Proper 14
Job 38 (he did not see the whole picture)
Psalm 18
Matthew
14:22–33 Peter rescued after walking on water with Jesus Peter calls upon the
Lord and is saved.
Romans 10:5–17
"The message of
Salvation is to all"
Context of Romans 10 our task is to proclaim Christ's work, how he comes to us...
Jews rejected as they attempted to keep the law rejecting the righteousness of the Gospel. Why?
1. Ignorance of the Gospel
2. Rebelliousness
3. Trying to establish their own righteousness They did hear but Paul does not answer why Israel rejected.
Romans 10 does not attempt to answer why but points us to Gentiles being grafted in with a warning not to reject. But Paul does return to the promise...
We are given to trust not to understand everything...
Not to understand God but to be addressed by Him We can not explain God but are called to trust His promises The overarching theme is the compassionate/suffering God
Romans 9 is not about election but selection a people not a person
LSB #587 "I Know My Faith Is Founded" WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE HYMN
:5-8 the righteousness of faith
:6 personification of righteousness, context is Deuteronomy 30:9-14 the commandment is right here, near to you, Christ fulfilled the Law For us. The word near you is Christ. He is here, near you. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot ascend or descend. Yet Christ became incarnate and is the center of all. Christ is the goal and the fulfillment of the Law. (See John 3)
:6 is the central verse, the Word of God is not powerless. It has not failed. But cannot be understood by the ways of the world. It is not reasonable. The way it has always been with God. Contrary to worldly expectations.
:9 this is not a check off of what you must do to be saved. This is the response of faith. It confesses and believes what has already been proclaimed to you. The Word comes to you in a located way through preaching (see Vv.14-15) God's word is placed on you so you can call on him.
:14-17 it's impossible to believe without the word, preaching, or preachers. The Lord always works through means.
:16 yet not everyone has believed but no explanation is given.
:17 a summary. Yet God is not surprised.
The Lord. Who laid the foundation of the earth.” (Job 38:4) Is the Author and Giver of life. Who governs all things by His Word. His wisdom and power. Are beyond our understanding. Except. As He reveals Himself in the incarnate Word, Christ Jesus. He has “entered into the springs of the sea.” And “walked in the recesses of the deep.” (Job 38:16), And He draws near to you in mercy. Have you been “a long way from the land, beaten by the waves,” and "tossed about by hostile winds"? (Matthew 14:24).
Christ the Crucified Comes to Save Us by the Word of Faith
1. In our mortality and sinful unbelief, we do not always recognize the Lord Jesus.
A. But as we cry out in fear, He speaks tenderly to us: “Do not be afraid,” and He reaches out His hand to save us. (Matthew 14:27, 31)
B. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13),
2. And now we call upon Him in faith.
A. Because we have heard “through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17).
B. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Romans 10:8).
He Prayed Alone
Published on August 5th, 2020
Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege
“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23)
Echoing the Old Testament, the New Testament sets forth the principle that the Word of God and prayer are central (Acts 6:6; 1 Ti 4:5). God’s Word is His means by which He accomplishes His wondrous and powerful acts, and prayer is our means whereby we in faith ask for God’s blessings, speaking back to Him His Word. Preaching from Sunday’s Gospel, likely most pastors—rightly so—will magnify the miraculous and instructive account of Jesus and Peter. Let us not however overlook the importance of Jesus approaching His Father alone in prayer. As demonstrated by the perfect Man, both God’s Word and prayer—though having different functions—are equally valuable in the life of God’s children.
Though God’s children should indeed gather together for prayer, which is an integral part of worship, yet praying alone to God is magnified throughout Scripture. Moses interceded for Israel for forty days in prayer (Deut 9:25). When Saul rebelled, Samuel cried to the Lord all night (1 Sam 15:11). Daniel prayed daily in his closed room, facing Jerusalem (Dan 6:10). The Apostle Peter, apparently as a habit, went to the housetop to pray (Acts 10:9). Praying in solitude is so important, our Lord spoke of it in His Sermon on the Mount: But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mt 6:6). Perhaps more important than this encouragement to pray alone is Jesus’ constant example to do so. As Jesus began His ministry Mark records, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed (1:35). Luke speaks of this habit of Jesus: But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray (5:16). Luke 6:12: In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. Note Gethsemane where Jesus, preparing to suffer horribly for mankind’s salvation, withdrew from the Apostles to pray (22:41). In each Gethsemane account we find the stupendous struggle of Jesus, and His prayerful submission to the Father’s will. No doubt this perfect man prayed the Psalms in Gethsemane as he faced his excruciating destiny, bearing the sins, sicknesses and sorrows of mankind.
Why pray alone, when even at times no other human realizes you are doing it? As the Spirit brings people to faith through the Word, so Christians will personally employ that faith by coming to God alone in prayer. Praying alone is perhaps the ultimate expression of a Christian’s faith. No faithless person will pray alone to God. When we are alone with God, for what shall we pray? Certainly for anything. However praying to God is something that “improves” as one’s faith matures. Thus both John the Baptist’s followers and our Lord’s Apostles asked that they be taught how to pray (Luke 11:1). In response to their request the Apostles received the foundational prayer—the Lord’s Prayer. As we come to God in solitary prayer, the Lord’s Prayer is certainly foundational; likewise the Psalms are ready-made prayers for God’s people to read, to learn and to pray. Often (Like Moses, Samuel, Daniel and Jesus) we are driven to our knees in prayer when we face the trials of this life. Many of the Psalms are cries of lament to God, and are appropriately prayed on such occasions (e.g. 13, 130, 70). Some wise theologians have said that when we mature in prayer we are consciously echoing God’s Word back to Him. Thus we may mediate on a verse such as, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Ps 119:105). Appropriately we would be moved to pray, “Father, my path today is a dark path. Help me to consider your word that the path of this life and the path to eternal life be made bright through your Son who is the very heart of your Word.” We can similarly pray the Catechism, which is a condensation of the basics of God’s Word. Though even the most mature Christian offers “imperfect” prayers, yet the blood of Jesus and the intercession of the Holy Spirit make them perfect before our Father.
Published on August 5th, 2020
Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege
“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23)
Echoing the Old Testament, the New Testament sets forth the principle that the Word of God and prayer are central (Acts 6:6; 1 Ti 4:5). God’s Word is His means by which He accomplishes His wondrous and powerful acts, and prayer is our means whereby we in faith ask for God’s blessings, speaking back to Him His Word. Preaching from Sunday’s Gospel, likely most pastors—rightly so—will magnify the miraculous and instructive account of Jesus and Peter. Let us not however overlook the importance of Jesus approaching His Father alone in prayer. As demonstrated by the perfect Man, both God’s Word and prayer—though having different functions—are equally valuable in the life of God’s children.
Though God’s children should indeed gather together for prayer, which is an integral part of worship, yet praying alone to God is magnified throughout Scripture. Moses interceded for Israel for forty days in prayer (Deut 9:25). When Saul rebelled, Samuel cried to the Lord all night (1 Sam 15:11). Daniel prayed daily in his closed room, facing Jerusalem (Dan 6:10). The Apostle Peter, apparently as a habit, went to the housetop to pray (Acts 10:9). Praying in solitude is so important, our Lord spoke of it in His Sermon on the Mount: But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mt 6:6). Perhaps more important than this encouragement to pray alone is Jesus’ constant example to do so. As Jesus began His ministry Mark records, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed (1:35). Luke speaks of this habit of Jesus: But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray (5:16). Luke 6:12: In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. Note Gethsemane where Jesus, preparing to suffer horribly for mankind’s salvation, withdrew from the Apostles to pray (22:41). In each Gethsemane account we find the stupendous struggle of Jesus, and His prayerful submission to the Father’s will. No doubt this perfect man prayed the Psalms in Gethsemane as he faced his excruciating destiny, bearing the sins, sicknesses and sorrows of mankind.
Why pray alone, when even at times no other human realizes you are doing it? As the Spirit brings people to faith through the Word, so Christians will personally employ that faith by coming to God alone in prayer. Praying alone is perhaps the ultimate expression of a Christian’s faith. No faithless person will pray alone to God. When we are alone with God, for what shall we pray? Certainly for anything. However praying to God is something that “improves” as one’s faith matures. Thus both John the Baptist’s followers and our Lord’s Apostles asked that they be taught how to pray (Luke 11:1). In response to their request the Apostles received the foundational prayer—the Lord’s Prayer. As we come to God in solitary prayer, the Lord’s Prayer is certainly foundational; likewise the Psalms are ready-made prayers for God’s people to read, to learn and to pray. Often (Like Moses, Samuel, Daniel and Jesus) we are driven to our knees in prayer when we face the trials of this life. Many of the Psalms are cries of lament to God, and are appropriately prayed on such occasions (e.g. 13, 130, 70). Some wise theologians have said that when we mature in prayer we are consciously echoing God’s Word back to Him. Thus we may mediate on a verse such as, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Ps 119:105). Appropriately we would be moved to pray, “Father, my path today is a dark path. Help me to consider your word that the path of this life and the path to eternal life be made bright through your Son who is the very heart of your Word.” We can similarly pray the Catechism, which is a condensation of the basics of God’s Word. Though even the most mature Christian offers “imperfect” prayers, yet the blood of Jesus and the intercession of the Holy Spirit make them perfect before our Father.
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