June 18, 2023. Divine Service. 8 A.M.

God doesn't will that we sinners approach Him through the Law, through His all- powerful working in the world, through our sinfulness or our tragedies. God wills that we approach Him always and only in Christ. Lutherans don't try to approach God in His majesty, in the tragedies of life or in our failed plans and shattered dreams. We let God be God and go to where God points us. And where does God point us? Paul tells us Romans, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Right before that Paul says, "When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Christ, His innocent life and His painful suffering and death, is God's answer to His own unbending Law. God could not tone down His Law. God could not take it back for then He would cease to be God. God promised that the soul that sins will die. He promised that no sinner of any kind could inherit the kingdom of heaven. God couldn't break those promises of the Law any more than He could break the promises of the Gospel without ceasing to be holy. God fulfilled the Law through the perfect life of Christ and God punished every one of our sins by whipping, beating, and crucifying Christ in our place. Christ was the innocent sacrificial lamb for all of us very guilty sheep. Therefore, we don't plead our excuses or our promises to do better against the Law. We plead the holy life of Christ and His holy Blood. We plead our Baptism which covers us with Christ. We plead the absolution which sends our sins away from us, in Christ's name, as far as east is from west. We plead Holy Communion where we eat the holy Body of Christ and drink His holy Blood. With these in us, we go where He goes. We inherit His inheritance. This is our heavenly Father’s love for us. ----- 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