Today’s Scripture

Psalm 138       Isaiah 6:1-8     1 Corinthians 14:12b-20         Luke 5:1-11

 

An American speaker to the Orient began his message,  “I am tickled to death to be here.”  When the translator spoke, the crowd gasped.  The literal translation to these people went something like this, “He scratches himself to the point of dying to be here.”  So many times what we say is heard differently that what we want the person to hear.  We use words we understand a certain way.  The listener hears them in a different way.  The words become useless or break down whatever is being communicated.

 

In today’s Epistle, Paul writes about edifying the church and edifying the people.  That word, “edify,” is a pretty nice sounding word.  The trouble is we do not use that word in our day-to-day speaking.  “Edify” has two meanings that are appropriate to know in this verse.  One is to instruct in a way as to improve morally or spiritually.  Edify also means to build or to establish. 

 

The bottom line is this, as we gather together in worship, our purpose is to improve spiritually, to improve our understanding of God’s gift to us, faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with him.  As we gather together in worship our purpose is to build up the church, to make it stronger and to make it more saved souls.  As we gather together, yes even this morning, it is to build each other up making individual members strong in their faith.

 

An American custom is that ladies keep their coats on many times and that includes here in church.  Men traditionally most often take their coats off (although this custom is changing as what we wear changes from suits and topcoats to sweaters and jackets).  People not familiar with this custom wonder if we have heat in our public buildings.  What is a convenience or custom is interpreted differently by an outside observer.  Yes, you may keep your coats on, ladies.  As we study this passage today, it does lead us to examine what we do, what we say, and how we do and say things as we seek to edify, build up the church, build up each other, and build up those who observe Immanuel’s faith gatherings the first time(s).

 

In this passage Paul is addressing speaking in tongues.  That, in itself, is a specific gift the Holy Spirit does in fact give to some people.  As Paul writes, it is a gift that builds that person up in faith.  However, one person’s speaking in tongues is often not understood by others in his/her presence.  As Paul writes, this practice often confuses and/or distracts other people who do not understand this phenomenon.  To that Paul informs all of us that it is better to speak in a handful of intelligible words than in countless words that someone does not understand. 

 

As speaking in tongues may build up the individual, our purpose in worship and prayer with each other is to build each other up in faith.  As Christians and congregations understand certain terms and different orders of worship, a visitor does not always understand those terms or why there is a confession and absolution in the beginning of the service.  In fact, many people in today’s society do not understand the word absolution to mean the pronouncement that your sins are forgiven.  I use the phrase, “In the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  That comes from Jesus’ command to forgive sins in his name from Matthew 16 and 18.  Christians are to build each other up reminding and pronouncing the forgiveness of sins confessed in faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for those sins

 

At Immanuel, throughout Lutheranism and Christianity, we use terms as “justification.”  The word “justify” is an accounting term that means to make something right, to balance the account.  Justification is Jesus’ balancing your account before God.  No one can stand before God with even one sin not paid for.  Jesus paid for all of your sins, thereby justifying or balancing your account for you.  You are justified.  Jesus’ suffering and death pays up your account.  His sacrifice on your behalf is the act of justification.

 

Another term is sanctification.  It means to make someone holy.  Again, just one sin cuts you out of being holy.  When you are not holy, you cannot stand in God’s holy presence.  Heaven is holy and you cannot enter it as a sinful being.  You are made holy in the waters of baptism that wash away all of those sins.  The Holy Spirit works the miracle of faith in your heart so that forgiveness is all there.  He makes you holy before God as God sees Jesus’ holiness in your place.  You are sanctified, made holy so you may enter heaven and live eternally with God.  Sanctification is the forgiveness of sins and eternal life God gives you, by the Holy Spirit, through faith in Jesus who is your Savior.

 

God’s word is translated into language that we can understand.  Hymns reinforce the promises God gives us in his word.  Our prayers are spoken clearly and hopefully so each person understands and is strengthened in comfort knowing that God hears, listens, and answers.  Baptism uses simple water connected with simple words so we can live all of our lives remembering and trusting what takes place.  The Lord gave us his body and blood in simple bread and common wine, items that are always present wherever we are in the world, wine that does not spoil when out of season, so that we know he is always there when those words he gave are connected with these simple elements.

 

The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring lost souls to faith and to keep faithful souls in the faith.  The work of the Holy Spirit is bringing faithful souls together as the church, building up the church so that it increases and reaches out to more and more lost souls.  By the Holy Spirit the church builds up individual souls in the fellowship of many believers, the gifts of word and sacrament that are celebrated here.  The Creed stating what saving faith is.  The Prayer and Lord’s Prayer keeping our prayers focused on God who is our loving father and wants to hear our joys, sorrows, wants and needs, and hears and answers all.   AS you gather in the present ABLAZE small group fellowship and Bible Study groups, the present series is prayer for you to share the blessings God gives you to others. 

“The great gift for the Christian is that he may be able to edify others.”  (Morris)

 

Is each one here building up the church?  Is the church building up each one here and others as well?  We pray that as we gather together that occurs, as it does only through God’s word and the working of the Holy Spirit to do that, building up the community of believers in Jesus Christ to the day of resurrection. Amen.