Saint Paul's Lutheran Church of Irvine
27Sep/14Off

Tomorrow September 28th, 2014 at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church of Irvine: “Authority?” (Matthew 21:23-27)

Divine Service: 9:30 am

Bible Study and Sunday School: 11:00 am

Location: Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine: 12500 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, CA 92618

Directions: Exit Sand Canyon from the 405 or 5, head East towards the hills, cross Irvine Blvd., turn right on Saint’s Way (this will put you on the campus of Crean Lutheran High School…we worship in the event center/gym)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The entire divine service (the worship service) is designed to bring Jesus Christ — the Savior of the world — to you directly and personally. The liturgy, the holy absolution, the witness of another baptism, the sermon, the hymns, and holy communion…all of it assures you the constant coming of Christ, keeping you in the forgiveness of sins; keeping you in the palm of His hand.
If you’re tracking the news…war, disease, earthquakes (did you hear about the “earthquake swarm” hitting central California?), it can easily make us wonder about the end times. Well — and consistent with the seminar I’m doing in Anaheim again this Thursday at 7 pm — we are already living in the “end times” and have been since the Church was established 2000 years ago. In the meantime, no one knows when Christ will come again (Acts 1:7), but what we do know is this: you are kept ready for Christ’s glorious coming through His repeated and constant coming through His Word and His Sacrament. Thanks be to God!
How can we be so certain? Because Christ has been given all authority (Mt. 28). In tomorrow’s Gospel reading from Matthew 21, we hear how the Lord’s authority was questioned. Just like in accord with our sin, we question God’s authority today. But thanks be to God for His answer! By His authority, sin and death have been defeated; by His authority you are covered by His perfect holiness and righteousness…by His authority your failure has been replaced by His success; your weakness for His strength; your violations for His faithfulness…by His authority these things are true!
Tomorrow we witness the miracle of holy baptism; tomorrow we receive the holy absolution as God’s voice from heaven; tomorrow we partake of the holiest feast on earth and are guaranteed that we are one with our Savior and Lord…there will be the fellowship of Christians, special music, the blessing of the mighty Word of Christ which created the heavens and the earth and which has created saving faith in your heart…let us gather and rejoice!
Here’s an excerpt (note: this is most definitely the LAW portion…come tomorrow to most definitely hear the GOSPEL portion as well!):

Introduction: Authority…Good or Bad?

  1. God’s authority was staring me face-to-face through the fourth commandment: “Honor you father and your mother.”
  2. I was about five years old, and my whole family was sitting around the kitchen table for dinner. My dad and mom gave me an order: “Eat your sweet potatoes!”
  3. But I had a problem: at the time, I could not stand sweet potatoes! Much to my great shame, I did not obey my parents. To this open defiance, my oldest brother Larry (13 years my senior) decided to try intimidation. He pointed his finger at me, and using the most threatening voice he could muster said, “EAT YOUR SWEET POTATOES!” By this point, my sinful nature was in full bloom. I got up and made a stand and said, “NO!”
  4. And in that instance I proved what it means to be a sinner: God asserts His authority, and then we assert ours.
  5. This state of affairs reminds me of a story one of my college professors shared. He had been thoroughly witnessing to a colleague and unleashed his formidable arsenal of Christian apologetics. In the end, his colleague said that strictly on an intellectual level my former college professor had completely convinced him that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was absolutely true. He said, however sadly, that he would not follow it because quote, “He was having too much fun.” This too was open defiance. God said, “follow me!” But the man said, “NO!”
  6. This is the heart and soul of sin: it is putting our authority (no matter how illusory it may be) over God’s true and legitimate authority.

Part I:  Along the way, however, not only do we disrespect the Lord and His authority, but we make up sinful excuses!

  1. He now sends you forth to live joyfully. By His authority, you are free to love and serve God; free to love and serve others.
  2. But sinners shamelessly question the Lord’s authority!

Recall that up to this point in Matthew chapter 21 the Lord had demonstrated His authority through His many miracles and His amazing prophetic preaching. This was the Creator of all things (Colossians 1), the One who commanded the wind and the waves, walked on water, fed the multitudes, raised the dead, and yet He is questioned:

Matthew 21:23: “When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’”

  1. The key word here is “authority.” It means “absolute power” and “warrant.” In this case, the person referred to has the right and power to do what they do.
  2. Jesus’ authority is completely intact and He is fully vested with the power and authority of God. To question His authority is ludicrous; it’s like saying that He didn’t have the right to create us. Of course He did.
  3. The true problem is a moral one, and it begins because we feel threatened by God.
  4. When the text mentions the “chief priests and the elders of the people,” these refer to the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Great Council of the Jewish Church. These men had great power, prestige, and authority. Point blank Jesus threatened their position.
  5. How often does this occur?
In Jesus’ Love,
Pastor Espinosa

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