2017 Fall - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)

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Here I Stand 2017 HIGHER THINGS CONFERENCES

Retrospective Issue www

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THINKING ABOUT MINISTRY? “Taste of the Sem was especially impactful for me.

At this event I saw how God worked in the lives of His people at Concordia Seminary. Now as a seminarian I am beginning to see the same transformation happen in my life as I grow in my knowledge of God and the faith He has given me to ultimately serve others to His glory.”

- RYAN MASSER FIRST-YEAR MASTER OF DIVINITY STUDENT

CHECK OUT HOW

YOU CAN SERVE GOD IN MINISTRY!

TASTE OF THE SEM Feb. 17-19, 2018

(for high school men only)

VOCATIO

June 23-28, 2018 (for high school men and women)

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801 SEMINARY PLACE • ST. LOUIS, MO 63105 • 800-822-9545 • WWW.CSL.EDU • ADMISSIONS@CSL.EDU

Contents T A B L E O F

Volume 17/Number 3 • Fall 2017

Special Features 4 Why Be a Lutheran?

By Rev. George F. Borghardt You don’t have to hold to the Lutheran confessions to be a Christian, but if you are looking for the clear proclamation of the Gospel as found in the Scriptures, those confessions won’t disappoint. Rev. Borghardt explains why this is the case by sharing his own story, which is all about Jesus.

6 On What—or Whom—Do We Stand?

By Rev. Chris Hull It’s been 500 years since the curtains that obscured the Gospel began to part as Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg! What’s at the heart of the Reformation? Find out as Rev. Hull recaps his plenary sessions from the San Antonio conference.

8 A Profound Mystery

By Sandra Ostapowich There’s more to the “leave and cleave” aspect of marriage in Genesis 2 than meets the eye. Sandra sheds the light of Christ on this mystery that Paul describes in Ephesians 5.

10 Sometimes the Devil Loves It When You Pray

By Rev. Harrison Goodman Sometimes we are afraid to be honest with God when we pray. Rev. Goodman encourages us to come before God openly since He knows the depths of our hearts anyway and loves us for the sake of His Son, Jesus.

12 Purpose and the Queen of Persia

By Rev. Kurt Onken Do you wonder what it is God wants you to do in this life?

Rev. Onken’s retelling of Queen Esther’s story will help to give you some perspective.

14 2017 Here I Stand Conference Photo Retrospective

Spot your friends, find your youth leader, or maybe even catch a glimpse of yourself in this whimsical collection of conference photos!

20 Leviticus: A Book of Shadows

By Rev. Ryan J. Ogrodowicz If you’ve ever tried to tackle the book of Leviticus, you might have found yourself lost in a maze of ceremonial laws.

However, Rev. Ogrodowicz encourages you to look at this book through the lens of Jesus because it will reveal God’s amazing plan of grace for His people throughout the ages.

22 Making the Case to Be a CCV

By Katelyn Marie Hunt Katelyn provides yet another enthusiastic report as one of our College Conference Volunteers. Perhaps her experiences will spur you on to apply for one of the Sanctified 2018 Higher Things conferences!

Regular Features 28 Catechism: The 10 Commandments: A Summary

By Rev. William M. Cwirla Rev. Cwirla succinctly sums up his series on the Ten Commandments and revisits that nagging question: If we’re baptized children of God why do we need the Law?

30 Bible Study: Sometimes the Devil Loves It When You Pray

Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Harrison Goodman’s article on p. 10.

HigherThings

®

Volume 17/Number 3/Fall 2017 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html Executive Editor

Katie Hill Art Director

Steve Blakey Editorial Associates

Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Gaven Mize Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Copy Editors

Kay Maiwald Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard Rev. Sam Schuldheisz Joshua Ulm Subscriptions Manager

Elizabeth Carlson ___________ Board of Directors President

Rev. George F. Borghardt Vice-President

Rev. Duane Bamsch Treasurer

Mr. Eric Maiwald Secretary

Rev. Joel Fritsche Deaconess Ellie Corrow Rev. D. Carl Fickenscher Mr. Bob Myers Mrs. Sue Pellegrini Rev. Chris Rosebrough ___________

Executive Council Deputy Executive/ Conference and Retreats

Sandra Ostapowich Media Executive

Rev. Aaron Fenker Business Executive

Connie Brammeier Marketing Executive

Ann Osburn

Development Executive

Erica Jacoby

Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly

by Higher Things, Inc., PO Box 156, Sheridan, WY 82801. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine.

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Why Be a

Lutheran?

By Rev. George F. Borghardt

The day I became Lutheran, my sponsor looked at me and said, “Now that you are Lutheran, why would you be anything else?” I had been raised Roman Catholic.

I had a first communion in the Roman Catholic Church. I went to the Roman Mass every week. My parents would even drag me to confession when I really sinned.

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In high school, I walked away from the faith. It wasn’t that I stopped believing in God. I just didn’t care anymore. After all, didn’t we come from monkeys? And who wants to serve a God who makes you feel guilty all the time and fills you with shame?

I considered myself “undecided.” If there was a God, I thought I should get credit for not outright denying Him. If there wasn’t, I’d be just fine.

Some good evangelical Christians

loved me enough to invite me to a Bible study. I was so lost in their study that when they were reading from 1 John I was looking at the Gospel of John. Whoops! They told me about Jesus. His forgiveness was free. It was undeserved. It was unmerited. It was earned by Jesus’ holy life and bitter sufferings and death. It was given as a gift to those who believed. They told me to say a prayer and said I was a Christian again.

I went home and every page I turned in the Bible confessed this faith. I learned that the world wasn’t just an accident of some Big Bang. I was created by a God who loved me by giving up His Son. I learned that salvation is by grace alone, received by faith alone, from Scripture alone.

Unfortunately, at every church I went to with my new friends, there were “buts” to this beautiful Gospel. Jesus saves you, BUT you have to give Him your heart. Salvation is free, BUT you need to make Him the Lord of your life. Jesus loves you, BUT you need to make a decision for Him. He died for you on the cross, BUT you need to be rebaptized—either by getting dunked in water or by speaking in tongues or by both. I searched and searched for a church where salvation was actually free and I couldn’t find a single one.

Then, a girlfriend took me to a Lutheran church. Keep in mind that today I serve in Lutheran heaven where there is a Lutheran church on every corner. Not in Louisiana, where there aren’t many Lutheran churches.

When I told my friends I was going to go visit a Lutheran church with a friend of mine they said, “Is that like Mormons? Are they even Christian!?”

I didn’t initially like the liturgy. It seemed too Roman Catholic. The hymns were great.

I didn’t take communion. But, when the old retired vacancy pastor began preaching, I heard something on that Holy Trinity Sunday that I had never heard clearly before: I heard the Gospel.

Jesus alone saves me—no “buts” about it.

He saves me by grace alone without any works or merit on my part. What He did on the cross is received by faith alone—not by works—so I can’t mess it up. I didn’t have to give my heart to Jesus. I didn’t have to be rebaptized or speak in tongues. I didn’t have to make Him the Lord of my life. He did it all for me! He kept the Law in my place and then died the death that I deserve. Everything that He did with His holy life and His bitter sufferings and death comes to me in His gifts as a gift.

I wanted more and more of that Gospel. I learned everything I could from my pastor.

His wife must have gotten tired of my sitting at his feet every day. I didn’t just become Lutheran; my friends said that I became “really Lutheran.” And even after it didn’t work out with the girlfriend, I still couldn’t get enough of the Gospel. I dropped chemical engineering and switched to classical Latin and the rest is a gift from God.

Salvation is a gift in Jesus. Gifts are free.

That’s what a gift is! You don’t deserve your birthday present. Despite what you’ve heard about St. Nick, you’ve never ever earned a Christmas present by being “good for goodness sake.” You weren’t that good. In fact, if you ask your parents, you probably deserved to be on the naughty list.

Apart from Christ you have no life, no salvation, no heaven. But you aren’t apart from Christ. You are baptized. You are alive to God and dead to the way you used to live. You are a new creation—born from above to love and care for others.

I don’t tell this story often. In fact, people have to drag it out of me because I usually just say, “The Gospel!” when they ask me, “Why’d you become a Lutheran?” I don’t want anyone pointing to me.

What I’d like you to see is how wonderful the Gospel is that you hear in church every Sunday. It’s rare. It’s hard to find. It’s not everywhere and every church isn’t the same.

So, don’t give up this Gospel for anything less! Don’t let this Gospel be snatched from you. Don’t let your job take you away from it. Don’t let a girl or boy entice you to a different faith. Don’t leave it for the wisdom of the world. Don’t let the preachers you lend your ears to “but” Jesus’ Gospel.

Always be around the Lord’s gifts.

Cherish every Jesus-y word in Bible class. Dump your sins on your pastor. Make him do his job and forgive you. Treasure the liturgy. Belt out those hymns. Gobble up that forgiveness at the Lord’s Supper. In a changing world that’s here today and gone tomorrow, the liturgy is an anchor that will keep you from drifting down the river of unbelief and despair. It’s not that the liturgy is magical, it’s that it’s filled with the Gospel!

For salvation is by grace alone, that is Jesus alone, received by faith alone, from Scripture alone. Now that you’ve been washed in this Gospel, confirmed into it, believed it, eaten Jesus’ Body and Blood for the remission of your sins, why would you be anything else other than a Lutheran?

Rev. George F. Borghardt is the senior pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in McHenry, Illinois. He also serves as the president of Higher Things.

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On What—or Whom

By Rev. Chris Hull

It’s All About Jesus For You There was no counsel, no help, no comfort for us until this only and eternal Son of God, in His unfathomable goodness, had mercy on our misery and wretchedness and came from heaven to help us.

Those tyrants and jailers now have been routed, and their place has been taken by Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and righteousness and every good and blessing.

Here I stand. Luther spoke these words before Emperor Charles V,

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representatives from the Pope, and various other gathered noblemen of the Holy Roman Empire. On what did Luther stand? Did he stand on his piety, intelligence, or nationality? Did Luther stand on his emotions, good works, or impeccable record of sacrificial living? No, Luther did not stand on any temporal thing or progress report of personal religiousness. No, Luther stood on the clear Word of Scripture that sinful man is justified by faith in Christ Jesus alone. Luther stood on the comfort of the Gospel proclaimed and the Sacraments given to him for his forgiveness. Luther did not stand on his own merit, but rather the merit of Jesus the Christ for his eternal salvation.

om—Do We Stand?

This is the heart of what I presented at the Higher Things conference in San Antonio, Texas, this past summer. Along with Pastor Harrison Goodman, I walked the youth, youth leaders, and pastors through some of the most interesting years of Luther’s life. We journeyed from Luther’s time at Wartburg and his translation of the Bible all the way through the writing of both the Large and the Small Catechisms. We addressed Luther’s argument with Erasmus concerning the will of man, and why Luther’s confession of the bound will is essential to a right understanding of the magnitude of Jesus’ love for us. After all, if man can do something for his salvation, then this makes Jesus a weak savior at best. However, because man is bound in his sin, it is all up to Jesus to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus does it all for us. And this theology of the bound will and Jesus’ work alone for our salvation has an impact on everything we believe, teach, and confess.

Luther would then take this absolute work of Jesus and debate men like Ulrich Zwingli about the Sacrament of the Altar. Luther argued that the words of Jesus, “This is my body,” must be taken literally because Jesus says it is for the forgiveness of our sins. Every time Luther debated anyone, it wasn’t just to get the record straight over some little personal opinion, it was a matter of life and death. In fact, every debate Luther engaged in, everything he wrote to comfort terrified sinners, pointed to Jesus’ absolute work of saving sinners from their captors. It was a true joy to walk through the 1520s with everyone and show them how it all comes back to faith in Christ Jesus alone for our salvation.

If a summary of the whole plenary could be done, the words of Luther from the

Second Article of the Creed in the Large Catechism would be the best: “There was no counsel, no help, no comfort for us until this only and eternal Son of God, in His unfathomable goodness, had mercy on our misery and wretchedness and came from heaven to help us. Those tyrants and jailers now have been routed, and their place has been taken

by Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and righteousness and every good and blessing.” These are the sweet words of the Gospel. It is all about Jesus for you.

Everything from Baptism, how we translate the Bible, how we read the Bible, how we preach, how we pray, how we understand the Lord’s Supper, hymnody, the liturgy, Sunday School, and our baptismal life is all about Jesus for us and for all sinners. And the best part is that Jesus’ forgiveness and love are absolutely free of charge and more than that: it is out of our hands. Jesus covers all our sin and pays the full price for our salvation.

What greater news can we hear than this? Jesus has paid our debt in full and acquitted us of all our transgressions. There is nothing we can or need to do to appease our Heavenly Father because Jesus has done everything for us on the cross. This is what Luther stood on and it is the same thing we stand on today. We don’t stand on our piety, intelligence, or nationality. We don’t stand on our merit, emotions, good works, or religiousness. No. We stand on the Gospel of Jesus the Christ as our firm foundation for our salvation. We stand on the reality that Jesus died for us, rose for us, ascended for us, baptizes us, communes us, and absolves us.

Now, 500 years after Luther took that pivotal first step in the Reformation of nailing the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, let us continue to encourage one another in this reality and forgive each other as our Lord forgives us. May we continue to drown each other in baptismal remembrance and stain each other’s flesh in the blood of Jesus. Our footing will always be sure as we stand on Jesus our Savior true. Amen.

Rev. Chris Hull is married to Allison, and is the father of Lonny, Manny, Ty, Jamie, and a baby girl who is arriving in mid-November. He is the senior pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas.

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A Profound

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Mystery

By Sandra Ostapowich

M

uch of the Christianity we talk about tends to center on living in a virtuous way and believing the right things. We don’t even think about it. We just believe and do things that we’re taught because they’re true or good, or have a beneficial effect on society. Having a Christian marriage is one of the big areas that gets a laser focus from this kind of Christianity. It’s easy to do, because it’s a major theme for faithful living in both the Old and New Testaments.

But for Lutherans, all of our theology and practice starts and ends with Jesus, including when we talk about marriage.

And when we talk about marriage, the starting point is generally Genesis 1-2. In Genesis 1, we get an overview of how God spoke creation into existence. In Genesis 2, God gives us a closer look of the inner workings of Day 6, when He created Man, and then Woman for man.

I always thought Moses had made a weird narrative comment when he wrote Genesis 2:24. There we are, minding our own business, reading along in Genesis 2 about how God gathered up the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life, making Adam. God then takes Adam on a tour of Eden where Adam names all the animals. Next, Adam naps while God removes his side and builds Woman from it. Adam wakes, meets Woman, and they have their first date/ wedding. Tra-la-la.

Then, out of nowhere, as though the narrator lowers the 4th wall and gives the audience a private aside, we get to Genesis 2:24:“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Now on some level, we know this statement can’t be about Adam and Eve. Adam didn’t have a father or mother to leave before holding fast to his wife.

But we breeze right past it anyway, figuring it’s just a lesson for us, telling us why we have marriage today and what God created it to look like. We probably would’ve figured that out without an obvious moral of the story tacked onto the end. But there it is, inspired by God Himself. Good to know. Thanks, God. Centuries later, when St. Paul writes about the way God ordered men and women to be in intimate relationships in his letter to the Church in Ephesus, he clues us into an even more important ordering of male and female that creation reflects with marriage. That relationship isn’t ordered by God’s created work. It’s a

copy of the relationship between Christ and the Church!

Reading Ephesians 5:21-33 as sinners in this fallen world, it’s easy to miss this point.

We assume that Paul is just talking about regular human marriages, with regular human wives and husbands. After all, he tells wives to trust their husbands like the Church trusts Christ. And he goes into great detail to tell husbands to love their wives sacrificially, like Christ loves His Bride, the Church. Our usual takeaway from this?

Be like the Church if you’re a wife, and be like Christ if you’re the husband. Just follow these simple rules and you’ll have a happy, Christian marriage.

In spite of our innate desire to sin, we sinners love rules. With a handy-dandy checklist in hand, we can measure how well we’re doing. When we read the second half of Ephesians 5 like it’s a list of what husbands and wives are to do in marriage, we can mentally check off the boxes and work on our own selfimprovement. And since we’re such great sinners, we take note when our spouses fall short on their list. Even better, when we think we’re doing a bang-up job on our own checklists, we beat our chests in righteous indignation when those “other people” don’t share our virtuous values.

But this would be a really short-sighted way to read this passage.

Paul doesn’t clue us in on us what he’s really getting at, with all this talk about husbands and wives, until the very end of Ephesians 5. There, he quotes Moses’ (God’s) words from Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

And we, thinking that this makes a nice conclusion to a few paragraphs laying out the rules for Christian marriage, gloss over it as another reminder of how God created marriage in Genesis 2

But, no…that’s not it at all! Paul, just as inspired by the Holy Spirit as Moses centuries earlier, continues, saying, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church.” And we still miss this giant neon billboard statement and skim over this sentence, thinking that Paul is just summarizing the earlier stuff he wrote about how wives are to be like the Church and husbands are to be like Christ in their marriages. Let me repeat it for you so it sinks in…

It (Genesis 2:24, the “random” statement from Moses, which Paul “randomly” quotes out of the blue) refers to Christ and the Church.

Is your mind blown yet? Paul calls it a “profound mystery.” That’s about the biggest understatement I can think of! Not only have the instructions for husbands and wives in this epistle actually been about Christ and the Church, but so is Genesis 2:24! The “therefore” of that verse is not actually about Adam and Eve, it’s about Christ and the Church. Marriage itself, and even the very creation of humankind as man and woman, is a picture of Christ and the Church! Profound, indeed! When it’s all about Christ—and Christ for His Church— then it not only culminates on the Last Day…but precedes creation in eternity!

Now, lest we allow ourselves to be so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good…these “rules” about marriage between regular human men and women are good for us to follow. Husbands really should love their wives, and wives really should make sure they respect their husbands. But we sell ourselves short, as we do our relationships with one another, and God’s own Word, if we fail to see Christ and the Church at the center of it all. This isn’t simply an ordering in the created world, it’s an ordering of the cosmos in the image of Christ and His Bride into which creation gives us a shadowy glimpse of something beyond our comprehension.

Seeking (and finding!) Christ at the center of it all…now that’s how you dare to be Lutheran.

Sandra Ostapowich is the conference executive and deputy executive for Higher Things. She is a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas and lives in nearby Dennison with her 15-year-old son, Isaac.

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Sometimes

the Devil Loves It

When You

Pray

By Rev. Harrison Goodman

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P

aul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Luther writes that prayer chases away the devil who cannot abide where God’s name is called upon. Sounds great. So who would have a problem with prayer? The truth is, pretty much everyone who’s ever actually tried it. The very needs that drive you to pray put you face to face with the giant contrast between all the things God promised and what the world actually looks like.

Who could have a problem with prayer? Bitter exChristians who think it’s a joke. Heartbroken Christians who tried it and failed.“God, let me be healed. Let me quit this stupid awful vice. What’s wrong with me?” Christians burdened by the weight of having to pretend to be happy in the worst moments of their lives, desperate to find some positive spin.“God, I just want to thank you for this beautiful sunshine while I bury my love. You did great today.

I’m so happy with this horrible suffering and loss.

Let this fake smile that nobody believes shine as a light to others about how great thou art. Amen.”

Sometimes the devil loves it when you pray.

That’s because you’re doing it wrong.

Jesus says there’s actually a wrong way to pray. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). That means be honest, not empty. Are you really fooling God by pretending to be happy when you’re furious with Him for letting you down? He’s God. He already knows.

You’re only lying to yourself. Stop.

Those are empty words. Just tell Him what you need.

We hate being truly honest because such prayers can sound angry, ungrateful, and full of doubt.

They make us look like the sinners we are.

We’re afraid God won’t listen to those prayers—at least, not unless we sweeten the pot.

The devil loves it when we try to bribe God. “God, I promise, I’ll do anything. I’ll quit this sin. I’ll give you money, time, whatever you want from me. Just listen. Not for the sake of your love, your Son, or your promises to me, but because of what I can do.” The problem with a bribe isn’t just that we actually can’t hold up our end of the deal, it’s that it drives us farther from Christ, who already paid for our access to God with His blood.

We don’t need to bribe God if the price was already paid.

Prayer apart from Christ crucified is always going to be like dealing with a shady used car salesman. It becomes the worst kind of transaction where you come away feeling dirty and pretty sure you just got ripped off.

If you can’t trust God to keep His promises, then you can’t trust the ways He’s promised to work, either. The devil’s favorite prayers are those that show we are only willing to accept a God who works apart from His normal means. “God, I want to be loved, but not by the people you’ve given me. I want stuff, but it has to feel special so it can’t come from something as boring as a paycheck from a job you’ve given me. I want to feel better about myself, but

I don’t want that from your Word and Sacraments you’ve given me.” Those prayers are doomed to fail because God never promised to work that way. If your prayers are going to be made of lies, bribes, or demands for an answer outside of how God works, you can be sure the devil says amen with you.

Jesus prays differently. “Our Father who art in heaven...”

It doesn’t matter how many words are in your prayer, or how heartfelt it is, or what you bring to the table. It matters who your God is. It is just like we read in the Small Catechism: “God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.”

God is your Father. That’s enough. You’re baptized.

You’re God’s child now. God takes care of His kids. In Baptism, you are united with Christ in His death and in His resurrection. Pray in light of your Baptism. See that God actually wants to give you more than just nice stuff until you die. Pray as your Father’s child.

Be honest. Sound brash and angry. Your God prayed that way for you. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” No polite, forced smile. No empty words. Jesus prayed in pain and anger for you as He bore your sin. This cross makes sinners righteous, and it sanctifies their prayers, too.

Every “awful” sounding prayer is cleansed by the blood paid for you. Jesus prayed for you on the cross, and then He cried, “It is finished,” and died for you.

Godly prayer looks like death, yet it gives way to life.

Pray from here. God drags us from heartbreak, anger, despair, and even death to resurrection. Not someday.

Every single day. That’s Baptism. Daily we die with Christ.

Daily, He raises us up. Daily we are tied to His cross. Daily, His resurrection. Every day, heap every bit of anger, fear, doubt, and sin upon Him. Every day He unites you with victory. Pray from here.

Prayer is about comfort. Pray without ceasing isn’t an obligation to put on a happy face. It’s a promise. God has already worked. He has given you salvation. You are baptized. He will bring you with His Son through death and into life. The rest? The right now? The stuff of this world? Be honest. But know that You are God’s child. Look to the means by which He does it. He saved you by means of a cross. He delivered you by means of your Baptism.

Even now, He’ll care for you by the means He works here.

Then see that this world isn’t everything. It doesn’t need to be. God has something bigger in mind for you. You have a Father who is in heaven.

Rev. Harrison Goodman serves as pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll, Nebraska.

He taught a sectional on this subject at the Montana conference this summer.

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Purpose and the

Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com

“Why am I here? What is my purpose?”

Have you ever asked yourself those questions?

“I have no purpose,” you say to yourself. I have no special talents that make me stand out from the crowd. I tried my best and still didn’t make the team. I studied so hard and still got a C or a D or a big fat F. I invested so much time and energy in that relationship and she turned her back on me.

Sometimes, you feel like throwing up your hands and saying, “Why should I bother any longer?”

Do you suppose Esther ever felt that way? Esther was the queen of Persia.

That sounds like a pretty cool gig. But unbeknownst to her husband, King Artaxerxes, she was Jewish. About a hundred years earlier, the Jews had been led away in bondage by the Babylonians, until the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians. Some Jews returned to Judea. Others stayed, including Esther’s family. Artaxerxes chose Esther from among his huge harem to replace the previous queen, who had refused to appear before the king’s pals at a party when he wanted to brag about the beautiful wife he had. So even though Esther was now queen, she had to live in a far-off land among a people with foreign customs, false gods, and food forbidden by the Law given to Moses.

Not only that, her cousin Mordecai got them into a bit of hot water. He refused to bow down to Haman, the king’s righthand man, as Haman passed by. This so enraged Haman that when he found out Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to get revenge by convincing the king to issue a decree that all Jews in the empire should be slaughtered—and no decree made by a king of Persia could ever be changed. It was a done deal.

“What good is being queen now?” you might imagine Esther asking. Should she simply barge in to see the king? No one—not even the queen—could do that without the king’s permission, upon

penalty of death. Was she doomed to live a purposeless and pointless life in the opulence of the Persian palace?

When Mordecai learned of Esther’s uncertainty, he replied, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

(Esther 4:13-14) Esther resolved to go see the king and said,“I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She knew that sure death could await her, yet she courageously determined to try to save her people.

To make a long story short, her plan worked. Without being summoned, she entered into the king’s court and bravely stood before his throne. Artaxerxes showed favor to Esther. He honored Mordecai for previously warning the him about an attempt on his life. Haman was put to death. And although the previous decree could not be revoked, the king allowed the Jews across the empire to defend themselves and save their lives.

And they did.

If you haven’t read the book of Esther, check it out. You’ll enjoy some of the twists and turns at the end of the book as you see how Haman got what was coming to him.But here’s an interesting point about the book: God is not mentioned. Not once. But that doesn’t mean He’s not present. He’s there, all right. Hidden. Working behind the scenes. He was working to save the people of Judah because there was a promise still to be fulfilled through that people. There was another young Jewish woman yet to come who was going to give birth to a Son who would be the

Savior of the world. And this descendant of Judah lived the most purposeful life ever lived. He saw you in your sinful condition, lost, without hope, without life, and became flesh “for such a time as this” to suffer and die for you, to forgive your sins, to save you from eternal death and to give you eternal life. And He continues to be purposefully present and active in your life, although hidden, behind the scenes, in spoken words, water, and bread and wine.

So what is your purpose? You might never be in Esther’s sandals with a “for such a time as this” moment. God might have one big moment in store for you.

He certainly has a series of not-so-big moments in mind: simple acts of love and mercy, care and compassion—acts done in the name of Christ for those around you. But think of the ripple effect that your service may have. Your quiet acts of mercy might affect one person who is then inspired to acts of mercy for others in the name of Christ for their own “for such a time as this” moment.

Whatever God has in store for you, take heart and have courage, because you have these promises from the Lord given through the apostle Paul:“If God is for us, who can be against us?” and “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). His purpose was to love you and save you at the cross and to join you to Christ’s cross and resurrection in Holy Baptism. You have been called according to His purpose. You are a new creation in Christ who loves God. Therefore, He will work all things out for your good and it is that promise which gives your life meaning and purpose.

Rev. Kurt Onken is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Marysville, Washington. His article is an adaptation of a sermon he delivered this summer at the Montana Higher Things conference.

Queen of Persia

By Rev. Kurt Onken

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June 27-30, 2017

Trinity University JuneAntonio, 27-30, 2017 San Texas

Trinity University San Antonio, July 4-7, 2017Texas

Here Here II Stand Stand 2017 HIGHER THINGS CONFERENCES 2017 HIGHER THINGS CONFERENCES

Mars Hill University

July 4-7, Mars Hill,2017 South Carolina

Mars Hill University

Mars20-23, Hill, South July 2017Carolina

Montana State University July 20-23,Montana 2017 Bozeman,

Montana State University Bozeman, July 27-30,Montana 2017

Valparaiso University July 27-30, Indiana 2017 Valparaiso,

Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana

June 27-30, 2017

July 4-7, 2017

Trinity University San Antonio, Texas

Mars Hill University Mars Hill, North Carolina

July 18-21, 2017

July 25-28, 2017

Montana State University Bozeman, Montana

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South Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois

Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota

The University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas

July 24-27, 2018

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July 31-August 3, 2018

Visit

Sanctified2018.org or email conferences@higherthings.org for more details.

“You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.“ (Leviticus 20:26)

Higher Things is pleased to announce the 2018 conferences: “Sanctified.” Join us next summer as we look at the Commandments and how God has called us to be His own people in Christ.

You will have no other gods before my face. You will not misuse my Name or despise My Word. You will keep my Sabbath Day holy. You will honor your father and your mother. You will not murder. You will not commit adultery. You will not steal. You will not bear false testimony against your neighbor. You will not covet—not your neighbor’s house, or his neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

“I’m the Lord God, Who brought you out of Egypt. I have saved you. I’ve saved you from slavery in Egypt.

I’ve saved you from your sins. You will be holy to me. You are holy to me because I’m holy.”

July 10-13, 2018

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Sanctified Sanctified

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Sanctified 2018 HIGHER THINGS CONFERENCES

July 3-6, 2018

July 10-13, 2018

Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota

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We live in a culture of blurry religious distinctions and do-it-yourself spirituality.

Youth, especially, need solid ground that will nurture lasting Christian faith. Rather than treating youth as an adolescent subculture and confusing them with religious experiences that cannot be replicated at home, Higher Things believes in challenging youth to learn the pure doctrine of the Christian faith. By teaching them the same message that they hear at home, youth grow in the fullness of the Christian faith as they come to appreciate historic liturgical practice and its unique focus on God’s gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation for us delivered in Word and Sacrament.

The Theme: Sanctified

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“I’m the Lord God, Who brought you out of Egypt. I have saved you. I’ve saved you from slavery in Egypt. I’ve saved you from your sins. You will be holy to me. You are Holy to me because I’m holy.

You’ll have no other gods before my face. You will not misuse my Name or despise My Word. You’ll keep my Sabbath Day holy. You will honor your father and your mother. You will not murder. You will not commit adultery. You will not steal. You will not bear false testimony against your neighbor. You will not covet—not

July 31-August 3, 2018 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, Washington

your neighbor’s house, nor his neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Higher Things is pleased to announced the 2018 Conferences: “Sanctified.” Join us this summer as we look at the Ten Commandments and how God has called us to be His own people in Christ.

“You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” (Leviticus 20:26)

Registration Download a Registration Packet with detailed registration information and instructions at Sanctified2018.org.

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Age Requirements Higher Things conferences are generally planned for high-school-aged youth, but registrants may be any youth who have been confirmed prior to the conference, including middle school and college students. We recognize that the ages of confirmed youth vary from congregation to congregation, and just ask that if a group is bringing young people who are not yet confirmed or in high school, their group leaders be prepared to provide additional supervision accordingly.

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Conference Capacities The 2018 conferences in Minnesota, Illinois, and Kansas each have a capacity of 1,000 registrants.

The conference in Washington has a capacity of 500 registrants.

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A Book of Shadows

by Rev. Ryan J. Ogrodowicz

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T

o most Christians, the book of Leviticus is strange and difficult to understand. Indeed, trying to comprehend every detail of this great book is an endless endeavor.

But you don’t need to be a biblical scholar to find the value of Leviticus. One of the key points to remember is that like all Old Testament books, Leviticus confesses and foreshadows Jesus (Luke 24:44). Read it with Christ in mind, and you’ll be surprised at what you can learn. Leviticus isn’t a dusty, bygone piece of ancient literature reserved for the past, but is the living, active Word of God still testifying to God’s redemption in Christ crucified and the holy gifts He gives to sinners.

Zurbarán Lamb of God, Prado Museum, c. 1635-1640

Leviticus:

a warning. Consumption on the third day meant one had “profaned what is holy to the LORD and that person shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 19:8). The priests, likewise, had holy food. Meat from the sin offering could be consumed by the priests but only on holy ground, the “court of the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 6:26). So holy was this food that it communicated God’s holiness through physical contact: “Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy…” (Leviticus 6:27).

In many ways this foreshadows the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament where holy food is again given to the Church, only this time God gives Himself—His true Body and true Blood for the forgiveness of sins. And like the peace offering in Leviticus, the Lord’s Supper can be handled wrongly, as we read in 1 Corinthians 11:27-30.

Therefore, before one dismisses the notion of the Lord’s Supper containing the holiness of God in Christ Himself, bear in mind that holy food exists in Leviticus where God had no problem imparting His holiness in food and giving it to His people!

Finally, there were garments. Garments for the Levitical priest were life-savers. They were “consecrated” (Leviticus 8:30) and had to be worn during service, lest God’s servant “bear guilt and die” (Exodus 28:43). The New Testament also talks about garments, as well as every Christian being a priest before God. In 1 Peter 2:9, we hear that the baptized believer is part of the “royal priesthood.” In Galatians, we hear “for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Notice the clothing language here: being baptized means you have “put on” Jesus. In the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14), Jesus teaches that one must have the right garment to stay at the feast. It’s another way of saying we need Him. We need Christ alone who is the perfect garment covering our shameful sins, making us worthy to dwell with Him in life everlasting. Like the Levitical priest, we, too, need His garments lest in our guilt we die. We have such garments in Christ—garments we wear by faith.

This article has barely scratched the surface on how Leviticus foreshadows Christ crucified and the holy gifts He bestows to His people. Don’t be intimidated! Jump in and start reading. Read Leviticus with Christ in mind, and by the grace of God you’ll be surprised at what you learn. It’s still the living Word of God directing us to the Holy One Himself: our Lord and our God who continues to justify, sanctify and give faith to believe His Word even as it comes to us in Leviticus.

Rev. Ryan J. Ogrodowicz is the pastor and headmaster at Victory in Christ Lutheran Church and Academy in Newark, Texas.

Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, with gushing blood, detail of the Ghent Altarpiece, Jan van Eyck, c. 1432

To see how it testifies to Christ crucified, let’s look at the sacrifices. They come with detailed instructions, but don’t let those details scare you away. Rather, start with some basic questions. First, who instituted these sacrifices? Easy answer: the LORD. Second, in many of these sacrifices the death of an animal was required. Who provided the animal? Answer: the LORD. He provides everything. Third, who declares the people right in His sight? Another easy answer—the LORD. He sets up the sacrifices up by His Word so that faithful Israelites could offer their gifts according to His Word and leave justified.

God institutes, provides, and declares. In other words, God is the active agent doing the work in Leviticus.

God would again do the work in providing the sacrifice for sin in His only-begotten Son, Jesus. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who has taken away all your sin

by His holy, precious blood and innocent suffering and death. His atonement, His death, His cross, and blood have accomplished what is “impossible for the blood of bulls and goats…” (Hebrews 10:4). His blood has once and for all atoned for the sins of the world—a gift of God for sinners who receive God’s forgiveness and depart in His peace, justified according to His Word. The sacrifices in Leviticus foreshadow this. God provided the animals then and would provide the sacrifice later in the person of Jesus at the cross, whose death has purchased you from condemnation, making you His for eternity.

Another example of Leviticus’ foreshadowing Christ is God’s demand for holy people. “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).

This looks like just another command, something like “Be holy in all that you do because I’m holy, and you have to copy Me to be holy.” Levitical Israelites were commanded to keep His Word and live holy lives, but this blessed Word in Leviticus 19:2 isn’t just mere Law. It’s also God declaring who His people are because of Him. It’s a promise that they will be holy because He makes people holy. They will be sanctified, not because of their works but because of a holy God who is always the generous giver of holiness.

Holiness is never earned.

The most holy, precious thing in the Levitical Israelite’s possession is something the Christian possesses today— the holy, saving Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s the Name of holiness protected from misuse and desecration in the sacred Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7). It’s a Name the Church possesses and lives in by faith, which in turn affects how we live, as only faith produces those works pleasing to God. But another interesting aspect of God’s holiness in Leviticus is that it’s tangible. In other words, Leviticus is big on holy objects.

There are numerous examples, but let’s look at two: holy food and holy garments.

For the typical Israelite, holy food was meat from the peace offering (Leviticus 19:5-8). This was holy food with

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CCV

Making the Case to Be a

By Katelyn Marie Hunt

When I think of my experience as a

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 22

College Conference Volunteer (CCV) at two Higher Things conferences, there are so many things that come flooding into my mind: the friends I’ve made, the things about being Lutheran I have learned, the new opportunities that have come from volunteering, and the amazing worship that I have been a part of. Countless hymns, readings, memories, sermons, and people with all one common denominator: the unending grace of God given to us through Jesus Christ, His Son.

CCVs assist pastors, staff, and speakers with anything that they could possibly need to make the week a breeze for all in attendance. We travel from different parts of the country, not knowing each other (for the most part), and become close friends by the end of the week. We get little to no sleep and are running on pure caffeine by the close of the conference. When I applied to be a CCV for the first time, I had no idea about the experience that was coming my way or how the people I was with would influence me so much.

I first CCV’d at Bread of Life 2016 in Fort Collins, Colorado. I flew to the airport, knowing absolutely no one and hoping for the best with this new experience. Of course, we all started out somewhat timid and just making a little bit of small talk with each other, but by Thursday it was like we had been in each other’s lives since we were little kids. I met so many amazing people, had the best time ever, and there was no debate as to whether or not I would want to do this again. So I decided to apply for Here I Stand 2017, not knowing whether or not anyone I had met in Colorado would be there.

I figured if I had such a good time in Colorado then I was guaranteed to have a great time this year no matter what. When I found out who was going to Valparaiso I was thrilled! I was reunited with a few friends from the previous year and met even more awesome college students who were as eager to help as I was. The reunion wasn’t just with CCVs and staff, but with attendees as well.

Have you ever met someone who you can just talk to and have no problem making conversation with?

That’s what being a CCV is like. No matter what part of the country you are from, or how different your morning routine is from your roommate’s, there is a unity in Christ and Him crucified. You have the same values as one another and can truly be yourself around them.

Being a CCV isn’t all work—we get to participate and hear the Word of God a good amount, too. Even though we may leave chapel during the last hymn, we’re all humming the melody on our way to our next task. Speaking of tasks, during breakaway times we all have to go to different sessions, and afterwards we get to talk about what it

is we learned and heard about during our class. It’s like we dip our feet in the water of each and every class. We get to hear the sermons and sing the liturgy just like the attendees do. So while being a CCV is a ton of work, we also get to enjoy the amazing gifts that every attendee receives throughout the week. During the week we also get to talk a little with all of the pastors and staff members teaching classes and we get to know them better.

Higher Things has reinforced what it really means to be Lutheran and what it is we confess. Each conference is more than just a one-week trip that shares the Gospel and gives you memories that will last a lifetime.

Because of Higher Things, the Bible on my nightstand has turned into a library of Gospel-filled books and notebooks that I can never put down.

I have spent hours

watching YouTube videos on any topic that comes to mind and reliving the amazing hymns and sermons I heard at the conference.

The Holy Spirit calls us to worship together, pray, and continuously hear the Word of God. Higher Things brings thousands together for that very purpose every year. You might go through the same schedule at every conference, but no two conferences are alike. There’s always a hymn you’ve never heard that will soon become your favorite, an answer you receive to a question you didn’t even know you had, and of course, lots and lots of Jesus.

So here I am—several months after

the conference—and there is still not a day that goes by that I do not talk to some of my CCV friends, listen to a hymn, or think about something a pastor said throughout that conference week. One of the best decisions I have ever made was to apply to be a CCV. I enthusiastically encourage you to do the same!

Katelyn Marie Hunt is studying journalism at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. She hopes to spread her love for journalism by teaching high school as well as continuing to write. She attends Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas.

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Dare to Be Lutheran! Essay Competition opens Nov. 1!

Calling all high school youth! Do you want to attend a Higher Things conference this summer but need some help financially? Enter our essay competition! Tell us why attending a Higher Things conference is important to you. You can find the application and essay instructions on our website at http://higherthings.org/scholarships. Go ahead, we Dare you to apply!

Upcoming HT Retreats! www.higherthings.org/retreats

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I Believe I Can’t Believe: The Third Article November 3-4, 2017 Faith Lutheran Church, Plano, TX Speaker: Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz

Nails!

November 3-4, 2017 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, McHenry, IL Speaker: Rev. David Juhl

The Mother of God: How Lutherans Are to Regard Mary

February 2-3, 2018 St. Paul Lutheran Church Chatfield, MN Speaker: Rev. Rick Stuckwisch

Heaven on Earth

February 17-18, 2018 Trinity Lutheran Church Sheboygan, WI Speaker: Rev. Dr. Arthur Just

Interested in attending or hosting a Higher Things Retreat? Email retreats@higherthings.org for more info.

: s e t u t i t s b u s o n . s Accept u s e J l a e r e h t d e e n u o y “The real Jesus has stood up. He is risen, and Pastor Richard will leave you feeling confident that the real Jesus has done this great thing precisely for you.”

—Rev. Jonathan Fisk

?

F A L L

cph.org/realjesus

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Dare to be a Deaconess!

Concordia University Chicago: The Total Package for Deaconess Education With a 37-year history, CUC’s deaconess program is the oldest and most well established in the LCMS. Students and graduates serve throughout the U.S. and the world.

• Sit at the feet of outstanding theology professors • Learn from veteran deaconesses • Worship and study God’s Word in a vibrant community of faith • Live, learn and serve alongside many church work students • Study theology in Cambridge, UK • Live out God’s mercy in field work, internship and graduate placement around Chicago, the U.S. and the world • A cost-effective way to obtain full LCMS Deaconess Certification • Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Theology plus a one-year paid internship H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 26

• Graduates can enhance their service with a master’s degree in social work, counseling, gerontology, teaching or business

Learn more about becoming a deaconess today by visiting CUChicago.edu/deaconess or email Kristin.Wassilak@CUChicago.edu.

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The 10 Comm Catechism

a

s

u

What does God say about all these commandments?

He says this: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

A

ren’t you glad you asked? Maybe not.

The “love to a thousand generations” sounds great, but the “punishing three and four generations for the sin of the fathers” doesn’t seem fair. And what’s this about God being jealous? Isn’t jealousy something associated with our old, sinful nature?

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Let’s talk about God’s jealousy first. God is zealous about you. He wants you all to Himself without any competition. This summary is really a commentary on the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods.”

God’s jealousy is the flipside of His love. He loves you wholeheartedly—literally to death on a cross. And He wants your wholehearted love, along with your fear and trust. That’s what it means for God to be a jealous God. He hates other gods because they aren’t gods at all yet they compete for our affections.

Now let’s talk about this business of punishments and rewards. God threatens to punish everyone who breaks His commandments, not only with temporal punishments but also with eternal damnation. He’s not kidding. God’s wrath against sin trickles down for three and four generations precisely because sin trickles down from father to child, from generation to generation. It’s an inherited condition into which we are conceived and born (Psalm 51).

But God isn’t wrath; God is love. He promises to love a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. Notice that His love is thousands of times

greater than His wrath. Yet even the promise of love is still Law. God promises to love those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Threats and promises. That’s how the Law works. Threats of punishment; promises of reward. That leaves us in a terrible bind. We break God’s commandments daily. We deserve His temporal and eternal punishments. We do not love Him with our whole heart, nor do we fear and trust in Him. And we certainly don’t keep His commandments. How can He then love us?

God loves us in His Son. Jesus fears, loves, and trusts in God above all things. Even when the Father turned away, the Son trusted Him. Jesus keeps the commandments perfectly, in thought, word, and work.

He fulfills them.

Therefore you,

m

mandments: m

a

r y

By Rev. William M. Cwirla

baptized into Christ, keep the commandments, too! You are clothed with Christ, covered with His righteousness. God’s wrath and His mercy collided on the cross. He punished His Child for the sin of our father Adam. And in that death, we find the mercy of God for the sinner. God loves you in His beloved Son. So then, why do we still have the Law? It’s simply because we still have old Adam hanging around our necks.

We need the Law. We need the Law to protect us from hurting others and ourselves, and so God puts us under

the authority of parents, governors, and pastors to keep old Adam in line, to rein in our sinful outbursts and preserve order in our homes, communities, and congregations.

We need the Law to do the deep, spiritual diagnosis, to show us that our sin runs deeper than just our sinful thoughts, words, and actions. We tend to think of sin as all the bad things we do, but those are only the symptoms.

Sin is a deep corruption of our entire humanity that prevents us from fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things and from keeping His commandments.

We need the Law as a guide for our own selfdiscipline, as we baptized children of God daily mortify (put to death) old Adam with his lusts and desires. As God’s baptized children, we want to do God’s will purely and perfectly. And we would love God and keep His commandments, were it not for old Adam getting in the way. Punishments and rewards are all that old Adam understands. Think of him as a stubborn old donkey who either responds to the crack of the whip or a carrot. He needs to be drowned so he will die daily.

As baptized children of God, we actually take delight in God’s Law, not because of its threats of punishments and promises of rewards, and certainly not because it justifies us before God, but because it describes how we look to God as His baptized children. We see only our sin, but God sees our righteousness in Jesus and invites us to see things His way.

In Christ, we fear, love and trust in God above all things. In Christ, we love our neighbor. In Christ, we have the promise of God’s grace and every blessing, because through faith in Christ, we keep the commandments.

You have this Law to see therein That you have not been free from sin But also that you clearly see How pure toward God life should be Have mercy, Lord!

Lutheran Service Book 581:11 Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and is a president emeritus of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.

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Sometimes

the Devil Loves It

When You

Pray

A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY • Fall 2017

1

Quickly scan John 13-16. What is taking place in these chapters? What are some of the themes of this section?

2

Read John 17:1. What is Jesus’ posture for prayer? Does this tell you anything about His prayer? Have you seen this prayer posture before? How does Jesus’ approach to prayer teach you to approach God in prayer?

3

Read John 17:1-5. Who is the focus of this first section of Jesus’ prayer? The recurring theme of this first petition is glory; what are the three glorifications Jesus refers to? See also John 12:27-33.

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Read John 17:6-19. Who is the focus of this section of the prayer? How would you characterize Jesus’ concern in this middle petition? What is the purpose or goal of this middle petition? Is there any recurring theme?

5

Finally, read John 17:20-26. Who is the focus of this final petition? What is the goal for this third petition? Is there any recurring theme? What happens immediately following this prayer?

6 7

Skim this chapter once more. What significance does this prayer have for you?

Work with one or two others to write a prayer that follows the example of Jesus’ prayer. Begin with a statement of God’s gracious activity in Christ and a thanksgiving for what He has done. Continue with a petition for yourselves, for your youth group, for your congregation, and for the whole Church on earth, that you would be sanctified by the Word of truth. Conclude with a petition for those who do not yet believe, for your enemies, that they would come to believe in the name of Jesus and be united together. Close with “Hear Us, Father, When We Pray,” LSB 773.

To access the Leader’s Guide for this study, as well as Bible studies for articles in this issue and previous issues, as a part of an HTOnline subscription, point your browser to: higherthings.org/magazine/biblestudies.html.

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“Leviticus:A HIGHER A BookTHINGS® of Shadows” BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction “A Book of Shadows” reminds us of something very important (and easy to forget) about the Scriptures. They are all about Jesus! As we look at Leviticus, we know that we will find Jesus. We will work through the article, taking a closer look at key elements of the book of Leviticus that show us who Jesus is and what He does for us.

Opening Prayer “Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Collect for the Word) 1. What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?

Answers may vary. Encourage your students to share their reasons for why they chose that specific book.

Popular favorite books are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans, Psalms, and others. Oftentimes our favorite book was especially important to us during a difficult time in our lives. It would be very unique for someone to list Leviticus as their favorite book. In fact many may list it on their list of “least favorite books of the Bible.” In this study we will gain a greater appreciation of this important book.

2. We will begin by looking at the sacrifices which are found throughout the book of Leviticus. Read Leviticus 4:1-12. Who institutes this sacrifice? Why is it needed? Who carries out the sacrifice?

The Lord institutes the sacrifice as He speaks to Moses. This sacrifice, in particular, is needed for the sins of the people, but elsewhere in Leviticus you can find sacrifices for the leaders, priests, and others. The priest carries out the sacrifice according to God’s command.

3. Think of the sacrifice we just read about. What is your first reaction to this sort of sacrifice? We remember that all of Scripture finds its fullness in the person and work of Christ. How is Jesus like the priest who is conducting the sacrifice? How is He like the animal being sacrificed?

Allow students to express any questions or concerns they have about the sacrifices when they share their reactions. It will help you understand how they are approaching Leviticus and may help guide the rest of the study. Jesus is like the priest carrying out the sacrifice because He presents the sacrifice of His own body and blood to God the Father for the sins of the people, just like the priest offers the sacrifice “before the Lord”, He presents himself to God. He is like the animal in the sacrifice because He is giving up His life for the sins of the people. He isn’t the one who committed the sin, but He is the one who will be punished for it.

4. We will now shift to the way that God is described in the book of Leviticus. What descriptions of God do you remember from other places in Scripture? Read Leviticus 19:1-9. How is God described here? What does this mean?

Responses will vary for the first part of the question. Perhaps students will remember that God is called the creator, the Holy One of Israel, or the king. God is described in Leviticus 19 as holy. Holy means “set apart” and when speaking of God it also comes with the meaning of “perfection” or “purity.”

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

5. How are the people of the Lord to act in light of His holiness? Because God requires a holy people, He has to make His people holy. How does He do this?

God’s people are to be holy. They are supposed to be set apart for Him, following only His commands and not the ways of the pagan nations around them. The history of Israel shows that God’s people never live up to His holy standard. He sets up the sacrificial system that points forward to the one all-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In Baptism, God clothes us in the white robes of Christ’s righteousness, giving us the holiness that we could never gain on our own.

6. Re-read the section in the article on “Holy Food”. What does the meat from the peace offering do to the things it comes into contact with (Leviticus 6:27)? How does this help explain what happens in communion?

When anything touches the “Holy Food” of the sacrifice, it is made holy. This reminds us that when Christ’s Holy Body and Blood are given to us in the Lord’s Supper, our sins are forgiven. We receive the His righteousness.

7. Re-read the section on the article on “Holy Garments” and Leviticus 8:30. Why did the priest wear the garment? Was the garment law or gospel for the priest? What is the consequence of not wearing the garment? How do these facts remind us of Holy Baptism?

The priest wore the garment when he stood before the altar of God. He was in the presence of a Holy God and wore the garment to cover his uncleanness. The garment was gospel, a sign of the favor of God to a sinner standing in his presence. The consequence of not wearing the garment was death. In baptism, we are given an everlasting garment, the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all our sins.

Conclusion Even a book that many don’t understand or claim to enjoy is overflowing with Gospel! Leviticus is an important book because it explains the relationship between the Lord and His people. They are to be holy because He is holy! Then He covers the sins of the people, pointing to the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Closing Sing together, “Holy Holy Holy,” (LSB #507).

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Leviticus:A HIGHER A BookTHINGS® of Shadows” BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer “Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Collect for the Word) 1. What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?

2. We will begin by looking at the sacrifices which are found throughout the book of Leviticus. Read Leviticus 4:1-12. Who institutes this sacrifice? Why is it needed? Who carries out the sacrifice?

3. Think of the sacrifice we just read about. What is your first reaction to this sort of sacrifice? We remember that all of Scripture finds its fullness in the person and work of Christ. How is Jesus like the priest who is conducting the sacrifice? How is He like the animal being sacrificed?

4. We will now shift to the way that God is described in the book of Leviticus. What descriptions of God do you remember from other places in Scripture? Read Leviticus 19:1-9. How is God described here? What does this mean?

5. How are the people of the Lord to act in light of His holiness? Because God requires a holy people, He has to make His people holy. How does He do this?

6. Re-read the section in the article on “Holy Food”. What does the meat from the peace offering do to the things it comes into contact with (Leviticus 6:27)? How does this help explain what happens in communion?

7. Re-read the section on the article on “Holy Garments” and Leviticus 8:30. Why did the priest wear the garment? Was the garment law or gospel for the priest? What is the consequence of not wearing the garment? How do these facts remind us of Holy Baptism?

Conclusion Even a book that many don’t understand or claim to enjoy is overflowing with Gospel! Leviticus is an important book because it explains the relationship between the Lord and His people. They are to be holy because He is holy! Then He covers the sins of the people, pointing to the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Closing Sing together, “Holy Holy Holy,” (LSB #507). © 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Purpose andAthe Queen of Persia” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction This Bible study will explore the central message in the book of Esther, the conversation between her and Mordecai in Esther 4:12-17. The purpose of this study is to see Jesus as the final Savior of not only the Jewish people, but of all peoples, and to see in Esther’s willingness to sacrifice her own life for her people the selfsacrificial love of Christ that He exhibited and gives to us.

1. Purposes have to do with ends or goals. What is the purpose for which the book of Esther was written? See Esther 9:20-32.

The book of Esther records the events that inaugurated the Jewish holiday of Purim. It is named for the Pur, or the lots, cast by Haman. The holiday is not a sacred holiday, such as Passover, Pentecost, or Tabernacles, which were instituted by God. But it does play a part in the history of Jesus. Although the holiday is not mentioned in the New Testament narratives, certainly Jesus was aware of this cultural celebration and likely took part in its festivities.

2. The story of Esther revolves around a plot of mass murder against the Jews, instigated by the Persian Haman. Why does Haman wish for violence against the Jews (Esther 3:1-2)? Does this remind you of any similar stories from the Old Testament?

Haman is offended that Mordecai will not bow down and honor him. While he does not appeal to the First Commandment for his refusal, Mordecai’s action recalls the refusal of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down and worship false gods in Babylon.

3. Mordecai warns Esther that she may not be successful in an appeal to the king on behalf of the Jews.

If she fails, does Mordecai still have hope for his people? See Esther 4:12-14.

Mordecai trusts that the Jews will be relieved from their affliction even if Esther should not succeed in her appeal. He says that “relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place.”

4. In John 4:19-26, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Where does He say salvation comes from?

What is the goal of this salvation?

Jesus says that salvation is from the Jews. The Samaritan woman was a spiritual “outsider,” who didn’t have access to the worship of God. Yet she looked for the coming of the Messiah. Mordecai’s hope was for deliverance from a physical threat, but the Samaritan woman discovered a spiritual deliverance. The goal of the salvation that Jesus brings from the Jews is for the Jews and for all nations. It is deliverance from sin, death, and the devil.

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

5. Esther agrees to intercede before her husband for the Jews. What is she willing to risk for the sake of her people’s deliverance? See Esther 4:16-17.

Esther is willing to die for her people. Although her death is not substitutionary—she does not offer her life in place of the lives of her people—her willingness to risk her life is an example of Christian love.

6. How does Jesus describe the greatest love in John 15:13-14? Is this kind of love natural for us, according to Romans 5:6-8? Where does this love originate? What are some ways that Christians put this kind of love into practice?

There is no greater love than someone laying down his life for his friends. This is not natural for humans.

Romans 5:6-8 observes that a noble person, such as a soldier or a father, might give his life for the sake of someone who is good. But Jesus exhibits this love on a greater level than any human ever would. He gives His life for sinners. And by giving His life, He makes us His friends, who do what He commands.

Christians also lay down their lives for their friends, not necessarily unto death, but there are many ways that Christians sacrifice for their neighbors Encourage youth to think of ways they can live lives of sacrifice within their various vocations.

Closing Prayer “Lord God, heavenly Father, You led Esther to become queen for the purpose of saving Your people from affliction in a foreign land. Thank You for Your good and gracious purposes in my life, even if they are often hidden from my sight. I confess that I sometimes do not trust You to lead me to a good end, and I ask you to forgive me. Give me faith to find Your purpose for me in Your Word, and in Your Son, who is my salvation.

Amen.”

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Purpose andAthe Queen of Persia” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Purposes have to do with ends or goals. What is the purpose for which the book of Esther was written? See Esther 9:20-32.

2. The story of Esther revolves around a plot of mass murder against the Jews, instigated by the Persian Haman. Why does Haman wish for violence against the Jews (Esther 3:1-2)? Does this remind you of any similar stories from the Old Testament?

3. Mordecai warns Esther that she may not be successful in an appeal to the king on behalf of the Jews.

If she fails, does Mordecai still have hope for his people? See Esther 4:12-14.

4. In John 4:19-26, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Where does He say salvation comes from?

What is the goal of this salvation?

5. Esther agrees to intercede before her husband for the Jews. What is she willing to risk for the sake of her people’s deliverance? See Esther 4:16-17.

6. How does Jesus describe the greatest love in John 15:13-14? Is this kind of love natural for us, according to Romans 5:6-8? Where does this love originate? What are some ways that Christians put this kind of love into practice?

Closing Prayer “Lord God, heavenly Father, You led Esther to become queen for the purpose of saving Your people from affliction in a foreign land. Thank You for Your good and gracious purposes in my life, even if they are often hidden from my sight. I confess that I sometimes do not trust You to lead me to a good end, and I ask you to forgive me. Give me faith to find Your purpose for me in Your Word, and in Your Son, who is my salvation.

Amen.”

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Sometimes the Devil Loves It When You Pray” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction Jesus has much to teach about prayer, including some warnings about prayer that is more pleasing to the devil than to God. Prayer that pleases God is prayer that is shaped by the cross. In this Bible study we will look at our Lord’s own prayer when He approached the cross. The so-called High Priestly Prayer of Jesus is found in John chapter 17. The questions that follow are meant to be more open-ended. The commentary for Bible study leaders gives some direction for the conversation, but allow the youth to explore the themes and directions of this prayer of our Lord.

1. Quickly scan John 13-16. What is taking place in these chapters? What are some of the themes of this section?

These chapters are Jesus’ extended upper room discourse before His passion. John’s account begins with Jesus washing His disciples’ feet and the new commandment to love each other. He proceeds to teach about His upcoming death and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is preparing them for the ministry they will carry out after His death, resurrection, and ascension. The conclusion of His discourse has an important teaching about prayer. “In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26-27). This is the gift that Jesus gives to endure the hardships that come while we wait for Jesus’ return.

2. Read John 17:1. What is Jesus’ posture for prayer? Does this tell you anything about His prayer?

Have you seen this prayer posture before? How does Jesus’ approach to prayer teach you to approach God in prayer?

Jesus lifts up His eyes to heaven. This position is not to give us coordinates for the location of God, but it shows the relationship between the Father and the Son and the Son’s willing submission to His Father’s will. It also suggests that Jesus’ prayer is already in conformity to the will of the Father before He begins to pray. The posture of open hands and uplifted eyes is often the way a pastor will pray in the Divine Service. This is the opposite of folded hands, bowed head, and closed eyes. Regardless of whether your hands are folded or open, your head is bowed or raised, your eyes are closed or open, the prayer of Jesus teaches that your prayer begins from a position of humility and seeks to conform to the will of God. This is prayer that begins under the cross.

3. Read John 17:1-5. Who is the focus of this first section of Jesus’ prayer? The recurring theme of this first petition is glory; what are the three glorifications Jesus refers to? See also John 12:27-33.

Jesus begins His prayer by addressing the Father and the work that He has done. Prayer always begins with God’s gracious activity. (See, for example, the Small Catechism’s explanations to the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, where God certainly does the things for which we pray before we pray for them). Glory is the theme of God’s work in His Son Jesus. There are three glories that Jesus talks about—the eternal glory that He shared with His Father before creation; the glory of Jesus’ revelation in His teaching and ministry; and the glory that will follow this prayer. This is the glory of Jesus’ crucifixion. © 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

4. Read John 17:6-19. Who is the focus of this section of the prayer? How would you characterize Jesus’ concern in this middle petition? What is the purpose or goal of this middle petition? Is there any recurring theme?

The second petition of this prayer is for the disciples of Jesus who have come to believe in Him. He specifically says that He is not praying for the whole world, but for those who believe that Jesus has been sent by God (vv 8-9). His concern is that now that His earthly ministry is coming to an end in His crucifixion, followed by His resurrection and ascension, and that the disciples will be left without Him. The world is contrary to the Gospel, and so Jesus prays that His disciples would endure. The purpose of this petition is in the final verses of this section: “Sanctify them in the truth, your Word is truth” (v 17). To sanctify is to set apart, and those who believe in Jesus are set apart by the truth of God’s Word. The recurring theme of this section is the word and the name. The name of God is manifest and given in Jesus. It is a baptismal theme; the name of Father, Son, and Spirit is the particular Word added to the water of baptism, and baptism makes holy.

5. Finally, read John 17:20-26. Who is the focus of this final petition? What is the goal for this third petition? Is there any recurring theme? What happens immediately following this prayer?

The focus of the final petition of our Lord’s prayer before going to the cross is for those who will believe in the future. Jesus’ work doesn’t end with His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He continues to make His name known (v 26). The goal of this petition is that those who will believe would be united with those who have already believed, and that all would be united with Jesus—“that they may all be one” (v 21). The unity that Jesus petitions from the Father comes about by the Word of truth that sanctifies those who believe in Jesus. Jesus’ prayer for future believers is that they would look back through the glory of the cross, to see the glory He manifested in His ministry, and finally to behold the glory that Jesus has shared with the Father since before the world. An additional theme in this final petition is love—the love of the Father and the Son, which extends to those united with them.

Immediately following this prayer, Jesus goes to His passion. This is a prayer that is shaped by the cross.

6. Skim this chapter once more. What significance does this prayer have for you?

This prayer is a model for your own prayers. It begins with a statement of and thanksgiving for God’s gracious activity. If God does not act first, prayer is of no use. It continues with a petition for yourself and the people closest to you—a prayer for God’s sanctifying Word of truth. Finally, it concludes with a prayer for those outside the community of faith, those who might believe, that there would be perfect unity. But even more importantly, you are one of the subjects of this prayer! When Jesus prayed for all who would believe through the Word of His apostles, He was praying for you.

Closing Sing together, “Hear Us, Father, When We Pray,” (LSB 773).

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Sometimes the Devil Loves It When You Pray” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Quickly scan John 13-16. What is taking place in these chapters? What are some of the themes of this section?

2. Read John 17:1. What is Jesus’ posture for prayer? Does this tell you anything about His prayer?

Have you seen this prayer posture before? How does Jesus’ approach to prayer teach you to approach God in prayer?

3. Read John 17:1-5. Who is the focus of this first section of Jesus’ prayer? The recurring theme of this first petition is glory; what are the three glorifications Jesus refers to? See also John 12:27-33.

4. Read John 17:6-19. Who is the focus of this section of the prayer? How would you characterize Jesus’ concern in this middle petition? What is the purpose or goal of this middle petition? Is there any recurring theme?

5. Finally, read John 17:20-26. Who is the focus of this final petition? What is the goal for this third petition? Is there any recurring theme? What happens immediately following this prayer?

6. Skim this chapter once more. What significance does this prayer have for you?

Closing Sing together, “Hear Us, Father, When We Pray,” (LSB 773).

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“On What–or Whom–Do We Stand?”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Opening Prayer “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; No merit of my own I claim But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand." (LSB 575, st. 1)

1. Read Matthew 7:24-29. What does this mini-parable of Jesus teach us about the foundation of our faith? For Martin Luther, what was the authority that he stood upon in the Reformation?

The story of the wise and foolish men who built their homes on the rock and the sand respectively, is a warning. Faith is only as good as its object. If our faith is in ourselves, our works, emotions, intellect, etc., then we are like the man who builds his house on sinking sand. But faith that is built on Christ and looks to Him for life and salvation is like the man who built his house on the rock. The foundation of Christ crucified is safe and secure. The world may rage around us, our sinful flesh may cause us to doubt or despair, our emotions may go up and down, but God’s love for us in Christ never changes; it is our firm foundation. This was true for Luther as well, as he rediscovered this joyous good news in the Scripture: that Christ saves sinners by grace through faith in Christ apart from works of the Law. The Scripture, therefore—and not man or church councils or popes—was his authority.

2. The Lutheran Reformation and its theology is known by the “solas.” How many of these phrases are there in church history? What do they teach us about our justification before God? What Scripture passages come to mind for the “solas”?

In the Reformation, the solas began with three: Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura. Grace alone. Faith Alone. Scripture alone. Sometime during the Reformation, or shortly afterwards, a fourth sola was added, Solus Christus, Christ alone. Later on, towards the end of the 16th or early part of the 17th century, the fifth sola also became commonly used: Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be the glory. Together, these five solas help teach us the central, foundational teaching in all of Scripture, that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone, which is found in Scripture alone, and for which God alone gets the credit.

3. Another motto of the Lutheran Reformation was “Verbum Domine Manet in Aeternum,” or “VDMA" for short: it means, “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” Why do you think this became such an important motto and slogan of Reformation theology? How was this true in Luther’s life? How does this motto continue to shape and guide us 500 years later in the Lutheran Church? See Isaiah 40:6-8 and 1 Peter 1:24-25.

Because the Reformation was largely a reformation of restoring God’s Word to His people, one can easily see how VDMA became a popular motto. Man in our sinful frailty is bound to change. Nothing we seem to do or say endures. All flesh is grass the Scriptures remind us. The motto VDMA, however, points us to the unchanging God and His unchanging promises in Christ. For Luther, this was a great comfort as he worked on reforming the church, and as he encountered many challenges both as a pastor, father, and reformer. This motto of VDMA continues to be a comfort for us in the Lutheran church today as we are surrounded by so many winds of change and false doctrine. In spite of our own sin and in the face of the fallen world around us, the Lord’s Word and promises do not change. His word to you in Baptism, Absolution, the Gospel, and the Lord’s Supper are true, firm, and trustworthy.

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

4. The doctrine of Justification is known as the article upon which the Church stands or falls. What does it mean to be justified? Why does the Church stand or fall on this article of faith? See Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 4:5.

To be justified means that we are forgiven and saved, freed from sin and death and all evil, that we are declared righteous and holy in God’s eyes. It is the verdict that we are not guilty because of Christ’s death for us. This is the language of the heavenly courtroom where God is the judge, Satan is the accuser, and Jesus is our Advocate who pleads our case. He takes our punishment and we go free!

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says that if Christ did not die and rise, then our faith is futile, we are dead in sin, and we have no hope. Justification is a similar article of faith. If justification by grace through faith is lost, then all is lost. There is no Church, no Sacraments, no hope or comfort without it. Everything the Church says and does is built upon this belief: Christ crucified for you apart from works of the Law.

5. Read 2 Peter 1:16-21. What does Peter teach us about the centrality and importance of God’s Word?

In what ways is God’s Word different from man’s word?

Peter contrasts myths of men with the Word of God, which was given by God, witnessed by man and recorded as eyewitness accounts. Peter also says that this prophetic Word is more sure, for it is as the Psalms say, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Though the false teachers claim to have a special insight on God’s Word, they are blind and lead others into darkness. It is the Light of Christ and his Word that is a true haven for us, for God’s Word is different from man’s word. God’s word creates: “Let there be light!" God’s word does what He says. God’s word is an action, an event. The theological term is that God’s Word is “performative,” giving what He promises.

6. Following Pastor Hull’s summary of the Gospel, how would you summarize what the Gospel is to someone who asks you what you believe?

Encourage participants to point to the objective, “extra nos” (outside of us) nature of the Gospel rather than feelings and emotions, etc. When in doubt, do what John the Baptist did and declare, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Telling other people what we believe can often be scary or make us anxious. But when we stop and think about it, it’s pretty simple. Just tell people Jesus died on the cross “for you.” They may have questions, and it’s good to try and answer them. But it’s also good to say, “I don’t know.” If you really don’t know the answer, it sure beats trying to make something up!

7. We, like Luther, stand not on our own merit or strength, but on the foundation of Christ crucified.

Why is this still important even 500 years after Luther nailed the 95 Theses? Read Ephesians 2:19-21.

Christ is our cornerstone, the foundation of the Church. All that we say and do is built upon that. When our foundation is in anything else, we are on shifting, sinking sand. But where Christ’s Word and sacraments are given and received, where justification by grace through faith is proclaimed, and where Christ crucified is at the center, the Church continues to be faithful to the Lord’s Word. This was Luther’s goal. His concern was for the salvation of God’s people and the comfort of peoples’ consciences. Luther’s work of standing on the Gospel is just as important today as it was then. The clarity and consolation of the Gospel is always relevant, no matter what the date on the calendar says. We always need to hear the Good Sews that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake.

Closing Prayer "Grant, then, O God, Your will be done, That, when the church bells are ringing. Many in saving faith may come Where Christ His message is bringing: “I know my own; My own know Me. You, not the world, My face shall see.

My peace I leave with you. Amen,” (LSB 645, st. 5).

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“On What–or Whom–Do We Stand?”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; No merit of my own I claim But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand." (LSB 575, st. 1)

1. Read Matthew 7:24-29. What does this mini-parable of Jesus teach us about the foundation of our faith? For Martin Luther, what was the authority that he stood upon in the Reformation?

2. The Lutheran Reformation and its theology is known by the “solas.” How many of these phrases are there in church history? What do they teach us about our justification before God? What Scripture passages come to mind for the “solas”?

3. Another motto of the Lutheran Reformation was “Verbum Domine Manet in Aeternum,” or “VDMA" for short: it means, “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” Why do you think this became such an important motto and slogan of Reformation theology? How was this true in Luther’s life? How does this motto continue to shape and guide us 500 years later in the Lutheran Church? See Isaiah 40:6-8 and 1 Peter 1:24-25.

4. The doctrine of Justification is known as the article upon which the Church stands or falls. What does it mean to be justified? Why does the Church stand or fall on this article of faith? See Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 4:5.

5. Read 2 Peter 1:16-21. What does Peter teach us about the centrality and importance of God’s Word?

In what ways is God’s Word different from man’s word?

6. Following Pastor Hull’s summary of the Gospel, how would you summarize what the Gospel is to someone who asks you what you believe?

7. We, like Luther, stand not on our own merit or strength, but on the foundation of Christ crucified.

Why is this still important even 500 years after Luther nailed the 95 Theses? Read Ephesians 2:19-21.

Closing Prayer "Grant, then, O God, Your will be done, That, when the church bells are ringing. Many in saving faith may come Where Christ His message is bringing: “I know my own; My own know Me. You, not the world, My face shall see.

My peace I leave with you. Amen,” (LSB 645, st. 5). © 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Why Be a Lutheran?”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Opening Prayer “By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless; My soul, believe and doubt it not. Why stagger at this word of promise? Has Scripture ever falsehood taught? No! Then this word must true remain: By grace you too will life obtain." (LSB 566, st. 1).

1. Pastor Borghardt reminds us in his article that one of the best evangelism methods around is simply to invite our friends and neighbors to “come and see” Jesus. In fact, this idea has been around since the days of the first disciples: Read John 1:43-51. Why is this a good, biblical example of evangelism?

Where does evangelism like this happen in our daily life?

One of the connecting points between the reading in John’s Gospel and Pastor Borghardt’s story in his article is the invitation. First of all, someone took the time and cared enough about someone to invite him.

So often it’s our relationships in life in our callings–our vocations–that provide us opportunities to speak God’s Word to others or to invite them to various studies or services at church. Think of a simple question your friends often ask you on Thursday or Friday: What are you doing this weekend? Instead of saying “nothing much”, try saying, “I’m going to church on Sunday…want to come?” It’s that easy. Our vocations, our everyday callings is where evangelism most often happens. Additionally, Philip and Nathanael discuss the fulfillment of Jesus’ words and works in light of the Old Testament.

2. Pastor Borghardt’s friends were reading 1 John when he joined them in their Bible study. This led him to the Gospel of John, which is also a fantastic narrative of Christ’s work for us. What Bible passages or stories would you point someone to who was either new to the Christian faith or returning to it?

Answers may vary on this depending on personal experience and interaction with friends, neighbors, etc.

One of the classic verses we often think of is John 3:16 to declare the Gospel. And while that is a great verse to do so, there are many others. Romans 4:5, John 15:13, Ephesians 2:8-9, Mark 10:45. The parables of the good Samaritan or the prodigal son as well as the parables of the lost sheep and coin are also parables of God’s grace and outrageous forgiveness for undeserving sinners.

3. There’s an old saying in English grammar class: the word “but” is a verbal eraser. What does that little word “but” so easily and quickly do to the Gospel when Christians use it? See Romans 4:13-14.

Why is the word “but” so problematic?

As Paul writes in Romans, any work of the Law–anything we try to add to God’s promises—make His promise void. If we could keep the Law perfectly in some way, or give our heart to Jesus, or make a decision to believe in him, etc., what good would having a savior like Jesus crucified be? If we’re saved by the Law, then it’s up to us. If it’s Gospel, it’s already done and it’s up to Jesus who died for us. When “but” is attached to the Gospel, it becomes such a problematic word because it causes us despair or pharisaical thinking, placing us on an endless hamster wheel of either searching for comfort in all the wrong places, or looking to our own works to justify ourselves.

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

4. Read the following passages. How is Jesus’ salvation described and proclaimed in them? Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:1-10.

Salvation is described in terms of gift, as being alive again after dead in trespasses. Reconciliation.

Justification. Righteousness. Redemption. These are all loaded theological terms in the OT and NT. Spend time unpacking them. Although they appear to be purely doctrinal words, see how they are also depict salvation in terms of metaphor. Justification, for example, is a legal word. Picture a courtroom where we’re on trial before God. Satan is the accuser. And just as the verdict guilty is being read, an advocate steps in and says, “No, your honor, this man is not guilty. I am. His sin is mine. I’ll take his punishment. He goes free.

And here’s the evidence: my hands and side and feet, my holy precious blood and my innocent suffering and death.”

5. In His mercy, God doesn’t give us what we deserve: death. In His grace He gives us what we don’t deserve: forgiveness, life, and salvation. Read the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. How is the Master depicted in the story? How is he like Jesus? Why is it a good thing that God isn’t fair?

The master, as he is often depicted in Jesus’ parables, is a bit of a spend thrift, rather reckless in his giving, some would say. But that is a good thing. He is merciful and gracious; he abounds in steadfast love and generosity. He loves to give, no matter if we are first hour laborers or last hour losers who come in at the end of the day, we all get the same salvation. And that’s why it’s good that God isn’t fair. If we all got what was fair, what we deserved, we would get the wages of sin, which is death. Thank God, He’s not fair! Thank God, He doesn’t give us what we deserve, but instead gives us His undeserved grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness.

6. When someone asks you why you are Lutheran, what do you say? How do John the Baptist’s words help us point people to Christ instead of ourselves? Read John 1:29.

Answers may vary here as well. Amidst all the answers, work to lead the conversation back to John’s words: Jesus must increase, I must decrease. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Whatever our answer to this question is, it must finally point to Jesus Crucified.

7. Read Colossians 3:12-17. How does Paul encourage Christians to live as God’s chosen, baptized people? Where and how does this happen in the Christian life?

Paul encourages us to pray, praise, give thanks, hear the Word, sing, and many other things. Sound familiar? It should. It’s what we do every week in Divine Service. From start to finish, the liturgy gives us the Gospel in word and song, and in Word and Sacrament. This also can happen in the home, where families (or individuals) gather together for evening (or other times of the day) devotions, gathering around God’s Word to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest His Word, and then respond in prayer and praise.

Closing Prayer “Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love towards us sinners You have given us Your Son, that believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.”

© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017

“Why Be a Lutheran?”

A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer “By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless; My soul, believe and doubt it not. Why stagger at this word of promise? Has Scripture ever falsehood taught? No! Then this word must true remain: By grace you too will life obtain." (LSB 566, st. 1).

1. Pastor Borghardt reminds us in his article that one of the best evangelism methods around is simply to invite our friends and neighbors to “come and see” Jesus. In fact, this idea has been around since the days of the first disciples: Read John 1:43-51. Why is this a good, biblical example of evangelism?

Where does evangelism like this happen in our daily life?

2. Pastor Borghardt’s friends were reading 1 John when he joined them in their Bible study. This led him to the Gospel of John, which is also a fantastic narrative of Christ’s work for us. What Bible passages or stories would you point someone to who was either new to the Christian faith or returning to it?

3. There’s an old saying in English grammar class: the word “but” is a verbal eraser. What does that little word “but” so easily and quickly do to the Gospel when Christians use it? See Romans 4:13-14.

Why is the word “but” so problematic?

4. Read the following passages. How is Jesus’ salvation described and proclaimed in them? Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:1-10.

5. In His mercy, God doesn’t give us what we deserve: death. In His grace He gives us what we don’t deserve: forgiveness, life, and salvation. Read the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. How is the Master depicted in the story? How is he like Jesus? Why is it a good thing that God isn’t fair?

6. When someone asks you why you are Lutheran, what do you say? How do John the Baptist’s words help us point people to Christ instead of ourselves? Read John 1:29.

7. Read Colossians 3:12-17. How does Paul encourage Christians to live as God’s chosen, baptized people? Where and how does this happen in the Christian life?

Closing Prayer “Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love towards us sinners You have given us Your Son, that believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.” © 2017 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Fall 2017