Concerning the Mass – part 59
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Psalm 111:4–5
Holy Communion is not effective because of motions and rituals. We are not accomplishing something because we have acted out a tragedy.
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Teaching Posted in February 2024
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Concerning the Mass – part 58
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Romans 2:25–29
The New Testament teaches that the highest form of worship happens within, spiritually, in the heart. One may do all the outward, religious services but do so with a corrupt heart.
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Concerning the Mass – part 57
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Mark 9:23–24
The Word has been given to reveal God and arouse faith in him. The Sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted so that, in remembering Christ, that faith may be strengthened.
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Concerning the Mass – part 56
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Romans 5:1–2
A husband may buy his wife diamonds, flowers, and many other things, but if his word does not accompany them, it is difficult to believe for long that these are signs of his love.
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Concerning the Mass – part 55
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 11:27–29
Drawing significance to professions, making divisions among ourselves, is the furthest thing from the focus of the Lord’s Supper. Christ is the emphasis of our communion. Christ is our communion.
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Concerning the Mass – part 54
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Romans 9:15–21
The human heart, harder than diamonds, is determined to have its own way. Religious matters are not exempt from our hardness of heart.
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Concerning the Mass – part 53
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Colossians 2:6–7
Our sacrifices — on an altar or on the altar of life do not settle the score with God. As we have shown many times, Christ alone is the sacrifice that has reconciled God.
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Concerning the Mass – part 52
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Luke 22:19
The disciples gathered around their Lord, bringing nothing to the table. Christ Jesus brought it all. The disciples did nothing but receive with thankful hearts.
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Concerning the Mass – part 51
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Luke 22:17–20
Besides the odious practice of marketing Christ’s body and blood, this commerce is based upon selfish desires, largely the freeing of departed loved ones from a place that does not exist.
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Concerning the Mass – part 50
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 10:16–17
Holy Communion is the privilege of those who truly participate in the body and blood of Christ. This participation is genuine fellowship in the communion of saints, else it is a mockery.
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Concerning the Mass – part 49
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23–29
There is false security in performing a ritual, or in it being performed for us, expecting that it has some spiritual value just because the ceremony is done. It is not enough to come to the altar to eat and drink a bit of bread and wine.
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Concerning the Mass – part 48
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Romans 3:27–28
We cannot work our way to God. We cannot do so morally or religiously. Imagine someone saying, I’m good enough now to be forgiven my badness.
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Concerning the Mass – part 47
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2
The religious works of others on our behalf can no more kill or mortify us than make us alive again or quickened. The work worked by them, though perhaps very satisfying to the eye and ear, remains the work of a human being.
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Concerning the Mass – part 46
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Hebrews 7:27–28
Either Christ is the full and final atonement for the sins of the world, or he is not. In the latter case, two things are true.
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Concerning the Mass – part 45
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Colossians 1:19–23
Paul tells us all that is required to be reconciled to God. All things in heaven and earth are brought peace and consolation through the blood of Christ alone. Through faith...
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Concerning the Mass – part 44
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Hebrews 9:13–14
God had a plan — from the beginning. You see it spread before you as early as the book of Genesis. He made a covenant with Abraham in order to bless the nations through the Lion of tribe of Judah.
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Concerning the Mass – part 43
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Acts 2:22–24
God had a plan—from the beginning. You see it spread before you as early as the book of Genesis. He made a covenant with Abraham in order to bless the nations through the Lion of tribe of Judah.
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Concerning the Mass – part 42
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Hebrews 4:14–16
Jesus Christ is the only high priest able to stand between you and God. As such, he is called our “great high priest” by the writer of Hebrews. Because Jesus is our high priest, we are able to make the good confession. That confession is that he is the Christ, the one whose sacrifice has made the difference.
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Concerning the Mass – part 41
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Mark 1:14–20
What is it that proclaims the gospel? That thing belongs in our services of worship. The Sacraments proclaim the gospel on the deepest level. “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” clearly “speak” the good news of Christ among us.
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Concerning the Mass – part 40
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23–29
The Lutherans believed (and believe) that we have no need of an intermediary in order to receive the benefits of Holy Communion. Christ is our intermediary. We only need his grace.
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Concerning the Mass – part 39
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:8–10
We have been saved by God’s grace — not by our good works or offerings of money or service. This salvation happens through faith in Christ. It is that simple.
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Concerning the Mass – part 38
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Luke 22:19–20
Faith in Christ, in what he has done for us, is so important because it always makes us look to the source of forgiveness and salvation. Anything that turns our attention away from him must be avoided altogether.
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Concerning the Mass – part 37
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Luke 13:1–5
Repentance does not mean that we must go and do something to overturn God’s anger. Repetition of prayers and good deeds do not effect God’s forgiveness.
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Concerning the Mass – part 36
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Daniel 11:29–32
The desolating sacrilege that Daniel referred to is not about decorations, ceremony, and other external matters. God is instead, teaching us internal, spiritual matters through Daniel’s prophecy: to keep faith...
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Concerning the Mass – part 35
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Hebrews 4:1–3a
The good news of Jesus Christ comes to us in preaching. We must hear it; then God gives us faith. But the Word must truly be heard in this proclamation, with all that “hearing” means.
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Concerning the Mass – part 34
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Acts 8:18–22
Whether it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, or grace, forgiveness, and eternal life under consideration, God’s gifts are just that: gifts. He gives freely to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Concerning the Mass – part 33
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Acts 2:42–47
The Lutheran Reformers taught that there are two basic types of kingdoms in the world: the first, spiritual, the second, temporal. The Church at the time of the Reformation held — and wielded — both powers.
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Concerning the Mass – part 32
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Ecclesiastes 5:1
We should not go through the motions of religious ceremony, for this is vanity and hypocrisy. Ritualism without understanding is foolishness.
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Concerning the Mass – part 31
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Genesis 15:1–6
Look to Abraham. Was his putting the knife to Isaac the sacrifice God desired? No; that was a test, not a real sacrifice. The true sacrifice was Abraham’s faith in God.
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