Reformation Rededication Challenge

The Festival of the Reformation

October 27, 2024

Romans 3:19-28

 “Reformation Rededication Challenge”

Social media is a reality in the world we live in. I am probably the least qualified person to talk about this, but here goes! Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, Tik Tok – these are just some of the many platforms out there that millions and millions of people use to communicate on social media. Like anything in life, these things can be used for good, but they can also be misused, even abused. For instance, people on Tik Tok will post challenges to others. This is a thing on this particular social media platform. Some of these, like dance challenges, can be fun and entertaining, but other challenges can be darker, more dangerous. Some can even be life threatening. Today we celebrate the Festival of the Reformation and affirm the truth that we are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, made known in holy Scripture alone. Part of our Reformation celebration today includes a challenge – not on Tik Tok or another social media platform, but a rededication challenge that flows out of all that God in Christ has done for us. The message for this Reformation Sunday is entitled “Reformation Rededication Challenge.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

Tucked inside your worship bulletin today is a red half-sheet with the same title as the sermon. I’d like you to take this out because the three parts listed on that half-sheet will be the three parts of today’s sermon. Note that this red half-sheet is for your use only. Nobody else needs to see it. It’s your personal rededication action plan for 2025.

First of all, there is a spiritual component to our Reformation Rededication Challenge. The Reformation reality is that Scripture verse that we read together from today’s Epistle lesson: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). It is true that no one can justify himself or herself before God. There is nothing we can do on our own to save ourselves from sin, death, and condemnation. Reliance on personal goodness, our own good works, and self-righteousness crumble before the holiness of God. This is the hammer of God’s Law that shatters our self-confidence, convicting every one of us that we have indeed sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But God’s Law is not the final Word! The good news of the Gospel must follow – the good news of what God in Christ has done for us. This was the simple but profound truth that set Luther free. He had been plagued by the terrible burden of wondering and worrying if he had done enough, been good enough, to make himself acceptable and pleasing to God. Salvation as a gift – justification by grace through faith in Jesus – was the Spirit-given truth of holy Scripture that set Luther’s heart and mind at rest, bestowing on him peace which passes all understanding. That gift is ours today as well, received by faith. This is not about fitting the kingdom of God into our already overcrowded and busy lives. This is about fitting our lives into the kingdom of God.As we consider all that God in Christ has done for us, how will we rededicate our lives in prayer, Bible study and worship for the year ahead? I urge you to give this your prayerful attention and consideration.

Secondly, there is a service component to our Reformation Rededication Challenge. Having received this good news that we are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, Luther was moved to serve his generation by preaching and proclaiming, teaching and writing about this blessed truth. We, too, have received this same good news beginning with our Baptism in Christ’s death and resurrection. We can’t just sit on this good news! We have to do something with it. We must respond to it, not because we have to, but because we want to. We are moved by the Holy Spirit to see Christ in our neighbor and be Christ to our neighbor. As Luther famously said: “God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.” In serving our neighbor, we don’t do this for show, or to rack up brownie points with God. The love of Christ compels us to love others as we ourselves have been loved by God. As we consider all that God in Christ has done for us, how will we rededicate our lives in service to others in the year ahead? Again, I urge you to give this your prayerful attention and consideration.

Thirdly, there is a stewardship component to our Reformation Rededication Challenge. A steward is one who has been entrusted to manage something that belongs to another. Our selves, our time, and our possessions have all been entrusted to our care by our Creator God. We don’t own these things. They belong to the Lord who made us and all things (Psalm 24:1). We are to manage these gifts of God wisely and faithfully to the best of our ability. This is normally the time of year when we have our annual fall stewardship focus, but this year is different. By mutual agreement with our congregation’s leadership, our annual stewardship focus this year will be a quiet campaign over just two Sundays: beginning today on the Festival of the Reformation, and concluding next Sunday on the Festival of All Saints. As you know, we have had a very strong emphasis since late August for our capital campaign to raise funds for renovating and expanding our church facilities. You, the Body of Christ at St. John’s, have responded to this appeal in amazing and generous ways, and for this we give all thanks and praise to God. Looking ahead to next year, we trust that even while God’s people are giving sacrificially toward Building for Eternity, together we will also continue to support the annual ministry and mission needs of our congregation. And so there will be no estimate of giving cards that you will be asked to fill out for next year. Instead, we will anticipate that the Body of Christ at St. John’s will continue to give next year at the same level that was given this year, unless you tell us otherwise. As we consider all that God in Christ has done for us, how will we rededicate our lives in stewardship in the year ahead? Again, I urge you to give this your prayerful attention and consideration.

As we think on rededicating our spiritual life, our service life, and our stewardship life as a thank offering to God, who gave the life of his only Son for us all, may this Reformation Rededication Challenge serve to glorify the Lord and build up the Body of Christ in faith. Notice the Scripture verse that is at the bottom of that red half-sheet. Let’s read this together: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). And so our whole life becomes a living witness to the Lord. May it be so with each one of us, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.