God’s saving love frees me.

Sermon for Christmas Day, 2019

The God of love and peace be with you, for by His grace, salvation has appeared for all people.  Amen.

Isaiah 9:2-7  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.  ³ You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.  ⁴ For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.  ⁵ For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.  ⁶ For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  ⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

God’s saving love frees me.

Dear friends walking in Christ’s light,

In the Advent season we prepare to celebrate the Good News of God’s love coming to earth, so that on Christmas Day, each and every one of us can remember Christ’s birth rejoicing that God’s saving love frees me.  What greater love could God show His people than to shine His light on the path of those who were walking in darkness and to set free all who had been enslaved? 

            Isaiah presents quite a picture of the nation of Israel in our reading.  He displayed God’s chosen people as captives of an oppressive conqueror, being driven along by whip and rod through the dark of the night, their hands bound by chains to heavy yokes on their shoulders. 

Imagine what it would be like to find yourself bound in such a position.  In the deep dark of night, you wouldn’t be able to see things in the path that might trip you, so you wouldn’t be able to avoid them, and if you should stumble, you would have no way to catch yourself with your hands bound to the wooden beam laid across your shoulders, the weight of which would increase the likelihood of your falling and being severely injured by the weight of that heavy beam.  The tormentors driving you to despair wouldn’t be any help; instead, they’d enjoy seeing you fall.  Then, at the end of this march of slavery, you could expect only more suffering, pain, and death.  That’s awful stuff, isn’t it?  Yet, Isaiah pictures exactly the tormenting slave march of sin into which each of us was born.

Like your parents before you, you were born enslaved by the devil and his wickedness.  The Bible says we were born enemies of God, blinded to anything good by the darkness of unbelief; we were dead in sin and slaves of unrighteousness.  But, lest any of us want to play the victim card by blaming our parents and refusing to accept our own responsibility, recognize that we often volunteer for this slavery and oppression.  To some Jews who refused to admit that they had ever been slaves, “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’” (John 8:34)

In our text, Isaiah wrote, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”  How the shepherds must have marveled when the night sky lit up with the brightness of God’s angels!  Yet, Jesus shines all the brighter for His light is perfect holiness and the glory of God.  Numerous times the Bible speaks of Jesus as a Light for you and me; not to show us how we might climb up to heaven, but to be the light that beams us there.  Certainly, Jesus taught many things on how we should live, but primarily, He lived so we could be made alive, and the power of Jesus’ light opened our eyes to His glory and salvation.

Isaiah also praises God saying, “You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.”  Most ancient peoples celebrated the harvest with great joy, because a good crop ensured another year of life.  I know from lived experience that harvest time is the highlight of the year for most farmers as they are rewarded for year-long efforts.  Likewise, the Lord reminds us, here, how much He too treasures the bounty of His harvest which He expands and grows by bringing forgiveness and salvation to the people on earth.  You see, Jesus didn’t enter His humility, and take on suffering and death for just for a few of Jacob’s relatives; He came to live and die for the whole human race, and thus, you and I benefit from God’s gracious gift.

Because of Jesus, we can spend Christmas praising God and rejoicing in His mercy saying, “For You have broken the yoke of [my] burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of [my] oppressor, as in the day of Midian.  For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.” 

As we considered before, all the people of this world were marching along bound by sin in a yoke of slavery, and as we struggled along we were tormented and abused by the enemy’s accusations, but Christ lifted all of that off of every one of us.  The binding burden of the law, the wretched pounding of enemy torments, the bloody garments of our sinfulness all rolled up for burning in the fires of hell—Jesus took that all away from us and wore it Himself. 

Yes, Satan can send his demons to make their noise, but Jesus now owns the field.  Christ’s victorious, everlasting kingdom has been established by His innocent death and resurrection from the grave.  The Father has accepted Jesus’ once-for-all-sacrifice, and here at Christmas time, we are assured that His victory was never in doubt, because Jesus’ victory over our oppressors was exactly His Father’s plan all along.

“Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Notice that Jesus came into this world for the purpose of saving you, me, Isaiah, all his fellow Israelites who had so often betrayed their God, and everyone else too, and God is continually increasing the dominion of His Son as the Gospel is preached to more and more poor, enslaved sinners, releasing many into the glorious freedom of His heavenly kingdom.  The Word of God is for all of us.  We don’t have to wonder if we are included in God’s love, because He demonstrated His love for every person who ever lived, or will live, in this world.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

Isaiah wrote, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.”  Christ will reign in His kingdom well past the time when the stars fall from the sky.  Past the day this earth melts away in the fires of destruction, and Satan and all his fellow tormentors are forever bound in the deepest pit of hell, Jesus will be reigning in peace and justice, and we will live free in the glory of God’s heaven, free from sin, from pain, from sorrow, free from illness and death.

Why can we each, personally, be so confident that God’s saving love frees me?  Simply, because “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”  God has always wanted “all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)  Before God created this world and everything in it, He knew we would turn against Him, but He planned our rescue anyway.  And in His zeal and love for His special creation, God will not be denied.  God wouldn’t allow our salvation to be based on anything so flimsy as human choice or effort, so God’s own dear Son, Jesus, came to rescue us.  Because only God’s one and only Son could withstand all the devil’s temptations and the torments that so afflict us, God sent Jesus to redeem you and me and everyone.

What an amazing thing it is to be able to say—God’s saving love frees me!  Most of us have, at least sometimes, been burdened with feelings of guilt.  We cause others’ pain.  Our consciences remind us that we do things we know are wrong, and the devil whispers his accusations in our ears.  We get in trouble with our parents or spouses.  We break the laws of the land, get caught, and the police and courts say we must pay for our guilt.  Sometimes, we feel so much guilt that, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we try to hide from God because our guilty feelings warn us that we dare not stand in God’s presence because we are guilty. 

When those guilty feelings rise up against you, dear friends, be comforted by the promises of the Gospel, because Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)  Come to the Savior called, “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Come to Jesus in the message of His grace and receive the forgiveness and peace with God that only He can give.   In Jesus, we find rest from all that had kept us separated from God.  In Him, we have a Counselor who knows our afflictions, who bore our torments, who resisted the same temptations we suffer; in Jesus, we have a Prince who did everything necessary to win our peace with God. 

As you spend today remembering the birth of the Christ Child, remember His love for you, a love so great He spread His arms on the wooden yoke of the cross, a love for you so deep that He carried all your sins and bore your guilt into the fires of hell.  Return again and again to that Baby in the manger of Bethlehem, remember all that Jesus did for you, living His perfect life and suffering death to give you life; then boldly repeat with me and all Christians ever, God’s saving love frees me!  So shall it be!  Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore.  Amen.

God’s love gives His greatest gift.

                                                                                                                       Sermon for Christmas Eve, 2019

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and His precious Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

1 John 4:9-11  This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him.  ¹⁰ This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  ¹¹ Dear friends, if God loved us so much, we also should love one another. (EHV)

God’s love gives His greatest gift.

Beloved children of God,

            Though we are all God’s children, many of us here this evening are also parents or grandparents, so I was wondering, have you ever put great effort into finding, purchasing, and wrapping the perfect gift for your little child or grandchild, only to see that after the momentary excitement of unwrapping the gift, the child was more interested in playing with the box, or the wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows?  And no matter the age of the recipient, how often do we soon see those great presents, that we sacrifice so much time, money, and effort to give, sitting forgotten on a shelf, or carelessly tossed aside?

This evening, as was gaze back into that manger in Bethlehem, we see our heavenly Father’s Christmas gift to a world of sinners.  The new-born Child in that lowly bed is a gift so precious, because that Baby is the Only-begotten of the Father—the Only One; there is no other Savior, no other natural-born Son of God, so what we learn, as we observe the Baby Jesus who Mary and Joseph so raptly adored, is that God’s love gives His greatest gift.

I need to ask, though, do we ever act like those little children around a Christmas tree?  Have you received that greatest and most precious gift with excitement and joy, only to leave Him sitting on a shelf somewhere, long forgotten?  If new friends should find out that you are a Christian, do they have to look hard to see where you have Jesus in your life?  Is there a Bible in your house, but you are not quite sure where it is, or how long it’s been since you opened it?  Are you glad your parents gave you the wonderful gift of Jesus way back when you were little, but today, you would rather play with the box, ribbons, and bows?

Sadly, even we Christians can be found looking back at the great gift of God’s love, the forgiveness and salvation we have in Christ, yet be guilty of thinking “Well, yeah that’s pretty good, but what I really wanted was a better husband, a nicer girlfriend, a better job, more money, the state championship, or for my friend, mother, father, or my child to recover from cancer; I wanted the end of disease, war, poverty, and hatred in this world.  Jesus, yeah, I’ve got Him up on my shelf here somewhere.”

St. John wrote to his beloved friend, “This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him.”  That we might live through Him; that’s what Christmas is really all about.  Every one of us is guilty of sin, even guilty of enjoying the ribbons and bows of life in this world far more than spending our time with the great Gift of our Savior.  For our sins, we deserve eternal death—we know that—but God sent His dear Son to be the end of death for you and me. 

Dear friends, when you were connected to Jesus through Baptism and through faith, you were connected to His eternal life.  You have eternal life right now given to you through God’s gift of His only-begotten Son, who lived for you, died for the guilt of your sins, and rose triumphant over death and the grave so that you, too, may live.  “This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 

Tonight again, we remember and celebrate Jesus’ birth in thankfulness for God’s gift, but also so that we never forget what God gave us when He came to live for us in perfect humility and holiness.  Because Jesus sacrificed His spotless, flawless, obedient, humble life on a cross, our sins no longer stand between us and heaven.  Looking forward to what God’s gift of love would do, Isaiah wrote, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)  Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  We celebrate Jesus’ birth, because He came into this world to lay down His life so that you and I can truly live.

Now, perhaps you are wondering why, as we celebrate Jesus’ birth, I am taking you to Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but there is no Good Friday or Easter Sunday to celebrate without the Baby in that manger in Bethlehem, and there is no reason to celebrate Christmas without Good Friday and Easter morning.  We celebrate this great gift of God’s love, because it is complete.  There is nothing to add to what Jesus brings us, because He has done everything needed to reconcile you with God the Father.  For Jesus’ sake, all your sins are washed away, even the guilt for our neglect has been removed forever.

This Christmas, again, bring Jesus down from your shelf, out of your back closet, and repent of any neglect in your love for Him.  Turn away from anything that you might treasure more than the gift you have in Christ.  Once more, put your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness He won for you and for everyone.  Remember that all the sin of your neglect, and all of mine, was remedied by Jesus’ perfect life and faithfulness to His Father’s will.  Peace be with you!  All of your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.

God’s love gives His greatest gift.  Of all the presents you might give, this year or at any time, remember that the greatest gift you can give to your loved ones is the gift of God’s great love for us in Christ.  Tell your loved ones what Jesus has done for you and for them, and make sure that the good news of Jesus never gets pushed back into the storage shed of your daily life, not for even a moment.

St. John wrote, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)  God’s love for us put Jesus in that manger bed.  Jesus’ love for you and me made Him walk to the cross carrying all our sins, and His love for you was clearly shown when He suffered the penalty of death you deserved so that you could live forever with Him in heaven.  All the tinsel and trinkets, ribbons, bows, and wrapping paper of your daily life can’t compare to and won’t substitute for Jesus.  Celebrate tonight, and for the rest of your life, that God’s love gives you His greatest gift.  Amen.

Make straight the way of the Lord.

Sermon for Advent 4, December 22, 2019

Grace, mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

John 1:19-28  ¹⁹ This is the testimony John gave when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”  ²⁰ He confessed and did not deny.  He confessed, “I am not the Christ.”  ²¹ And they asked him, “Who are you then?  Are you Elijah?”  He said, “I am not.”  “Are you the Prophet?”  “No,” he answered.  ²² Then they asked him, “Who are you?  Tell us so we can give an answer to those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?”  ²³ He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.”  ²⁴ They had been sent from the Pharisees.  ²⁵ So they asked John, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”  ²⁶ “I baptize with water,” John answered.  “Among you stands one you do not know.  ²⁷ He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”  ²⁸ These things happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (EHV)

Make straight the way of the Lord.

Dear friends in the living Word,

            Zechariah’s son was shaking things up in Judea.  John’s unusual style drew crowds out to the wilderness east of the Jordan, where he was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:3)  John admonished the people, and especially the leaders who came to test him, saying, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Therefore produce fruits in keeping with repentance!” (Luke 3:7-8)

John the Baptist was unorthodox in his preaching, his manner, his clothing, and lifestyle.  Yet, it was the power of the message God sent him to proclaim that drew the crowds.  People small and great wondered about him.  John’s preaching reminded the people that the Messiah was coming.  The ordinary folk considered John a prophet sent by God, but the Jewish leadership had questions.  You can almost hear the sneer in their voices as the investigators of Jerusalem met with John asking, “Who are you?”  In other words, “Who do you think you are?

Luther once preached that their questions were a test of John’s character.  Would he succumb to the temptation to put himself in that honored position of Messiah?  Would the Jews accept him as their leader if he did?  John, however, didn’t dabble with any such notion.  From the moment John heard Mary’s voice in the womb, the Lord was moving John to do the work he was appointed to do, to go out before the Savior of the world calling people to repentance so that they could be saved.  He was in the world to Make straight the way of the Lord.

Like John, you and I, too, might be tempted to put ourselves in Christ’s place.  I know that sounds farfetched, at first.  Yet, consider what happens when a person puts his own thoughts or desires above the clear word of our God.  In essence, whenever God’s word is bent, broken, or set aside, we have put ourselves in the place of the Almighty, but without His power or wisdom.

Happily, John didn’t succumb to that temptation.  Likewise, we too should be as bold in our faith as the Baptizer who “when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, ‘Who are you?’  He confessed and did not deny.  He confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’”  This is the first step in getting our own hearts straight in the way of the Lord.  We confess, “I am not the Christ.  I am not holy.  I am not God’s equal.  I am a sinner through and through who can only be saved by the Son God sent to be my Redeemer and Savior.”  That is the essence of our confession every Sunday.  It is the only thing we really have to offer in the equation of salvation.

John answered his critics, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.”  What does that mean to you and me?  It means that we must clear out those stumbling blocks to our faith.  All those pet sins that so tempt us, those voices in our heads that lead us to question the Word of truth, all the things in this world that seem so desirable on the surface, but underneath lead us to treasure something other than Christ—all of these things need to be expelled from our hearts in our repentance before God.

Here too, the devil likes to jump in and entice us to think ourselves more than we are.  He tries to convince Christians that because they believe in Jesus, we can make ourselves holy in our living.  It’s an insidious temptation, because we know we should live holy lives, and as Christian believers, we really do want to live according to God’s will, but if we are honest, we must stand with John again saying, “I am not the Christ.”  Jesus is the only Man who could live in this world without sin.  Our holiness comes not from living perfectly according to the law, but by trusting in the righteous life of Jesus as our holiness.

Since John readily admitted that he was not God’s appointed Rescuer, the Jewish leadership was offended in a different way.  If John wasn’t the Christ, where did he get his authority?  Who gave him the right to preach?  Who told him to baptize?  Why was he, a son of a priest, out there in the wilderness instead of working at the temple in the regular rotation?  Oh, so many questions, but none asked honestly. 

They first questioned whether John was some famous prophet from the past; was he Elijah? (As Malachi had said would come.)  Or was he the prophet? (Referring to the Prophet Moses had foretold saying, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brother Israelites.  Listen to him.”) (Deuteronomy 18:15)  John simply said, “No.”  “I am not.”

Like John, you and I too often face questions from the world: Why do you worship a Savior who died?  Why do you baptize children?  Why do you hold to the words of the Bible so tightly?  You can hear their mocking voices all around us: “Who do you think you are?”

The truth is, however, we know exactly who we are, and that’s the reason we hold so tightly to the Bible.  We know that we are sinners who deserve nothing but condemnation.  At the same time, we know that we are children God Himself has claimed as His own by faith given to us first in Baptism.  And, by the faith the Holy Spirit has given us, the Father credited us as holy for Jesus’ sake. 

Why do we worship a Savior the world once crucified and continues to crucify in its unbelief?  Because our Savior didn’t stay dead.  Rather, He rose from the grave on the third day, just as He said He would, and there is no other Savior who could ever do that for us.  Not only did He rise from the grave, but Jesus ascended to heaven where He lives and reigns on our behalf forever, and He is coming back in power and glory to judge the world.  It is on Jesus’ authority that we preach in the wilderness of the world.  It is on His authority that we baptize.  It is by His invitation that we became citizens of the kingdom of heaven and eagerly await His return in glory.

To the questions of the Pharisees, John answered boldly, “Among you stands one you do not know.  He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”  John later faithfully pointed to Jesus saying, “Look!  The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because He existed before me.’  I myself did not know who He was, but I came baptizing with water so that He would be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:29-31)

For the present time, God has left you and me and other Christians in the world to Make straight the way of the Lord.  We are not here to change this world into a land of peace and contentment.  We are not here to blend in with the arrogant, self-centered crowds.  We are not here to pretend to be Jesus either by imagining that we do miracles, nor by broadcasting our weak efforts as the holiness of God.  Rather, we are here to be like John, pointing to the One who came from God to inhabit human flesh among the people of Judea.  We are here to proclaim God’s law in full force so that the Holy Spirit may slice deep into the hearts of sinners so that their deadness can be removed.  And then, we are to follow that heart-rending law with the sweet medicine of the Gospel though which the Holy Spirit heals the brokenness and implants a new life that will never die.

John said he wasn’t worthy even to be the lowest servant in Christ’ household, not even worthy to untie the Master’s shoes at the end of a hard day.  Yet, Jesus later declared about John, “Yes, I tell you, among those born of women there is no prophet greater than John.  Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28)  No prophet was ever greater than John the Baptist, but even John could contribute nothing toward his salvation.  At the same time, John didn’t have to work to gain forgiveness or salvation, because that was won for him and for all by the Shepherd who made Himself the holy, sacrificial Lamb destined to die for the sins of the world.

Our Great High Priest, who had no sin that required a sacrifice of blood to come before the throne of God, made Himself the sin-bearer for the world, so that you and I could be carried into heaven on the wings of angels.  This is the Christ John came to proclaim.  Jesus, born to poor parents in the meanness of a stable, a Man with no home on earth to call His own, is the Priest, Prophet, Shepherd and Lamb who by His holy life and sacrificial death became our everlasting King.  This is the Savior we proclaim.  This is the message we live by. 

Dear Christian friends, for your own soul, for the blessing of everyone you love, and for the benefit and hope of even the worst of sinners and avowed enemies, Make straight the way of the Lord.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

Judging the servants of Christ.

Sermon for Advent 3, December 15, 2019

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

1 Corinthians 4:1-5  This is the way a person should think of us: as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.  ² In this connection, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.  ³ But it is a trivial matter to me if I am evaluated by you or by a day in a human court.  Why, I do not even evaluate myself.  ⁴ I do not in fact know of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this; rather, the one who evaluates me is the Lord.  ⁵ Therefore judge nothing ahead of time, until the Lord comes.  He will bring to light whatever is hidden in darkness and also reveal the intentions of hearts.  Then there will be praise for each person from God. (EHV)

Judging the servants of Christ.

Dear fellow servants of Christ Jesus,

            As we examine the trends of our world, it becomes obvious that we live in a time in which almost all people presume to have the right to judge everyone else.  As soon as a loss is suffered, feelings get hurt, or even a difference of opinion is expressed, many people assume the role of judge, jury, and executioner.  In such a climate it becomes difficult to resolve any problem or to have a reasonable discourse on any subject.  For the church, this begs the question, “What is our proper role when it comes to judgment?”  Thankfully, Paul gives us the Holy Spirit’s instruction for Judging the servants of Christ.

Paul wrote, “This is the way a person should think of us: as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.”  The Corinthian congregation had become splintered, with each group claiming to follow a different preacher’s teachings.  Paul’s letter addresses the foolishness of those divisions among Christians, and though he spoke especially concerning the unity of apostolic service, his words also apply wherever Christ’s Gospel is proclaimed.  What we need to understand is that all preachers are to be Christ’s servants, as are all Christian believers, and we are judged solely on our faithfulness to Christ. 

The word Paul uses, here, for “servant” was originally used for those men who rowed down below in the bottom of a boat.  In case you are wondering, they were all slaves.  No one volunteered for that job.  The master chose the men he felt were best able to pull the oars, and those who were chosen had little choice but to row at the master’s command.  The same is true of those who are called to be pastors.  True pastors are called by God to serve Christ Jesus.  Even though ministers are called through a congregation, we are called to serve Christ the Lord by His choice and command.

These ministers of Christ are also called, “stewards of God’s mysteries.”  Many stewards of Paul’s day were also slaves, yet they were entrusted with the master’s wealth and property and given the task of making sure that everything about that household ran smoothly and the master’s wealth be properly used and increased.  Likewise, Christ’s stewards have the task of ensuring that “God’s mysteries,” are properly used and properly shared with those who need to share in those mysteries, so that ultimately the Master’s wealth, which is His Holy Church, be increased.  Already, we can see that we have quite a lot to keep in mind when Judging the servants of Christ.

Some might wonder, “What did Paul mean by “God’s mysteries”?  Mysteries in the Greek are almost exactly like we would expect, they are the secret things.  In Christianity, the mysteries are all those things concerning God that once were unknown to men, but which have now been revealed.  So, “God’s mysteries,” are everything God has revealed about Himself and His salvation acts which once had been a mystery to everyone but are now revealed through His Word.  Of course, some things about God remain a mystery as long as we are in this world.  In this life, we will never fully comprehend every aspect of God; never fully understand His power, His holiness, or His love.  Yet, it is imperative that Christ’s servants be good stewards of the grace and mercy God has revealed to us to bring forgiveness and salvation to the world.

When it comes to Judging the servants of Christ, Paul’s letter guides us; he wrote, “But it is a trivial matter to me if I am evaluated by you or by a day in a human court.  Why, I do not even evaluate myself.”  Ordinarily, we all like to think that whatever we are doing is the best that could be done, and we like to hear praise for it, even if we secretly know that we don’t always do the absolute best we could.  But, Paul’s point is that the praise or judgment of men and women really doesn’t matter all that much, because the Lord’s judgment, which we all will face in the end, is far more important and far more serious than the judgment of men.  In fact, Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Now, many people, even many pastors, have falsely interpreted these words to say that no one should ever judge anyone, or anything, oftentimes trying to hide their own failings.  They tend to do what I just did, which is skip one little phrase: “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”  This is the standard by which all of Christ’s servants, indeed all Christians, will be judged.  Are they faithful?  You rightly ask, “Faithful to what?”  Many people, even most false teachers, claim to be faithful, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak.  Only those who remain faithful to God and true to His holy Word, who diligently carry on His work, will be judged faithful by the Lord.  Only those who remain faithful to His instructions and His command will be judged true.  Here, Jesus’ warning echoes in our ears, “But, if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)

Further guidance is found in Jesus’ parable of the stewards.  One steward buried his talent in the ground hoping that if he only didn’t lose it his master would be happy, yet he was condemned and lost everything. (Matthew 25:24-30)  On the other hand the faithful stewards put their master’s talents to work and gained a return on his investments, and they were judged faithful and praised and blessed even more. (Matthew 25:14-23)  That’s what the Holy Spirit wants us to understand: we will be judged on the basis of faithfulness to our Master’s command, and on our use of His riches, rather than on any human scorecard.

Our Lord Jesus commanded us, “Go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.  And surely I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)  To be faithful stewards of our Lord, we must be sharing with those around us all the rich blessings Christ has given us, and we must not deviate even one little bit from His teachings. 

Our judging instructions are starting to take focus.  We are not to judge anyone based on our personal ideas, our own preferences, or our own decisions.  Rather, we must hold to God’s Word, follow it whole-heartedly, and share His salvation with the world. 

Therefore, if we should encounter a steward who is unfaithful with the Lord’s command, that is, one who is unfaithful in his use of Jesus’ words, we should correct, rebuke, and seek his repentance, but if failing in that, we should run screaming the other way.  On the other hand, when we find one who proclaims the truth of Christ, who shares God’s means of grace in their truth and purity, we should walk with him, working together to continue his faithful stewardship so that we can all enjoy the Master’s praise. 

Of course, to know which servants are faithful, we ourselves must be well-versed in God’s Word.  We can hardly tell who is preaching the truth, can we, if we have only the unfaithful servant’s message to follow?  Therefore, Christians must always be like the Bereans and immerse ourselves in God’s Word, continually checking to make sure that what the preacher proclaims is, in fact, the truth of God’s Word.  And if we are faithful in doing so, we will hear our Lord’s declaration that we too are “more noble-minded than the Thessalonians.” (Acts 17:11)

Our sermon text instructs us on Judging the servants of Christ.  I think it is obvious that everyone has at times improperly judged someone.  Perhaps, we had our feelings hurt.  Maybe, our toes were stepped on by the proclamation of the Law.  Many simply despise hearing the truth.  Sometimes, style issues cause offense.  Thus, we all need to confess that we have been guilty of improperly judging others.  Recognizing our true role as Christ’s servants, we are forced to admit that while none of us can read another person’s heart, we find it far too easy to usurp the role of the Judge.  But, we are not the Master.  We are not the Judge.  Rather, we are called to be God’s stewards to properly invest the riches of His mercy and grace in the lives of our fellow troubled sinners.

Today, many in our world would claim to be free, and that they will serve no master but themselves, which is nothing more than arrogant and foolish rejection of Christ’s authority.  We must recognize, however, that there is no middle ground—whether we like it or not, we each serve a master, either Christ or Satan—those of us who have been called to faith serve the Lord Jesus, while those who reject Christ, or His Word, continue serving the devil. 

Dear Christian friends, the evil deceiver once stole the whole human race away from our Lord.  Yet our Lord Jesus, in His great love for us, bought us back with the price of His blood, shed on the cross.  In this same letter to the Corinthians we are told, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.  Therefore glorify God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  The price for our release from the servitude of the evil one was Jesus’ own life, given by Him on the cross at Golgotha where Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself to rescue us from the eternal death we deserved when we were His enemy’s slaves.

In our sermon text, St. Paul wrote, “I do not in fact know of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this; rather, the one who evaluates me is the Lord.”  There will likely be days when we cannot identify anything we are doing wrong.  On the other hand, there will be days when we feel we have sinned greatly against our Lord.  In either case, we are not justified by what we find in ourselves.  Our justification is from Christ alone.  Justification is God’s declaration of innocence.  The Father in heaven looked upon His Son’s death on the cross, a death caused by all the sinners of the world including you and me, and without any merit or worthiness on our part, God declared us innocent, forgiven of all sin for Jesus’ sake.

Because we have been declared innocent, as have all the other people in the world, we now have the Lord’s command to share that not-guilty verdict with those around us.  If we deny Christ’s command, or if we try to add anything to, or take away from His instructions, or if we withhold The Father’s not-guilty verdict from any other repentant sinner, we are no longer faithful stewards.  Therefore, let us make it our life’s mission to live for Jesus’ sake, not worrying about the judgment of those around us who may, or may not, be working for the Lord.  Rather, we will live concerned only about the judgment of our Lord Jesus, who has already declared us innocent of all sin.

Paul said, “Therefore judge nothing ahead of time, until the Lord comes.  He will bring to light whatever is hidden in darkness and also reveal the intentions of hearts.  Then there will be praise for each person from God.”  While we may find it tempting to think that we can determine the faith in other people’s hearts, in truth, we have no command or ability to do so.  We do have to judge the words and actions of others in order to ensure that they do not lead us astray from our Lord, and so that we can help them learn God’s truth, but we judge their words and actions only by the true standard of God’s Word.

My friends, in all honesty, we know that our works and our faith don’t deserve our Lord’s praise.  Rather, these things are the evidence that we are His, so when we remain true to God’s Word, and true to our Lord, the one true Savior of the world, then we will receive His praise, because He loves us as His very own.  He owns us.  He bought us with His blood.  Therefore, let us not worry about the judgment of men, but only about the judgment of the One who has already declared us innocent after paying for all our sins with His perfect life.  Because our Lord has made us His own through faith, let us now live always as His faithful stewards and servants.  All glory be to Jesus.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

The LORD establishes His house of peace.

Sermon for Advent 2, December 8, 2019

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Micah 4:1-7  In the last days, the mountain of the House of the Lord will be established as the highest among the mountains.  It will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it like a river.  ² Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths.”  The law will go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  ³ He will render judgment between many peoples.  He will settle disputes between mighty nations from far away.  They will pound their swords into plowshares and their spears into blades for trimming vines.  Nation will not raise the sword against nation, and they will not learn how to wage war any longer.  ⁴ Each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree.  There will be no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Armies has spoken.  ⁵ For all the other peoples walk in the names of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.  ⁶ On that day, says the Lord, I will bring in the lame and gather the scattered, even those I have afflicted.  ⁷ I will establish the lame as survivors and the scattered as a powerful nation.  The Lord will rule over them on Mount Zion from that time on and forever. (EHV)

The LORD establishes His house of peace.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            In the beginning, God created man and woman in perfection, but sin ended their peace.  Still, God restored them with the promise of a Savior.  The population of the world grew rapidly as God blessed them, but the more people filled the earth, the more wickedness and idolatry led to the LORD repenting of having created mankind, and He determined to destroy all living things from the face of the earth, yet God preserved a remnant so that His promises of a Savior could be fulfilled.  Then, God promised He would never again destroy all living things as long as the earth remained.

In time, God chose a family through which He would bring forth His saving Son.  He established worship in their midst and His temple on Mount Zion as the home of His grace, but again wickedness and idolatry led to the need for harsh discipline to be brought upon God’s chosen people.  The prophet, Micah, was one of several contemporaries charged with warning God’s people about the consequences of their sin and idolatry, but they refused to listen, so judgment was delivered upon Israel.  Yet, even as God warned His people, He also renewed His promise of forgiveness and salvation for all who would return to Him in repentance.  Thus, in our text, The LORD establishes His house of peace.

Many have attempted to make this prophecy of Micah about an earthly kingdom and an earthly peace, but those ideas are only incidental to the true fulfillment.  Instead, this text points clearly to the work of Christ in establishing peace between God and men.  It further points to the home God establishes on earth so that people from all over the world might come to Him for instruction, forgiveness, and everlasting peace.  Not to a temple made of stone, because “God’s dwelling is with people.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)

Micah declared, “In the last days, the mountain of the House of the Lord will be established as the highest among the mountains.  It will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it like a river.”  All of history led up to the day when God would end the separation between mankind and our Creator.  Time and again the Scriptures use the phrase, “In the last days,” to indicate the result of the coming of the Savior.  God’s own Son would come into the world to live as a Man, to die, rise from the grave, and ascend to heaven so that the Kingdom of God would be established forever.  Thus, at the announcement of good news for all people in Jesus’ birth, the “multitude from the heavenly army” rejoiced singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” (Luke 2:8)

Here, a separation is declared between the Kingdom of Christ and all the other religions found on earth.  Though the world pretends that any religion is good, even those conceived of human arrogance, “the House of the Lord will be established as the highest among the mountains.”  Only Christianity brings peace with God and the elevation of former sinners to a place around the throne of the Almighty, just as Jesus declared, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.  If you know me, you would also know my Father.” (John 14:6-7)  As His apostles also have said, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)  Our world is littered with religions that pretend to offer help or instruction, but only the kingdom headed by the risen Savior of the world gives forgiveness, peace, and life everlasting, and it is to this marvelous kingdom that people have streamed when they hear the Savior’s call through His representatives.

By the power of the Holy Spirit administered through Word and Sacrament, “Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths.’  The law will go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”  Seven hundred years before the birth of the Savior, God clearly foretold how the Christian Church would grow as its teachings were carried to the far reaches of the earth beginning from Jerusalem.  This plan is confirmed in Jesus’ statement to His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  Thereafter, the preaching of Christ’s witnesses, rightly dividing law and gospel, has brought life-giving faith to the hearts of people everywhere, and being transformed from hopeless sinners into living saints, Christian believers eagerly seek after the kingdom of God.

And the result of Jesus’ sacrifice, and the work of the House He established on earth?  In picture language, Micah tells us of the peace with God established for us in Christ Jesus:

He will render judgment between many peoples.  He will settle disputes between mighty nations from far away.  They will pound their swords into plowshares and their spears into blades for trimming vines.  Nation will not raise the sword against nation, and they will not learn how to wage war any longer.  Each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree.  There will be no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Armies has spoken.

Many have tried to stretch this metaphor into the idea that somehow perfect peace will one day be established on earth, but that takes it too far.  Martin Luther commented concerning these verses:

“The Gospel will bring peace to all.  They will all change war into peace.”  But he is not speaking about physical peace throughout the world, as some inappropriately think who say there was peace throughout the world under Caesar Augustus.  This is not true.  Indeed, the world is always the same—it has a constant thirst for blood, after the example of Cain, the first murderer.  He is speaking about the peace which the Word works in Christians who are ready to…have peace with all men, who do not battle in the courtroom, who endure injustice, etc.[1]

While we may not always enjoy peace on earth, we do have peace with God and that, indeed, brings us peace in everything else.  No matter what troubles this world might throw against us, we know that our eternity is secure because of what Christ has done for us.  Likewise, no matter what harm may be inflicted upon us by friend or foe, we can forgive just as Christ has forgiven us.  It is this certainty of forgiveness and assurance of peace with God that empowers the Christian in everything we do.

Micah wrote, “For all the other peoples walk in the names of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.”  Every person on earth has a code of ethics that guides him, whether that be self interest or the dictates of his religion, but all other religions or worldly influences lead only to damnation.  Only Christianity gives real peace, because Christians rely on the promises of our Savior, who gave His life on the cross so that we might live forever.  Jesus told His people, “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples.  You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)  And, He said, “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace in me.  In this world you are going to have trouble.  But be courageous!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

In Christ Jesus, we have freedom and truth.  We have the instructions of our Creator to guide us in every good thing.  Furthermore, we have forgiveness of all sins and the certain assurance of peace with God and a home in His heaven, where we will live and reign with Him forever in peace.  And none of this is dependent upon our achievements or decisions, for the prophet declares, “On that day,” says the Lord, “I will bring in the lame and gather the scattered, even those I have afflicted.  I will establish the lame as survivors and the scattered as a powerful nation.  The Lord will rule over them on Mount Zion from that time on and forever.”

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if Jesus was the Promised Redeemer, Jesus answered them, “Go, tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.  Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me.” (Luke 7:20-22)

Dear friends, we are blessed through the message of the Scriptures, because they are the record of all God has done to set us free from the curse of sin and the devil’s hold over us.  Because of the faith in Christ that was given us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have peace—peace with God and comfort for living here on earth.  We have relief from the guilt of our sins and the sure hope of life everlasting in the mansions of God’s eternal home.  Praise be to the God Almighty that in Christ Jesus, The LORD establishes His house of peace.  Amen.

Now, may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, both soul and body, be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.  Amen.

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[1] Martin Luther, Lectures on the Minor Prophets AE, ed. Hilton C. Oswald (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1975), 239.