CONFIRMATION is on Thursdays at Peace Lutheran Church at 3:45 PM to about 5 PM., but sometimes times change to accommodate our changing schedules, so check the calendar.  We begin this year, 2023, on Thursday September the 7th.

(Summaries of the most recent lessons are at the top, so you are reading backwards as you read down.)

Introduction: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Table of Duties: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Ten Commandments: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Complete Four (4) of this report: DIVINE SERVICE REPORT

YEAR 2 MATERIAL

THE BENEFIT, POWER, AND WORTHY RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION

  • What will happen if we don’t use the resources that God provides us with? (It will affect our spiritual health.  Our spiritual health can shrivel up.  Or worse, we can die and go to hell.)
  • The Lord’s Supper changes those who eat it. We are made more spiritual, holy, and forgiven.
  • It’s not our efforts, but God’s action in us that empowers and enables us to have faith, and to live a life of faith.
  • Alone we are as powerless as the elements in the Sacrament.
  • By faith we receive the power of God through the Word and in the Sacrament.
  • For example: Our words have power – teasing, speeches, praise, the pen is mightier than the sword.
  • With faith we can do great things. In faith, with the Spirit working in us, we can share God’s love with others as we live for Him and to His glory.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR

  • The Sacrament of the Altar is one of the means (ways by) through which God offers forgiveness of sins, new life, and eternal salvation in Christ.
  • What were Jesus and His disciples celebrating as they gathered for the Passover? They were remembering and experiencing that God had set them free from slavery to be free people of God.
  • In the Old Covenant God said, “Obey Me, and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways I command you and all will go well with you.” Jeremiah 7:23.
  • Because we didn’t and couldn’t keep our part of the contract – obedience to God’s will – Jesus came and did everything for us.
  • The New covenant is simply that we have faith in His power to save us and to give us new life as His people.
  • Christ Himself became the Holy Lamb of God in the new Passover meal – He is the fulfillment of the old covenant. (1 Corinthians 5:7b)
  • The Lord’s Supper is not something we take part in for God, as if it were a religious act performed out of a sense of duty. The Lord’s Supper is given for your benefit.  It is a gift you receive.
  • The Lord’s Supper assures Christians of eternal life; Through the Holy Spirit you receive – forgiveness, life and salvation.
  • How do you receive these Benefits? By faith!

THE OFFICE OF THE KEYS

  • A car key is the key to the power of the car
  • God like a father has handed us the keys to an even greater power, the responsibility to open the kingdom of heaven to His children.
  • Every member of the congregation has these keys as they are “ministers” of Christ who serve Him.
  • The role of the pastor and his authority is to oversee the use of these keys, and this is from God, and then through the Church.
  • Those who sin against us and repent are to be forgiven continually just as we are continually forgiven in Jesus Christ.
  • Only repeated refusal to repent ends in excommunication.
  • The purpose of this discipline is always to win the sinner back to Christ.
  • A bruised apple will rot. It needs to be removed or that rot can spread.  Sin, also needs to be removed or it can spread in the church, or through the person – sin more frequently or commit greater sins.
  • The desired outcome is for the person to repent of their sins and be welcomed back into full fellowship in the church.
  • A congregation calls a pastor to exercise publicly the Office of the Keys. Therefore when the pastor forgives sins he does so in the name of the congregation, or more specifically in the name of Jesus Christ.

CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION

  • We have all sinned.
  • While we acknowledge that to be true, it’s not always helpful to share those sins with others in a public way.
  • A formal group confession may seem too easy of a way to confess our sins, and so there are other ways to confess.
  • We can confess privately to the harmed individual or to our pastor.
  • God forgives our sins out of pure grace for Christ’s sake.
  • This grace and forgiveness of God should not be abused – sinning freely on account of free grace.
  • As we have been forgiven, we forgive others, and amend our lives.
  • When you feel in your conscience that you’re guilty be very careful not to defend yourself, either to God or people, in an effort to excuse your sin. Rather, flee to God with a humble confession of guilt, and a plea for pardon.
  • Before God we Must confess all sins.
  • Before the pastor we May confess certain known sins.
  • In private confession you unburden your heart, receive spiritual guidance, advice and obtain the comfort of personal absolution.
  • When we have physical pains we go to a doctor.
  • When we have spiritual pains we go to a pastor.
  • Contemplate the 10 Commandments as you confess: Is God first in your life; Do you take God’s name in vain; Do you regularly attend church; Do you honour your parents; Do you harbour hatred against someone; Do you think impure thoughts; Have you stolen anything; Do you lie; Are you envious of others?

BLESSINGS, POWER and SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM

  • Baptism is a means of grace, a way by which God gives sinners the blessings of Jesus’ death and resurrection (the forgiveness of their sins, deliverance from the devil, and finally salvation)
  • this comes to us by faith, which is another gift that God gives us.
  • Baptism is more than an entrance rite into the church.
  • It is a Sacrament – water connected with God’s command and promise, giving us the forgiveness of sins, and freedom from the demands of the Law, nailing those demands of the Law and our sins to the cross, and we become children of God.
  • The power in baptism comes from the Word of God (other means of grace).
  • When the Word of God is pronounced over the water it possesses the power to wash away sin and to save us from death.
  • At the baptismal font there are two spiritual hands present.
  1. The Word of God is the hand that places forgiveness into the water.
  2. Faith – created by God through the Word – is the hand that receives this gift.

Baptism remains forever.  Even though we fall from it and sin, nevertheless we always have access to it so that we may again subdue the Old Man.  But we need not again have the water poured over us.  Even if we were immersed in water a hundred times, it would nevertheless be only one Baptism, and the effect and significance of Baptism would continue and remain.  Repentance, therefore, is nothing else than a return and approach to Baptism, to resume and practice what had earlier been begun but abandoned.  (Martin Luther, LC IV 77-79)

THE NATURE OF BAPTISM

  • In Baptism – one of the Sacraments God has given to His people – God joins water with His Word and promises the forgiveness of our sins.
  • Baptism is not an optional element for salvation; it gives the assurance of salvation.
  • It is a work of God and not of man.
  • Jesus tells you to go, and as you go you are to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them.
  • All nations means adults, children, infants, young, old, men women.

The passage continues: “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

  • The teaching of God’s Word – Law and Gospel – comes after for infants and children, and before for adults.

Children should be baptized because:

  1. They belong to all nations.
  2. They are sinful and need forgiveness – original sin from conception
  3. They are brought to faith and receive forgiveness through baptism.
  4. They can believe God’s promises. Yet faith doesn’t make the miracle.
  5. The miracle of regeneration is the same for children and adults.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

THE FOURTH PETITION

The fourth petition is the only one to ask for temporal blessings

THE FIFTH PETITION

God has forgiven us.  God wants us to realize this and accept it.

  • Luther – “I often bite my lips and my tongue with my teeth, but I do not for this reason pull my teeth out.” People injure and offend us, and in turn we often cut them off from us.  We are the body of Christ, so if we don’t cut off our fingers when we poke ourselves in the eye why do we cut off people when they hurt us?

THE SIXTH PETITION

We make excuses when we give into temptation, but there really are no excuses.

  • Being a Christian may increase your temptations.
  • Satan doesn’t have to worry about those who don’t believe. Yet, remember God has given you the ability to resist whatever temptation comes your way: Scriptures, a distraction, help from a friend.

THE SEVENTH PETITION

Prayer alone is our protecting shield.  We are too weak to cope with the devil and his evil forces by ourselves.

  • Evil in the world hurts both believers and unbelievers.
  • Evil does not come from God, but from God’s enemies.
  • God allows this evil world to continue so that His people may also continue.
  • God could have ended the world at the time of Adam and Eve, or Noah, but God, who does not live in time, saw the generations to come. He loved them and formed a plan to save them through His Son.
  • God does not promise to keep every evil from us. But He will keep us in faith, and bring good out of difficult situations.
  • God does not see this life as something to escape or to avoid.
  • At the right time the world will be brought to an end, and the separation between evil and God’s people will be made.

THE FIRST PETITION

  • Petition: a prayer of request/ask. Thanks, praise & confession also prayers.
  • God looks at our heart and knows if we’re using His name rightly / holy or not.

THE SECOND PETITION

  • Luther said, “I cannot pray without cursing at the same time. If I say: ‘Hallowed by Thy name,’ I must thereby say: May the names of all who blaspheme Your name be accursed, condemned, and dishonoured.  If I say: ‘Thy kingdom come,’ I must thereby say: May all kingdoms on earth that are opposed to Your kingdom, be accursed, condemned, and destroyed.”

THE THIRD PETITION

  • The devil (death), the world, and our own sinful flesh have caused people to disobey God and live in opposition to His will. (The unholy three)

What is God’s will for you?  To oppose evil and to support YOU!

  • God provides you with the strength to withstand the temptations of Satan, the world, and your own sinful nature. 1 Corinthians 10:13
  • The Holy Spirit, working through the Word and Sacraments, promises us faith-strengthening power to endure temptation.
  • God doesn’t want us to suffer. Suffering and death are the consequences of sin in a world that’s no longer perfect.

Why Should We Pray?

  1. God commands it.
  2. God promises to hear us.
  3. Because of our own and our neighbour’s needs.
  4. Out of gratitude for blessings received.

Summary

  • God our heavenly Father invites us to pray to Him with joy and confidence through the merits of our Saviour and Brother Jesus Christ.
  • What we mean by “merits” is Christ’s sinless life, death, and resurrection by which He conquered sin and made us part of His family – what He did for us.
  • God hears and answers all prayers offered to Him in faith through the merits of Jesus Christ: Yes, No, maybe or later
  • How is a phone call similar to prayer? We talk and God listens to our thoughts.
  • How is a phone call different from a prayer? Prayer is not a two way conversation.  It’s kind of like a text message that you send out not knowing if the other person received it until they reply.  The Bible is God’s text back to us.
  • Yet, either way, phone or text, God is nearer to us than our closest friends.
  • No matter which Person you call upon: Father, Son or Holy Spirit, you call upon all three Persons and upon the One God at the same time. For you cannot call upon one Person without calling upon the others, because the one, undivided divine Essence exists in all and in each Person.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

The Forgiveness Of Sins

  • The Holy Spirit daily and richly forgives all our sins, and the sins of all believers.
  • We are saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ
  • Thus we try to forgive others even as we have been forgiven by God.
  • What did our disobedience cost God? It cost Him His only Son, Jesus Christ, and His blood shed on the cross for our sins.
  • Why does God forgive us when He knows we will surely turn around and sin again and need forgiveness again? Because of His love for us in Christ.

The Resurrection Of The Body / The Life Everlasting

  • On the Last Day the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. John 6:39, 40 ,44, 54
  • Death is the end of a Christian’s earthly life and the beginning of life with Jesus in heaven.
  • We do not become ghosts or angels, but we are clothed with the divine image.
  • Our intellect will be enlightened. We shall be free from all ills.
  • We shall see God face to face and know Him as He is, know the angels, saints, ourselves, family, others
  • In heaven there is no division of families, no unhappiness, no denominational divisions, no mission work or need of forgiveness.

The Invisible Church

  • The true church of God is known on earth as the Kingdom of Grace or Church Militant, and known in heaven as the Kingdom of Glory or the Church Triumphant, everything else is known as God’s Kingdom of Power.
  • The holy catholic church is the Universal Church, the Invisible Church, the whole company of believers

The Visible Church

  • The local congregation is composed of believers and non-believers where the Gospel is preached truthfully and the sacraments are administered in truth.

Summary

  • The Holy Spirit sanctifies all Christians, building them together in faith into a church that witnesses to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God the Father.
  • How is the church described? Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27  The “body of Christ”  What happens if a rock is thrown at you.  You avoid by moving, or moving your hand, or you get hurt.  Body parts are dependent upon one another, and when one is hurt others hurt.
  • You need the church and the church needs you. The hand needs the body, and the body needs the hand.
  • Therefore you need to attend church.

See: Matt 13:54; Mark 6:1-2; Luke 4:16, 31-33, 44

  • What does a true church believe and teach?
  1. The Bible is the true inerrant Word of God
  2. Jesus is the only Saviour
  3. We are saved by believing in Jesus and being baptized.

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit

  • God freely gives us the Holy Spirit – How? Word of God, Baptism
  • What ought the making of the sign of the cross remind you of? Baptism
  • Read: Acts 2:1-4, 37-41  What examples of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit could be seen on Pentecost?
  • Rushing wind, flame like tongues of fire, speaking in many languages, the Baptism of 3,000 new believers

I Cannot Believe Because:

  1. I am Spiritually Blind. Yet the Holy Spirit opens my eyes and empowers me to see my sin, understand Jesus’ death for me, and believe.
  2. I am Spiritually Dead. But the Spirit brings me from death to life.
  3. I am an Enemy of God. But now I have been turned to be God’s friend.

The Four Part Plan

  1. He Calls Us by the Gospel to believe in Him, through His Word in the Bible. We present God’s Word, the Holy Spirit converts, and the converted clings to the promise.  Plants the seed of faith in your heart
  2. He Enlightens Us with His gifts. –  The Holy Spirit’s work is like the moment when the lights come back on.  We see our sin and are better enabled to avoid sin, and enabled to understand the Bible.  Light causes growth, and movement of the plants.
  3. He Sanctifies Us –  The Holy Spirit enables you to live God pleasing lives by giving you new desires and inclinations!  Grows fruit – good works.
  4. He Keeps Us in the Faith through Word and Sacrament. Waters, nurtures

Therefore you are saved by the Holy Spirit, and lost by your own fault.

Yet, the Holy Spirit does not make someone a Christian against their will.

Like a plant, you can kill faith, but you can’t make it grow.

THE STATE OF EXALTATION

Memorize: 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

The Victory over Death is Jesus’

  • People have a natural fear of death – the ‘how’ can be frightening.
  • Though we may try to deny death, forget about it, or joke about it, the reality is that death will claim each of us someday.
  • However, behind physical death is the prospect of an eternity spent apart from God – hell. See Hebrews 6:4-6
  • Jesus’ resurrection broke the power of death and rescued you to life.
  • “Since death is called a sleep, we know that we shall not remain in it; but we shall awake and live again. It will seem as if we had just dropped off [to sleep]. And so from death we shall in a moment go to meet our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  We shall be alive, entirely sound and vigorous with a clean, bright, transfigured body.”  Martin Luther
  • See 1Cor. 15:50-52; 1 Thessalonians. 4:13-18
  • Jesus is the only way through this life to the next. John 14:6

Jesus Promised to Return

  • Jesus promised to return in bodily form to judge the world on the Last Day, but He offered no specific date or time sequence for us to use to predict His second coming.
  • Though we don’t know when Jesus will come, we do want Him to come, and we need to be ready for that coming, and so we pray for that coming soon.
  • See Revelation 22:20.

CHRIST’S WORK OF REDEMPTION OR ATONEMENT

What Sin Does – The Problem

  • How does God feel about sin? –  He hates it!  Isaiah 61:8
  • What does sin do to our relationship with God?
  • – Isaiah 59:2 tells us that sin separates us from God. The consequence of all sin is enslavement by the devil and eternal death.  On our own there is no way back to God.
  • How do you feel when separated from a friend?  It’s much worse to be separated from God. It’s death!

God’s Plan to Make things Right – The Solution

  • Is it good that we try to make up for what we’ve done wrong? Yes!
  • Is it good that we promise never to do it again? Yes, but usually this is not possible.  We will always sin.
  • What keeps us from ever fully overcoming sin? Sin living within us – Romans 7:18-20
  • So how did God make things right?
  • God made us right with Him through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
  • Jesus’ death paid for your sins.
  • Jesus’ resurrection broke the power of death – you are rescued from death to life.
  • Through faith in Jesus God gives us Jesus’ righteousness.

Jesus Christ: 100% True God – He’s your Saviour from sin, death, and the devil.

  • Jesus is here in your lives, and He has power to work in your lives.
  • God begets God and not something other than God or lesser than God.
  • Jesus is not an extraordinary man, a great moral leader, or superb teacher.
  • He is either a crazy man, a deceiver, or the Son of God.

Jesus Christ:  100% True Man – To be able to suffer and die as our substitute

  • Jesus was a real man, born, experienced needs, pains and emotions; was tempted as we are tempted; needed quiet time, bled and died.

I BELIEVE

  • A creed is a statement of what one believes, teaches and confesses.
  • Speaking a creed together is a sign of congregational unity.
  • A creed gives public witness to God’s truth as revealed in Holy Scripture.
  • Salvation is always personal. Each person says for themselves, “I believe.”
  • What does it mean to believe in God? – Consider this before answering: James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
  • True faith is reliance on the Word and promise of God.
  • Reliance on anything else is not faith, but superstition.
  • Some say it doesn’t matter so much what you believe, just that you believe and are sincere.
  • If that were true our belief would make things real or true.
  • We could then say, “It doesn’t matter so much what you eat, just that you eat (rocks).”
  • However, it does matter what we eat and believe. Acts 4:12.

THE CLOSE OF THE COMMANDMENTS – LAW AND GOSPEL

The Punishment of Sin = Romans 6:23

  • Sin and death are merely different stages of the same thing.
  • Sin is the seed and death is the fruit of that seed

Two kinds of Sin

  • Original Sin: Old Adam / man – Hidden away in our heart
  • Actual Sin: Sins of Commission and Omission

THE GOSPEL

  • Through faith in Jesus and His work for us (found in the promises of Baptism) we are considered righteous before God.
  • Romans 8:10-11  –  “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” ESV

THE NINTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENT

To Covet or Not to Covet

  • It is not wrong to desire spiritual or earthly blessings.
  • It is wrong to covet what God has not intended to give us, what God has forbidden us, or what God has given to someone else, and thus to resent or envy what they have.
  • Genesis 3:6 – Adam and Eve coveted the forbidden fruit – to be like God.
  • David – Coveted another man’s wife – 2 Samuel 11:2-4
  • Paul wished to have a servant run his errands, but he sent Onesimus back to Philemon. See 17 – 20.

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

“There is nothing about a man or in him which can do greater and more extensive good or harm in spiritual or in secular matters than the tongue.” Martin Luther  – James 3:7-8

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

Respect for Others

  • All earthly goods and possessions really belong to God. In His goodness and mercy He distributes these among people – to some more, to some less.
  • Practically yes, we own things, but in reality it all belongs to God. We are only caretakers and administers (sharers) of God’s gracious gifts.
  • See Psalm 24:1-2
  • We can use God’s gifts, as long as it isn’t in ways against God’s will.
  • We may keep, sell, trade, or give away our possessions.

Stealing

  • Robbery: Stealing by force – Luke 10:30
  • Theft: Stealing by stealth – shoplift, cheat on taxes – 2 Kings 5:20-23
  • Usury: Overcharging, excessive interest, paying wages too low
  • Fraud: Lying and cheating to steal – Leviticus 19:35
  • Covetousness and Envy (9th and 10th Commandments)
  • Laziness: Unwilling to work and living off of others
  • Robbing God: Poor stewardship of God`s gifts – Malachi 3:8

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

God’s Gift of Sexuality

  • Next to life itself, the most valuable earthly blessing we have is God’s gift of relationships.
  • God gives the Sixth Commandment to protect and nurture both husband and wife, and to provide stable families, communities, and nations.

Marriage (instituted by God) is:

  • Established by God for the good of humankind
  • Made up of one man and one woman
  • By mutual consent
  • A life-long union or relationship
  • Often blessed with children
  • Usually celebrated in a public service or ceremony
  • Subject to the laws of the province

A Christian View of Sexuality: God calls us to:

  • Rejoice that He has created us male and female.
  • Recognize that He wills and commands that sexual intercourse be reserved for marriage alone. It is a blessing from God for pleasure and procreation.

When Marriage Fails 

If a husband or wife withdraws their love from their spouse for another person, by that act of unfaithfulness they divorce themselves from their spouse.  The innocent party may then seek a legal divorce, and remarriage – not the guilty

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Literal Murder 

  • Cain murdered his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8)
  • King David arranged the death of Uriah in a war (2 Samuel 11:15)
  • Involuntary or accidental death – Ex 21:29
  • Taking one’s own life (Judas) – Matthew 27:5

Indirect Murder (Physical harm)

  • Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him, but sold him into slavery, hurting him and grieving their father (Genesis 37:17-35).
  • Causing bodily harm. Peter to Malchus (John 18:10)

Figurative Murder (Emotional)

  • The priest and Levite neglected to help the injured traveler (Lk 10:31-31)
  • Hating others: God warned Cain against anger – Gen 4:5-7

What Does God Ask of His People?

  1. We should help and befriend our neighbour:
  • In their physical needs: food, clothing, shelter
  • In their health needs
  • In their emotional needs
  1. We are not to abuse our body but take care of our body.
  • We need rest and recreation
  • We need regular medical care
  • Don’t use drugs that are not prescribed
  • Don’t use products that injure our health.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”  (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

God Rules through Earthly Authority. 

  • God does not rule us directly but indirectly through His representatives in home, church, school, work, and government.
  • We are called to honour and respect all lawful superiors as we would God, so long as they command nothing contrary to God’s will.

Duties of Parents to their children:

Physical: nutrition, clothing, shelter, medical, dental, recreation, fitness, etc.

Intellectual: Send to School, help with homework, give instruction

Emotional:  Support and encourage as you grow

Social:  Positive behaviour, interaction, community affairs

Spiritual: Christian instruction in church and school, worship at home.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

Excuses!  Excuses! 

  • I don’t have the time –you definitely won’t after you die.
  • I can read my Bible at home – true, but can you rightly understand it by yourself? Apart from Christ, His Word and Sacraments, and from the body, the church we are likely to grow cold, and our faith slowly dies.
  • Going to church won’t make me a better Christian – Through it God will strengthen your faith. Staying away can make you a worse Christian.
  • I can worship God in the nature – Do you? Nature doesn’t tell of your Saviour.
  • There are hypocrites in the church – And outside; Don’t follow them, follow Jesus!
  • I’ve heard it all before. Really, you know it all?  Please tell me!!

God isn’t impressed with our excuses.  Our salvation was God’s number one priority.  What’s yours?  Jesus didn’t make excuses to avoid dying for us, but out of love did what had to be done.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

God’s Name

  • Immanuel: “God with us” (Isa 7:14; Mt 1:23)
  • Christ: “The Anointed One” (Mt 16:16); IHS: Greek for “Jesus” (IHSOYS)

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

God Exists

– Everyone believes in a ‘Being’ higher than which nothing else exists.  Some call this nature, chance, fate, Allah, or God.

  • Many people believe in God, BUT Why? Looking for security and meaning in life.
  • Nature points to Him. How do we account for the design, complexity and irreducibility of any species, or even the existence of life?  Hebrews 3:4
  • Humanity perceives that a God exists by intuition; because of rational/logical thought
  • Our Conscience knows right and wrong and perceives accountability to someone.
  • But the Bible tells us who God is, of God’s forgiveness, and of His love for us through Jesus Christ.

This is part of the lesson plan for our Introductory Lesson

Can you figure out what all the letters and numbers stand for?

The whole point / soul purpose of the Bible is to point you to Christ Jesus and salvation.  How does Acts 10:43 point you to Jesus?  “To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” ESV

YEAR 2 MATERIAL

The Sacrament of the Altar:  Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Matthew 26:26-29 “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” [27] And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, [28] for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. [29] I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”” (ESV)

Now what’s the difference between Matthew 26:26 and Matthew 3:17 “Behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”” (ESV) ?

If Jesus is the Son of God, then the bread is the body of Jesus.

You can’t come up believing what you want to believe and your belief makes it what it is.

Somethings we struggle to understand this side of heaven, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we can accept them as the truth of God’s Word.

We understand / interpret the words of the Bible according to their normal meaning in their normal context.

Confession: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Confession ought not to feel like a burden.  The Christian life is one of daily repentance of sins and forgiveness through Christ.

Psalm 32:3-5 “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. [4] For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. [5] I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (ESV)

Baptism: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Whoever is baptized in Christ is baptized through His suffering and blood, or, to state it more clearly, through Baptism you are bathed in the blood of Christ and cleansed from sin, rescued from death and the devil, given the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal salvation (to all who believe).

When you think of Baptism, think of these verses and you will better understand what it is:

Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (ESV)

Acts 2:38-39 Peter said to them, “”Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.”” (ESV)

Baptism welcomes you into God’s family, makes you a child of God, clothes you with Christ’s righteousness, and grants you the forgiveness of sins.  These promises are for adults and babies, for all nations.

Apostles’ Creed: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

1 Peter 1:17-19 “If you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, [18] knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (ESV)

You can’t buy or earn your way into heaven!

As Christians, we confess that Jesus became our Lord by dying on the cross in order to rescue us from our captivity to sin, death, and the devil.

Jesus makes peace with God, makes amends, paid the penalty for our sins, destroyed the power of sin.

Who is Jesus?  Who do you say He is?  Do you say, “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, …”?  – MEMORIZE THIS!

True God: Colossian 2:9 “For in Him [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” (ESV). All of God the Father dwelt in Jesus, God the Son, while in the flesh as a man.

True Man: Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (ESV). Humanity was originally created without sin, and so Jesus is truly human, still experiencing temptations, but He did not sin.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, …  To believe means “to trust” – “to take God at His Word”.

Believe means to:

  • Know with your mind;
  • Assent with your lips;
  • Trust with your heart.

From history books I can know that Sir John A. Macdonald lived, Jesus lived. I can assent to that knowledge and tell people. Yet trust in my heart can only be in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins and my salvation. Christian faith is not merely knowledge and assent, but trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (ESV)

The difference between the Law and the Gospel is that:

  • The Law teaches what we are to do and not to do; the Gospel teaches what God has done, and still does, for our salvation.
  • The Law shows us our sin and the wrath of God; the Gospel shows us our Saviour and the grace of God.
  • The Law must be proclaimed to all people, but especially to impenitent sinners; the Gospel must be proclaimed to sinners who are troubled in their minds because of their sins (repentant).

The whole point / sole purpose of the Bible is to point to Jesus and God’s salvation in Christ. Pick a Bible verse and ask yourself, “How does this point to Jesus?” Try Acts 10:43, “To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” (ESV). Do you need help understanding something?  You are welcome to join us for confirmation or Bible Study.

Written by God the Bible is without error. It does not contain the Word of God. There are no optional parts. It is the Word of God.

Some Interesting Facts about the Bible and easy ways to Remember Them

(Remember the number 3 – It’s not math; these are memory tools.)

1 + 6 = 16 Centuries

3 + 6 = 36 Writers (More than 40 with the Psalms)

6 + 6 = 66 Books

3 X 3 = 9 = 39 Old Testament Books

3 X 9 = 27 = 27 New Testament Books

The Lord’s Prayer: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Daily Prayers: Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (cph.org)

Learn how to pray:  PRAYER

LUTHER’S MORNING PRAYER

I thank You, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger:  and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You.  For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.  Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me.  Amen.

LUTHER’S EVENING PRAYER

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night.  For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.  Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.