Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

From the First Lesson of the Day: Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. [Revelation 14.6]

From the Epistle: For we hold that a man is justified by faith, apart from works of the Law. [Romans 3.28]

From the Holy Gospel: But wisdom is justified by her children." [Matthew 11.19b]

On this 23^rd Sunday after Trinity, we follow our usual pattern of transferring the Feast of the Reformation to this day from October 31 – and then on next Sunday, November 2, transferring the Feast of All Saints from November 1.

These two Feast Days on the historic Lutheran calendar belong together, for the reason that there is a Reformation Day on October 31 is because of All Saints Day. For, it is on the Eve of All Saints Day that Dr. Luther nails to the University Chapel door his call to debate 95 Theses on indulgences. From the pounding of a nail on 31^st Day of October comes what we call the Lutheran Reformation.

Today, you are invited to consider a grammatical turn-around, as it occurs in the sermon title. It does not say, "Lutheran Reformation," It says, "Reformation Lutheran," with the adjective and noun switched from their usual positions. This strange use points out to you that there are many kinds of Lutherans out there these days – but your interest this morning is call to the one and only kind of Lutheranism that was born on the 31^st day of October, 1517. On the basis of the texts just read again to you, your attention is called to "The Reformation Lutheran: Then and Now."

I.

The faith of the Reformation Lutheran concerns the chief and central article of faith. For nothing less than the chief faith of Christianity can justify the distinction of being a Lutheran, rather than simply being a Christian. A Reformation Lutheran believes that the central article of the Christian faith is the Gospel and that the Gospel is a promise by and from God concerning the justification of the sinner by and before God. Those Lutherans who embrace justification as the central doctrine or promise of the Scriptures are Reformation Lutherans – they are Lutherans, not by tradition, not by family decisions, not by the accident of birth into a Lutheran family, but rather they are Lutherans by embracing, as the chief Christian belief, the Gospel of justification of the sinner before God by through faith alone, apart from works of the Law.

Such Reformation Lutherans are a minority of Christians, even a minority of Lutherans. This is so today, but it also was so back in the 16^th century. The so-called "Protestant" label soon was used to cover every sort of argument that a person might have had with the Roman church of that time, so much so that "Protestant" really doesn’t describe a Reformation Lutheran – not then, not now. Reformation Lutherans back then believed that they remained part of the Western Christian Church. Reformation Lutherans back then believed that the patterns of worship – except for some practices that conflicted with the Gospel – should be retained because Reformation Lutherans sought reform of the historic Western Church, not revolution breaking away from it. That was back then, as declared in the Augsburg Confession – and the issues remain the same for a Reformation Lutherans today.

The heart of the matter still rests where it always did: a Reformation Lutheran believes that reform is necessary in the Christian Church when, and only when, a confusion arises over the doctrine of justification – when it ceases to be the chief thing that the Church proclaims or when it gets distorted as it is proclaimed. A Reformation Lutheran still insists, with St. Paul in the Epistle of the Day, that "We hold that a man is justified by faith, apart from works of the Law."

II.

These are the words of Scripture itself – and they teach the chief thing about being a Christian. Therefore, for you and for me as Reformation Lutherans, our church affiliation is not about where the church building is, what it is like, how it is decorated, who it is that sits next to us, how near it is to our homes, what kind of programs are offered in it or by it, or any other such consideration. There is one and only one consideration that makes one a Reformation Lutheran: Here, there is one continually chief point, message, and emphasis, namely, the gospel promise of ongoing forgiveness and justification of a sinner by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from all matters of behavior according to God’s Law.

This point is Gospel – every deviation from it is a distortion of Gospel. The sole point and purpose of having a church – of being a church – is to experience and embrace what St. John declares in the First Lesson of the day, "Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people."

This one, true, and completely central message of the Church of Christ is this: It is an eternal Gospel, not just a 16^th century Gospel or a 21^st century Gospel. It is the one central theme and message of the Church in every nation and every tribe and every language and every heritage. No difference – that’s the nature of the Gospel. No addition and no subtraction – that’s the truth of the Gospel! No alternatives from which to pick by personal choice – that’s the nature of the Gospel! The Gospel is this: every Christian is, continually, a poor sinner who is forgiven and declared just by faith alone!

III.

The Gospel – understood in these stark and uncompromising terms – always has its detractors. This is true in Bible times – or else the Scripture read to you today would never have been worded as it is! This is true at the time of the Reformation! This is true today! The Gospel always has those who want to reject it, or change it, or at least put an asterisk or footnote by it. Don’t fall for such adjustments or clarifications to the Gospel. It stands as it is written: "For we hold that a man is justified by faith, apart from works of the Law."

Where this eternal Gospel is proclaimed and embraced, there humble Christians possess the forgiveness of sins, life with God, and eternal salvation. Where this Gospel is proclaimed and embraced, there the fruits of faith are given the seed and fertilizer for growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Where this Gospel is proclaimed and embraced, children are best-served, teenagers are best-served, adults young and old are best served, families are best-served – for sinners are best served! Where this eternal Gospel is proclaimed and embraced – there you find the Church!

Does the Church exist elsewhere – yes, it does! But the issue is not where the Church might exist – the issues is where you know that you’ve found it. Its marks, its footprints, its evidences are visible, findable, not by what you see, but by what you hear – namely, this truth: "For we hold that a man is justified by faith, apart from works of the Law." There, where your ears find the Church, God richly and daily forgives all sins and strengthens and brings growth to all believing sinners. And there, Christ makes this promise: "Wisdom is justified by her children" – the Gospel is confirmed by its results – forgiveness and faith! And these are the focus of the Reformation Lutheran, and here you can be one today!