1 Samuel 3:1-21; Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The Big Idea: The living Word shapes our lives when we hear it spoken.
Learning Goal: Learners will understand the Word, how Lutherans honor it, and its place in our lives.
God’s Word
Because we can’t see God in all fullness and almighty power, we begin to wonder what God really thinks about us. We wonder what God is up to in the Creation. We wonder if maybe we ought to just take charge of things ourselves. So we need God to speak up. We can’t just sense what God is thinking.
When we read the Bible, we’ll find God speaking on a regular basis. The first thing we’ll notice is that when God speaks, things happen. In Genesis, God says, “Let there be light!” (Genesis 1). And it happens. When a paralyzed man is lowered through the roof for help, Jesus says to him, “Your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2). And it happens. In Revelation, when Jesus brings a final defeat to evil, he does it by speaking (Revelation 19:13). And evil is done for.
Even a little Word from God has power for us. So we sinners need to know where to look for it. God’s Word comes to us in the Bible. God’s Word is Jesus himself. And God’s Word comes in the proclamation of both law and gospel.
God’s First Word
When God speaks, it takes two shapes. (See Luther, Freedom of a Christian.) God’s first Word is the law. God makes demands on us and seeks to restrain our sinful ways. We are to fear, love, and trust God above anything else. We are to live in ways that honor God, serve our neighbors, and care for the Creation. This Word from God also threatens God’s righteous anger over sin and condemns those who don’t obey God’s will.
If this first Word demands and threatens, it also accuses us. It tells us not just what we ought to do, but also how very little we’ve done. God’s Word shows us that we’re not just trying to get better day after day, but that we’re sinners every day and in every way.
When we listen to a sermon, we should keep an ear open for God speaking the hard truth about who we are. It can hurt to hear the truth. It can be scary to face it. But if there’s no law in a sermon, we won’t hear the living Word that God intends for our ears.
God’s New Word
If God had only a Word of law for us, we’d be in pretty sorry shape. There would be no hope, just threat and condemnation. But God has another Word we call the gospel.
Even the harshest demands and threats from God have some gospel attached, because they show how deeply God cares for us and all creation. But God wants to reveal fully that care to us. So comes an unrestricted promise whose fulfillment depends entirely on God in Christ Jesus.
In Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, God comes to let us know how unbounded and unending is God’s love for sinners. In fact, John’s gospel tells us that Jesus has been present with love and mercy for us from the beginning of time (John 1:1). The promise of God is the Alpha and Omega that lasts even to the last day.
This new Word from God is always connected to Christ’s death and resurrection. It announces to us that God has taken our salvation out of our hands and put it in a pair of hands that would be nailed to the cross. The gospel always declares that God now makes Jesus’ claim on us the criteria for entry into eternal life.
A Living Word
When law and gospel are present in preaching, listeners are in the presence of a living Word from God. There’s just one more thing that needs to be added.
The one thing left is the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit has been there, using law and gospel to make a living Word, when we trust what God promises to sinners like us. The Holy Spirit brings God’s Word to life with our faith.
It’s not the preacher’s personal charisma. It’s not the preacher’s ability to write a sermon that isn’t boring. It’s not our own knowledge about the people and places of the Bible. It’s not our understanding of the theology in a sermon. It’s not our efforts to live a better life, go to church more often, or obey God.
When we say, “Yes, we are sinners whose only hope is Jesus. Bring us your mercy, O Lord,” the Spirit has made God’s Word come alive in us and created saints out of sinners. When God’s living Word does its work on us, we’ll come away praising God and reaching out to our neighbors in love.
Zion Youth Comments