s friends were screaming after him, but there would be no answer.
A few days later, some 150 miles away, at a rundown, ramshackle castle called Wartburg, a man arrived there calling himself Junker Jörg, Knight George. The man came with letters of introduction from Frederick the Wise, and so the few castle guards and few servants opened up to him and were ready to serve him as they would their master, but Jörg only wanted basic meals, a room in a tower, and someone to run his correspondence back and forth. It was easy enough, so the staff obeyed. Over the next year, this Jörg never really left the castle, but stayed alone in his room.
With everyone thinking Luther dead, what had happened in his absence was a theological vacuum. His mind was so sharp, his personality so calculating, that, with all that gone, just about anything got sucked into the void. So when three men calling themselves the Zwickau Prophets appeared, people were willing to give them a listen. These men were no prophets, but made up their own theologies. They preached a type of spirituality that placed their authority on direct revelations from the Holy Spirit, as opposed to Luther’s call to return to the Scriptures as authoritative.
Melanchthon, seen as Luther’s colonel before he disappeared, didn’t know what to do. Melanchthon, in reality, was a weak leader and often, when he was in charge, made the wrong decision and messed everything up. He had let the Prophets speak too much, apparently, and the people, stirred up by them and Luther’s old acquaintance, Karlstadt, began to lead charges across the region to destroy the last vestiges of Rome in their churches. These churches lost their windows, their art, their statues through was was called the Iconoclastic Revolt, iconoclasm meaning a rejection of images, especially of God and God in Christ. Karlstadt forced changes to the liturgy that the Church had never seen before. Karlstadt even took a 15-year old girl as his bride, 20 years her senior. The church in Wittenberg began to lose its way, lose what it had gained through Luther’s work, and, if it continued like this, everyone knew that the emperor would have to come down hard on the people and it wouldn’t be pretty.
News of the forced reforms reached the Wartburg, and Jörg, a year after his arrival, with his beard and hair grown very long, left the tower, left behind his books, his letters, and almost everything else, and set out for Wittenberg.
Jörg arrived on the scene March 6, 1522, and found political and ecclesiastical, churchly, chaos. When he arrived, you can seem him riding right to the Black Cloister, the large dormitory that the Augustinian monks all shared, barging in, finding a pair of scissors and cutting all of his hair off. From Junker Jörg emerged Martin Luther, friend, reformer, wanted man, Roman heretic. He had been hidden away by Frederick the Wise over the last year, but returned when the Reformation needed him the most, and, with him, possibly the most important thing he ever did.
During his time in the castle, even suffering from the damp, the cold, the attacks from the devil, from not being able to be active and free, suffering over his captivity, Martin Luther prevailed over all of these through the help of the Lord and had translated the entire New Testament from Greek into the common German tongue. This wasn’t the first translation into a common language, it was the best, and it set the stage for everything to follow. It gave the people the responsibility, never again should they blindly hear a priest with an open mind, never should they blindly trust, but now compare all things to the Word of God. They would begin doing this the very next week, when Luther began to preach back in the pulpit against the Prophets and the Radical Reformation. We’ll talk more about that next time.
Sermon Audio: Matthew 25:1-13, November 12, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 12, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 25:1-13. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Matthew 25:1-13, November 12, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25th chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
Last Sunday, a congregation of people, bowing in worship to their God, Baptist by confession, were gunned down. They were killed right around the same time we gather. Their confession of faith was different, their church looked different, their lives were probably different, but much was the same. Ultimately, their hope was in the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, that we have our eyes fixed upon this day.
These men, women, children, and even the unborn who died that day met their Bridegroom. It wasn’t an expected time, it was a time they thought of their safety, their joy in Christ, their Lord. And, in reality, they are now experiencing an even greater joy than they could have known, for they are safely in the arms of their Lord, their Bridegroom. They didn’t know the hour of their death was upon them; the Lord surprised them. You see, this is how we are to approach this parable this day.
Our Lord tells us this parable to be prepared, because we never know the day or the hour of His return. And while last Sunday was certainly not His visible return to earth, I think the saying can easily help point us to the idea that we should watchful, for we’ll never know when we see our Bridegroom face-to-face. It may be because He returns with a trumpet blast or it may be that He has decided to bring us to where He is that we might await the day of Resurrection. You never know.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25th chapter:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Last Sunday, a congregation of people, bowing in worship to their God, Baptist by confession, were gunned down. They were killed right around the same time we gather. Their confession of faith was different, their church looked different, their lives were probably different, but much was the same. Ultimately, their hope was in the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, that we have our eyes fixed upon this day.
These men, women, children, and even the unborn who died that day met their Bridegroom. It wasn’t an expected time, it was a time they thought of their safety, their joy in Christ, their Lord. And, in reality, they are now experiencing an even greater joy than they could have known, for they are safely in the arms of their Lord, their Bridegroom. They didn’t know the hour of their death was upon them; the Lord surprised them. You see, this is how we are to approach this parable this day.
Our Lord tells us this parable to be prepared, because we never know the day or the hour of His return. And while last Sunday was certainly not His visible return to earth, I think the saying can easily help point us to the idea that we should watchful, for we’ll never know when we see our Bridegroom face-to-face. It may be because He returns with a trumpet blast or it may be that He has decided to bring us to where He is that we might await the day of Resurrection. You never know.
Sunday, November 5, 2017
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 13, November 5, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on November 5, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Pope Leo X wrote to the entire Church, he wrote to Luther, he wrote to everyone, a document called Exsurge Domine, Arise, O Lord, ordering Luther to recant his position and his teachings or be excommunicated from the Church. When one is excommunicated by the true Church, it is to say, you need to repent or you are going to go to hell, and this is done in love for you because we don’t want you to be there. When this is ordered by the pope, it is to say you will recant because we’re losing money and prestige to you! Which do you think is right?
Well, if you said the former, you’re right, and are in good company with Luther, because it was in December of 1520, where Luther finally began to really put his finger on the Gospel, that he took that document, called a papal bull, and burned it. He may have only burned it in Wittenberg, but news of its ashes spread around the empire like wildfire.
You can imagine the pope’s response. In just 20 days, the news of what Luther did reached him, and Luther’s prompt excommunication got all the way back to Wittenberg. This kind of rapidity was pretty unheard of, which should tell you about the seriousness of everything going on.
One thing Luther had always wanted, in terms of this entire affair, was for the Church to meet in a council to discuss the abuses, the Roman doctrines that were false. Luther always wanted a council. A council is when all the churches of the world are invited to come together, usually in response to a heresy, in order that a clear teaching may go forward. Usually, too, the authority of the council isn’t denied: what they say goes. In Roman Catholic tradition, the judgment of the Councils cannot be in error. You’ve heard of one, at least, the Council of Nicaea, from where we get the Nicene Creed. In reality, councils could and did err, and that was always a problem that most of the Roman theologians ignored. Yet, the Council’s were beneficial for discussion. That’s what Luther demanded. But the pope wasn’t about to give in to an excommunicated heretic. The pope wanted Luther dead. But Luther’s elector, Frederick the Wise, wasn’t about to send his citizen to Rome to be put to death without a trial. He, again, showing wisdom, insisted that Luther be tried in a court that was run through the empire, that Luther could be judged by his countrymen.
So, Leo got the emperor, Charles V, to call an Imperial Diet in April of 1521. That doesn’t mean that everyone gets to lose weight together. It’s where the rulers of the empire, the electors, the princes, and the imperial cities would vote on matters of imperial interest. The diet would be held at Worms, a major imperial city. There, Luther would be presented with all of his works, asked if they were his, and asked if he would recant. Luther thought he was invited to Worms to participate in a bit of discussion. Instead, it was demanded that he recant his writings. Luther asked for more time.
He came back the next day, and was told to recant once more. First, Luther stated that he was no lawyer, and apologized for his lack of courtly etiquette. Luther admitted that all the books that were in front him were his, but he couldn’t recant blindly, because all the books were different. The first kind of books even his enemies liked, and he couldn’t recant those because they were in agreement. The second kind of books attacked the abuses of the Roman church and the pope, and he couldn’t retract those because then the problems they addressed would just get worse. The third kind, were where he attacked his opponents, and he apologized for his harsh tone, but not the substance of the critique. Of course, they chafed under these answers.
So, Luther then offered his most well known saying, “Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.”
Luther that day was judged guilty of heresy, a crime, in the Empire where the Church and the State were nearly melded into one, that was punishable by death. The Emperor wanted Luther found so he could die, and the one who delivered him over would be rewarded. However, Luther and his accomplices, whoever they may be, would die, one way another. The emperor gave Luther twenty days to put his affairs in order. After that, Luther was fair game. So, as Luther made his way back to Wittenberg from Worms, he was nervously looking over everyone’s shoulder. He supposed it could happen any time. And he was right; he never arrived in Wittenberg.
Pope Leo X wrote to the entire Church, he wrote to Luther, he wrote to everyone, a document called Exsurge Domine, Arise, O Lord, ordering Luther to recant his position and his teachings or be excommunicated from the Church. When one is excommunicated by the true Church, it is to say, you need to repent or you are going to go to hell, and this is done in love for you because we don’t want you to be there. When this is ordered by the pope, it is to say you will recant because we’re losing money and prestige to you! Which do you think is right?
Well, if you said the former, you’re right, and are in good company with Luther, because it was in December of 1520, where Luther finally began to really put his finger on the Gospel, that he took that document, called a papal bull, and burned it. He may have only burned it in Wittenberg, but news of its ashes spread around the empire like wildfire.
You can imagine the pope’s response. In just 20 days, the news of what Luther did reached him, and Luther’s prompt excommunication got all the way back to Wittenberg. This kind of rapidity was pretty unheard of, which should tell you about the seriousness of everything going on.
One thing Luther had always wanted, in terms of this entire affair, was for the Church to meet in a council to discuss the abuses, the Roman doctrines that were false. Luther always wanted a council. A council is when all the churches of the world are invited to come together, usually in response to a heresy, in order that a clear teaching may go forward. Usually, too, the authority of the council isn’t denied: what they say goes. In Roman Catholic tradition, the judgment of the Councils cannot be in error. You’ve heard of one, at least, the Council of Nicaea, from where we get the Nicene Creed. In reality, councils could and did err, and that was always a problem that most of the Roman theologians ignored. Yet, the Council’s were beneficial for discussion. That’s what Luther demanded. But the pope wasn’t about to give in to an excommunicated heretic. The pope wanted Luther dead. But Luther’s elector, Frederick the Wise, wasn’t about to send his citizen to Rome to be put to death without a trial. He, again, showing wisdom, insisted that Luther be tried in a court that was run through the empire, that Luther could be judged by his countrymen.
So, Leo got the emperor, Charles V, to call an Imperial Diet in April of 1521. That doesn’t mean that everyone gets to lose weight together. It’s where the rulers of the empire, the electors, the princes, and the imperial cities would vote on matters of imperial interest. The diet would be held at Worms, a major imperial city. There, Luther would be presented with all of his works, asked if they were his, and asked if he would recant. Luther thought he was invited to Worms to participate in a bit of discussion. Instead, it was demanded that he recant his writings. Luther asked for more time.
He came back the next day, and was told to recant once more. First, Luther stated that he was no lawyer, and apologized for his lack of courtly etiquette. Luther admitted that all the books that were in front him were his, but he couldn’t recant blindly, because all the books were different. The first kind of books even his enemies liked, and he couldn’t recant those because they were in agreement. The second kind of books attacked the abuses of the Roman church and the pope, and he couldn’t retract those because then the problems they addressed would just get worse. The third kind, were where he attacked his opponents, and he apologized for his harsh tone, but not the substance of the critique. Of course, they chafed under these answers.
So, Luther then offered his most well known saying, “Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.”
Luther that day was judged guilty of heresy, a crime, in the Empire where the Church and the State were nearly melded into one, that was punishable by death. The Emperor wanted Luther found so he could die, and the one who delivered him over would be rewarded. However, Luther and his accomplices, whoever they may be, would die, one way another. The emperor gave Luther twenty days to put his affairs in order. After that, Luther was fair game. So, as Luther made his way back to Wittenberg from Worms, he was nervously looking over everyone’s shoulder. He supposed it could happen any time. And he was right; he never arrived in Wittenberg.
Sermon Audio: Revelation 7:2-17, November 5, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 5, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Revelation 7:2-17. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Revelation 7:2-17, November 5, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from John’s Revelation, the 7th chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
There is much going on in the text for this morning. Let’s hit everything bit by bit. First of all, remember that the revelation of John is not pronounced “Revelations.” That drives me nuts. It’s not Revelations, it’s Revelation. Just like Psalm 46 is not Psalms 46. It’s one psalm. It’s one revelation.
The text this morning is from John’s Revelation, the 7th chapter:
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
There is much going on in the text for this morning. Let’s hit everything bit by bit. First of all, remember that the revelation of John is not pronounced “Revelations.” That drives me nuts. It’s not Revelations, it’s Revelation. Just like Psalm 46 is not Psalms 46. It’s one psalm. It’s one revelation.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 2:9-15, October 29, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 29, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 2:9-15. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 12, October 29, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on October 29, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
I told you last time that Charles V, newly crowned as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was a bit torn between his staunch loyal Catholicism and his indebtedness and anxiety regarding the German people. It’s true. So, when the pope demanded he take action against Luther, what would Charles do? He delayed.
Ever the politician, it was smarter to delay on action than to take an actual stand. And, quite honestly, Charles was a good politician, a visionary leader, and a fairly decent military strategist. But he was young. He was 19 years old when he was elected emperor, and life was still new to him. So, he delayed in taking action.
In the meantime, while the pope schemed and plotted, Luther continued his work. In recent years, a young man named Philip Melanchthon arrived at Wittenberg. He was a literal genius, a polymath. He started college when he was 12, completed his masters degree when he was 15 (though he didn’t actually receive it until he was 19 because he was so young), and started teaching theological studies when he was 19. He was an expert in Latin and Greek, even teaching Luther to read Greek as Luther taught Melanchthon to read Hebrew. Luther and Melanchthon had a fast friendship and were incredibly close, even despite the difference in their ages. This was both good for both of them, and bad for them. As Luther approached his death, Melanchthon started changing more and more of his doctrine. Because of their deep friendship, Luther couldn’t call him to account. It was too difficult.
A man named Ulrich Zwingli began preaching in Switzerland. He had picked up on some these Reformation ideas he had heard coming out of Germany. But, Zwingli would take things too far. He was the first “enthusiast” in Luther’s view. By enthusiast, I don’t mean someone who’s really into something. An enthusiast is someone who begins to speak opposite or against what Scripture plainly says. The German word for that is schwarmerei, the swarmers. Their theology was like a thousand buzzing gnats inside your nose. Zwingli was one of the first to deny the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, believing it to be only a symbolic act demonstrating your faith. He would get rid of all the robes in the service, all of the art, statues, and windows. He would remove most of the liturgy from the congregations, making everyone sit at tables to learn and worship. When Luther would later be hidden away, Zwingli’s liberalism would influence Luther’s colleague at the University, Andreas Karlstadt.
Karlstadt was Luther’s dear friend in the early years. But Karlstadt was also a revolutionary. He pushed and pushed and pushed Luther to keep making stands. For the most part, this would be very good. It forced Luther to clarify much of what he was thinking, and to address his criticism of the pope and Catholicism carefully and Scripturally. But Karlstadt, the reactionary, would eventually go too far. Thankfully, it would not be yet.
As these people were taking the stage in the world of the Empire, the pope finally took action. In June of 1520, he wrote a theological document called Exsurge Domine, Latin for Arise O Lord. In it, Luther’s works and writings were specifically condemned. It threatened that if Luther did not formally repent of these things, he would be excommunicated from the Church. Excommunication is tantamount to telling someone that they are going to hell. It’s serious business. Anyone else and they would have collapsed, giving into everything they were demanded to do. What did Luther do? You probably know, but we’ll talk about it next week.
I told you last time that Charles V, newly crowned as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was a bit torn between his staunch loyal Catholicism and his indebtedness and anxiety regarding the German people. It’s true. So, when the pope demanded he take action against Luther, what would Charles do? He delayed.
Ever the politician, it was smarter to delay on action than to take an actual stand. And, quite honestly, Charles was a good politician, a visionary leader, and a fairly decent military strategist. But he was young. He was 19 years old when he was elected emperor, and life was still new to him. So, he delayed in taking action.
In the meantime, while the pope schemed and plotted, Luther continued his work. In recent years, a young man named Philip Melanchthon arrived at Wittenberg. He was a literal genius, a polymath. He started college when he was 12, completed his masters degree when he was 15 (though he didn’t actually receive it until he was 19 because he was so young), and started teaching theological studies when he was 19. He was an expert in Latin and Greek, even teaching Luther to read Greek as Luther taught Melanchthon to read Hebrew. Luther and Melanchthon had a fast friendship and were incredibly close, even despite the difference in their ages. This was both good for both of them, and bad for them. As Luther approached his death, Melanchthon started changing more and more of his doctrine. Because of their deep friendship, Luther couldn’t call him to account. It was too difficult.
A man named Ulrich Zwingli began preaching in Switzerland. He had picked up on some these Reformation ideas he had heard coming out of Germany. But, Zwingli would take things too far. He was the first “enthusiast” in Luther’s view. By enthusiast, I don’t mean someone who’s really into something. An enthusiast is someone who begins to speak opposite or against what Scripture plainly says. The German word for that is schwarmerei, the swarmers. Their theology was like a thousand buzzing gnats inside your nose. Zwingli was one of the first to deny the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, believing it to be only a symbolic act demonstrating your faith. He would get rid of all the robes in the service, all of the art, statues, and windows. He would remove most of the liturgy from the congregations, making everyone sit at tables to learn and worship. When Luther would later be hidden away, Zwingli’s liberalism would influence Luther’s colleague at the University, Andreas Karlstadt.
Karlstadt was Luther’s dear friend in the early years. But Karlstadt was also a revolutionary. He pushed and pushed and pushed Luther to keep making stands. For the most part, this would be very good. It forced Luther to clarify much of what he was thinking, and to address his criticism of the pope and Catholicism carefully and Scripturally. But Karlstadt, the reactionary, would eventually go too far. Thankfully, it would not be yet.
As these people were taking the stage in the world of the Empire, the pope finally took action. In June of 1520, he wrote a theological document called Exsurge Domine, Latin for Arise O Lord. In it, Luther’s works and writings were specifically condemned. It threatened that if Luther did not formally repent of these things, he would be excommunicated from the Church. Excommunication is tantamount to telling someone that they are going to hell. It’s serious business. Anyone else and they would have collapsed, giving into everything they were demanded to do. What did Luther do? You probably know, but we’ll talk about it next week.
Sermon Audio: Matthew 11:12-19, October 29, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 29, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 11:12-19. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Matthew 11:12-19, October 29, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 11th chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. 500 years ago, this message, the message that the just shall live by faith and not by works, began ringing through the churches of Christendom once again. This message is the crux and core of our theology. There is no other message more important than this.
It’s not as if this message was totally lost to Christianity through the theological exile they had under the papacy. The saving truth that we find in Jesus Christ has always been in the Church, will always be in the Church, and is in the Church even now. There are always Christians; there have always been those who are saved through Christ alone. Even in Luther’s time, those poor souls who were so besieged with the doctrines of works for salvation, still were saved through Christ, looking to Him as the object of their faith.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 11th chapter:
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. You are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. 500 years ago, this message, the message that the just shall live by faith and not by works, began ringing through the churches of Christendom once again. This message is the crux and core of our theology. There is no other message more important than this.
It’s not as if this message was totally lost to Christianity through the theological exile they had under the papacy. The saving truth that we find in Jesus Christ has always been in the Church, will always be in the Church, and is in the Church even now. There are always Christians; there have always been those who are saved through Christ alone. Even in Luther’s time, those poor souls who were so besieged with the doctrines of works for salvation, still were saved through Christ, looking to Him as the object of their faith.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Chapel Sermon: A Mighty Fortress is Our God, October 26, 2017
A catechetical instruction taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 26, 2017 for the Reformation Day Thursday Chapel of St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran School in Milwaukee, WI, on Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. You may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Sermon Audio: Matthew 22:15-22, October 22, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 22, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 22:15-22. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 11, October 22, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on October 22, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Frederick the Wise refused to hand his star professor over to the pope and his armies. The man brought him a bunch of money, and quite a bit of attention to his university. Luther was good for business. Plus, remember Frederick was a pious, religious man. Who would he be if he handed one of his monk-professors over for execution. Now, Frederick did this to the pope. Where would the pope go?
The pope would go to the emperor. The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire wasn’t exactly a Caesar or a Genghis Khan. In fact, the Holy Roman Empire had shrunk so much over the millennia, that in 1517, it really wasn’t much more than Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, some of France, some of Poland, northern Italy, and a few other, small areas. The Holy Roman Empire shouldn’t be confused with the Roman Empire. It’s not as if they just took over for the Caesars. But, when the Roman Empire collapsed, the major institution that was left was the Church, and so it is easy to see how influential they could become in politics.
It should also be understood that the Church wasn’t just in the Holy Roman Empire, but all across the world, in so many countries. Yet, Luther was a German, and he was a citizen of that country and of the Empire, and the pope, while not a citizen of the Empire, enjoyed a close relationship with the emperor because of the relative geographic proximity it had to Rome itself. Beyond this, the Holy Roman Empire had a military force that one did not want to reckon with. The biggest threat they faced were the Turkish hordes (today, we call them Muslims), who were literally, at one point, knocking on the gate to Vienna to overtake the city. Yet the armies of the emperor held them off until they went into retreat.
So, the Empire had quite a bit of power, and the pope had quite a bit of influence with the emperor. Yet, when Leo X asked the emperor, Maximillian, he didn’t get a lot of support back. After all, the emperor was fighting the French, the Swiss, the Turks, and others for years. He was a brilliant general. So, imagine his surprise when the injury that would essentially end his military career didn’t come in war but came by falling off his horse and hurting his leg. Apparently, it was so bad that from 1514 until 1519 when he died, he travelled everywhere in his own coffin. The guy was horrifically depressed, and the pope couldn’t do anything about not getting what he wanted from the emperor.
That is, until 1519. Maximillian died in January of that year. The electors of the empire had to get together, including Frederick the Wise. What was especially interesting is that there were four candidates, Henry VIII (yes, that one), Francis I of France, Charles V, the grandson of Maximillian, and Frederick the Wise, himself. It was up to the electors to decide who the next emperor would be, and, in June, after a good amount of discussion, fighting, and voting, they eventually settled on Charles V. Frederick actually was nominated for the position, and easily removed himself from consideration.
Charles would feel a bit of indebtedness towards Frederick, not only for withdrawing, but also for electing him to role of the emperor. So it was when the Pope Leo wrote to Charles. Leo couldn’t get what he wanted under Maximillian, maybe he’d get it from the grandson. But now Charles V was torn. He was the emperor over Germany, but he hadn’t spent much time there to be able to relate to the people. In fact, he literally couldn’t speak to the people; he didn’t know German. On top of that, he was being called to interfere with one of Frederick’s subjects. But, he was a loyal Roman Catholic. What was he supposed to do? What was he going to do? We’ll find out next week.
Frederick the Wise refused to hand his star professor over to the pope and his armies. The man brought him a bunch of money, and quite a bit of attention to his university. Luther was good for business. Plus, remember Frederick was a pious, religious man. Who would he be if he handed one of his monk-professors over for execution. Now, Frederick did this to the pope. Where would the pope go?
The pope would go to the emperor. The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire wasn’t exactly a Caesar or a Genghis Khan. In fact, the Holy Roman Empire had shrunk so much over the millennia, that in 1517, it really wasn’t much more than Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, some of France, some of Poland, northern Italy, and a few other, small areas. The Holy Roman Empire shouldn’t be confused with the Roman Empire. It’s not as if they just took over for the Caesars. But, when the Roman Empire collapsed, the major institution that was left was the Church, and so it is easy to see how influential they could become in politics.
It should also be understood that the Church wasn’t just in the Holy Roman Empire, but all across the world, in so many countries. Yet, Luther was a German, and he was a citizen of that country and of the Empire, and the pope, while not a citizen of the Empire, enjoyed a close relationship with the emperor because of the relative geographic proximity it had to Rome itself. Beyond this, the Holy Roman Empire had a military force that one did not want to reckon with. The biggest threat they faced were the Turkish hordes (today, we call them Muslims), who were literally, at one point, knocking on the gate to Vienna to overtake the city. Yet the armies of the emperor held them off until they went into retreat.
So, the Empire had quite a bit of power, and the pope had quite a bit of influence with the emperor. Yet, when Leo X asked the emperor, Maximillian, he didn’t get a lot of support back. After all, the emperor was fighting the French, the Swiss, the Turks, and others for years. He was a brilliant general. So, imagine his surprise when the injury that would essentially end his military career didn’t come in war but came by falling off his horse and hurting his leg. Apparently, it was so bad that from 1514 until 1519 when he died, he travelled everywhere in his own coffin. The guy was horrifically depressed, and the pope couldn’t do anything about not getting what he wanted from the emperor.
That is, until 1519. Maximillian died in January of that year. The electors of the empire had to get together, including Frederick the Wise. What was especially interesting is that there were four candidates, Henry VIII (yes, that one), Francis I of France, Charles V, the grandson of Maximillian, and Frederick the Wise, himself. It was up to the electors to decide who the next emperor would be, and, in June, after a good amount of discussion, fighting, and voting, they eventually settled on Charles V. Frederick actually was nominated for the position, and easily removed himself from consideration.
Charles would feel a bit of indebtedness towards Frederick, not only for withdrawing, but also for electing him to role of the emperor. So it was when the Pope Leo wrote to Charles. Leo couldn’t get what he wanted under Maximillian, maybe he’d get it from the grandson. But now Charles V was torn. He was the emperor over Germany, but he hadn’t spent much time there to be able to relate to the people. In fact, he literally couldn’t speak to the people; he didn’t know German. On top of that, he was being called to interfere with one of Frederick’s subjects. But, he was a loyal Roman Catholic. What was he supposed to do? What was he going to do? We’ll find out next week.
Sermon Text: Matthew 22:15-22, October 22, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 22nd chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
What does your god demand of you? Does he demand your money? Obedience? Does he demand your time? Your prayers? Does he demand your interest? Your excitement? What does your god demand of you? Does he demand your attention? Does he demand your addiction? Does he demand your sin? Does he demand your corruption? Your degradation?
What does your god demand of you? That’s really what Jesus is talking about at the end of the passage for this day. What does your god demand of you? But He’s not, and I’m not asking, what does God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit demand, what does God, the only true God in the world demand, what does God, the creator of heaven and earth demand, but the question asks what does your god demand. You see, we have our gods, and they often beat out the one, true God for primacy in our hearts.
Our gods are idols of our own creation, or they are gods that suck us in, playing on our fears and emotions, or they are gods that others trick us into appeasing. We all have these gods. John Calvin once said something along the lines of our hearts are little idol factories, churching out a new god to replace itself all the time. We all have these gods.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 22nd chapter:
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
What does your god demand of you? Does he demand your money? Obedience? Does he demand your time? Your prayers? Does he demand your interest? Your excitement? What does your god demand of you? Does he demand your attention? Does he demand your addiction? Does he demand your sin? Does he demand your corruption? Your degradation?
What does your god demand of you? That’s really what Jesus is talking about at the end of the passage for this day. What does your god demand of you? But He’s not, and I’m not asking, what does God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit demand, what does God, the only true God in the world demand, what does God, the creator of heaven and earth demand, but the question asks what does your god demand. You see, we have our gods, and they often beat out the one, true God for primacy in our hearts.
Our gods are idols of our own creation, or they are gods that suck us in, playing on our fears and emotions, or they are gods that others trick us into appeasing. We all have these gods. John Calvin once said something along the lines of our hearts are little idol factories, churching out a new god to replace itself all the time. We all have these gods.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 2:1-8, October 15, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 15, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 2:1-8. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part109, October 15, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on October 15, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Luther was only supposed to say one word, “revoco,” I recant. But he couldn’t say it to Cardinal Cajetan. It just couldn’t happen. Luther wasn’t able to betray all of the Scriptural truth he had encountered and written about for the sake of making up with the pope. Cajetan was furious, having been assured that Luther would recant, but Luther was steadfast. Cajetan was set to put him in chains, but before that could, Luther’s father confessor and good friend, released him from his monastic vows and sent him back under cover to Wittenberg.
Releasing someone from their vows was no small feat. This really meant that Luther couldn’t make it as a monk. Yet, Staupitz did this in the hope of saving Luther’s life. If Luther was not a monk, the pope really had no ecclesiastical authority over him anymore. This meant that the pope couldn’t force him to obey anything, except by threat. It’d be like Pastor Harrison, our Synodical President, trying to come into the church and tell you that you have to learn Greek and Hebrew or be punished. It wouldn’t work.
However, though Luther’s friends snuck him back to Wittenberg, not for the last time, and Luther didn’t have to be afraid of the pope theologically, he was still under threat of force from him. People still wanted to do his bidding. So, discovering that Luther had returned to Wittenberg, the pope and his envoys wrote and demanded that Luther be turned over to be punished and killed.
Thankfully, Luther had an elector, Frederick the Wise, who refused. Frederick the Wise. An elector is kind of like a combination between a prince, a governor, and a member of the electoral college. He would rule a certain area or state, but he also would serve in electing the emperor when the need arose. (As it happens, Frederick the Wise would elect a new emperor in 1519 after the death of Maximillian–that’ll come up next week.) Once the emperor was elected, he was set in that role for the rest of his life, yet the emperor would know he always would owe a great debt and great fidelity to these electors.
But Frederick the Wise, earning the monicker, was kind of a force to be reckoned with. He was a man of great faith. In fact, he collected relics of the saints from all over the world. An inventory from 1518 said that he had over 17000 different relics. Fingers, twigs from the burning bush, all relics that were said to reduce time of Purgatory. If anyone was afraid of that suffering as much as Luther, it might have been Frederick.
Frederick wanted to serve the church, so in 1502 he founded the University of Wittenberg. He wanted the best and the brightest minds of the empire there, and so when the opportunity came to have Luther reside there, he jumped. Ever since Luther’s arrival, he had been pleased with Luther and tried to protect him in every ay he could. After all, Luther was a great professor and brought the university money and prestige. But now, Frederick’s protection of Luther would go beyond just the academic protection of theological efforts, but into defending Luther’s life. When Frederick refused to hand Luther over, he took a step against the pope that no politician had ever done. Thankfully, many more would follow.
Luther was only supposed to say one word, “revoco,” I recant. But he couldn’t say it to Cardinal Cajetan. It just couldn’t happen. Luther wasn’t able to betray all of the Scriptural truth he had encountered and written about for the sake of making up with the pope. Cajetan was furious, having been assured that Luther would recant, but Luther was steadfast. Cajetan was set to put him in chains, but before that could, Luther’s father confessor and good friend, released him from his monastic vows and sent him back under cover to Wittenberg.
Releasing someone from their vows was no small feat. This really meant that Luther couldn’t make it as a monk. Yet, Staupitz did this in the hope of saving Luther’s life. If Luther was not a monk, the pope really had no ecclesiastical authority over him anymore. This meant that the pope couldn’t force him to obey anything, except by threat. It’d be like Pastor Harrison, our Synodical President, trying to come into the church and tell you that you have to learn Greek and Hebrew or be punished. It wouldn’t work.
However, though Luther’s friends snuck him back to Wittenberg, not for the last time, and Luther didn’t have to be afraid of the pope theologically, he was still under threat of force from him. People still wanted to do his bidding. So, discovering that Luther had returned to Wittenberg, the pope and his envoys wrote and demanded that Luther be turned over to be punished and killed.
Thankfully, Luther had an elector, Frederick the Wise, who refused. Frederick the Wise. An elector is kind of like a combination between a prince, a governor, and a member of the electoral college. He would rule a certain area or state, but he also would serve in electing the emperor when the need arose. (As it happens, Frederick the Wise would elect a new emperor in 1519 after the death of Maximillian–that’ll come up next week.) Once the emperor was elected, he was set in that role for the rest of his life, yet the emperor would know he always would owe a great debt and great fidelity to these electors.
But Frederick the Wise, earning the monicker, was kind of a force to be reckoned with. He was a man of great faith. In fact, he collected relics of the saints from all over the world. An inventory from 1518 said that he had over 17000 different relics. Fingers, twigs from the burning bush, all relics that were said to reduce time of Purgatory. If anyone was afraid of that suffering as much as Luther, it might have been Frederick.
Frederick wanted to serve the church, so in 1502 he founded the University of Wittenberg. He wanted the best and the brightest minds of the empire there, and so when the opportunity came to have Luther reside there, he jumped. Ever since Luther’s arrival, he had been pleased with Luther and tried to protect him in every ay he could. After all, Luther was a great professor and brought the university money and prestige. But now, Frederick’s protection of Luther would go beyond just the academic protection of theological efforts, but into defending Luther’s life. When Frederick refused to hand Luther over, he took a step against the pope that no politician had ever done. Thankfully, many more would follow.
Sermon Audio: Matthew 22:1-14, October 15, 2017
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 15, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 22:1-14. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.
Sermon Text: Matthew 22:1-14, October 15, 2017
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 22th chapter:
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Jesus gets in this last dig at the Pharisees and chief priests. I told you last week that Jesus can’t help Himself. It’s not like Jesus has no self-control, but that He needs to accuse these men of leading the people into the danger of hell. Last week, we talked about these men as the wicked tenants who kept killing the servants of the master and then finally the son. This week, they are wicked, not by their action, but by their inaction.
You see, the parable today is a picture of the end of all things. It’s just a picture; it’s not the full thing. Yet, we have a wedding feast. In Biblical visuals, the wedding feast is when the bride and the groom consummate their marital relationship. So, when the son is having the feast thrown for him, this is a picture of the Son of God, Jesus, and His bride, the Church. The consummation is where they are finally joined together for eternity, where there is no separation from each other, by sin, by death, by presence, by anything.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Bible Study: Proverbs 1:20-33, October 8, 2017
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 8, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Proverbs 1:20-33. Play the audio by clicking here.
A Quick Study: Reformation, Part 9, October 8, 2017
This quick study on Reformation History was given at the end of service at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on October 8, 2017. The text of the study is included and you may play the audio of the study here.
Luther had intended to start a dialogue on indulgences and how they should be treated with a little more respect that just obtaining them through money. But once his 95 Theses got into the hands of the pope, there was no little dialogue. All-out-war would begin, and I don’t just mean that symbolically. It would be 30 years before actual war broke out, but there would be revolts, there would be violence and threats of violence, there would be kidnappings and murders. This is the dark side of the Reformation.
To be fair, much of the violence of the Reformation was against the Lutherans, but no one escaped unscathed or without causing violence in some way. It all began in 1518. Luther received a summons from the pope to appear in Rome. However, since he knew that he had no people really friendly to his arguments there, he was quite hesitant since it was likely that, if he didn’t give in to the pope, he’d be tortured then burned at the stake. So, his elector, kind of like a governor within the Holy Roman Empire, wrote to the emperor and and persuaded him to have the hearing move from to Augsburg, a city 300 miles south of Wittenberg. There, Luther would meet, not with the pope, which may either have ended or made worse all the strife to come, but with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan.
Cajetan was an interesting man. Highly trusted by the pope and greatly respected in the courts of the emperor, Cajetan was sent to Augsburg to examine Luther’s theology and writings, and then the man himself. This, in and of itself, wasn’t really a problem. Any theologian worth their salt wants, desires, needs to have their doctrines examined. We should all want to remain faithful.
But Cajetan came to Augsburg with an agenda. His mind had already been made up. Since writing the 95 Theses, Luther had been prolific in his other writings. The man was a machine, really. He could put out books and tracts and pamphlets with seemingly great ease. Luther’s mind was incredible, and there really hasn’t been anyone like him since. Cajetan had a great deal to draw from, and the pope had already made it clear that he expected Luther to be confronted with all his works and say one word, and one word only: “revoco,” I recant.
So, in September, Luther’s elector, Frederick the Wise sent Luther to Augsburg. If Luther would not recant, Cajetan was authorized to put Luther in chains and bring him to Rome. If Luther did recant, well, everyone knew there wasn’t much chance of that happening. Luther, his friends, even his elector began to fear for his life.
Luther came before Cajetan then, not knowing what would happen. When Cajetan gave him the opportunity to repent of his errors and never teach them again, Luther, instead of saying “revoco,” instead asked what his errors were. Strike one. They got nowhere. The next day, Luther and Cajetan debated about the authority of the pope. Strike two. Luther wanted to finish the rest of his argument in writing, where he would present his understanding to Cajetan and Cajetan agreed. Yet, Cajetan knew he couldn’t just let Luther go; the pope would not be pleased. He demanded Luther recant, but Luther could not. To do so would be to against everything he had learned from the Word of God. Strike three.
So, now, Luther had a new problem: if he didn’t recant, he’d be stripped of his monastic standing, put in chains, and sent to Rome. But if he did recant, he’d forsake the truth of the Gospel. What’s a man to do? We’ll find out next week.
Luther had intended to start a dialogue on indulgences and how they should be treated with a little more respect that just obtaining them through money. But once his 95 Theses got into the hands of the pope, there was no little dialogue. All-out-war would begin, and I don’t just mean that symbolically. It would be 30 years before actual war broke out, but there would be revolts, there would be violence and threats of violence, there would be kidnappings and murders. This is the dark side of the Reformation.
To be fair, much of the violence of the Reformation was against the Lutherans, but no one escaped unscathed or without causing violence in some way. It all began in 1518. Luther received a summons from the pope to appear in Rome. However, since he knew that he had no people really friendly to his arguments there, he was quite hesitant since it was likely that, if he didn’t give in to the pope, he’d be tortured then burned at the stake. So, his elector, kind of like a governor within the Holy Roman Empire, wrote to the emperor and and persuaded him to have the hearing move from to Augsburg, a city 300 miles south of Wittenberg. There, Luther would meet, not with the pope, which may either have ended or made worse all the strife to come, but with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan.
Cajetan was an interesting man. Highly trusted by the pope and greatly respected in the courts of the emperor, Cajetan was sent to Augsburg to examine Luther’s theology and writings, and then the man himself. This, in and of itself, wasn’t really a problem. Any theologian worth their salt wants, desires, needs to have their doctrines examined. We should all want to remain faithful.
But Cajetan came to Augsburg with an agenda. His mind had already been made up. Since writing the 95 Theses, Luther had been prolific in his other writings. The man was a machine, really. He could put out books and tracts and pamphlets with seemingly great ease. Luther’s mind was incredible, and there really hasn’t been anyone like him since. Cajetan had a great deal to draw from, and the pope had already made it clear that he expected Luther to be confronted with all his works and say one word, and one word only: “revoco,” I recant.
So, in September, Luther’s elector, Frederick the Wise sent Luther to Augsburg. If Luther would not recant, Cajetan was authorized to put Luther in chains and bring him to Rome. If Luther did recant, well, everyone knew there wasn’t much chance of that happening. Luther, his friends, even his elector began to fear for his life.
Luther came before Cajetan then, not knowing what would happen. When Cajetan gave him the opportunity to repent of his errors and never teach them again, Luther, instead of saying “revoco,” instead asked what his errors were. Strike one. They got nowhere. The next day, Luther and Cajetan debated about the authority of the pope. Strike two. Luther wanted to finish the rest of his argument in writing, where he would present his understanding to Cajetan and Cajetan agreed. Yet, Cajetan knew he couldn’t just let Luther go; the pope would not be pleased. He demanded Luther recant, but Luther could not. To do so would be to against everything he had learned from the Word of God. Strike three.
So, now, Luther had a new problem: if he didn’t recant, he’d be stripped of his monastic standing, put in chains, and sent to Rome. But if he did recant, he’d forsake the truth of the Gospel. What’s a man to do? We’ll find out next week.
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