Pastor Weise’s Sermon – Baptized Into Christ

Romans 6.1-11/St. Matthew 5.17-26

Trinity VI/July 28, 2019

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd/Good Shepherd Chapel, Sauk Rapids, MN

Rev. Keith R. Weise, pastor/chaplain

LISTEN TO SERMON

Texts

Prayer of the Day

Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of Your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of Your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Romans 6.1-11

¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

St. Matthew 5.17-26

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

 

Invocation    In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

I          Brothers and Sisters—

the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is a miracle.

YOUR baptism—

is a miracle.

When

you had water poured or sprinkled over your head—

or

you were submerged under water

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit—

God worked a miracle.

He worked a miracle

for you—

and

on you.

And by his miracle of Holy Baptism

God is still working

in you

and

on you

today.

II         That’s why

St. Paul tells us—

that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.  Therefore, we were buried with [Christ] through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.                      (Romans 6.2-4)

 

III       When YOU were baptized—

you were united—

you were made one

with Christ Jesus, our Lord.

By this blessed sacrament

God united you with Christ

in his death on the cross.

God united you with Christ

in his burial in the tomb.

and

God united you with Christ

in his resurrection from the dead

into everlasting life.

When you were baptized—

God joined you together with Christ

in an

eternal

heavenly

bond—

which he will never break.

IV        Because of baptism—

what happened to Jesus—happens to you.

When Jesus was crucified—

so were you.

When Jesus died—

so did you.

When Jesus was buried—

so were you.

When Jesus rose from the dead—

so did you

And now—

by the working of God

in you

and

on you

through Holy Baptism—

because Christ lives forever—

so will you!

That’s the miracle of Baptism.

That’s God’s miracle—FOR YOU!

He has united you together with Christ—FOREVER!

________________________________________________________________

V         And this miracle—

this blessing we call baptism—

isn’t something that happens once—

and then it’s done. NO!

God keeps on giving you the blessings of baptism

throughout your entire life.

St. Paul says—

the death that [Christ] died, He died to sin once for all;

but the life He lives, He lives to God. 

Likewise YOU ALSO, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.                                                (Romans 6.10-11)

 

            You—

all of you here in the chapel today—

the Holy Spirit says—

Consider yourselves to be dead to sin

and alive to God in Christ.

Consider yourself dead to sin

because the death YOU died in baptism

was

Christ’s death

and

your death to sin!

Consider yourself alive to God in Christ

because the life you live now

is Christ’s life—

lived by you—

to the glory of God the Father.

You are dead to sin—

but you are alive for God in Christ Jesus.

That’s what God does for you in baptism.

VI        God will never break the baptismal bond of life

he gives you with Christ.

So why on earth would you try to break it by continuing in sin?

God calls all those whom he baptizes

to keep his law in their life.

And that’s true for you and me and all the faithful.

God calls US to keep his law.

The Law has not gone away.

Not one jot—

Not one tittle—

Not one dot over an “i”

Not one cross through a “t”

has disappeared from the Ten Commandments

since God gave them to Moses.

And now—

through Holy Baptism

God has given you his Holy Spirit

to lead you in obedience to his divine Law.

If you reject God’s leading—

If you think but lightly of your divine call to fulfill the law of God—

If you ignore the Word through which God calls you to obey him

and

Deny his work

in your life

by Holy Baptism—

Jesus says in the Gospel today—

You—YOU!—

will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.     

(St. Matthew 5.20)

 

VII      So obey God’s law.

Do not murder.

AND

do no physical harm to anyone.

Harm no one

in your thoughts

or

by your words.

Do not harbor anger in your heart for your brothers and sisters in the faith.

To do so is

to deny God’s holy work in baptism

and

to put yourself in danger on the day of judgment.

Do not call your brothers or sisters names.

Don’t call anyone an empty-head—(that’s what “raca” means)—

AND

don’t go calling people “fool” or anything else, for that matter.

When you do that

you deny God’s holy work in baptism

and

you call down damnation on yourself.

When you know you’ve done something wrong to someone else—

the LAST place—THE VERY LAST PLACE

you should come is CHURCH!

Instead—

go first to the person whom you have wronged.

Confess your sin.

Repent of your evil.

Ask for their forgiveness

and

Set your heart to love them once again.

Be reconciled first to your brother or sister—

and THEN come to church

and make your confession to God

and offer him your gifts and prayers.

To do any less

is to deny God’s holy work in baptism

and to put your salvation at risk.

And when someone sues you or accuses you of something

do everything you can

to make things right—

and do it quickly.

Because if you don’t—

GOD WILL most certainly make things right in The End—

and trust me—

YOU WON’T LIKE IT!

I promise.                              (St. Matthew 5.21-26)

VIII    Obey God’s law.

It’s how you are called to live

as a baptized child of God.

We are called

to love our brothers and sisters in the Church—

and also all those who have not yet been baptized.

We are called

to speak

kindly

lovingly

patiently

and

in a way that builds one another up—

never in a way that tears the other person down.

We are called

to be reconciled with one another—

to be united with one another

as God unites us with Christ in Holy Baptism.

We are called

to be reconciled with one another

because God has reconciled himself to us in Christ Jesus

through the water and word

of Holy Baptism.

God has made us dead to sin—

so live in your sin no more—

because God has called us to blessed life with him—

united forever to Christ our Lord.

________________________________________________________________

IX       In Holy Baptism—

God makes you his beloved child.

God makes you great in the kingdom of heaven.

God kills

your sinful flesh

your iniquitous inclinations

and

even all your awful sin.

He does it at the font

through water and his word.

And he does it again and again and again—

EVERY

SINGLE

DAY.

That’s why Luther tells us in the Small Catechism

that

[Baptism] works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.                                  (Small Catechism.  Question 2. Answer.)

and

[Baptism] indicates that the Old Adam—[the Old Sinner]—in us should by DAILY contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new person should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.          ‘

       (Small Catechism.  Question 4.  Answer.)

Perhaps Jeremiah didn’t mean it this way—

but it is still most certainly true.

It is in Holy Baptism—

that God’s mercies are new every morning.                 (Lamentations 3.23)

________________________________________________________________

X         Because you are baptized—

you have died with Christ—

and all your sins were wiped away on the cross.

Because you are baptized—

you now live with Christ—

and all his holiness is yours forever and ever.

Because you are baptized—

you have the Holy Spirit

who leads you through God’s Word

to live a life of holiness and righteousness before the Lord, our God.

Because you are baptized—

Christ’s death is YOUR death.

Christ’s burial is YOUR burial.

Christ’s resurrection is YOUR resurrection.

Christ’s ascension is YOUR ascension.

Christ’s eternal life in glory is YOUR eternal life in glory.

Because you are baptized—

the world—

your sinful flesh—

even the devil—

devil can do nothing to you!

Not now.

Not ever.

and

Certainly not in eternity.

So when the devil comes

accusing you

and

lying to you

and

tempting you

and

trying to plant doubts about your baptism—

look the devil straight in the eye and say—

You sir, go to hell.

 

                                                                        I am going to the kingdom of heaven—

                                                                                    because

                                                                                                I am baptized into Christ.

Praise God.

Amen.

Invocation    In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Hymn of Response:  Create in Me.