Speak My Word Faithfully
Jeremiah 23:23-29
During the first full week in August, I had the privilege of attending two very important events. The first was an extension class from the St. Louis Seminary titled, “Being Lutheran in a Non-Denominational Situation.” The professor wanted us to wrestle with the question of what it means to be Lutheran and does being Lutheran matter in our world were there are so many different churches and where there are also churches that do not want to be identified with a particular denomination. Of course the answer was ultimately that it does matter that the Lutheran Church
The second important event was the Regional Outreach Conference that was sponsored by Lutheran Hour Ministries. Once again the importance of a clear message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ was the priority. As Lutheran Christians we have a wonderful gift that we have been commissioned to share with the world around us. Jesus, Himself, has given us the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations. He started with a group of eleven apostles who were sent out after Easter and the Ascension and look at what they accomplished. After many generations, the commission has been given to us. It is not easy because the devil, the world and your own sinful nature are constantly trying to work against you to distract you from what should be your primary goal. But that should not deter you from reaching out with the Good News of Jesus to all people, beginning right here in our own community and branching out finally to the ends of the earth.
Both of those special events, the seminary class and the Outreach Conference, had essentially the same theme. It seems rather appropriate then that in the wake of those two events, the Old Testament lesson for today centers on God’s command to speak His word faithfully. As we consider what that means for us today, may you be strengthened in your appreciation of the true Word of God and may you be moved by the Spirit to find ways in which you can share the Good News with those around you.
In our Old Testament lesson for today, we hear the Lord speaking through the prophet Jeremiah. That is how God communicated with His people at the time when He was establishing His covenant with them. They did not have all of the collected Scriptures that we have today. A prophet was one who spoke for God. As we read the words of the book of Jeremiah, or from any of the other prophets for that matter, it is important that we remember that these are not their own words but these are the words of God. That was one of the issues that God was addressing in these verses before us today. He spoke about false prophets who lie and who prophesy the deceit of their own minds. God said that their purpose is to try and get the people to forget God. It happened many times in the past and He even mentions the times when the people of Israel
As long as the devil continues to tempt people with his lies and as long as there is a sinful, selfish nature in people, there will be those who try and deceive others with false prophecies that lure people away from the truth. That is why it is so important that those who have the true word of God proclaim it faithfully. The devil will try to get his followers to push people farther and farther from the truth. What is happening now could be explained in verse 27 of our text, where the Lord speaks of the false prophets, “who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?” Instead of Baal, we could insert prosperity, self-fulfillment, or any number of other philosophies that seek to draw people away from God.
God has warned us about those who teach from the deceit of their own hearts. He has put us on the alert. At the same time, He encourages us to speak His Word faithfully and then He also gives us three word pictures to tell us why and how His Word is to be proclaimed. The first word picture comes in the form of a question. “What has straw in common with wheat?” Here the dreams and deceit of the false prophets are compared to straw and the Word of the Lord is the grain. It is the grain that is of the most benefit to us. The grain is harvested for food. The grain is what nourishes and sustains us not the straw. So it is with God’s Word that nourishes and sustains our faith. The Word of God has substance that comes from a heavenly source. It is not merely the ramblings of human minds prompted by the devil who wants to destroy your soul. It is from the God who loves you and sent His Son into the world to reconcile you to Himself. It comes from the God who wants what is best for you and wants you to be with Him forever in heaven.
The second word picture that the Lord used to describe His Word also comes in the form of a question. “Is not My Word like a fire?” There are many applications that you can find in this little question. Think of what fire can do. It can consume. When faced with the truth of God’s Word, all of the false dreams and deceit can not stand. They will ultimately be unmasked for what they really are and will be destroyed. At the same time, fire can be used to refine. When gold or silver is melted down by the heat of a fire, the impurities are separated out and rise to the top and the precious metal is purified. Under the fire of God’s Word, the pure truth remains and the dross of dreams and deceit can be eliminated.
I learned another lesson about what fire can do when I was in Junior High shop class. For a quarter of the year we had metal shop and the first thing we got to make was a hammer. We had to cut a piece of metal in the right shape and file it down and drill a hole for the handle and put threads in the hole so the handle could be screwed in. Then the hammer head was put in an oven and exposed to tremendous heat in a process called tempering. The hammer head that came out of the oven was different than when it went it. It was now very hard. The metal was strengthened by the heat. That is how the Word of God works in you. It strengthens you. It strengthens your faith so that you are able to stand firm when you are attacked by those around you who would try and get you to forget about God.
The next word picture that is presented continues the question that began with the fire and the Lord says, “Is not my word like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” That kind of hammer would be much bigger than the one I made in shop class. This one is big and has real power behind it. A minister once sent a number of old books away to be rebound. Among them was a copy of the New Testament. When he got them back he was surprised to find that on the spine of the New Testament the book binder had only enough room to put the letters “TNT” for The New Testament. When he thought about it, he realized that it wasn’t such a bad idea. The New Testament and all of God’s Word are real spiritual dynamite. It has great power. The hammer of God’s Word keeps banging away and breaking down your defenses and excuses. The Law shows you your sins and brings you to repentance. But it is also there time after time to bring you the Gospel of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You are reminded that in spite of your sins, God loves you and through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, your sins are forgiven and you are reconciled to God. You are brought back into His loving arms where you are strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit who works in you through the Means of Grace, the Word and the Sacraments.
That is the Word of the Lord that is to be proclaimed faithfully. It has been given to you through those prophets and apostles whom God has chosen as His spokesmen. It is the Word that continues to be proclaimed by faithful pastors and teachers today. It is the Word that you need to continue to hear all throughout your life until the time when you will hear the voice of the Lord with your own ears in heaven. Amen.
Rev. Gerald Matzke
Zion Lutheran Church
Painesville, Ohio
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