Sunday Sermon

In keeping with our Scandanavian theme, this morning's featured sermon is from The Lutheran Hour, a radio program sponsored by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. I remember listening to the Lutheran Hour as a child, and if I have my radio turned to the right station, even now I can wake on Sunday morning to the Lutheran Hour. This sermon is entitled Thou Shalt Not Murder , and the speaker is Dr. Wallace Shultz.

Dr Shultz reminds us that anyone in need is our neighbor:

Now, if this is true, you and I have some really big things to do for the Lord and for our neighbor! We have a great responsibility. You see, secular newspapers and secular studies now tell us that over 113,000 unborn children are murdered in the United States through abortion every month. These unborn children are all our neighbors just like all our other neighbors are. If we are not concerned about the murder of the unborn, we are sinning against the Fifth Commandment. We are not defending the life of our neighbor. You see, it is often not so much what we do, but what we do not do that causes us to break and sin against God's commandments.....

God's law speaks to all of us, including those of us who have actively participated in this sinful act. But, it also includes those of us who have sinned passively, by knowing about the holocaust of the killing of the unborn, but have neither spoken up against it or have not prayed that God would intervene and save as many of the innocent unborn as possible....

But there is hope, for that is not the end of the story:

God's Gospel not only assures us of forgiveness of our active or passive sins, but God's holy Gospel enables us to turn from our sin unto life and an attitude that protects our helpless neighbor and pleases God....

So, as we have said before and as we will continue to say many more times on this program, when you are troubled by what you have done or troubled by what you have not done, then turn again and again to the Scriptures. Yes, read regularly Psalm 51. With a repentant heart and expecting God's grace and mercy in Jesus Christ, say with the psalmist:

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving kindness; according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, O Lord, Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Hide Thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me, O Lord, the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit."