Sermon Index
Trinity Sunday, May 26, 2013
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mystery
On this Trinity Sunday, it behooves us to contemplate the Mystery of the Holy Trinity. We say there is only One God, but that there are Three Persons of the Godhead. Because the Bible says there is only One God, we believe that. Because the Bible reveals that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are also God, we believe that. But we do not want to say there are three Gods, so we call it the Triune God and call it a mystery. 1+1+1=1. 1 X 3 =1. 1³ = 1. ³ã1 = 1. Mathematically and philosophically and grammatically it is not logical, and so it is a mystery. Theology is not science. We Christians are satisfied with mysteries and miracles; we do not have to explain them. In fact, divine mystery leads to worship. We stand before God with awe, amazement, thanksgiving, and praise.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity might be a mystery, but we Christians know how to use the doctrine of the Holy Trinity in our worship and daily life.
Invocation
We begin our worship services with the Invocation by saying gIn the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.h This Invocation has a number of purposes. 1. It tells us that our worship service or sermon is beginning. We are starting an hour which is special. Put away earthly things, turn your eyes and hearts to heaven. This is a holy place and a holy time, so worship and pray in the presence of God. 2. The Invocation reminds us of Whom we are worshiping. This is a Christian service. We are not worshiping Buddha or some other idol or a cult religion. And so we Christians can relax in the presence of the True God. 3. The Invocation is not like the bell at the entrance to a Japanese Shinto shrine. We do not have to wake up God. Rather we are reminded that God is always with us when we gather in his name. 4. The word ginvocationh means gto call.h We are not dialing Godfs phone number. He is always on line. We do not need to call God to come to our church. Rather, we are calling on people to come to worship. gCome here, everyone! Come into the chapel and letfs worship the Triune God.h And people answer, gAmen! Here I am, letfs worship God!h
Baptism
The Invocation also reminds us of our Baptism. gI baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.h In our church, we start our service with a reminder of our Baptisms. We renew our Baptism vows. This is called the gConfession and Absolution.h It is also called, gRepentance and Forgiveness.h This is the continuation of our Baptismal life.
The work of the Triune God beings for most of us in our Baptism. Jesus gave this command, gAll authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the ageh (Mt. 28:18-20). Actually, not only Baptism, but also the teaching and going and making disciples are also done in the Name of the Triune God. God gives us the authority and power to do his work.
Prayer
Many of our prayers end with the words, gin the name of Jesus. Amen.h Many of the formal, liturgical church prayers end with the words, gin the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.h This is not a magic formula at the end of the prayer or a key or password to make sure that it gets heard and answered. A Christian can pray simply, gGod, help meh and that is enough. But sometimes we get careless and we forget the power of God. We might doubt the love of God and think that God might not help us in our personal problem. In that case, we give up on our prayer. And if we give up on God, we are giving up on salvation too. But to pray in the Name of Jesus is to pray to Almighty God. It reminds us that God really does love us. The Father sent Jesus to live, die, and rise again for us. Therefore we know the love of God. We know the power of God. Therefore we say at the end of our prayers, gAmen. It shall be so.h
Second Commandment
The Second Commandment says,
gYou shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.h
gWhat does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.h
In other words, the proper use of the Triune Name of God is to gcall upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.h In other words, the proper use of the Triune Name of God is to live as a Christian.
The First Commandment
And finally, the First Commandment says,
gYou shall have no other gods.h
gWhat does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.h
In other words, live as a Christian. If you are 100% loving and trusting God in your life, your life should be 100% peaceful and joyful. That does not mean there will be no problems. But in the midst of those problems we know that God is with us. God is with us as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. We call upon God in every trouble. We pray, praise and give thanks to Almighty God.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church