Ascension Lutheran Church LCMS Marianna, FL

Ascension Lutheran Church LCMS Marianna, FL A confessional Lutheran congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Divine Service is 11:00AM

Bible Study: Wednesdays at 2:00PM

09/14/2026

Text: Romans 14:1-12

Title: Bound to Each Other in Christ

One of the big problems in the early Church was conflict between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. Almost as soon as the Gospel began to spread among the Gentiles, some Jews took offense at it and demanded that Gentiles convert to the Jewish religion. They started demanding that men be circumcised, and observance of dietary laws, Sabbath regulations, and special festivals.

The controversy got so out of hand that the apostles held a special council at Jerusalem to address it. Paul shared of his work among the Gentile peoples; Peter talked about his experience with Cornelius and his family, the first Gentile converts. Based on this, the council decided that Gentile Christians should not be required to follow Jewish laws to be accepted into the Church.

This is why, in our Scripture reading today, Paul talks about observing holy days and dietary regulations: he is trying to maintain peace between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome. On one hand, he doesn’t want to condemn Jews for continuing to follow their customs, but he also doesn’t want to impose Jewish traditions on Gentiles.

So what is his solution? “Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him” (v. 3). He’s encouraging Christians of different persuasions to get along, to treat each others with mutual respect, to accept each other as God has accepted them.

This wasn’t easy for the Christians of those days. It’s not easy for us in our time either. Think about it: how many different sects and subsects of Christians are there these days? You’ve got the Great Schism between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics, between us Lutherans and Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Presbyterians, Baptists and Pentacostals. It doesn’t seem to end.

Before we go any further, let’s get this straight: truth is important. As Christians, we cannot compromise on truth; we’re not at liberty to tolerate falsehood among us.

Also, how we Christians conduct our lives is also important; if we believe in God’s truth, we’re obligated to live in ways that reflect that truth. Idolatry, immorality, wickedness, or deception are wrong. We can’t compromise the truth or tolerate evil.

This about how we treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Far too often, divisions in the truth happen because we are sinners. As fallen creatures, our minds and hearts are not always right, no matter how much we might think we are.

Too often, we let our selfish desires drive us. We want thing our way, and if we can’t get our way, we try to manipulate and control others until we do get our way. Yet Christ calls us to be servants of each other; among us, there is only one Master, and he was humble enough to wash his disciples’ feet. He calls us to do the same for each other.

We have limited knowledge; we don’t know everything. Too often, we think we do. When we think we know it all, we often try to impose that on others. It’s far too easy for us to come up with some new idea and try to impose that on everybody else. We need to be careful about this; if we’re making up our own ideas, we’re probably creating heresy, and if we impose that on others, we’re misleading God’s Church.

That’s why we must always strive to understand the Scriptures. Our ideas don’t matter; God’s ideas do. What he tells us in his word needs to always be front and center in our teaching. What’s more, when we see fellow Christians falling into error, we gently but firmly correct them with the Scriptures.

So what’s the real problem? When we lose sight of the cross, our faith becomes weak. We end up not really understanding Christ’s forgiveness toward us, and fail to show that same forgiveness toward others. Instead of peace among God’s people, we create conflict and division. We become judges instead of letting God be our judge.

What we need is to look to the cross again. As Paul says, “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (v. 9). We rebelled against our God and become his enemies; our Lord Jesus became one of us so that he could make peace with us, to demonstrate God’s perfect love toward us. He suffered crucifixion and death in order to purchase us forgiveness of sins, and rose again from the dead to grant us the promise of everlasting life. He stood beneath God’s crushing judgment, the judgment not of any sins of his own, but for ours. This is the true mercy of our God.

Because of this, we now belong to Jesus; we are his people, purchased by his precious blood. As such, we are subject to no one’s judgment except his. We are free from such restrictions and obligations, such as kosher laws and Jewish festivals. When we observe special seasons like Lent, we do so by our choice, because we want to, because we see them as beneficial to us, not because we are bound to. Christ is our judge, not man.

Therefore, as Christians, we can live in peace with each other, even those Christians we disagree with. Why? Because Christ has forgiven us, and he has called us to forgive each other the same way. As Christians, we strive to grow in faith together as the Body of Christ. We learn to love and cherish each other, the same way Christ loves and cherishes each of us.

Because we are free from obligations of food and drink, we no longer bind each other with such obligations. If you drink a b**r after a hard day’s work, I’m not going to complain; heck I’d probably join you. If you don’t drink b**r, I’ll respect that and not bring a six-pack to your house.

I’ll only ever bind you in one way, and one way only: if you turn away from the way of the cross – if you take your eyes off Jesus, and stop caring about his Word – then for your own safety, I’ll try to bring you back on track. But I’ll do so the way Jesus commanded me: gently and with the truth of His Word. And I hope that you would have the compassion and courage to do the same for me.

Remember: you belong to Jesus, the same Jesus who gave his life for you, and continues to give his life to you in this Holy Christian Church, his body he established here on earth. These are your brothers and sisters in Christ. We won’t always agree, but in all things, we should strive to be true to our Lord Jesus Christ, and true to each other, just as Jesus was true to us.

09/08/2026

Text: Romans 13:1-10

Title: Submit to Civil Authorities.

Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents or other authorities, but honor them, love and cherish them, serve and obey them. This is most certainly true.

This includes civil authorizes: state and local officials, congressmen, judges, our president – including even presidents we don’t like. It also includes bosses, teachers, policemen, firemen, and – yes – even pastors.

Why? Why should we obey any of these people? I bet I could name a dozen off the top of my head that I feel definitely don’t deserve honor or respect. That’s not the point. We are called, as citizens, to give due honor and respect to those in authority over us. Why? Because God himself has placed them over us, and commanded us to honor them.

We live in a culture that doesn’t understand this anymore. Our culture celebrates rebellion and disrespect. How many cop movies have you seen where the hero constantly disrespects and disobeys their chief? How many kids movies where the kids openly disrespect and disobey their teachers? How much of our modern music is just giving a proverbial finger to governments, parents, cops, and teachers? Our culture glorifies rebellion. We love it!

It shouldn’t surprise us. Our nation’s history began with a rebellion. It may have been unavoidable at the time – not saying it was or wasn’t – but since then, we delight in glorifying rebellion. We view it as a good thing in and of itself, regardless of whether it’s necessary, or how much damage it does, regardless of what God has to say about it in his Word.

Rebellion appeals to our fallen sinful nature; we are naturally inclined to rebellion. Our whole race began with our parents rebelling against the Lord in the Garden, and since then, we have all become rebels. We rebel against parents, we rebel against teachers, we rebel against lawmakers, we rebel against governments.

We need civil governments because we’re sinners. If left to our own devices, with no authorities to command us or laws to govern us, we would act on all our most selfish impulses at every moment, not caring about the consequences our actions would have on others around us. Without civil governments, there would be no order and no safety. Our world would be total chaos.

Imagine driving around town, but with no traffic lights, no stop signs. Nobody had to stop or use their blinkers. Driving would be a total nightmare. It’s bad enough sometimes even with lights and signs. What would life be like if we didn’t have police to enforce laws? Even with police around, there are places in town where you don’t want to go after dark.

Are civil authorities perfect? No! Because they’re human beings, and human beings are bound to sin. All manmade systems of government are bound to fail, because those who hold authority are all sinners, and are bound to fail, just like we are. Does that mean we aren’t obligated to them?

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold them accountable; we do have an obligation to correct them. We do that by proclaiming God’s Word to them, just like Ezekiel in our Old Testament reading, and Jesus in our Gospel reading. We don’t have the right to rebel against them. As sinners, we might claim that right for ourselves, but God didn’t give it to us.

Are there times when rebellion would be acceptable? Yes. When complicity in crimes of the government are worse than rebellion itself. Have you ever heard of Dietrich Bonnhoeffer? He was a Lutheran pastor involved in a plot against Adolph Hi**er. Why? Because he saw the mass murders committed by Hi**er’s regime were so atrocious that to do nothing would have been a worse crime than rebellion. Such situations shouldn’t be entered into lightly, but with due care and repentance, lest we risk rebelling against God himself.

So why should we obey those in authority over us? First, out of fear of those in authority. Do you want to go to jail? Then don’t commit crimes. Don’t want speeding tickets? Don’t speed. It’s really that simple.

Second, because those authorities exist for your own good. They’re there to establish and enforce just laws. They’re there to protect the weak and innocent. They exist to uphold what is good and right. The policeman is there to remove dangerous criminals from our streets, to protect you from harm. The teacher is there to help you learn. The boss is there to help you make income. Help them help you.

Third, for the sake of your own good conscience before God. Obeying them is obeying God, unless they command you to disobey God. Even then, you can still give them due honor and respect.

Finally, and most importantly, you obey civil authorities out of love for your neighbor. When you’re driving down the road, obeying the rules of the road is how you care about other drivers and help keep them safe. When you pay taxes, at least some of those taxes go to promote public good. When you go to the polls to vote, vote for those that serve real needs of the public.

In all things, let us look to Christ. When Jesus walked the earth, he submitted to those in authority over him. He submitted even to those who falsely accused him. When he was betrayed, he allowed himself to be arrested and put on trial, even though the accusations were false. Even though he was mistreated and subjected to horrible injustice, he didn’t rebel or retaliate against those who abused authority to get him. The King and Lawgiver of the universe was treated like a common criminal so he could establish true justice and mercy.

Though he was well within his rights to fight back, he didn’t. He took up that cross for you. He submitted to unjust authorities so he could bear the just penalty for your rebellion against him. He submitted to death on a cross for you. All power and authority are his, and he administers them as he sees fit, even if he gives the White House to a candidate you didn’t vote for.

A time is coming quickly when we will no longer need civil authorities. As St. Paul says, “The hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand.”

Jesus is coming back. The perfect sinless King of the Universe, who alone is qualified to rule with perfect justice and equity, he will be our ruler forever. In that day, we will no longer be sinners; we will no longer be bound by evil, selfish desires. We will no longer need Law to keep us in line or to protect us.

While we wait, remember the Lord has installed his servants in authority over you. They’re definitely not perfect, but they are his servants for you good. Honor them, love and cherish them as you would the Lord Jesus himself, for your Lord Jesus put them there for your sake.

08/30/2026

Text: Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28

Title: The Way of the Cross

In last week’s Gospel reading, Jesus asked his disciples who they say he is. Simon replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus commends him, saying, “Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah! Therefore, I call you Peter,” which means “Rock,” because of his rock-solid confession.

In today’s Gospel, Peter’s faith isn’t looking so rock-solid. When Jesus explains that he’s on his way to Jerusalem to die, Peter’s response is basically, “Absolutely not, Jesus! I’m not going to let you die!” Now, he receives another new name. No longer is his name Rock, now his name is Satan, which means “Enemy.”

Why does Jesus call him Satan? Because, after his great confession of the Son of God, now he’s denying the very reason the Son of Man came to earth. He is rejecting the cross, and by rejecting the cross, he’s rejecting Jesus.

There are two reasons Jesus calls him Satan. First, because he’s denying the cross. The other, is because this is a serious temptation for Jesus. Jesus knows he’s destined to suffer and die. He doesn’t want to suffer any more than any of us would; didn’t he pray in the garden, “Father, take this cup from me”? Yet he knows he has to do it for us, to redeem us. Through Peter, the devil is tempting Jesus to turn aside from the way of the cross.

The life of the Christian is the way of the cross. As St. Paul says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless them, do not curse them,” and, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”

St. Paul is deeply acquainted with persecution. In his early life, he persecuted the Church and tried to destroy it. He hunted Christians, arrested Christians, tortured Christians, and even killed Christians. He knows the kind of hatred the world has toward Christ.

As a Christian, he also found himself despised, rejected, imprisoned, and beaten for his own confession of Christ. His own life was in danger numerous times on account of Christ. Yet ye says, “Do not despise those who despise you; instead, show mercy and kindness to them, as Christ had mercy to you.”

The early Church didn’t shy away from persecution. In fact, they embraced it. In the first few centuries of the Church, the great heroes of the faith weren’t the most eloquent preachers with the largest congregations. The great heroes were the martyrs. Men like Stephen, Polycarp, the apostles: those who suffered and died for Christ. The way they saw it, Christ laid down his life for his Church, so it was their duty – their privilege – to suffer and die for him in return.

Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” Ask yourself this question: is the truth of Christ important enough to suffer for, to die for? Too often, we Christians become like Peter: we reject the way of the cross. The way of the cross is hard, and we don’t like it. Instead, we let the world tame us, put a leash on us, and order us around. When the world doesn’t pat our head and give us a treat, we whimper and whine until it throws us a bone.

Meanwhile, our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are being arrested, tortured, and killed for the truth of Christ. In places like China, Iran, and Nigeria, there are people who consider the truth of Christ important enough to suffer and die for.

Look at the history of the Church. It’s said the early Church was watered with the blood of the martyrs. The Church grew most quickly in times of severe persecution. Men and women of God stood firm in the truth, and didn’t waver in the face of torment and death. The more authorities tried to crush the Gospel, the quicker it spread.

Ask yourself this: What would the Church in America look like if we faced real persecution? Not these lame attempts to tame or muzzle us, but real suffering and death. It would force us to answer the question: is the truth of Christ worth suffering and dying for? It might even be good for us.

Christ calls his Church to take up the cross – to suffer and die if necessary. When we shy away from the cross, we are like Simon. When we whimper and whine because society doesn’t favor us, we deny the cross. We become enemies of Christ.

Is suffering and death such a high price to pay? To Jesus, suffering and death were very real and terrible things; yet he still endured them for you. He bore the shame, the torment, the pain. He took the nails, the thorns, and the spear for your sake. The devil in Peter couldn’t stop Jesus from following the way of the cross. He followed that path all the way to Golgotha. Will you follow that path, too?

Most of you probably won’t get arrested or put in front of a firing squad. But you might have friends and neighbor scoff at you. “You believe in that Jesus stuff?” You’ll see obnoxious celebrities on TV accusing you of being an idiot. You might even encounter people like Simon, who claim to be Christian, but try to discourage you from following the way of the cross. Will you listen to them? Will you become like them, and deny the cross? Or will you stand firm on what Jesus has done for you?

Peter tried to deny Jesus the cross, and he failed to give his life for Jesus. When Jesus was arrested and imprisoned, he literally chickened out: three times he said, “I even don’t know the man!” before the c**k crowed. But in time, the Lord gave him that chance. He was crucified in Rome. The oath Peter swore to die for his Lord, the Lord himself honored him and granted him that death.

Paul also died for the sake of the cross of Jesus, beheaded by Roman authorizes.

Jesus took up his cross; for him, suffering and pain were worth it. He purchased your redemption, and made you his Church. On the third day, the Father raised him from the dead and gave him the name above every name and seated him on his heavenly throne, and at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of the living God.

As long as you hold on tight to the cross, it will be totally worth it to you when Christ returns. If you hang on to Jesus, he will raise you up from the dead as well, and grant you a place in his eternal kingdom. In that day, everything you endured in this life will be like a drop in the ocean compared to what Christ has in store for you.

The way of the cross isn’t easy; it wasn’t easy for Jesus. But it’s well worth it in the end.

08/26/2026

Text: Romans 12:1-8

Title: Living Sacrifices

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (v. 1). That is Paul’s admonition to the Church: to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.

When you hear the word “sacrifice,” what do you usually think of? Giving up something valuable, giving up something important, giving up comfort and security. You might think of a mother who sacrifices to feed her children, or soldiers serving in a war. Sacrifices aren’t pleasant or easy.

“Do not be conformed to this world,” we are told. Why? Because this world’s ways don’t conform to God’s ways. Since the very beginning, mankind has rejected God’s ways, and this fallen, broken world we live in is the result.

All we have to do is look at the world we live in. Right now, there are two devastating wars going on. Why? Because when one nation doesn’t get what they want from the other, more often than not, they resort to violence to get what they want.

What about modern entertainment? Does it seem that an awful lot of it is obsessed with s*x and s*xuality? I don’t even watch a lot of modern entertainment anymore because of that.

What about consumerism? Got to have the latest phone or tablet, so we can distract ourselves and ignore the world around us. Or all the latest fashions so we can be in the in crowd. Got to have those fast cars and the big bank account.

So why are all of these things so dangerous to us? Because they’re so appealing. Think about it: if someone makes you angry, don’t you just wish you could force them to do what you want? Isn’t that where violence comes from, the desire for control? Or when you find yourself enticed by some images on the TV, isn’t it because it appeals to something that you really want deep down in your own heart? Greed and lust are dangerous because they appeal to the sickness in our own souls.

When you get right down to it, all these external temptations entice us because they appeal to something that’s already inside us. That’s where our egos come in. We like to think that those things are outside of us, but they’re not; they’re inside of us, and we need to be on our guard.

This is why Paul warns us not to think too highly of ourselves. When we think too highly of ourselves, we want to be in control. When we think we deserve everything, we become greedy and lustful, and worse, we become entitled. When we stop recognizing our need for boundaries, we act out. We defy God’s Word, and like our ancient parents, we make a mess of our lives and of our world.

“But Pastor, we’re Christians! We don’t have any of these problems, do we? We don’t have to worry, right? Wrong! I’ve been in churches for nearly thirty years, and let me tell you something: Christians absolutely can fall prey to these temptations, and it absolutely can cause problems within the church. I know firsthand. When people cause problems in the church, it’s because they let their egos direct their actions rather than the Word of God. They let their own desire for control override their duty to serve each other. When this happens, we absolutely do need a healthy dose of humility.

So how do we cultivate and encourage humility in ourselves? By looking to Christ’s humility. He is the very King of heaven, yet he was willing to step down from his throne and come down here to be with us lowly, pathetic human beings. He didn’t come in as a conquering king, but as a servant. He didn’t deny who he was – on the contrary, he was quite honest about his role as God’s chosen one. We see that in our Gospel reading for today; How did Jesus respond to Peter’s confession of him as the Son of God? “Blessed are you, Simon Son of Jonah, for my Father revealed this to you.” But Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, to offer his life as a sacrifice for many. Immediately after that passage, he immediately starts talking about how the Son of Man came to offer his life as a sacrifice.

It’s because of his sacrifice – his crucifixion, death, and resurrection for our redemption – that we can now offer our lives as a sacrifice. He joined himself to us, and so his sacrifice now becomes our sacrifice. He gave his all for us and to us; the least we can do is give our all for him.

“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (v. 2b). To be a living sacrifice, you need a whole new way of thinking. God has given you this new way of thinking by his Holy Spirit and through his Word. As Scripture says, “Baptism now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Your mind is made new again in Christ. Through daily confession and repentance, he continues to cleanse you: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

So do you want to have a clean conscience before God? Listen to his Word; let his Word shape your heart and mind into his image, just as he intended. Confess your sins, and let his mercy wash you clean.

By joining us to himself, Christ has also joined us to each other, just like parts of a body. Just like your hand or your foot can’t survive on its own apart from the body, so we need each other. Jesus is the head, so he gets to be in charge, just like our brains control everything in our bodies. We are the parts of his body, and each of us has our own role to serve in this church, just like hands, feet, eyes, ears, and such are all needed and play their part in supporting the body. Just as the heart supplies blood to those parts to keep them alive, so our Lord Jesus Christ gives us life and nourishes us through his Church. We need the Church, and the Church needs you.

Here is the place where your living sacrifice for your Lord Jesus begins. Here is where the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice are given to you – forgiveness of sins and new life through his Word and Sacraments. Here is where your sacrifice for Christ takes its form: in serving each other, just as Christ served you. You are his sacrifice for others, for those seated around you, because he is the sacrifice that was given for you. Give your all for him, and for each other, because he gave his all for you.

08/12/2026

Text: Romans 9:1-13

Title: The New Israel

Before we start our reading from Romans today, let’s recap. First, all men are condemned sinners in need of redemption. As sinners, we can’t save ourselves – not by obedience to the law, even if we could. In our fallen condition, we’re not even capable of obeying the Law as we should.

The only way we can be made righteous is in Christ. He came, suffered and died, and rose again from the dead so that he might gift us with his own righteousness. Through Holy Baptism, he joins us to himself so we can stand before God justified and holy.

What does it mean to live in Christ? We might struggle with sin, but through the Holy Spirit is at work in us, strengthening and preserving us in faith that we might live as God’s children. God’s promise is that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ. He loved us from the very beginning; we are his by his power.

What about the Jews? As a Jew, Paul was a Jew. Saul of Tarsus was a devout Jew, a Pharisee, trained to be a rabbi. When the message of Christ began to spread, he became an enemy of Christ. To him, this Jesus was a heretic whose religion needed to be stopped. Saul hunted Christians, arrested Christians, tortured Christians, and killed Christians.

Then, one day, on the road to Damascus, Jesus shows up, and Paul leaves behind that path of destruction. The Lord made this staunch enemy of his Gospel into one of its most potent advocates.

Yet other Jews still rejected the message of the cross. The very people Christ was promised to have now rejected him, crucified him, and put him to death. They despise his message of salvation, and because of this, Paul is deeply grieved. He desperately wants his people to trust in this Gospel and find true redemption, but they will not have it.

Do you have any friends or family that have rejected the Gospel? Maybe they were once good people, but now have turned their back on Christ? Maybe it was one of your own family, a brother or sister, or even a son or daughter.

Maybe they were raised in the Christian; they went to church and Sunday school, and were even confirmed. Then they went to college, and got indoctrinated into secular humanism, or fell under the influence of some heretical cult like the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Now, you look at their faith, and you wonder, “What happened? Why did they fall away?” You can see they’ve turned their back on Christ, and it breaks your heart.

This is what St. Paul faced: his own people, the ones chosen in Abraham to be the ancestors of Jesus. They had been rescued from slavery in Egypt and were given the promised land. They were the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people chosen of God and righteous. These same people now deny those promises; they despise their Savior and reject the Gospel.

St. Paul struggled with this. He’s writing to both Jews and Gentiles in Rome; he felt the anguish of the Jews falling away. What about the Gentiles? What about their friends and family that never heard of this faith? If the Jews missed on the promises because of unbelief, what about the unbelieving pagans?

Do we know people who have never heard the Word of God, have never heard the true Gospel of Christ? Who have never been instructed in the faith, never baptized into his name? It’s really sad when someone falls away from the faith, but it’s just as sad when someone perishes without ever having it.

Has the Word of God failed? No. The Hebrew people rejected the Gospel, but the Word is still absolute. The brothers in flesh had fallen away, but now the kingdom has been opened to the Gentiles. God’s Word didn’t fail; just now, others get to benefit from those promises.

Let’s clear this up: Israel is not that strip of dirt over in the Middle East. It’s not the secular nation-state that currently occupies that land. Men might call that Israel, but it’s not the Israel that God established. Modern religious Jews aren’t the true Israel, either, just because they’re descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As Paul says, “Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring.”

The True Israel is Christ Jesus. All the promises God has made over the centuries about his chosen people, his holy nation, his royal priesthood – they are all fulfilled in Christ. When the nation rejected him and hung him on the cross, Jesus was Israel reduced to one. On that cross, Israel suffered and died; on Easter, Israel rose from the dead.

Now, the True Israel are all who have been baptized into him, joined to him in his crucifixion and resurrection, who now live by faith in him.
This is good news for us who aren’t of Jewish descent. It means we’re also heirs of the promises of God in Christ. Those promises were never intended to be limited to the Hebrew people; they were intended by God to be open to all. And they are available to all, in Christ.

Does this mean that those rejected the word are entirely without hope? Has the Word failed? No. St. Paul was confident that the Hebrew people would be restored, because he trusted the power of God’s Word. God’s Word does not return to him empty, but accomplishes his purposes as he intended. The Word of God will bring forth fruits of righteousness among those he has chosen.

Paul firmly believed that, as long as the Word of Christ is being proclaimed, there is hope for both Jews and Gentiles. The Word of the cross is the power of salvation, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. Look around: you’re seeing the salvation of Israel taking place right here. The Word of Christ is doing its job, saving you right here and right now.

But what about those friends, family, and neighbors who don’t trust his Word? All I can say is, take this Word with you. Let that Word dwell in your heart, in your mind, and in your mouth. The Lord will make sure it bears fruit in good time. Let it do its work in you, and who knows? Maybe it will do its work in them as well. This was Paul’s confidence, and why he continued to preach to both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul was convinced that the Word of the Lord would never fail. And it won’t. You are the true Israel, the chosen redeemed of the Lord; all the promises of Israel are yours in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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3975 Highway 90
Marianna, FL
32446

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Wednesday 3pm - 4pm
Friday 8am - 12pm
Sunday 11am - 12pm

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