Some good news

Here’s something that turns one’s whole life upside down in the best way possible, that changes one’s way of life and one’s goals permanently, and is also highly motivating … People are always looking for reliable advice. This is exactly what the Sunday services in the month of August offer, namely guidance.

The gospel is good news and offers comfort, hope, and guidance. In the month of August the divine services will focus on the gospel and the good news this spells for us.

Concentrating on what is important. People quickly get distracted by irrelevancies, prioritise trivialities, and put that which is truly important on the bottom of their list. Some Christians invoke the Bible to regulate the specifics of daily conduct. “They seek the support of statements from the New Testament that have to do with haircuts, nourishment, and clothing, or that pertain to raising children or the relationship between man and woman,” the Divine Service Guide says. These prescriptions, however, have nothing to do with our salvation. What the idea is and what truly helps us to attain salvation will be covered in the first Sunday sermon.

We seek fellowship with God. The parable of the wedding feast is the subject of the second Sunday in August. Fellowship with Jesus Christ is possible already today in the sacrament of Holy Communion, in the fellowship with our brothers and sisters, and in divine service. Yet there is more to this idea of fellowship, namely fellowship with the returning Christ and our hope for the future kingdom of God. This creates joy and security.

We serve our God. The Lord calls, human beings hear, and have a choice. Do we ignore this call or do we put it into practice? We are advised to accept God’s call to discipleship. Jesus Christ demonstrated what this means during His life. What our tasks are today and where we are to work and perform this service will be explored on the third Sunday of August.

We keep holy things holy. The psalm that the sermon on the fourth Sunday is based on is about the ungodly, the scornful, and those who delight in the law of the Lord. The sermon will call on believers to search for the will of God and incorporate it into their lives. This changes one’s perspective and has effects on one’s personal way of life. Deciding between the way of the ungodly and the way of the righteous is only one aspect, however: the sermon also reminds us to keep the neighbour in mind. “While it is wrong to follow the path of the sinner, it is indeed in the mind of Jesus and in the spirit of the gospel to give attention to sinners and bring them to repentance.”

“We joyfully anticipate the return of Christ.” The promise of the Lord to return to His church makes believers happy. It gives hope for the future and provides comfort that Christ has not left us alone but will return. This faith, this hope changes everything in a person’s life. It turns everything we have ever known upside down, creates excitement, and motivates. The sermon on the last Sunday of August will focus on this divine joy.


Photo: Photocreo Bednarek - stock.adobe.com

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Oliver Rütten
02.08.2021
Divine service