Why were the sins of the Israelites recorded in Scripture? (1 Cor. 10:6)
What will God not let happen to us because of Christ’s cross? (1 Cor. 10:13)
What do eating, drinking, and playing have to do with idolatry?
Who is your escape from temptation? What has He instituted to be your real and ready means of escape?
Why did our Christian ancestors build our church building?
“God is _____________, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it,” (1 Cor. 10:13).
St. Mark Lutheran Church posts Rev. Bramwell’s sermons online for the sake of the members of our congregation who are unable to gather with us due to illness, work, etc. This resource is not intended to encourage anyone from gathering in person around God’s Word and Sacraments. Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 10:25 make it clear that God’s Divine Service is meant to be experienced physically with other Christians.
We give thanks to God that these sermons are a blessing to you and pray that if you’re in Humboldt County, you will join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM as God wills. (See the map below for directions.) If you’re not within driving distance of Ferndale CA, we encourage you to use the Church Locator at LCMS.org to find a church near you so you can gather in person with the communion of saints in your area.
Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
Both, our Lord and His apostle, Paul, tell us to watch out for wolves. In Matthew 7:15 Jesus says, “beware.” In Acts 20:31 Paul says, “be alert.” Who are the wolves against whom we need to guard ourselves?
What was one of the first titles given to pastors in the New Testament era church and what did they do? (Acts 13:1, 5)
What does Jeremiah 23:16-17 say false prophets do? They fill “you with _________ hopes. They speak visions of their _______ minds, not from the mouth of the _____________. They say continually to those who ________________ the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be ________ with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his ______ heart, they say, ‘______ disaster shall come upon you.’”
What’s the Gospel, which is the message on the lips of the true prophets of Christ?
St. Mark Lutheran Church posts Rev. Bramwell’s sermons online for the sake of the members of our congregation who are unable to gather with us due to illness, work, etc. This resource is not intended to encourage anyone from gathering around God’s Word and Sacraments in person. Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 10:25 make it clear that God’s Divine Service is meant to be experienced physically with other Christians.
We give thanks to God that these sermons are a blessing to you and pray that if you’re in Humboldt County, you will join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM as God wills. (See the map below for directions.) If you’re not within driving distance of Ferndale CA, we encourage you to use the Church Locator at LCMS.org to find a church near you so you can gather in person with the communion of saints in your area.
I talk with the LCMS regional director of Africa, Rev. Shauen Trump, about what we can learn from missionaries. The result is a look at Acts 8:1-4 and every Christian’s call to be a vulnerable evangelist.
Listen to the entire episode here! Or on your favorite podcast app. Rev. Trump’s info: https://lcms.org/trump
Check out previous episodes of Cross Defense here or at KFUO.org
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Have you heard John Rich’s new song, Progress? He identifies the problem we’re all facing in America. What is it? Godlessness. We need lawmakers and laws that revere and respect God’s revelation. If not His special revelation, at least His natural revelation.
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The Church, as you might have heard expressed, is not a social club. While there may be some similarities between us and other groups and organizations, there is something distinctly different about Christ’s Church. We are united in Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins, which means we recognize that we are sinners, and that Christ Jesus is our Savior from sin and its consequence, death.
Every Confessional Lutheran learns the importance of belonging to the Church during his Catechism instruction. Remember what you learned when studying Confession?
What is Confession?
Confession has two parts. First that we confess our sins, and second that we receive absolution, that is forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.
Luther’s Small Catechism, Confession
Pastors, by virtue of our vocation, are more aware of this than the average layman because we’re constantly assisting Christians, publicly and privately, to live in repentance. We hear Christ’s people confess their sins and we speak the joyous words of absolution. But that’s not your vocation and so it can be easy to forget that instead of a social club we are the body of Christ. And bodies need to be cared for, which sometimes involves unpleasant activities prescribed by the Great Physician.
What am I talking about? The Office of the Keys. What is it? “That special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent,” (Luther’s Small Catechism, Confession). This is what Jesus says in John 20:23, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” In Matthew 18:18 He says it this way, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
We’re all very familiar with the key of forgiveness. Thanks be to God! By God’s grace, we don’t often see the binding key in action. When it’s used, it’s used publicly during the Divine Service, just like the key of absolution is used every Sunday when we confess our sins. It’s never used lightly, and it’s only used in love for the unrepentant sinner. Its use is commonly called excommunication. It’s explained like this in the Small Catechism:
In [excommunication] the Church announces to impenitent sinners that their sins are not forgiven before God and that they are excluded from the Lord’s Supper and every other privilege of fellowship in the Christian Church except hearing God’s Word…. Excommunication is intended to show people who refuse to repent the seriousness of their sin and ultimately to rescue such persons from eternal condemnation and win them back to Christ. Thus, they are always welcomed to hear God’s Word.
Luther’s Small Catechism, Confession (Explanation)
When this key is used it can be quite upsetting to the members of the Church. As it should be. Like our Lord, we don’t want anyone to perish, but for all to reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, it’s only used after all other Matthew 18:15-18 efforts have been exercised. And as I said above it’s always used out of love for the sinner, and as the catechism expresses, for the purpose of trying to save the unrepentant person’s soul.
St. Paul describes the excommunication of an unrepentant sinner in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5. Notice the reasoning at the end of verse 5.
When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of the Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
Dear saints, I’m talking to you about the binding key this month because there may come a time when we must use it. It’s not something any of us look forward to doing so I long for your prayers. Prayers for me, that I’m able to exercise even the unpleasant aspects of my pastoral responsibilities faithfully on behalf of the church and in service to Christ. And prayers for us, that all of us live out our baptismal lives in repentance of sin, loving the Lord’s Law and Gospel, so that we all confess our sins and always only hear the words of the key of forgiveness.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Pastor Bramwell preached this sermon on Mark 8:2 for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, July 31, 2022.
What are Jesus’ first three words in Mark 8:2? (splagchizomai)
Compassion (Latin origin), Com + Passion. What does each part mean? What, therefore, is the literal definition?
What is Jesus’ death on the cross called?
Given that our society denies God’s existence or acts as if He is disinterested in our lives, how does it help you to know that God has compassion for you?
What did Jesus’ compassion move Him to do?
Jesus shares our suffering with us. What else does he share with us?
St. Mark Lutheran Church posts Rev. Bramwell’s sermons online for the sake of the members of our local congregation unable to gather with us due to illness or work, etc. This resource is not intended to encourage refraining from being gathered around God’s Word and Sacraments in person. Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 10:25 make it clear that God’s Divine Service is meant to be experienced physically with other Christians.
We give thanks to God that these sermons are a blessing to you and pray that if you’re in Humboldt County, you will join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM as God wills. (See the map below for directions.) If you’re not within driving distance of Ferndale CA, we encourage you to use the Church Locator at LCMS.org to find a church near you so you can gather with the communion of saints in your area.
There have been a lot of senseless killings recently. Is the problem guns or godlessness? What does Scripture say about wicked men who ambush innocent people without reason? Join me as I explore reports of the Greenwood Park Mall shooting and the Good Samaritan who used his gun in service to his neighbors.
Pastor Bramwell preached this sermon on Matthew 5:17-20 for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 23, 2022.
Sermon question: Why do we want to keep the Commandments?
What do we notice in verse 19?
Other verses referenced in today’s sermon: Romans 6:1-11; Exodus 20:1-17; John 5:39; Philippians 3:3-8; Matthew 5:13-16
St. Mark Lutheran Church posts Rev. Bramwell’s sermons online for the sake of the members of our local congregation unable to gather with us due to illness or work, etc. This resource is not intended to encourage refraining from being gathered around God’s Word and Sacraments in person. Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 10:25 make it clear that God’s Divine Service is meant to be experienced physically with other Christians.
We give thanks to God that these sermons are a blessing to you and pray that if you’re in Humboldt County, you will join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM as God wills. (See the map below for directions.) If you’re not within driving distance of Ferndale CA, we encourage you to use the Church Locator at LCMS.org to find a church near you so you can gather with the communion of saints in your area.
St. Mark Lutheran Church 