Staring Into the Abyss

Maybe you’ve seen this video already. I’ve received it from parishioners and even from my mom. If you are a Roman Catholic you can’t argue with a thing the priest says. If you are a Confessional Lutheran you probably can’t either (nota bene: A Reformation reminder - don’t agree with the specific Roman doctrines professed) except that this is supposed to be a sermon and…

There is no preaching of repentance for the hearers, nor is there the chief thing - the preaching of the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. The Blessed Apostle wrote, “We preach Christ Crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23), and also wrote

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:14-17

Preachers are to preach the whole counsel of God, both Law and Gospel. For certain they are to rebuke and warn, and that for the purposes of salvation. We should be good citizens and vote according to the Law of God and sound reason, discerning which candidates will best fulfill the office to which they aspire in accordance with the purposes God has established authorities (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17). We should confess and act according to our consciences formed by the Word of God. Just this past Lord’s Day, I was with members of our congregation outside Planned Parenthood, praying and bearing witness to God’s gift of life. However, a Christian sermon is for the proclamation of the Good News. The Holy Church can live without a good and faithful President of the United States. The Holy Church does not live without the Gospel. We confess-

God, out of His immense goodness and mercy, has His divine eternal Law and His wonderful plan concerning our redemption, namely, the holy, alone-saving Gospel of His eternal Son, our only Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, publicly preached; and by this preaching collects an eternal Church for Himself from the human race, and works in the hearts of men true repentance and knowledge of sins, and true faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And by this means, and in no other way, namely, through His holy Word, when men hear it preached or read it, and the holy Sacraments when they are used according to His Word, God desires to call men to eternal salvation, draw them to Himself, and convert, regenerate, and sanctify them. 1 Cor. 1:21: For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Acts 10:5,6: Peter shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. Rom. 10:17: Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. John 17:17,20: Sanctify them by Thy truth; Thy Word is truth, etc. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their Word. Therefore the eternal Father calls down from heaven concerning His dear Son and concerning all who preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name: Hear ye Him, Matt. 17:5. Now, all who wish to be saved ought to hear this preaching of God's Word. For the preaching and hearing of God's Word are instruments of the Holy Ghost, by, with, and through which He desires to work efficaciously, and to convert men to God, and to work in them both to will and to do. This Word man can externally hear and read, even though he is not yet converted to God and regenerate; for in these external things, as said above, man even since the Fall has to a certain extent a free will, so that he can go to church and hear or not hear the sermon. Through this means, namely, the preaching and hearing of His Word, God works, and breaks our hearts, and draws man, so that through the preaching of the Law he comes to know his sins and God's wrath, and experiences in his heart true terrors, contrition, and sorrow, and through the preaching and consideration of the holy Gospel concerning the gracious forgiveness of sins in Christ a spark of faith is kindled in him, which accepts the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake, and comforts itself with the promise of the Gospel, and thus the Holy Ghost (who works all this) is sent into the heart, Gal. 4:6. Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration II:50-54

I agree that we are staring into the Abyss, the Church always has been and the day of our Lord is ever nearer. But what is always needed when staring into the Abyss is the preaching of the Gospel. Always. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). That is the task of the preacher and that of the Holy Church. The preaching office was instituted by God for repentance and for His Gospel of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His victorious bodily resurrection to sound forth. The preaching office was instituted by God so that hard hearts would be broken by the preaching of the law, and then made new by the Spirit - through the preaching of the Gospel. The preaching office was instituted by God so that saving faith would be created by the Holy Spirit. The preaching office was instituted by God so that the righteousness apart from the Law, to which Moses and the prophets testify, would be received through faith alone. The preaching office was instituted by God for the forgiveness of sins. Let us preachers fulfill the preaching office by preaching the Holy Gospel. Always. And with the Gospel preached, heard, believed and received, we can stare into the Abyss together, without fear.