10102021 Praise Service

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

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10102021 Praise Service

Hold Firm, for You Share in Christ!” Hebrews 3:12-19

October 10, 2021 • Rev. Kenny Hsu

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Has a friend ever asked, “Why do you go to church?” While there are many good answers to that question, we are reminded today of the primary reason we gather in a place like this, for a service like this, on a day like this. The author to the Hebrews reminds us: “For we share in Christ” (Hebrews 3:14). Going to church isn’t primarily something we do; church is, first and foremost, something God does for us. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, our gracious God serves us through Word and Sacrament, so that we may hold fast to Him—even as He holds us in His care! Today’s service will help us to treasure all that we’ve been given in our Savior, who is fully present among us by His Word and Spirit. Hold fast, for you share in Christ!

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AS WE GATHER In today’s Readings, James draws our attention to the tongue. Our tongues might be small but, like the rudder of a ship, the tongue is vitally important to us for staying on the right course. If the rudder is broken, the ship is adrift. If the tongue is filled with evil, so will the rest of our lives. But the tongue also boasts of great things, speaking God’s good word of forgiveness and life. Remember that Jesus has restored all things, including our tongues to no longer speak evil, but to speak His Word.

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AS WE GATHER Since the fall and expulsion from Eden, the consequences of sin have been quite evident. People do not have to be worse sinners than anyone else to become blind, deaf, lame, or mute. They need not sin more than other people to find themselves unfairly treated in court. How can those problems be reversed? It takes God’s power. The Gospel tells of how Jesus cast out demons and healed the deaf. He seeks to make such great reversals today! Through the letter to James, we, God’s faith-filled people, are encouraged to treat our neighbors as ourselves and do more than give them lip service. But the inability of the disciples to exorcize a demon is a startling reminder that all things are possible only for God, to whom we must entrust all our problems.