SERMON: Guard And Protect God's Word -- Third Sunday In Lent

Are you familiar with Higher Things?

If not, then you should know that "the mission of Higher Things is to assist parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating, encouraging and promoting a distinctively Lutheran identity among their youth and young adults."

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that that's a very important cause in this day-and-age when "Lutherans-In-Name-Only" seem to reign supreme in our churches.

I only mention Higher Things because I wanted to share their "Reflections" devotional piece for this Third Sunday In Lent.

What are "Reflections" devotions, you ask?

Higher Things is pleased to provide free daily devotions, called "Reflections," for youth and their families. These Reflections are centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and are based upon each day's texts from the weekly readings in the one year lectionary and from Luther's Small Catechism.

Higher Things Reflections are free, like the Gospel! They may be reproduced for congregational, personal and other non-commercial use. Please use the following attribution: "Daily Reflections are provided by Higher Things. www.higherthings.org. Used with permission."

Higher Things is pleased to announce that the 2014 Lent and Holy Week Reflections are now available. These Reflections remind us that the purpose of Lent is not to focus on our own suffering but to rejoice in the saving work of Jesus for sinners. The Reflections begin Ash Wednesday, March 5 and continue through the weeks of Lent and Holy Week and even Easter Dawn. besides daily emails, website, RSS feed, and podcast, the Reflections can be downloaded in the formats below.

So, with that in mind, I would like to present to you today's Reflections devotion for this Third Sunday In Lent from Higher Things.

Oculi: The Third Sunday In Lent

Today's Reading: St. Luke 11:14-28

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 27:30-45, 28:10-22; Mark 9:1-13

"But he said, 'Rather blessed are those who hear the Word of God, and guard it.'" (Luke 11:28)

In the Name of Jesus. Amen. If you inherited a diamond worth a million dollars, would you display it on your front yard with a big neon sign saying, "Come see my million dollar diamond?"

No, you'd take the diamond and make sure it was being kept in a safe place. You would guard it. You would protect it. You wouldn't just toss it in some dusty corner of the attic. It would be something that you treasure and guard with your life.

Jesus says blessed are those who hear the Word of God and ÆÃ...λάÃÆ’Ãă (pronounced "phy-LASS-Ã…"). ÆÃ...λάÃÆ’Ãă means "to guard or protect." It's related to the word that is used for a watchman protecting those who are sleeping.

The word Jesus uses doesn't mean "to obey." Greek has specific words for "to obey." ÆÃ...λάÃÆ’Ãă means "to guard" or "to watch." When you see it translated "to keep" it's being used as the old English word that means "to protect."

The Lord would have you guard His words, to cherish them, to have them be important to you. He would have you protect them more than any diamond. He would have His Words be more important than anything else in your whole, entire world.

For there is nothing more valuable than the Words of Christ! In His Words, He delivers to you the forgiveness of sins achieved for you on the Cross. His words gift you life and salvation. His Words enliven you to keep, that is to protect, His Words.

The best way to guard our Lord's words is to receive them! Faith holds His promises dear. Faith believes His Word. Faith lives from His forgiveness. Faith meditates on His Law and lives from His Gospel.

"Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and guard it!" In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

"O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."
(Collect for Oculi Sunday, Lent 3)

Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflections Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.

Short and sweet, but overflowing with Gospel truth!

In a Lutheran layman's terms, because we believe and have faith in His Word we should also guard and protect it due to the life-giving treasure that it is.

NOTE: As you know, I am a newly converted Confessional Lutheran who recently escaped American Evangelicalism. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is not consistent with our Confessions and Lutheran doctrine (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and point us back to) so that I can correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray. Finally, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier pieces I wrote on this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that category since I was a Lutheran-In-Name-Only at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a "Book of Concord" containing our Confessions even existed. In addition, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavy influenced by common Evangelical concerns/criticisms that perhaps wouldn't be too big a deal for us Lutherans. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because we now have this disclaimer and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Finally, please know that any time we engage in interpreting a specific portion of Scripture exegetically, it will always follow the verse-by-verse notes from my Lutheran Study Bible unless otherwise noted. Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Grace and peace to you and yours!

Share|