Worship Helps for Reformation
Art: Martin Luther (1529)
Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder
Worship Theme: Lord, keep us faithful to your
Word! The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church emphasizes the
true Church’s unfailing reliance on the Word of God and unflinching testimony
to it in the face of persecution. Jesus promised to pour out his Spirit on the
Church that we might be God’s mouthpiece even before kings. Today the Church
prays that the Lord give us to strength to be faithful and the peace of knowing
our lives are safe in his hands.
Old Testament: Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23 Daniel in
the lions’ den
10Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed,
he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem.
Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before
his God. He continued to do that just as he had been doing before this. 11Then these
men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.
12Then they went and said to the king concerning the decree,
“Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or
person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the
den of lions?”
The
king answered, “Indeed I did. The command is like the law of the Medes and the
Persians that cannot be revoked.”
16Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and
thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you
serve continually, rescue you.” 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit
and the king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles
so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation. 18Then the king
went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was
brought before him, and he could not sleep.
19Then at dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and
hurried to the lions’ den. 20As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice.
The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you
serve continually: Was he able to rescue you from the lions’ den?”
21Then Daniel spoke with the king, “Your Majesty, may you
live forever! 22My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions, and
they have not hurt me because he found me innocent before him. Also before you,
Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”
23Then the king was very glad, and said that Daniel should be
brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed
because he trusted in his God.
1. How did Daniel react to the king’s edict?
2. In Romans 13,
God commands us to obey the government, yet God blessed Daniel for disobeying
the king’s edict. How do we explain that?
Epistle: 2 Timothy 4:9-18 The Lord will rescue us from the lion’s mouth
9Make every effort to come to me quickly, 10for Demas, because he loved this
present world, has forsaken me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to
Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you,
because he is useful to me for ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak I
left in Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments.
14Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The
Lord will pay him back for what he did. 15You be on your guard against him also, because he
vehemently opposed our message.
16At my first hearing, no one came to my defense, but
everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. 17But the Lord stood by me and
strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed and
all the Gentiles would hear it, and I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from
every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be
the glory forever and ever. Amen.
3. Comment on the people Paul refers to
in his greeting. What lessons can we learn from this list?
4. What can we learn from the fact that
many deserted Paul at his first defense?
Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23 Jesus is
sending us out as sheep among wolves
16“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as
shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to
councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. 18You will be brought into the
presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the
Gentiles. 19Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how
you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to
you in that hour. 20In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit
of your Father will be speaking through you.
21“Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father
will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have
them put to death. 22You will be hated by all people because of my name, but
whoever endures to the end will be saved. 23And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next.
Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before
the Son of Man comes.”
5. What does it mean to be “as shrewd as snakes and as
innocent as doves”?
6. Evaluate. We are not persecuted any more as
Christians.
Answers:
1. The king had issued a decree that his subjects were to
pray to no one else but him during the duration of thirty days. Daniel
disobeyed that decree and continued to pray to God three times a day, as was
his custom.
They didn’t persecute Daniel because of theses nailed to a
church door; they didn’t accuse him because of stirring words spoken over a
pile of condemned books. They persecuted Daniel because he prayed in his home.
Daniel made a bold confession and faithful witness with his knees. No godless
king or immutable law would change the homage due to God. No threats, no pain,
not even death would change Daniel’s loyalty to the Word of God that called on
him to worship the LORD his God only. So Daniel went home and prayed, just as
he had done before. He was faithful, even in the face of certain persecution.
For the Christian, most persecution doesn’t come from public writings like
Luther, but from private acts like Daniel. We live our faith and are persecuted
because of it. We don’t face a den of lions, but persecution abounds when we’re
faithful to the Word. We lose relationships because of moral purity; we lose
promotions because of worship priorities; we lose friendships because we won’t
join in sinful talking or walking. Faithfulness to God’s Word in the face of
persecution requires trust. God shut the lions’ mouths to answer the king’s
question: Is your God able to rescue you? Yes, he is. God shut the lions’
mouths to show his Church of all the ages that God is able to guard and keep
his own. You can trust him and be faithful to his Word in the face of any
persecution.
2. All earthly authority has been established by God. He
commands us to obey earthly governments as his representatives. The only
exception is what Peter tells us in Acts 5:29 “We must obey God rather than
men!” We are to obey the government in all things except those things that go
contrary to the will of God. Daniel pleased God by obeying him rather than the
king.
3. Demas had been
a follower of the Lord and a coworker of Paul. (See Colossians 4:14 and
Philemon 24.) It is sad that a coworker and friend would have deserted Paul.
Crescens is mentioned only here, probably departing for some other field of
labor, as was Titus. (See Titus 1:4.) Only Luke, the physician and faithful
coworker, was with Paul. Mark, who had deserted the missionary team on the
first journey, had later proved to be a faithful minister. Tychicus had helped
Paul deliver letters. (See Colossians 4:7 and Ephesians 6:21.) Carpus,
mentioned only here, had faithfully watched over Paul’s belongings. Alexander
had caused Paul much harm. Note also the people mentioned in verses 19-21. This
group runs the gamut from faithful servants of the Lord, to lukewarm followers,
to outright deserters and persecutors. This list gives us insight into Paul’s
acquaintances and life. It shows us what Christian leaders can expect today.
4. Not all will
remain loyal to the Lord and support preachers of the gospel. Yet we can always
take comfort in the fact that the Lord is with us and no matter what situation
we are in, as we confess the Lord’s Word, it will take root in people’s hearts
and spread.
Paul learned firsthand that faithfulness to the Word
of God brought persecution. His former brothers had abandoned him; his enemies
had not stopped hounding him. Though he was by himself, Paul was never alone.
Jesus stayed by his side and in Paul fulfilled the promises of both the First
Lesson and the Gospel. Consider Paul’s confidence that God will rescue him from
every evil attack—the point is not a rescue from danger, but rather a rescue
through danger to the heavenly kingdom. Paul knew that even if he died for
Christ, God would rescue him from that evil attack and bring him to heaven.
Eventually the headsman’s sword took Paul’s life; but it did not stop Jesus
from rescuing him and taking him to his heavenly kingdom. Lord, keep us
faithful to your word in the face of any persecution! To you be glory forever
and ever. Amen.
5. Jesus in this section warns us that we will be
persecuted for his name. As we go out into this world it is important that we
understand that. We should be shrewd in the way we deal with this sinful world,
yet we should never become a part of it. We should remain as pure as beautiful
white doves.
6. Although active persecution of Christians does exist
still today in some parts of the world, here in the U.S. we are not actively
persecuted or thrown in jail. The persecution we suffer is much more subtle. We
are made to feel intolerant and foolish for following the teachings of the
Bible. Let us always stand firm in the freedom we have been given with the
confidence that we too will receive our eternal reward.
Throughout the history of the Church, the story of
faithfulness to the Word of God has always been the story of persecution. And
rightly so, because Jesus promised it! Who would send defenseless sheep into a
world of ravenous wolves? It makes no sense, yet that is precisely the plan
that Jesus describes for his Church. It makes no sense—unless you are the Good
Shepherd who wants his sheep to utterly depend on him. Our trust in Jesus
doesn’t guarantee an absence of persecution, but faithfulness in spite of it. We
will witness to the Word of God before brothers, fathers, children, governors
and princes. Jesus promised, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who
stands firm to the end will be saved.” What comfort that must have been for
Martin Luther, whose faithful witness caused him to be expelled from his order,
excommunicated from his church, and outlawed from his empire. Before the kings
and princes of Europe, Luther gave faithful witness at Worms: “Here I stand. I
can do no other. God help me. Amen.”
Putting your faith
into action
The divine and the human nature have this personal union
with each other in the person of Christ and have the communion resulting from
it. Therefore, this man only, can say
with truth, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among
them”. Also, “And behold, I am with you
always, to the end of the age”.
We do not understand these testimonies to mean that only
Christ’s divinity is present with us in the Christian Church, and that such
presence does not apply to Christ according to His humanity. According to His received human nature, He
can be present where He wants to be. He
is present especially in His Church on earth as Mediator, Head, King, and High
Priest. This presence is not a part, or
only one half of Him. Christ’s entire
person is present, to which both natures belong, the divine and the human. He has instituted His Holy Supper for the
certain assurance and confirmation of this, so that He will be with us, and
dwell, work, and be effective in us also according to that nature from which He
has flesh and blood.
Christ promised that He—the man who has spoken with them,
who has experienced all tribulations in His received human nature, and who can
have sympathy with us, as His brethren—He will be with us in all our troubles
according to the nature by which He is our brother. – Formula of Concord, Solid
Declaration, Article VIII, The Person of Christ (paragraphs 76, 78-79, 87)
200 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
1 A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield
and weapon;
He
helps us free from ev’ry need That has us now o’ertaken.
The
old evil foe Now means deadly woe;
Deep
guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;
On
earth is not his equal.
2 With might of ours can naught be done; Soon
were our loss effected.
But
for us fights the valiant one Whom God himself elected.
You
ask, “Who is this?” Jesus Christ it is,
The
almighty Lord. And there’s no other God;
He
holds the field forever.
3 Though devils all the world should fill, All
eager to devour us,
We
tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.
This
world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He
can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done!
One
little word can fell him.
4 The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any
thanks have for it;
He’s
by our side upon the plain With his good gifts and Spirit.
And
do what they will—Hate, steal, hurt, or kill—
Though
all may be gone, Our victory is won;
The
kingdom’s ours forever!
Text:
Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. composite.
Scripture lessons
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®
(EHV®) copyright © 2017 The Wartburg Project.
All rights reserved. www.wartburgproject.org
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