Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 30, 2015

Prayer of the Day

O Lord, mercifully continue to purify and defend your Church. Since she

cannot stand firmly without your power, govern her always by your grace;

through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you,

and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land

that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2You shall not add to

the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the

commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. 6“Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your

understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these

statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding

people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the

Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great

nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I

set before you today? 9“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest

you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from

your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children

and your children’s children.”

Psalm 119:129-136 129

Your de- | crees are wonderful;*

therefore I obey them with | all my heart. 130

When your word goes forth | it gives light;*

it gives understanding | to the simple. 131

I open my | mouth and pant;*

I long for | your commandments. 132

Turn to | me in mercy,*

as you always do to those who | love your name.

133 Steady my footsteps | in your word;*

let no iniquity have dominion | over me. 134

Rescue me from those | who oppress me,*

and I will keep | your commandments. 135

Let your countenance shine up- | on your servant,*

and teach | me your statutes. 136

My eyes shed | streams of tears,*

because people do not | keep your law.

Second Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11

Put on

the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the

schemes of the devil. 12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but

against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over

this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly

places. 13

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able

to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14

Stand

therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the

breastplate of righteousness, 15

and, as shoes for your feet, having put on

the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16

In all circumstances take up

the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of

the evil one; 17

and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the

Spirit, which is the word of God, 18

praying at all times in the Spirit, with

all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance,

making supplication for all the saints, 19

and also for me, that words may

be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the

gospel, 20

for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it

boldly, as I ought to speak.

Gospel: Mark 7:14-23 14

{Jesus} called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of

you, and understand: 15

There is nothing outside a person that by going

into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what

defile him.” 17

And when he had entered the house and left the people, his

disciples asked him about the parable. 18

And he said to them, “Then are

you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a

person from outside cannot defile him, 19

since it enters not his heart but

his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20

And

he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21

For from

within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality,

theft, murder, adultery, 22

coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy,

slander, pride, foolishness. 23

All these evil things come from within, and

they defile a person.”

Lessons for Next Week:

Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1-10, 14-18; Mark 7:[24-30]

31-37

Oh Be Careful Little Ones…

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little ears what you hear

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little hands what you do

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little feet where you go

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little mouth what you say

O be careful little mouth what you say

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little mouth what you say

When the world screams – “It doesn’t matter how we live, what we

say, where we go, what we listen to, and we avail to our eyes” – what

will our answer be? In the simplicity of this Sunday school anthem

we hear a plain truth about God’s word given to us today. Be

careful little ones what you see, hear, what we do to others with our

hands, where our feet take us, and what words we speak – why must

you ask? Because God our Father looks down in love and yes we

must be held accountable for our actions. This is the law speaking –

and it is still a valid and necessary voice in our world today. We

must hear of what judges us – that God out of great Fatherly and

Divine goodness gave us precepts to live by and love according to.

And in this we prepare ourselves to hear the Gospel in all its power.

As St. Paul reminds us - 21But now the righteousness of God has been

manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear

witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ

for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and

fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift,

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward

as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show

God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed

over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time,

so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(Romans 3:23-26)

1. Remember the Law – write it on your hearts and teach it to your

children.

a. 6“Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and

your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they

hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a

wise and understanding people.’

b.

c. He says, “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing

the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth

generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a

thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My

commandments.” (Ex. 20: 5–6)

d. What does this mean? God threatens to punish all who break

these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath

and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and

every blessing to all who keep these commandments.

Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do

what He commands.

2. When faced with temptation and the evils of this present world –

PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

a. 13

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be

able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand

firm. 14

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,

and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15

and, as

shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the

gospel of peace. 16

In all circumstances take up the shield of

faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of

the evil one; 17

and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword

of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18

praying at all times in

the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

b. THAT YOU MAY WITHSTAND AND BE

VICTORIOUS THROUGH THE MERITS OF JESUS

CHRIST.

3. Put on the glasses of faith – “Now I see and understand”

a. 20

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles

him. 21

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil

thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22

coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,

pride, foolishness. 23

All these evil things come from within,

and they defile a person.”

b. Hear me and understand!

c. "God, You are not only our Creator, our Lord, our God, but

also the only source of all joy, all bliss. We therefore not only

owe service to You and You only, but we also can be happy

only when we serve You alone… But alas, we must lament

and confess that we are so deeply corrupted and blinded that

we are afraid to serve You, that we therefore keep wanting to

give only half of our hearts to You. Therefore You would be

be justified to banish faithless servants like us from Your holy

face. But, oh Lord who has given Your Son for us, we beg

You, have mercy on us for His sake. With the sword of Your

Word sever all cords by which our poor hearts are still bound

to the service of our sinful nature, and incline again to You our

hearts which are turned away from You, so we might serve

You and You alone. To that end bless also our reading of Your

Word for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Mediator.

Amen." (C.F.W. Walther, The Folly of Those Who Serve

God But Do Not Want to Serve Him Alone, sermon from 1850

translated by E. Myers)