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Luther for the Busy Man
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Luther for the Busy Man is a new project brought to you by the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary, in cooperation with Ambassador Publications, the publishing arm of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. Listen to daily meditations by Martin Luther himself, following the church calendar and read to you by Dave Ryerson.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Saturday
6d ago00:03:14Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - SATURDAYLESSON: LUKE 6:46-49No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11We must remain free judges with authority to judge, accept, or reject even what popes or councils decide. If we accept anything, we should accept it because it agrees with our conscience as instructed by Holy Scripture, not just because pope or council orders it. St. Paul says in Romans that if a man has prophecy, it should be in agreement with the faith (Romans 12:6). All prophecy slanted towards works and not leading genuinely to Christ or to your own consolation is not in agreement with faith, no matter how pleasant it may be, like the revelations of the hobgoblins, masses, pilgrimages, fasts, and the search after the merits of the saints.In these matters, many of the fathers have erred, including Gregory (the Great), Augustine, and many others. Not the least of their errors was to take away our authority to judge doctrine for ourselves. The false idea that we owe obedience to the pope and councils without question is a heart-breaking affliction which began at a definite point in history. So, you must also once again begin to say, “God has said this; God has not said this,” or “The councils have decided this,” you are building on sand.There is no other judge on earth in spiritual matters and on Christian doctrine than a human being who has the true faith in his heart, whether it be a man or a woman, young or old, servant or maid, learned or unlearned. God is no respecter of persons. All who live according to His commandments are alike dear to Him, and so they all have authority to judge doctrine.SL 11:1398 (14-15)PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You have bestowed great and wonderful privileges upon us as Your children by faith in Christ Jesus. May it please You to preserve and keep us in these privileges, strong in faith and hope, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Friday
1w ago00:02:51Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - FRIDAYLESSON: 1 JOHN 4:1-6“He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:47Do not let yourself be persuaded to believe in all simplicity what the pope says or what the councils have decided. If you recognize God in the truth of His Word, you have the rule, the measure, and the yardstick whereby you may form a judgement on all the doctrine of the fathers, namely, when you know that Christ is our salvation, that He rules us, and that we are sinners.So, if someone suggests that you must become a monk, or that you must do this or that to make sure of your salvation because faith alone is not enough for salvation, you can say in all certainty, “You are lying; your doctrine is false because he who believes in Christ is saved.”From where have we learnt this? From the faith in our hearts which believes this and this alone. No one can take adequate precautions against error unless he is led by the Spirit of God Himself. St. Paul says to the Corinthians: “The spiritual man judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). False doctrine can be properly judged only by the believer who is led by the Holy Spirit.SL 11:1397 (12)PRAYER: Your Spirit, O God, is the Spirit of truth and understanding. Lead us by Your Spirit into the truth and keep us therein. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Thursday
1w ago00:03:18Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 119:105-112Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9In regard to God’s Word, you must reach the point when you say, “That is how matters stand; no one will ever move me from my stand on God’s Word.” When you hear the Word say, “You shall not kill,” or “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them,” then you must know that this is Christ’s doctrine over against the decisions of all the councils, even though all men say otherwise.This is also the case with the doctrine that we cannot help ourselves in the matter of our salvation but must look to Christ as our Savior who, by His suffering and death, has obtained the forgiveness of sins for us. This doctrine you must know and confess in your heart as the truth.If this is not your conviction, you do not have the Christian faith. You may have the Word hanging on your ears or on the tip of your tongue like froth on the water, as Hosea says that Samaria has “her king cut off as foam upon the water” (Hosea 10:7, A.V.). You must believe God’s Word, not just as though it is made up of words preached by Peter, but as a Word which God has commanded you to believe.I say all this so that we should return once again to the Gospel and note from what fountain the foundation of our faith flows and to remind you that you have the authority to pronounce judgement on all that is set before you. I do not build my faith on any man and should not do so. I must answer for myself when I am confronted by death.SL 11:1397 (11)PRAYER: The truth of Your Word, O God, is a sure and certain guide for us in all matters of faith and life. Bestow Your Holy Spirit upon us in such a measure that we understand, believe and confess Your Word, for Christ the Savior’s sake. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Wednesday
1w ago00:03:20Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - WEDNESDAYLESSON: PSALM 119:89-96We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 1 Thessalonians 2:13God makes His Word known to us through men, and He proclaimed it and had it written down especially through the apostles. St. Peter and St. Paul did not speak their own words, but God’s Word, as St. Paul also assures the Thessalonians when he says to them, “We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”The Word may well be preached to me, but no one can implant it in my heart except God alone. God must speak His Word to my heart, otherwise nothing comes of it. If God keeps silent, the Word is not really spoken to my heart. Hence, no one will ever force me to give up the Word which God Himself has taught me. This I must know as certainly as I know that two and three make five. This remains true even if all councils say otherwise. If they say otherwise, I know that they are lying. Likewise, one yard is more than half a yard; this is certain. Even if the whole world says otherwise, I know that this does not change such facts. Who forces me to this conclusion? No one but the truth alone, which is so complete and so certain that no one can deny it.This is also the case with the truth which God has implanted in our hearts. I am not so concerned about the opinion of Augustine, Jerome, St. Peter, St. Paul, or even of the archangel Gabriel from heaven—I want to have God’s Word and what God Himself says.SL 11:1396 (8-10)PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for the sure and certain truth which You have set forth in Your Word. Make us steadfast and immovable in this truth, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Tuesday
1w ago00:02:57Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - TUESDAYLESSON: 2 PETER 1:19-21Whoever speaks, [speak] as one who utters oracles of God. 1 Peter 4:11You must be just as sure and certain about the Word of God as you are sure and certain that you live, and even more so. For on this Word alone your conscience must take its stand.No matter how many men come along, or even angels and the whole world, with some sort of conclusion, if you cannot make such a judgement or reach such a conclusion, you are lost. You cannot simply accept the judgement of the pope or of anyone else. You must be so constituted that you can say, “This is what God says; God does not say this. This is correct; that is not correct.” Otherwise, you cannot stand your ground.If you are on your deathbed and take up your stand on the pope and the councils, saying, “The pope says this; the councils have decided that; the holy fathers like Augustine and Ambrose have concluded this,” the devil will immediately shoot holes in your claims with the question, “What if these statements were incorrect? What if they erred?” If such temptation comes upon you, you have already succumbed. Here you must be quite sure and say, “This is God’s Word. On this I will surrender body and life and a hundred thousand necks if I had them.”St. Paul says to the Corinthians, “I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5).SL 11:1395 (6-7)PRAYER: Lord, You have given us a sure and certain Word to establish us in the faith and to remove far from us all uncertainty and doubt. Enable us at all times to live up to our convictions and to confess Your holy name without fear or favor, in Jesus’ name. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Monday
2w ago00:03:14Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - MONDAYLESSON: ROMANS 11:17-20“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15We should note very carefully that the Lord Jesus orders Christians and gives them authority to be judges over all doctrine, to pronounce judgement on whether it is correct or not. This authority was filched from us by false Christians for something like a thousand years, so that we had no authority to pronounce judgement on any doctrine but simply had to accept, without expressing any judgment, whatever the pope and the councils determined.This Gospel completely overthrows the papacy and all councils. We are not obliged to accept what the pope enjoins or what men set up. Therefore, I say once more, take careful note of this Gospel. Neither the pope nor the councils have received the command to set up and determine what faith is. Christ says here, “Beware of false prophets.” Either the Gospel must be lying, or the pope with the councils.Christ tells us that, as Christians, we have the right to judge all doctrine and what has been set up for us to hold or not to hold. Christ is not speaking only to the pope but to all Christians. Just as Christ’s former words are spoken to all, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (verse 12), so also these words exclude no one, “Beware of false prophets.” From these words it is quite clear that I have the right and duty to judge doctrine.Hence, I am obliged to say here, “Pope, you and your councils have made decisions. I now have to judge whether I can accept these decisions or not, for you will not be at my side to answer for me when I have to die. So, I have to see to it where I stand, and I must be sure of my ground.”SL 11:1394 (3-5)PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your Word is the truth, and You have given us full and ready access to this Word of truth. Grant us a sure and certain understanding of Your Word, that we may always stand fast in our faith and openly confess the truth of Your Word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VIII - Sunday
2w ago00:03:25Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 7:15-23“Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12After explaining the commandments of God as reported in Matthew, chapters five and six and in the earlier part of chapter seven, the Lord concludes His discussion with the words, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” This is a Christian doctrine and a neat summary of the whole of Christianity.Following on this, we have the present Gospel (Matthew 7:15-23), in which the Lord performs the office of a godly shepherd and teacher and warns us to beware of false teachers. It is as though He meant to say, “There you have your doctrine; from now on, beware of other doctrines. For it is certain that wicked teachers and false prophets will arise wherever this Word is preached.”This we must consider very carefully that there are two brands of doctrine: correct and good doctrine and false, misleading doctrine. There are two brands of doctrine, one always to be found alongside the other. This is how matters have stood from the beginning, and this is how it will be until the end of the world. We achieve nothing at all by withdrawing in silence and seeking security without trouble and annoyances. The wicked doctrine of men, the devil’s doctrine, and all our foes will oppose us unceasingly. We must never imagine that all our battles are over. We are not yet “out of the woods.” Hence, the Lord gives us a very serious warning and says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”SL 11:1394 (1-2)PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have given us very clear, precise teaching and instruction on what we are to believe as Your disciples. Implant Your Word in our hearts in such a way that we understand and keep it, for Your truth’s sake. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.
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Week of Trinity VII - Saturday
2w ago00:03:19Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VII - SATURDAYLESSON: COLOSSIANS 1:15-20He [Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17This Gospel (Mark 8:1-9) sets Christ before us as a rich, powerful lord and steward. To be sure, He is a rich miller and baker in one, better than any other that the world has ever seen, and He has learnt His trade very well. He really draws on a number of trades at once and without any human help at all. He ploughs and harvests, threshes, grinds and bakes, almost all in the twinkling of an eye.It is a miracle and incomprehensible to human reason how He could feed so many thousand men, without counting women and children, so that they were satisfied, and much more was taken up in broken pieces than they had at the outset. And He did it all on the instant with a word. He merely touches the bread and hands it out for distribution, and enough has been ground baked and prepared for four thousand or more people.The five thousand whom He fed on another occasion wanted to take Him by force and make Him their King (John 6:15). They thought that a man who simply had to put his hand into one basket or one pocket to provide all their needs could prove himself an excellent leader for them. He could actually do this and become such a king. Remember also the coin which Peter found in the mouth of the fish (Matthew 17:27).He can certainly perform His wonders when, where, and how He wills. He could bring enough bread and water out of a stone to feed the world. He actually does perform such miracles daily for the whole world. All that the world has is provided by His miracles, which are no less, as St. Augustine also has shown, than His feeding of the four thousand.SL 11:1379 (15-16)AE 78:257-258PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, in whom all things in this world hold together, provide us with all that we need for our faith and lives now and always, in Your name and for Your mercy’s sake. Amen.
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Week of Trinity VII - Friday
2w ago00:03:40Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VII - FRIDAYLESSON: ROMANS 12:1-8Christ ... suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21In the Gospels, we are taught both faith and love. Christ is portrayed to us from two viewpoints: from the viewpoint of faith, that we should repose our whole faith and trust in Him and not indulge in anxious care and worry; and from the viewpoint of love. Just as He does to us in His concern for us, feeding us, giving us drink, and clothing us out of free love alone—and not just to be useful to us or as a reward for our merits—so also, we should do good freely to our neighbors, so that, just as He is Christ for us, we should also be Christ for them.Here we see that many of the works performed in times past by the religious are vain and even damned. For they were not performed in the interests of the neighbor, but for the sole reason of piling up personal merits before God.True Christian works must never be done with any ulterior motive; they must always be quite free, so that they redound to our neighbor’s welfare and are a completely free gift to him. They are, so to say, thrown into a common pool from which anyone can draw.This is what Christ Himself did. He threw all His benefits into a common pool. He gave His doctrine, Word, and life to the congregation as His free gift to them. Blessed are those who accept this gift of Christ with thanksgiving.SL 11:1372 (15-16)PRAYER: Shine in our darkened hearts and lives with Your Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, that we may learn to love others as You have loved us, and that, as You are Christ for us, we may also be Christ for them. Grant us this for Your mercy, truth, and love’s sake. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:202-210.
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Week of Trinity VII - Thursday
2w ago00:03:56Tap to summarizeTHE WEEK OF TRINITY VII - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 33:8-22“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” Mark 8:2-3What a friend we have in Jesus! He is even concerned about the welfare of those despicable stomachs of ours. Our hopes must be aroused, and we must certainly find comfort in Christ’s words regarding the multitude on this occasion. They have been waiting upon Him for three days with nothing to eat, and Christ is determined to meet their needs. Here you see that all those who cling steadfastly to God’s Word are fed by God Himself. Here we have an example of the true nature and power of faith; it flows solely from God’s Word.Hence, my dear friends, let us really make a beginning of believing. Unbelief is the overall reason for all the sin and vice which has gained the upper hand in all social ranks in our day. How does it come about that there are so many silly women and rogues everywhere, so many traitors, thieves, robbers, usurers, murderers, and those who have ecclesiastical livings for sale? All this results from unbelief. All these people form their judgements on human reason alone. Reason follows nothing but what it can see, and what it cannot see it cannot comprehend. And so, reason cannot comprehend how ultimately, by refusing to place its trust in God through faith, it must end in self-despair in the presence of so many rascals and scoundrels. This is what results where men allow reasons to assume all controls and shut out faith in God.SL 11:1371 (13-14)PRAYER: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things, graft in our hearts true love of Your name. Increase in us true religion, nourish us with true goodness, and, of Your great mercy, ever keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:202-210.
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