Tag Archives: Jesus

G*d’s Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, Messiah, Savior

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 8:34 am on June 13, 2015
Tags: Jesus   

Boastfully Boasting not to Boast — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 13, 2015

“But whatever any one dares to boast of — I am speaking as a fool — I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one — I am talking like a madman — with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea…And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak…? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:21b – 30

“Man is naturally exceeding prone to be exalting himself and depending on his own power or goodness, as though he were he from whom he must expect happiness, and to have respect to enjoyments alien from G*d and his Spirit, as those in which happiness is to be found. Hath any man much comfort and strong hope of eternal life, let not his hope lift him up, but dispose him the more to abase himself, and reflect on his own exceeding unworthiness of such a favor, and to exalt G*d alone.” Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758) The Works of President Edwards, vol. 4 “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 152)

Have you ever known someone who seemed to always have the need to boast about themself? Do you have a co-worker who feels the need to tell you about what great thing they had accomplished that day, or what accolades they received that week? We are, by nature and our sinful ways, prone to only talking about ourselves and even boasting about our accomplishments. Paul makes it clear that he had the most to boast about, but he would boast about his weaknesses.

We all have the need to be recognized in some way, but this is not why we live the Christ-like life. We live the Christ-like life because this is what we are called to do — not so that others see it — but because it aligns us with Christ. What more could we want to boast of than the secure knowledge of Christ dwelling in our hearts. If we live the Christ-like life we need not boast — because others will know it by our actions.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 11, 2015
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Vain Grace or Grace in Vain (I don’t like the sound of either) — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 11, 2015

“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.” 2 Corinthians 6:1,3

“So Paul appeals to the Corinthians as cooperators with God not to accept his grace in vain. The phrase in vain means “without effect or result.” Paul’s concern is that God’s grace will not have any meaningful impact on their lives. The story is told of a small boy who closely watched a neighboring pastor build a wooden trellis to support a climbing vine. The youngster did not say a word the entire time that he watched. Pleased at the thought that his work was being admired, the pastor finally said to the boy, “Well, son, trying to pick up some pointers on gardening?”

“No,” replied the boy, “I’m just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer.” (A Plea Not to take G*d’s Goodness for Granted BibleGateway)

So many things can become a stumbling block within the church and the Christian community. We, as Lutherans place primacy on the issue of Grace for our justification with G*d through faith in Jesus Christ. Just that alone, trusting in the promises of G*d through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus can be a stumbling block for many. Then you place the trust of delivering the message of that Grace through faith to a body of “human” believers — who can find it hard not to be the sinful, egocentric, selfish and graceless people because these behaviors come to us by our very nature — well you can see why there can be many stumbling blocks to the faith of “believers” and “potential believers” alike. Even pastors, those who are called to be the shepherds of the flock, can become selfish shepherds trying to lead a flock to their own selfish desires — or leading a flock of people who are simply waiting for the pastor to “hammer his own thumb”. It seems almost every day that we hear a story about a church or a church body and how they are dealing with clergy who have behaved badly — behaved outside our calling to be servants and role models of the faith.  G*d’s Grace is too costly to cheapen it through behaving badly.         

How might you be a stumbling block to someone’s faith today? And, how might you help remove a stumbling block from someone’s faith today?

Pastor Dave