Saturday, July 31, 2021

10th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 13B

1 August 2021
John 6:22-35
Saved by a Work – Not Works

We love to dive home that central message that we are not saved by our good works. And yet, did you hear what Jesus said? He said there is a work that saves…it is to believe in Him. This might be a new thought – Faith is a work. It is like love in marriage. To be successful you must work at it.

To be saved means we must work at our faith so that it continues to exist and grow. The spiritual bread comes as a gift, but faith is needed to receive it. In this sense, faith is all important for without the Bread of Life – without Jesus Christ - we cannot be saved. Let’s consider this morning the work which saves.

I. Salvation is a gift from Jesus the Bread of life – Vs. 27 Do not work for food that perishes but for food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal on Him. All the striving in the world won’t change a thing!

A. The world is constantly striving for the things of this world. When things do not come easily, or when we see things we have worked so hard for waste away man can become worried and anxious.

B. We need not become anxious for Christ has promised He will provide. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said. “²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)

II. Faith is the receptive agent – Vs. 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God: to believe in the one whom He has sent."

A. This is what the entire New Testament teaches – to believe in Christ becomes the chief work of the Christian. Listen to how John explains it in his first epistle. This is His commandment that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 1 John 3:23

B. St. Paul is in agreement also. Listen to his words, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

III. Faith needs working – Vs. 29 “Jesus said, the work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.”

A. Says James - You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; James 2:22 It becomes easy for some to walk around saying constantly “I believe.” Belief is shown forth in words and deeds. Works is nothing more than faith put into action – faith that is put into practice.

B. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son Hebrews 11:17 Often we are called to do the impossible. But trusting in God’s promises as Abraham did our faith can triumph any obstacle.

We are saved not by works but by a work - the work of Christ. That work is active in your life. It’s the gospel light; the light of Christ. Therefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good work and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Words-810
Passive Sentences-16%
Readability – 84.3%
Reading Level – 5.4

August

Our theme verse chosen for the 2021-2022 school year is 1 John 4:11 - "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

The church father, Jerome, said that when the apostle John was in his extreme old age, he was so weak that he had to be carried into the church meetings. At the end of the meeting he would be helped to his feet to give a word of exhortation to the church. Invariably, he would repeat, “Little children, let us love one another.” The disciples began to grow weary of the same words every time, and they finally asked him why he always said the same thing over and over. He replied, “Because it is the Lord’s commandment, and if this only is done, it is enough” (cited by John Stott, The Epistles of John [Eerdmans], p. 49).

God’s act of love in sending his Son into the world to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1Jn 4:10) ought to motivate us as believers to love one another in a similar sacrificial fashion. The author John made the same point already in 1 John 3:16. But this failure to show love for fellow believers is just what the opponents are doing: In 1 John 3:17 John charged them with refusing to love their brothers by withholding needed material assistance. By their failure to love the brothers sacrificially according to the example Jesus set for believers, the opponents have demonstrated again the falsity of their claims to love God and know God (see 1 John 2:9).

God is gracious to the unthankful and to the evil. He makes his sun to rise and rain to fall for the unjust as well as for the righteous, therefore we ought to love the unlovely and the unloving. But just as God has a special love for his own people, we who believe in him ought to have a peculiar affection for all who are his.

If you had a pipe that was clogged - water kept going into it, but never came out, that pipe would be useless. You would replace it. Just so, God puts His love into our lives that it might flow out. We want the Lord to clear us and fill us so that His love can flow through us.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

The Cross of Christ (c) copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Friday, July 30, 2021

Saturday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

John 6:22-58 - The hymn, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John.

Louis Bourgeois (b. Paris, France, c. 1510; d. Paris, 1561). In both his early and later years Bourgeois wrote French songs to entertain the rich, but in the history of church music he is known especially for his contribution to the Genevan Psalter. Apparently moving to Geneva in 1541, the same year John Calvin returned to Geneva from Strasbourg, Bourgeois served as cantor and master of the choristers at both St. Pierre and St. Gervais, which is to say he was music director there under the pastoral leadership of Calvin. Bourgeois used the choristers to teach the new psalm tunes to the congregation.

The extent of Bourgeois's involvement in the Genevan Psalter is a matter of scholarly debate. Calvin had published several partial psalters, including one in Strasbourg in 1539 and another in Geneva in 1542, with melodies by unknown composers. In 1551 another French psalter appeared in Geneva, Eighty-three Psalms of David, with texts by Marot and de Beze, and with most of the melodies by Bourgeois, who supplied thirty four original tunes and thirty-six revisions of older tunes. This edition was republished repeatedly, and later Bourgeois's tunes were incorporated into the complete Genevan Psalter (1562). However, his revision of some older tunes was not uniformly appreciated by those who were familiar with the original versions; he was actually imprisoned overnight for some of his musical arrangements but freed after Calvin's intervention.

In addition to his contribution to the 1551 Psalter, Bourgeois produced a four-part harmonization of fifty psalms, published in Lyons (1547, enlarged 1554), and wrote a textbook on singing and sight-reading, La Droit Chemin de Musique (1550). He left Geneva in 1552 and lived in Lyons and Paris for the remainder of his life.[2] -31 July 2021

[2] https://hymnary.org/person/Bourgeois_Louis

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Friday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness.

Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask Him to give this king of bread. He reveals that He is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger nor thirst.

In John 6:1-15 is recorded the feeding of the 5,000. (A prelude to the next three Sundays of readings) Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000 (See Matthew 14:21). Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,
3,000 popcorn boxes,
8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)
684 candy bars,
436 nachos,
284 boxes of caramel corn,
917 soft pretzels,
247 polish sausages,
100 sandwiches,
179 bags of peanuts,
50 muffins,
160 cups of coffee.

[2]

This game was played on an afternoon, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! Besides fans had to pay for their food at the concessions stand at stadium prices!

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever[3]. Amen

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Thursday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.

Paul identifies himself here as a prisoner of Christ. At other times he refers to himself as a servant, apostle, ambassador and spokesman. To be a prisoner of Christ is to suffer for him. When we are zealous Christians, we will be subject to the opposition and persecution of the enemy, Satan. The test of the true Christian is the suffering he/she experiences in living out the Christian faith.

Seven times the word “one” is used. Repetition indicates the importance of the word in the thinking of Paul. On one side is the word “all”, and on the other side is “one.” All are to be one in Christ, in hope, faith, and love. This unity is demanded because we have one God, one faith, one Spirit.

The word “unity” gives us the insight into the Christian religion as a process of becoming what we are by the grace of God. We are not what we have been and what we will be. We are a growing people of God. We are in the process of attaining unity, of building up the church, of matching the full stature of Jesus. This “until” continues to the end of our existence on earth and is only completed in the heavenly world to come. [2]

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Wednesday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that they complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?” Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Didn’t the Israelites in the wilderness have a right to murmur against Moses and the LORD? They followed His leader out of Egypt where at least, they had food, but now they were starving. They had reason to complain, but they went about getting food in the wrong way. Instead of complaining, why did they not discuss their needs with Moses and take it to God in prayer? Their complaining reveals a lack of faith in the LORD’s hearing and answering prayer.

The LORD’s glory appeared in a cloud. Like a cloud, the LORD is mysterious and hidden – one can’t see much when fly in a cloud or driving in a fog. The LORD is the unknowable an hidden God. Yet, as the cloud indicated, God is ever present. His glory appears when he comes to the rescue of his people, who are in need. His glory is seen best in the cross where the LORD in his Son saves the world.[2]

Monday, July 26, 2021

Tuesday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.

PRAISING GOD FOR WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES

This psalm is titled A Praise of David. Though Psalms 17 and 86 were also called A Prayer of David, this is the only one titled A Praise of David, and it is a high point of praise. “Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty.” (James Montgomery Boice)

Psalm 145 is the last psalm attributed to David in the collection of psalms, and it is the last of the nine psalms using some kind of acrostic pattern (9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145). Five of these acrostic psalms are attributed to David.

“In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come.” (Willem VanGemeren) [2]

Collect for Psalm 145: Loving Father, you are faithful in your promises and tender in your compassion. Listen to our hymn of joy, and continue to satisfy the needs of your creatures, that all flesh may bless your name in your everlasting kingdom, where with your Son and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and forever.[3] -27 July 2021—

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-145/

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Monday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6; John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Paul in our Epistle lesson Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”. As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

–Proper 13 John 6:22-35
Eat More Than Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.
–Proper 14 John 6:35-51
Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life
– Proper 15 John 6:51-69
To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ

Collect for Psalm 78: Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the Kingdom, you renewed and surpassed the marvels of the old covenant. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures, where we may praise you now and forever. [2] -26 July 2021—

Proper 13 Series B

Proper 13

Exodus 16:2–15

Ephesians 4:1–16

John 6:22–35

For 1 August 2021

Jesus Is the True and Living Bread from Heaven

Having rescued Israel “out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 16:6), the Lord manifested His glory and made Himself known to His people. He fed them with “meat to eat” in the evening and with “bread from heaven” in the morning (Ex. 16:4, 8, 12). But now, the “true bread from heaven,” which the Father gives to you, is the Son, “who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33). Whoever comes to Him “shall not hunger,” and whoever believes in Him “shall never thirst.” He is “the bread of life,” who gives Himself to you as “the food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27, 35). By the gracious working of God, you believe in Him by the calling of one Spirit through the Gospel, so that you also have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4–6). As you eat His one body in the Holy Supper, so you belong to the one body of His Church, in which you “are to grow up in every way into him who is the head” (Eph. 4:15).

John 6:22-35

Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacrament, that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

According to the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This was for a 2 pm tip where the crowd had already had breakfast and possibly lunch! And they had to pay for their food!

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” John 6:27

Jesus declared that one must work…for the food that endures to eternal life. This maxim of Jesus—like most of His teachings—generated questions in the hearts and minds of the hearers. The first question they asked Jesus dealt with this “work” described by Jesus: What must we do, to be doing the works of God [v 28]? What works are you talking about, Jesus?

Jesus responded, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent [v 29]. Jesus now generates more questions, one of them being, “Who is this one whom God has sent?” Jesus has already answered this question, and He will repeatedly answer it by explaining that He is the one God has sent: For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me [v 38]. So the work of God is that people believe in Jesus, the Sent One.

When Jesus speaks of the work of God, especially from an Old Testament perspective He is NOT speaking about a work that God requires us to do, but He is speaking about the work that God does! This is God’s work—in other words this is the work that He performs—that you believe in the one whom He has sent. God enables people to believe in Jesus, and Jesus frequently presents this miracle. For instance in verse 44 Jesus explains, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And again in verse 65 Jesus reiterates, I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. It is truly God’s work… that we are enabled to come to Jesus, that is, believe in Him. Many today consider their faith to be their own work, but it is God’s work.

Nonetheless, to believe in Jesus is—empowered by God—something we truly “do”, for we are not mere objects like puppets. We each can rightly maintain that believing in Jesus is indeed “my” faith, “my” trust in Him. Thanks be to God that He takes spiritually dead people (Eph 2:1ff) and gives them new birth, so that such newborn people can and do believe in Jesus! Through His Word, God sends forth the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, and by the Spirit’s power people are connected to and believe in the One whom God the Father has sent.

What then is the food that endures to eternal life [v 27]? Such food is not the mere bread that Jesus miraculously provided in the feeding of the 5,000, nor is it the manna that God provided through Moses. Both of these miracle-breads were merely for the body, and such bread will rot and perish. The food that endures to eternal life is Jesus Himself! Jesus thus avows, I am the bread of life…This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever [vv 46, 48-51a].

Jesus then immediately connects this bread to His crucifixion: And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh [v 51b]. By identifying himself in this way—speaking of giving His “flesh”—Jesus is directing His followers to see Him as a sacrifice. An example of an Old Testament connection is found in Leviticus 7:15 where we read about the flesh of a peace offering: And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. For Jesus to give His flesh, meant that He would offer Himself as sacrifice. In this way Jesus is directing us to realize that our faith in Him is directly linked to His crucifixion (and resurrection). To believe in Jesus is to believe that He came purposefully to be sacrificed for mankind’s salvation. This faith is indeed “eating” the food that endures to eternal life; it is the food flowing from Christ’s cross.

How then do we work…for the food that endures to eternal life? A Christian, having been given spiritual life, thus “works” to continually receive the food (God’s Word and Sacrament), eating the Bread of Life (Jesus) to eternal life. A wondrous continuity flowing from the Old Testament is that spiritual nourishment involves the actual bodily eating of a sacrifice. Recall from the Leviticus quote above, that the people were directed to eat the flesh of the thanksgiving peace offering. So now—but in a far superior way—we not only feast upon Jesus as we hear his word, but we feast upon Him as we eat of THE sacrifice. Christians must thus be continually encouraged to “work” for the eternal-life food, to be lifelong partakers of Jesus (the Bread of Life) through His Word and Sacrament.

6:22 narrated from Jesus' disciples - assessing the situation, the crowd could not figure out how Jesus could have crossed the sea.

6:23 Tiberius GK city on the Sea of Galilee, mentioned only in John 6:1; 21:1) Herod Antipus built it in AD 16-22 and named it in honor of the reigning Romas emperor.

"Having given thanks..." does this make the text Eucharistic? It's bread but more than bread...he comes to us, then when He came and now as He has compassion and teaches.

6:26 faith in Jesus was the purpose of all the signs. At the miraculous feeding, the crowds saw only the gifts, not the Giver. You saw and had your bellies filled...they saw but did not understand.

Look at the change of verbs...

6:27 labor - food. Jesus posed an absolute contrast between physical and spiritual "food" without denying the importance of the physical. Set His seal...see Jer. 32:10

"Stop working for the perishable food" bread that we eat will not keep you alive forever...it's the bread you work for after the fall which comes from the cursed earth and your sweaty brow...you still die.

The Orthodox use this terminology of "seal" for baptism.

6:28 don't trust in your daily labor

6:29 "work of God, that you believe" The crowd asked abour righteous "works" but Jesus singled out one necessary work; faith in Him, which is God's gift.

6:30 what sign do you do that we might understand? Who are in the crowd? The Pharisees? Mocking...they use the same verb for work. See Matthew 12 show a sign...

6:31 the crowd quotes the OT to support their demand that Jesus perform a miracle like Moses had done, which they assumed was greater thatn Jesus' signs. Like Mary and Martha only one thing is needful...

6:32 Jeus corrected the crowd on two points - manna came from God not Moses and Moses' bread was not the "true bread from heaven" Only the Father gives that bread.

6:33 the one who gives life for the world is a person, the one Whom the father sends

6:35 "I am" Jesus clearly idnetified Himself as the sources of real life, which lasts forever.

Time in the Word - Proper 13

Time in the Word

July 26-31 2021

Proper 13

Preparation for next week, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

This coming Sunday marks an interlude in the long series of passages from Mark during the Pentecost season. The Gospels for three Sundays are taken in course from John 6 - The Bread of Life chapter. Jesus explains that the people have come for more physical bread, but He would rather they had spiritual food which comes from heaven, food for the soul. He then identifies Himself as the bread from heaven similar to the manna God sent to His people in the wilderness. The Old Testament. Paul speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”. As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

Monday, 26 July 2021—Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6’ John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Tuesday, 27 July 2021—Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v 15—"The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time." This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.

Wednesday, 28 July 2021— Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that hey complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?” Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Thursday, 29 July 2021—Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.

Friday, 30 July 2021—John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness.

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Saturday, 31 July 2021—John 6:22-58 - The hymn, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John.

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

– [Proper 13] John 6:22-35

Eat More Than Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.

– [Proper 14] John 6:35-51

Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life

– [Proper 15] John 6:51-69

To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ

Sources:

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12B)

25 July 2021
Mark 6:45-56
Experiencing the LORD’s presence even when it stinks to be me

When life’s troubles rise to meet me,

Though their weight
May be great,
They will not defeat me.
God, my loving Savior, sends them;
He who knows
All my woes
Knows how best to end them.[1]

In the course of a conversation when it appears that a person is going through a rather difficult time of testing I’ll remind them; “stick out your hand…you have five fingers. You can be reminded of the last five words Jesus ever spoke to humans before He ascended into heaven…”I am with you always.” Or, I might say to that person, “remember God’s promise to you – this is for my good…”

And yet, the cynic inside of us can use another five word sentence that says, “It stinks to be me!” In a real sense all three phrases are true. We can be assured of Christ’s presence in our lives. His promise is for you, ‘I am with you always.” Nothing will happen to you without His perfect will being played out in your life. We can conclude, “This is for my good.”

And at the same time we know that when we are in the midst of a battle; as we live in a broken world outside of Eden; so yes, it is just as true, sometimes, ‘It stinks to be me!”

The Savior brings His children into difficult and fearful situations to strengthen their faith in His presence and power only to deliver them from ultimate peril. During these difficult times; especially in times of hardship, you need to know of Christ’s presence and power to save.

I. God sometimes sends His people into fearful situations.

A. Jesus sent the disciples into a perilous situation. Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat^wand go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, (Vv.45-48)

B. We sometimes find ourselves in difficult contexts. Maybe it’s a health scare. Or unemployment. Or under-employment. Possibly there’s trouble at home. Or a special needs child. Maybe it’s living through the consequences of the bad choices made in life. Yet we must never forget that it is Christ and Christ alone who orders your days and directs your path.

C. The question is why the LORD would allow this to happen. We only know of yesterday and today. He knows everything – your past and your future. He has not forgotten about your current situation. You are where you are now so that in the future you will then know and understand His ways.

II. The LORD sometimes appears to pass us by in the time of peril.

A. Jesus appeared intent on passing by the disciples in their time of peril. He was about to pass by them (v. 48b)

B. It can appear to us that our Savior isn’t paying attention to us in our time of need. When we are tempted to think this way then we remember His Word. Then we remember His promises – I will never leave you – I will never forsake you. I am with you always!

C. At such times of great peril and anxiety; danger and fright you pray. Even when prayer doesn’t make sense. Jesus prayed when things were tough. You prayer because this is what faith does. You pray because you know none other.

C. The question is why He would do this. Sometimes we simply do not know! In the book of Job the Lord speaks - Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thundersfrom his pavilion?See how he scatters his lightning^yabout him, bathing the depths of the sea. This is the way he governsthe nationsand provides foodin abundance. (Job 36:30-31)

III. When the LORD’s direction brings us hardship and He appears to neglect us, we often respond with fear and despair.

A. The disciples failed to trust Jesus’ presence and power to deliver them. But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.

They were tortured by the sea. So they cried out in terror. Yet notice the source of their fear. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (Vv.49-50a. 52) They could not recognize Jesus because of fear and the hardness of heart.

B. When our obedience to the LORD’s direction brings hardship, we might doubt His presence and His gracious purpose.

Faith calls for us to recognize the Lord’s working in our life. Especially when we cannot see His hand at God. The Lord will never abandon you to the world you’ve recreated for yourself. Christ does not withdraw to a contamination-free zone. He does completely the opposite. He chose to enter into your world. He promises never to leave nor forsake you. To does not leave you to fend for yourself. To get in with it on your own. Rather, He enters into the darkness, seriousness and the consequences of human life. John would remind us; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1) He enters your world. He comes in order to save.

IV. But the LORD’s purpose is to use this experience to benefit us.

A. Jesus shows how powerful He is by delivering us from that which would destroy us.

1. Jesus demonstrated to His disciples His presence and power to save. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed. (Vv.50b-51)

2. Christ rescued us from the ultimate perils of sin, death, and hell by His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

3. Christ delivers us from the need to fear or doubt. We need not fear for Christ is near.

B. The LORD uses these experiences of hardship to strengthen our faith.

1. The disciples were awed and amazed at Jesus’ power. The wind ceased. There was a great calm. They were completely amazed (V.51b)

2. You are awed at Christ’s grace and power to save.

Everything that is happening to you is ultimately for your good. Christ cannot fail you. Never will He leave you. Never will He forsake you. He is with you always! Even when it stinks to be you!

Words-1,160
Passive Sentences -2%
Readability – 81.5%
Reading Level -4.5

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Friday, July 30, 2021

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Monday, July 26, 2021

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Words-1,160Passive Sentences -2%Readability – 81.5%Reading Level -4.5

Words-1,160
Passive Sentences -2%
Readability – 81.5%
Reading Level -4.5