Built on the Rock
the Church shall stand
Even when steeples are falling.
Crumbled have spires in ev’ry land;
Bells still are chiming and calling,
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the souls distressed,
Longing for rest everlasting. (LSB 645, stanza 1)
Public domain
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
[Intro]
“Why has the Lord’s Word disappeared from His house?” This is
how a 27-year-old pastor began his first sermon back in 1810.
Again, he said: “Why has the Lord’s Word disappeared from His
house?”
From the very start, this newly ordained pastor caught the
attention of his parish and that of the Church of Denmark.
You see, this pastor had become so opposed to the Rationalism of
his day – which is the belief that reason is the chief source and test of all knowledge.
At this time, the Church of Denmark was placing reason above
Scripture. So, to put it bluntly, God’s inerrant Word was taking a back seat to
human reason. So, much of the Bible was being dismissed, since they did not see
it happening in their time. Also, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were not seen with
much reverence.
Now, Denmark wasn’t alone when it came to Rationalism. It was in
Germany where Rationalism really took off. And, for that reason, among others,
the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod was formed from the many Saxons who left
Germany for the United States.
For this Danish pastor, he was criticized for saying that the
Church of Denmark wasn’t following Christian doctrine. Now, for the Church of
Denmark, they argued that they were still Lutheran and still Christian because
they worship God in ornate churches.
You see, the Church of Denmark focused more on the beauty of the
building than the teaching inside that building. They focused on outward
appearance, rather than proper teaching. In response, this pastor wrote poems
that became hymns that criticized the Rationalism within the church. In time,
this pastor was fined by Denmark and his poems and hymns were forbidden to be
used.
Upon hearing this, he resigned his call – or rather he was
forced to quit since he was suspended by the Church of Denmark – and he later
moved to England.
While in England, he continued to study theology and poetry.
He later returned to Denmark and many of his friends convinced
him to lead a Divine Service again, but the Church of Denmark wouldn’t allow
it. But, he was allowed to hold an afternoon service at a German church in
Christianshavn. There he preached for eight years and he wrote his own hymn
book titled “Song-work for the Danish Church.”
This pastor’s goal was to reform the Church of Denmark back into
a Christian church that was not just a state-church, but a Lutheran
gospel-teaching national church.
Well, what happened to this Danish pastor? Did the Church of
Denmark reform? I’ll get back to him later.
[The Presence of the Lord]
Surely in temples made with hands
God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
All earthly temples excelling.
Yet He who dwells in heav’n above
Chooses to live with us in love,
Making our bodies His temple. (LSB 645, stanza 2)
Public domain
In our gospel lesson from Luke this morning, Jesus responds to
the uttering of many who said how beautifully adorned the temple was.
Jesus then takes this opportunity to teach His disciples, the
crowds and the religious establishment that the location of the presence of the
Lord is not built in temples made with hands, but by faith and confession.
Jesus said: “As for these things that you see, the days
will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not
be thrown down” (Luke 21:6).
This is as if Jesus is saying: “Yes, the Jerusalem temple is a
beautiful place, but it has served its purpose. God is not dwelling inside that
building. I am He. Come follow Me.”
Just like that, some in the crowd asked Jesus: “Teacher,
when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are
about to take place?” (Luke 21:7)
The crowds aren’t getting it. We likely wouldn’t get it, either.
Yes, the temple is wonderful and all, but it has served its purpose. The temple
is now obsolete through the Incarnation of Jesus – the Son of God.
So, Jesus takes this opportunity to teach. Now, the crowd
desires signs when these things will happen, but Jesus teaches them what they
really need to hear. He teaches them warnings and how to remain faithful.
[The
Warnings]
Jesus said: “See that you are not led astray. For many
will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go
after them” (Luke 21:8).
Oh, how easily we can be misled! For the crowds, they were
obsessed with the beauty of the stone temple and with signs. We too, can become
obsessed with how beautiful churches and cathedrals can be. We too, can become
obsessed with signs – just look at all the different interpretations of the
Book of Revelation.
Instead, we are to be prepared so that we are not misled. We are
to be prepared at all times, because we are never able to predict the exact
time for anything. Just look at the weather or how we believe our day will go.
We should always expect the unexpected.
So, how are we to be prepared so we are not misled? First, false
prophets will come with a different teaching than the one Jesus brings. Now,
they may use the same vocabulary – such as saved by grace – but they have a
different meaning. So, instead of being saved purely out of God’s grace without
any merit of our own, they may teach that we need to do something to earn God’s
grace. Or, they could take “saved by grace” to another level by eliminating
God’s moral law altogether.
Here, Jesus is alerting us to the many who will come “in His name”,
but will instead lead the flock down a different road. Now, their teaching may
sound authentic, but we are to test their teachings with the true teaching of
God’s inerrant Word as the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and apostles to
write.
Jesus continues with His second warning saying: “And
when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must
first take place, but the end will not be at once” (Luke 21:9).
In other words: do not panic! There will be wars and tumults,
but don’t focus upon them. Sin has brought forth division. Sin has brought
forth disorder. So, when you hear about wars or murmuring or wars, or when you
hear of protests on the streets for this or that, don’t panic!
Another warning is betrayal. Jesus tells us: “You
will be delivered up [before
kings and governors (Luke 21:12)] even by parents and brothers and relatives
and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all
for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance
you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:16-19).
Here, Jesus is warning His disciples then and His disciples now
that betrayal is to be expected as a follower of Christ. Because of sin, we are
not
living our “best life now.” We will face persecution for our faith in Christ –
even from the people we would least expect.
[Living
Stones]
We are God’s house of living stones,
Built for His own habitation.
He through baptismal grace us owns
Heirs of His wondrous salvation.
Were we but two His name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell
With all His grace and His favor. (LSB 645, stanza 3)
Public domain
The name of Jesus defines our identity, for Christians bear in
our bodies Jesus, the New Temple. For that reason, Christians are living stones
and our bodies are temples. Christians are marked in the family of Jesus, not
by ancestral blood, but by His Word alone.
As Christ’s living stones, we will experience persecution for no
other reason than our connection with Jesus. We have come to know Jesus as our
Savior through the teaching of the Holy Spirit that began at our Baptism.
Through our Christian identity, Jesus also calls us to remain
faithful to His teachings in the midst of persecution, so that others may hear
the proclamation of the one, true Christian faith. Even if we die not even a
hair from our head would perish, but instead we will be alive eternally.
[The Means of Grace]
Here stands the font before our eyes,
Telling how God has received us.
The_altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice
And what His Supper here gives us.
Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
And evermore, our Redeemer. (LSB 645, stanza 4)
Public domain
God is present with us here today! When we began today’s Divine
Service saying “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit,” we know that God is here and He is here to forgive our sins and to
strengthen our weak faith.
God dwells forever in His Word and Sacraments. God’s grace will
no longer come through animal sacrifices at the stone temple. Rather, His grace
will come through what the Lord has instituted to be the worship life of His
church: Catechesis, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through the Means of Grace,
the church is prepared for when Christ comes again in great glory (Luke
21:27).
At each Divine Service, we are strengthened knowing that we are
saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We remember what Christ
alone has done by making us righteous in God the Father’s sight through His
death and resurrection. Each time we receive Christ’s true body and His true
blood under the bread and wine, we remember and confess Christ’s cross and
passion, His blessed death, His rest in the tomb, His ascension into heaven,
and His coming for the final judgement.
We know that by grace through faith in Jesus, we share in His
victory over sin, death and Satan. We know what we have received though His
grace: forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation!
As Lutherans, we also take to heart the Reformation sola “Sola
Scriptura” or Scripture Alone. We know that these words of Jesus are true: “Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke
21:33). We know that the world will end, but the catechesis of Jesus will never
pass away. We know that when the world passes away those who reject Jesus’
teachings will pass away with it. But those who hear and keep His
Word, they will remain and inherit the kingdom He has prepared for all
believers!
[Jesus
Prepares Us]
Well, what ever happened to that Danish pastor? Was he ever able
to reform the Church of Denmark?
Well, his suspension was later removed and he was appointed a
hospital chaplain. He held this position until he died on September 2, 1872.
With his suspension ended, his poetry and hymns were made legal again. One of
those hymns is “Built on the Rock the Church shall stand.” This man’s name was
Rev. Nikolai Fredrik Sevrin Grundtvig. He wrote this hymn to teach us that it
is not the church building that is important, but of the most importance is that
God’s Word is rightly taught and that His Sacraments be rightly administered.
This hymn reminds us that our faith in Jesus is not built on
human reason, instead our faith is built on Christ alone and that He will never
leave or forsake His flock. We are also reminded that our faith is not
determined by the beauty of the church building we worship at, but instead on
our confession that we trust Christ’s every Word.
Christ is always faithful, even when we aren’t faithful. He is
always here for you and me. He always gives us hope through His Word.
Now, Pastor Grundtvig never saw a reformation in the Church of
Denmark, but upon his death the Church of Denmark gave him the honorary title
of bishop.
Although he never saw the Church of Denmark return to orthodox
Lutheranism, he did leave his mark reminding us that our Lord is Jesus Christ
alone and through His Means of Grace He gives all believers the strength to be
prepared for His coming – when we “see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).
Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,
That, when the church bells are
ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
Where Christ His message is bringing:
“I know My own; My own know Me.
You, not the world, My face shall see.
My peace I leave with you. Amen.” (LSB 645, stanza 5)
Public domain
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
T SOLI DEO GLORIA T
