MALAGASY LUTHERAN CHURCH
Communion’s prayer, Sunday of Trinity
Week from May 28th to 02nd June 2018
« God cares for the sinners »
*
Introduction: The basic idea of the theme « God cares for the sinners » is that He wants to preserve their lives, so that they would not die, nor would their soul perish. For sin separates the sinner from God (Is 59:2), and the act of sinning causes God’s anger against the sinner who then will be judged (Ps 34:16). The sinner has indeed fallen prey to weakness, and is powerless to overcome sin as it is written, « people are slaves to whatever has mastered them » 2 Pet 2:19b. For this reason Paul confessed, « I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing”, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Rom 7:18-19, 24. Therefore, the fact that « God cares for sinners » reveals his great mercy towards us, in that He freely makes a redemption work in order to save us, « but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us » Rom 5: 8. And since sin separates us from God, He gives us both a command and a promise, « Let the wicked give up his way, and the unjust his thoughts, and let him return to the LORD, and he will have compassion on him, for he will forgive abundantly » Is 55:7. In this regard, He has already told his people Israel, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” Is 40:1-2. Accordingly, Jesus came to redeem the sinner and said: « It is not those who are in good health who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners » Mt 9:12. In order to save them, He made them his friends, saying, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” Jn 15:13. « Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household » Acts 16:31.
Monday 28.: God cares for the sinners. « For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord” Ez.18: 32 Reading 1: John 10: 1-10. Reading 2: Ez. 18: 30-32. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Is 18:32. Other references: – » For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” Luke 19:10. – « When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly » Rom 5:6.
Tuesday 29.: By mercy God saves the sinners. » He saved us because of … his mercy » Tit 3: 5b. Reading 1: Hos 6:1-16. Reading 2: Tit 3: 3-7. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Jer 31:33 Other references: – « Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever » Ps 23: 6 – « For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast » Eph 2: 8-9
Wednesday 30.: God cares for all men. “Therefore go and make disciple of all nations” Mt 28:19a. Reading 1: Is 40:1-11. Reading 2: Mt 28:16-20. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Mt 28:19. Other references: – “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” Jn 3:16. – “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believe: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” Rom 1:16.
Thursday 31.: God takes cares of the sinners through his Word. “You have been born again,… of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” 1 Pet 1:23. Reading 1: Ps 119:33-40; Reading 2: 1 Pet 1:13-23; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: 1 Pet 1:23. Other references: – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” Ps 119:105. – “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Eph 6:17.
Friday 1.: God cares for the sinners and prays for them. « Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing » Lk 23: 34a. Reading 1: Rom 8.26-34. Reading 2: Lk.23.26-34. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Lk.23.34a. Other references: – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” Rom 8:26. – « For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” Heb 2: 17-18.
Saturday 2.: God cares for men and calls them to repent. « He now commands all people in the world to repent » Acts 17: 30. Reading 1: Mt.4.12-17. Reading 2: Acts 17: 22-31. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Acts 17:30. Other references: – « He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil » Job 36:10. – « From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near » Mt 4:17.
Note: This pericope is available in Malagasy, French, English and German, and can be consulted on the website: www.hifimadanet.org and on Facebook : « Hifi – english « .