Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Acts 28:11–15
• Image • Index of posts
Click for audio of today's lesson.
From the Word: 11 Then after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria that had wintered in the island, whose sign was the Twin Brothers. 12 And docking at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13 We unmoored from there and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and we came to Puteoli on the second day. 14 We found brothers there, and were asked to tarry with them seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard of us, came to meet us from as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. On visiting them, Paul thanked God, and took courage. (Acts 28:11–15)
From the Confessions: The Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments
The Third Commandment
Likewise, you should rebuke those smug spirits who, after hearing a sermon or two, find it boring and stupid, thinking that they know it all, and need no more instruction. That is a sin that was previously considered among the mortal sins, and was called acidia — lethargy or satiety — a malignant, dangerous plague with which the devil entrances and deceives the hearts of many so that he may take us by surprise and covertly remove God’s Word from us.
Pulling It Together: Look at all the trouble that Paul and Luke went to just to preach the gospel. This is the great mission of the church, and they undertook it with passion. We should receive the proclaimed gospel with a matched passion, a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6) that is quenched only with the gospel. The most excellent rebuke to those who do not take the gospel and its proclamation seriously, is for them to see you rejoicing in the gospel and growing in faith.
Prayer: Increase your Spirit in me, Lord, that I may look forward to preaching. Amen.
Receive these Sola Devotions in weekday emails. Click here to fill out a quick and secure subscription form.
Learning About Baptism teaches the meaning of Holy Baptism according to the pattern of Luther's Small Catechism, and is recommended for the First Grade Level. Each week focuses on a specific Bible story which illustrates the theme, with additional references from Scripture and Luther's Small Catechism - Children's Version. Lessons focus on Baptism as a promise from God, emphasizing the power of God's Word in the Sacrament to create faith and repentance in our daily life.
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
Click Here For Content Archives