August 28, 2023. Divine Service. 6:30 p.m.

Imagine, having the key that locks heaven’s door and another key to unlock heaven’s door. In the text Jesus promises to give the keys to Peter of all people! Would you? Jesus does! Not to make him bishop or pope, but to make him a preacher, confessor, absolver, and servant. “The things you bind [lock] on earth shall be bound in heaven. The things you loose [unlock] on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” You don’t have to search for the keys to heaven like some misplaced set of house or car keys stuck in a forgotten pants pocket or drawer. You don’t need to ask: “Now where did God put those keys?” The keys of heaven are found right smack in here in this congregation, even as few as two or three gathered in the Name of Jesus. The church even has an “office of the keys,” the office of the holy ministry, where the keys are always at work for certain so that you might know and be certain that heaven is open to you who repent of your sin and believe in Jesus for forgiveness. The keys of heaven belong to Jesus, to whom “all authority in heaven and on earth” has been given. They do what He did for all on the cross – binding sin, Satan, death, and hell, loosing sinners from their guilt and shame, freeing them to be the children of God, swinging wide the gates of salvation. In every Baptism, every word of absolution, every proclamation of Jesus, every communion in which you eat and drink Christ’s Body and the Blood, the keys of heaven are turning – binding and loosing, opening heaven to faith, shutting it to unbelief. ----- Trinity Lutheran Church, School and Child Care have been "Making Known the Love of Christ" in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and throughout the world since 1853 as a congregation gathering around God's Word and Sacraments to receive forgiveness and life everlasting. Trinity is located in downtown Sheboygan, only one block from the Mead Public Library and the Weill Center for the Performing Arts. We invite you to visit us in person! Trinity Lutheran Sheboygan is a proud member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit their website: https://www.lcms.org/​​​​ Music for this production was obtained through a licensing agreement with One License, LLC. The copyright permission to reprint, podcast, and record hymns and songs is acquired through ID Number: 730195-A #LCMS #Lutheran #DivineService