Malagasy Lutheran Church Song & Gospel On the sixth Sunday after Trinity, from 16 to 22 July 2023. « Keep the commandments of God » *

Introduction: The kingdom of God is a kingdom of law, it has its own laws. Because God has given the ability to control it, it means respecting and obeying it so that people live in it and God, who is its Lord, receives the respect, honour and obedience He deserves. For He said, « A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord of hosts to you » Mal 1:6a, the word « LORD of hosts » means Lord Almighty above all names and powers. So keeping God’s commandments is mainly related to the prayer Jesus taught His people: « May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven » Mt 6:10. God has indeed given His commandments so that people can live and receive God’s blessings. The founding words and promises He gave to His people Israel are: « If you will only obey the Lord your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the Lord your
God will set you high above all the nations of the earth; all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God » Deut 28:1-2. If not, curses and calamities will befall them (Deut 28:15). God has given His commandments so that people can be happy, but not all
people or nations obey them, and many people are even tempted to accept « God’s will » because it is against the will of their flesh. The apostle Paul said, « For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own desires » 2 Tim 4:3. Today is a day of decline, so even the elect will be deceived if possible (Mt 24:24b). It is not surprising that the result is misery and weakness, a « troubled day », far from God and His salvation. To this end, the Lord’s call is: « Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight » Mt 3:3.

Monday, 17th: God gives the law.
« Then God spoke all these words » Exo 20:1.
Reading 1: Jn 1:1-4. Reading 2: Exo 20:1-17. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Exo 20:1.
Introduction: God, who is « God of law », « is not a God of disorder, but of peace » 1 Cor 14:33. Through the law He gave, He harmonises all things that He created, and « it was very good » Gen 1:31. Keeping God’s law is the key to success in what we do. That is why the Lord said to Joshua when he followed Moses, « This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way
prosperous, and then you shall be successful » Jos 1:8.

Tuesday, 18th: Obedience to the Law; Source of Blessing.
« All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God » Deut 28:2.
Reading 1: Mt 7:24-27. Reading 2: Deut 28:1-13. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Deut 28:1-2.
Introduction: Obedience to the law of God is the characteristic of the children of God. Jesus said, « If you love me, you will keep mycommandments » Jn 14:15. Rich blessings they enjoy, for the Lord said, « If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land » Isa 1:19. To them Jesus says, « My peace I give you » Jn 14:27b.


Wednesday, 19th: Faith fulfils the law.
« Do we then overthrow the law through this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law » Rom 3:31.
Reading 1: Mt 21:18-22. Reading 2: Rom 3:21-31. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Rom 3:30-31.
Introduction: The law He has given is precious with God because it is what fulfils the kingdom of grace He has prepared for us
humans. It is accepted by faith, by trust and obedience to God, who is to be worshipped and served, as expressed by Thomas: « My Lord and my God » Jn 20:28.


Thursday, 20th: Jesus is the fulfilment of the law.
« I have come not to abolish but to fulfill » Mt 5:17b.
Reading 1: Rom 13:10-14. Reading 2: Mt 5:17-19. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Mt 5,17.
Introduction: The word of Jesus undercuts that people are not ready to walk in the commandments of God because they are still bound by the sin that reigns in them. Some people think that if they are under grace they can do away with the law (Rom 6:14). Others say the Old Testament is no longer needed because we live in the Gospel age today. Paul said, « But if, in our effort to be
justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! » Gal 2:17. For Christ is « the Word made flesh » (Jn 1:14) to fulfil the law of God.


Friday, 21st: The foundation of the Law.
« On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets » Mt 22:40.
Reading 1: 1 Cor 13:4-13. Reading 2: Mt 22:34-40. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Mt 22:40.
Introduction: For this Jesus refers to the two greatest commandments which fulfil the Law and all that was announced by the prophets, as it is written: « Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law » Rom 13:10. For « God is love » 1 Jn 4:16.


Saturday, 22nd: Be obedient to the law of God.
« In vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrinesmen » Mt 15:9.
Reading 1: Deut 27:1-10. Reading 2: Mt 15:1-9. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Mt 15:9.
Introduction: « The Lord knows His own » 2 Tim 2:19, therefore the keeping of His commandments and the doing of His will distinguish the people of God, according to the word of Jesus: « Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do » Jn 14:12a. They do not worship God in vain, nor serve Him in vain, for He says: « But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall » Mal 4:2.

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