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[00:00:00] Good morning, St. Paul Lutheran Church. Pastor Wolfmuller here for the Sunday drive to church for, ooh, the second last Sunday, November 17th, the year of our Lord 2024, the second last Sunday of the church year, 26th Sunday after Pentecost, this week, next week, last Sunday, the church year. And then we will start a new church year on December 1 this year with the four Sundays in Advent. So when we get this close to the end, we're really talking about the Lord's return in glory. And that's almost the case today. It's really interesting. We have the Gospel lesson from Mark 13, where Jesus is leaving the temple and the disciples are marveling at the stones and Jesus says it's all going to fall over and they ask about it. He explains to them when it's going to happen, but before that, he explains when it's not going to happen. And that's our gospel lesson today. But we're getting a little bit ahead of ourselves. So let's pray and then we'll take a look at what we've got waiting for us. Waiting for you in just a few minutes.
[00:01:04] O Lord, by your bountiful goodness, release us from the bonds of our sins which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The day of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we're talking about. The last day, the day that the Lord returns in glory, the marvelous conclusion of this epoch of the history of the universe and the introduction of the new heaven and the new earth which is on the way. And that's what we'll think about today. But let's just take it in order. I think we'll start with the psalm today, Psalm 16, which is a beautiful psalm. If you're going to pick one thing to meditate on this week from today's lessons, I mean, there's a lot, they're so great. But to meditate on Psalm 16, it's 11 verses. It's a Psalm of David.
[00:02:05] It's a top to bottom beautiful psalm. But maybe the most important verse is verse 10. So let me just give you a few verses. Preserve me, O God, for in you I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, you are my Lord.
[00:02:21] My goodness is nothing apart from you.
[00:02:25] This confession of our own uselessness.
[00:02:29] The Lord, through the preaching of the law, he brings us to the end of ourselves. Abandoned trust in our own goodness and our own efforts and our own works, so that we trust in him and in him alone. My goodness is nothing apart from you, the saints who are on the earth. They are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. That's a all Saints verse, but it talks about, oh, their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after other gods. You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup, O Lord, you maintain my lot. I'll bless the Lord who's given me counsel. I've set the Lord always before me. He's at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Beautiful. Therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoices and my flesh also will rest in hope. Now this, I think, is why this psalm is chosen for today. Because we have resurrection as a theme that's running through these verses. My flesh will rest in hope, so that even when we die, it's not just our soul that has hope, but also our flesh, because it'll be raised from the dead.
[00:03:30] And here's what it looks like. Verse 10. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol. That means the grave. I'm looking at the King James. I wonder what the ESV says. I should probably be using the words that we're actually going to be saying.
[00:03:46] For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let your Holy One see corruption.
[00:03:54] You make known to me the path of life.
[00:03:58] In your presence there's fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Now how marvelous that death and the grave are called the path of life.
[00:04:11] That we travel through the grave to life eternal and to the right hand of God, where there's pleasures forevermore. It's great. But this verse is quoted by Peter in his Pentecost sermon. And he says that these words, you will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let your Holy One see corruption. That those words are fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus.
[00:04:37] So that while we rejoice in these words, they are first describing what Jesus is going to accomplish in his resurrection. And this is where we get the doctrine, by the way, that Jesus body did not decay, unlike our bodies which do his did not. In the grave, you didn't let your Holy One see corruption.
[00:04:53] That the body of Jesus was still bound up to his divine nature, just as his soul was bound to the divine nature. A mystery we cannot comprehend.
[00:05:03] But that on the third day that uncorrupted body received back the soul and Jesus was alive again, raised from the dead, walking out of the tomb and making himself known to his followers. So Peter quotes this verse, Psalm 16:10, to be speaking of the resurrection. Now, this is important. Well, for a lot of different reasons. But one of them is that, remember, there's this idea that the Old Testament and the New Testament have different doctrines, or maybe even they have the same doctrine, but it's not as clear in the Old Testament. It's not as clear as in the New Testament. So the Old Testament, these doctrines are hidden in the New Testament. They're revealed.
[00:05:45] I want to push back against that idea because I think that the doctrine is there also in the Old Testament. At some point, Luther says, at least I think I remember him saying, that the pastor or the theologian ought to be able to argue every single Christian doctrine from the Book of Psalms.
[00:06:07] Now, don't quiz me tomorrow on this, but here's one of them. Here's the resurrection taught in the Psalms. You will not let your Holy One see corruption.
[00:06:17] So the resurrection is there. So you know this idea. Trinity is not there in the Old Testament. The Incarnation is not there in the Old Testament. The vicarious satisfaction, the death of Jesus, Jesus in place of sinners is not there in the Old Testament. We said, no, no, no. All of this doctrine is taught in the Old Testament. David and Noah and Moses and Abel, they all believed and confessed all these truths. Marvelous. And David here is talking about it in Psalm 16. You will not let your Holy One see corruption.
[00:06:45] The Old Testament is another key text. I mean, bring your highlighter to church this morning to mark these texts, because Daniel 12, the first three verses, is one of these texts that has all of these.
[00:07:03] Doctrinae means the seat of doctrine. And it's the old idea that the old Lutherans had this idea that when we're teaching the Scriptures, some scriptures will articulate clearly points of doctrine, and those should be gathered together as the seat of doctrine. So if you want to teach about something, you go to those. Sadie's Doctrini. So that's what the catechism is, you know, the big catechism that we all studied. When it has a question and then it has the answer, and then it has the verses that are listed there. Those verses are the seat of doctrine, the individual verses that prove the particular teaching that's going on there.
[00:07:40] This again, huh? I'm feeling kind of contrary today, recording this. This is another one of these things where.
[00:07:48] Where some theologians, some Lutheran theologians even now will say, we don't want to do Sades doctrinae. That's proof texting. That's taking it out of context. No, what's your option? I mean, what are your other options? From looking at the Sadie's doctrinae? We want to look at those texts that articulate the doctrine clearly. Of course, we want to understand them in the context, but we want to have verses to go to for the things that we believe. We want to shore up our confession with clear text from the Scripture, don't we?
[00:08:17] So here's what the text says. At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince, who is charge of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never been since there was a nation till that time talking about the end of the world. And at that time, your people shall be delivered. How about this? That the last day, the day of the Lord Jesus Christ is a day of deliverance.
[00:08:39] Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. This is the Lamb's book of life that's mentioned so many times in the Book of Revelation.
[00:08:46] And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.
[00:08:55] There's the resurrection, and we see the double resurrection that all people are raised and the Christians are raised to everlasting life, the unbeliever are raised to everlasting contempt and shame.
[00:09:09] Now some people will say, look, it says many of those who sleep in the dust. That means not all. But this is not many as opposed to all. This is many as opposed to few. Paul talks about this way in Romans, chapter five. And it's one of these verses that the Calvinists will jump onto and say, look, Christ died for many. Well, the many there again is not in contrast to all. The many is in contrast to few. Lots and lots of those who sleep in the dust. Really, it's all. But that means a lot will be raised.
[00:09:39] This is the work of the Holy Spirit, like we say in the catechism, he will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. And then verse three, those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever. This is the verse where we learn that there's different degrees of glory in heaven, just like there's different degrees of affliction in hell.
[00:10:03] It's not something that we talk about that much.
[00:10:06] Again, to quote the old theologians, they say there's a unity of bliss, but different degrees of glory. So when we get to heaven, we all will share in the same bliss, the same wonder, the same marvelous kindness of God the same perfection, but there will be different degrees of glory based on the various different vocations that the Lord has given us in this life. Here it says wisdom shines bright. Those who turn many to righteousness shine like the stars.
[00:10:41] I remember a pastor friend of mine used to always use this as the ordination verse that he would read giving a blessing to the new pastors. And I think that's nice. Although here's one of the main things, you know, when we think about these different degrees of glory in heaven, I think one of the amazing things about the resurrection is that we'll be finally done with this self centeredness which is part of our sinful existence here below. Because now, you know, if someone has more glory than we do, we get jealous or frustrated or whatever. All that will be gone in the resurrection. And here's the angel. The angelic joy that will belong to us is that I'll be much more joyful and delighted in your glory than I am in mine in the resurrection.
[00:11:41] We'll marvel at the glory of the Lord and the glory of the Lord reflecting in one another so much more than or I don't even think we'll think of ourselves at all when we see we say, well, I don't know if it's fair that one person is more glorious than another.
[00:11:58] That'll be our great wonder, that we'll look at each other and rejoice in the glory that the Lord gives and I think laugh with astonishment in the people who are lowly and humble in this life and who went about their duties quietly and were we're not presumptuous, but we're humble, maybe even weak and that in the resurrection they'll be radiant and ugh. We'll laugh and rejoice with them. Delight in that those who turn many to righteousness shine like the stars forever and ever.
[00:12:39] The Epistle Man it's from glory to glory this morning. Hebrews chapter 10, which is a text that we've studied where it's contrasting the the standing of the priests in the tabernacle with the sitting of Christ at the right hand of the Father and the sacrifices offered repeatedly in the tabernacle of the Old Testament and the single sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:13:03] It hints at Psalm 10. It quotes Jeremiah 31, which was today I'm recording on Saturday. Today's reading from the treasury of Daily prayer had Jeremiah 31:31 a new covenant I'll make with the house of Israel. I'll write my law in their hearts and their sins I will remember no more. That's quoted here in Hebrews 10. That's really nice. And it talks about the result of that. So I'll just give you a few verses from the beginning.
[00:13:31] Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can't take away sins, can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemy should be made his footstool for his feet. That's Psalm 110. The enemy's under the feet. Oh, glory.
[00:13:54] By a single offering he's perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Oh, man. So what does this mean? The result is there's three things that we should do. Therefore, it says, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. So in the Old Testament, the. The high priest would go in once a year, trembling. We go all the time into the holy place of God, into the inner chamber with boldness. We go there because we have a great high priest. We're hidden with God in Christ. And so we go to that throne of God because we have this confidence to enter through the veil of the curtain which is his flesh. Let us one draw near, let us two hold fast. And let us three consider how to stir one another up. So we draw near, hold fast and consider one another.
[00:14:45] This is the result of having Jesus as our high priest again. Oh, so glorious. And that drawing near. Listen to what it says. Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. With our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water. This is baptismal language. And this treasuring our baptism. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering he who promises faithful. And then let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting meeting together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. And all the more till you see the day drawing near. So you are on your way to church, and you are coming for two reasons. Well, maybe for lots of reasons, but for these two reasons, according to this text, you are coming to be encouraged and to encourage.
[00:15:36] So you are there so that the people around you can encourage you and so that you can encourage them.
[00:15:43] This word encourage is the. Oh, I was going to tell you the Greek word, but I forgot. Hold on, let me look it up. I should have guessed. It's parakaleo. It's the same word that Jesus Turns into a noun to give a name to the Holy Spirit, the helper. Remember that. The comforter, the advocate, the encourager. It can mean to.
[00:16:09] It has both a law, gospel sense. It probably has a law in the.
[00:16:14] You know, when you're urging someone on, when you're.
[00:16:19] You're giving them comfort, but you're also giving them motivation. We can hold on. You can do it. Let's go. Let's go. We're in this thing together. We're paracleting one another, encouraging one another. So we come to be encouraged and to encourage one another. We gotta remember this. You know, we. It's. I remember one time, oh, this is back in the becoming Lutheran days, and I went over to Calvary Chapel and I was asking, hey, what is worship? And people would always say, worship is our bringing our praise and thanks to God for who he is and what he's done. All right, but do you see? The direction of worship is always this, from us to God. And we realize that true worship is that we receive from God the gifts that he gives. That's the worship of the gospel, the worship of faith. We receive, but we also then return thanks and serve.
[00:17:20] So that we rightly emphasize the fact that we come to church to hear the word and to receive the body and blood of Jesus at his command, to rejoice in his gifts and the forgiveness of all of our sins. That's job number one. That's the chief reason we're there. But also we're there because we can bless and encourage one another. And we see the day approaching, it's getting closer and closer.
[00:17:43] And so we don't ignore that. But we're. We remember that.
[00:17:49] And we.
[00:17:51] And so we bless one another. We got to get to know each other. That has to be part of the commitment. You got to think, even if you're an introvert, you think, man, I'm going to try. This problem is there's too many people in church. I want to sit by myself and. No, you got to. You got to kind of take a deep breath when you go to church and pray. Lord, give me the courage and confidence to get to know the people next to me and to try to bless them and. And be blessed by them. God grant it.
[00:18:17] I don't want to say too much about the gospel lesson, because Carrie told me the other day. She said, I was listening to the Sunday drive to church and I heard your sermon. And then I came to church and I heard it again.
[00:18:28] I don't want to do that. But maybe just a Couple of things on the gospel mark 13, it's on holy Tuesday. So here's the circumstances that Jesus, his last public teaching day in Jerusalem, and he is challenged by all the guys, and he sets them down and then he asks the question himself. And then they leave. They see the widow's might. That was last week. Now they're walking past the temple and they're marveling at the stones.
[00:18:54] And Jesus says, you see these stones? Not one is going to be on top of another one. Whoa. And there's this 20 minutes of silence, I think, when the disciples are thinking about that. What does that mean? As they walk down through the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives and they take a break and they're looking back and they say, what? Could you say some more about this?
[00:19:18] What does it mean? Tell us when these things will be and what will be the signs of your coming at the end of the age?
[00:19:25] And Jesus is going to answer both of those questions. It's the Olivet discourse. But here's the interesting thing, is that the answer that Jesus gives the preface to his answer is not a description of the end of the world, but a description of all time. In other words, he's going to say, the end is you're going to see these things and these things and these things. That means the end is not yet. So Jesus is going to give us a list of not signs of the end. And this is important for us because when we look around and we see all these things happening, we're like, does this mean the end? And we should look at them and say, this means it's not the end. Now, we don't know when the end is, but these are not the signs of the end. The hymn is the Day Is Surely drawing near, hymn 508. I looked up the Bartholomew Ringwald, the Lutheran pastor who wrote this hymn 1532-1599. So he was part of that second, third generation of Lutheran pastors. And apparently he wrote something like 200 hymns. We only have one other one in our hymnal. O Holy Spirit, Grant us Grace. And it has the same tune. So you know that if you're hearing dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun.
[00:20:43] Oh, man. It's kind of a classic sound.
[00:20:46] That's a ring wall to him. This one is the Day is Surely Drawing Near. He was known as I was reading the information about him, for his plain spoken poetry. And this hymn has that in spades. I mean, it is so the day is surely drawing near when Jesus, God's anointed, in all his power shall appear as judge whom God appointed. Then fright shall banish idle mirth, and flames on flames shall ravage earth, as Scripture long has warned us. That's pretty plain. The final trumpet then shall sound, and all the earth be shaken, and all who rest beneath the ground shall from their sleep awaken. But all who live will in that hour by God's almighty boundless power be changed as his commanding. It's just a catechetical hymn. On the end of the world the books are opened and a record of all what each has done. Is there woe to those who scorn the Lord and sought but carnal pleasures?
[00:21:46] That's true.
[00:21:48] My Savior paid the debt I owe. But then, what's our hope on the last day? Oh, look at that. It says, for those who scorn the Lord with shame and trembling they will stand and at the judge's stern command to Satan be delivered. Now that's a little bit of a stretch. I mean, it's not so far off. But we remember on the last day the devil himself is sent into the lake of fire. So it's not like the devil is somehow lord of hell.
[00:22:16] He's the devil one suffering most of all there, but you get the idea.
[00:22:23] But look at us. Verse 5, stanza 5. My Savior paid the debt I owe, and for my sin was smitten within the book of life. I know my name has now been written. I will not doubt, for I am free. Satan cannot threaten me. There is no condemnation.
[00:22:42] Phew.
[00:22:44] May Christ our intercessor be, and through his blood and merit read from his book, that we are free with all who life inherit. Then we shall see him face to face with all his saints in that blessed place which he has purchased for us.
[00:23:04] Of all the sweet names of death, for me this is, I think, the sweetest of all.
[00:23:09] To see the Lord face to face.
[00:23:13] Revelation 20:2. We will see him face to face.
[00:23:18] And then the last stanza, the prayer. Come, Lord Jesus, O Jesus Christ. Do not delay, but hasten our salvation. We often tremble on our way in fear and tribulation. O hear and grant our fervent plea. Come, mighty Judge, set us free from death and every evil.
[00:23:37] So that we, as we think about the last day and the Lord drawing near, we lift up our heads, knowing that it is the day of deliverance, a day of rescue, a day of freedom, a day of vengeance, a day of wrath for all the Lord's enemies, but a day of glory for all his friends. And we, God be praised. We are his friends.
[00:24:06] God be praised for that. All right, see you soon.