Sermon 13th October 2024 Text Hebrews 4:12-16 – Holding to our confession

 Sermon 13th October 2024

Text Hebrews 4:12-16 – Holding to our confession

Last Saturday was not an easy day for our church. For many on both sides of the question of ordination it felt like a “double edged sword” split us apart. It feels like that sword of Solomon has come down and divided that living baby we know as the LCA and created 2 dead halves. We wonder why? Why can’t the other person accept my position on this issue?

We heard many arguments for inclusion, diversity, acceptance – and none of them were dismissed because they were that person’s confession and conviction. So why did this cause division?

We’ve changed other things in church. Some churches have sold their buildings and moved to new locations. Some churches have had to enter into parish arrangements which sees their pastor’s time divided. Some churches have voted to close. We’ve sold the Australian Lutheran College – and as much as that has caused anger and hurt it did not threaten to divide our church.

But on this one issue which we have been debating for decades – which we have voted on 6 times at Synods – this one decision has to potential to cut our church in two.

Those who were at the Synod worship last Sunday or who watched online would have heard the President of the Canadian Lutheran Church – Timothy Teuscher – a guest of Synod along with the President of the Lutheran Church of PNG, who was asked to bring a word of greeting from his church – a church in which we have been in altar and pulpit fellowship for a very long time – 30 years.

What he said left many, including Bishops with their mouths gaping as he declared that that 2 edged sword had come down and severed a long standing relationship between the LCA and LCC which are now no longer in fellowship because of this decision. Why? Why this one decision?

Because, as we hear the writer to the Hebrews exhort us today – “let us hold fast to our confession”.

So those who are upset, on both sides of the debate, are upset – not because they didn’t get their way – or because they can’t understand why they can’t see our hurts over this – but because they, we, believe that this matter goes to the heart of our confession of faith.

Confession is what forms our beliefs.

That’s why we refer to our articles of faith in the Augsburg Confession and the Book of Concord as “The Lutheran Confessions”. The confession of ordination are for many people of our church no different to our confession on Baptism, or Holy Communion or The Trinity – Confessions we would NEVER consider debating or changing. In the Roman Catholic Church ordination is one of their 7 sacraments.

Confessions of faith are not rules like sport or businesses. People complain about the AFL always changing the rules and umpires being inconsistent in applying the rules of the game. This is our confession of faith and when the confession of your faith is challenged then it challenges the very fabric of what you believe which is why the debate has been so robust.

Our confession of faith is not a tradition but a confession of faith in which we receive the comfort and assurance of our salvation. And that is why for many – this is an article of salvation – on both sides of the debate.

We have heard people say that this is NOT a central article of salvation but for many it is. Why? Because it goes to what they confess as their faith.

When St Paul was explaining to the Corinthians about their understanding of Holy Communion, he didn’t give them his opinion but what the Lord Jesus had taught him. For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread – from this we receive the teaching of The Lord’s Supper directly from Jesus himself.

From this we gain our liturgy for Holy Communion and consecration. Words taken directly from St Paul who received them from Jesus. Which is why we take reception of Holy Communion so serious. Paul says - whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

When explaining salvation he also teaches only what Christ taught him: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

So, who can consecrate and preach the Gospel is central to salvation – for both sides of the debate on ordination. And that’s why this has been such a divisive issue.

So where do we go from here?

What we don’t do is “judge”. Because if we judge another person’s position on this then we judge their faith – and no one has the right to do that. No, as Hebrews says – we hold on to OUR confession. But likewise we need to understand that some are going to find this extremely difficult and we may not see them again. We might see people come to worship but refuse to receive Holy Communion. Why? Because as St Paul says in First Corinthians - Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. People see that Holy Communion states that we have a communion of confession.

Some people might leave altogether as many have already done because of the result of the previous 5 voting decisions. We should not judge them but find ways to uphold and support them. Some were critical of the new body – LM-A – Lutheran Mission Australia especially because they did it before Synod. But we must not judge them because they are doing this not like the new gym that just opened up in Ringwood – next to an existing gym to be competition. No, they formed because rather than people leaving and losing communion that they have somewhere to go for comfort and hope. So we should not judge.

So what do we do in this time of hurt – this time of upheaval – this time of discerning? We listen to the writer of Hebrews:

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Dear friends, this is a time of need – a time of upheaval where our only hope is in Jesus, the Son of God. It has affected me personally as I relinquish many of my roles other than serving you as your shepherd – so I can serve you as Shepherd.  You are my first love so I have had to let go of anything that might make me question that including my District appointments. I’m not doing that because I’m spitting the dummy or taking my bat and ball and going home – but because of my love for the sheep of which God has made me overseer – which is my ordination and installation vow which includes my vow to uphold the teaching and practice of the church. I take my vows seriously. I made a vow when I married Sharon 38 years ago. A vow I/we have returned to many times when facing difficulty. And my  ordination and installation vow I will uphold until you or the Bishop tells me I can no longer do so.

But while I am serving you with Word and Sacrament you can be assured that you are approaching the throne of grace with boldness, so that you/we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I hope you can understand the hurt of many people in our Lutheran Church of Australia just as we/they have understood the hurt in the past decisions of Synod as we remain faithful to and uphold our confession of faith.

It may feel like a two edged sword has divided us but like a surgeon’s scalpel cuts in order to bring healing so too we can find healing as we come to the great physician, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.