For real peace, seek the kingdom of God.

Sermon for Trinity 15, September 29, 2019

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

Matthew 6:24–34  ²⁴“No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and mammon.  ²⁵“For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  ²⁶Look at the birds of the air.  They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?  ²⁷“Which of you can add a single moment to his lifespan by worrying?  ²⁸Why do you worry about clothing?  Consider how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin, ²⁹but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.  ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not clothe you even more, you of little faith?  ³¹“So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’  ³²For the unbelievers chase after all these things.  Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  ³⁴So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (EHV)

For real peace, seek the kingdom of God.

Dear friends in Christ,

            About thirty years ago, Bobby McFerrin had a big hit with the little ditty, “Don’t worry; be happy!”  In the song, he tells his listeners not to worry but to stay happy no matter what troubles might come their way because troubles come to everyone.  But, while it was a catchy tune, it really offered nothing to help anyone be happy.  It just tells you to ignore your troubles and be blissfully, mindlessly happy.

Our Lord Jesus also tells us not to worry, but He doesn’t ask us to mindlessly ignore our problems and just go on our way.  No, Jesus points out that there are good reasons for us never to worry about anything.  In fact, Jesus points out the idolatry of worry, and then you might say He teaches that For real peace, seek the kingdom of God.

In our readings this morning, we are confronted with two sins that are one and the same coin.  In our Old Testament lesson, we heard about Ahab’s covetousness which led to deceit, false testimony, and murder in order to satisfy his wicked heart.  Here, in our Gospel reading, Jesus teaches us about the evil of worry.  When you look closely, you realize that both coveting and worry are really forms of idolatry.  Both make our selfish desires our god.  Both assume that our heavenly Father isn’t providing for us as we think He should.  That’s why Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and mammon.”  If our attentions are too firmly fixed on piling up money and goods, we won’t treasure the marvelous riches our God has in store for us.  And, if all we care about are the things this world might offer, we will be enslaving ourselves in idolatrous pursuit of money and possessions.

Now, I don’t know if any of you were ever so disheartened about not being able to rent, or buy, a piece of your neighbor’s ground that you pouted in bed like Ahab and wouldn’t talk or eat your supper, but how many of us have wondered if we wouldn’t be richer if we just had a little more something?  A little more land?  A little better price for our crops?  A little more money in the bank?  A little more food in the freezer or pantry before winter sets in?  A little better health?  A little better job?

As you listen to the news these days, gloom and imminent disaster is about all you hear.  If we don’t make this or that change, our civilization will surely come to an end in just a few months or years.  If only we would stop driving cars, or burning coal, or having babies, or raising cattle, or whatever else they are against, then we will have a better life—according to what the alarmists want us to believe.  Yet, every one of those worries indicates a lack of trust in the God who created this universe and everything in it with only the command of His voice.

Now, we could go on and on listing all the ways we find to worry, and believe me, I am not without fault in this, but listen to what Jesus has to say: “For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air.  They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?” 

Of course, Jesus isn’t telling us not to plant our crops, and He isn’t telling us to park the combine and sit in the shade when the harvest is ready.  Certainly, good stewardship of our time and resources requires us to do our work diligently, and being faithful to the Father in heaven who puts us in these positions of responsibility includes being faithful in our vocations. 

But, instead of telling us to ignore our work, Jesus is telling us that while we go about our everyday lives of work and leisure, we should keep our hearts and minds focused on the loving mercy of our Father in heaven.  There is not an animal, bug, fish, or bird on this planet that God does not take care of.  There is not a person on earth that God doesn’t see, not one that He doesn’t love and have a plan to provide for.  Of course, what is certainly true is that many times the vast majority of people let worries about finances dictate who, or whether, they will help someone in need.  Yet, God has not forgotten those who lack.  Even when we who trust Him might have to suffer need, it isn’t because God doesn’t see us. 

Jesus said, “Which of you can add a single moment to his lifespan by worrying?  Why do you worry about clothing?  Consider how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin, but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not clothe you even more, you of little faith?”  Look at the beauty that surrounds us in nature.  Would a God who provides so richly for even the plants of the fields and hills allow you, who are so precious to Him, to go naked and cold?  Preposterous!  Jesus’ question answers itself.  When we worry about anything, we are really testifying that we don’t trust God.  It is as good as saying we don’t think He loves us.

I skipped one little question in the middle of what Jesus said—“Are you not worth much more than they?”  Seriously, how valuable do you think you are to God?  Little old me out here in the sticks, how much could God really care about me?  Is that what we think? 

The world doesn’t care.  The world barely recognizes my existence, much less counts me as worth its time.  Is that really what God thinks of us?

Hardly.  The Triune God who created all things has a few things to say in His defense.  He says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)  He says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)  He says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)  God says, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5)  And the Son, in concert with the Father above, tells us, “Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

St. Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32)  If you want to know how much God loves and cares for you, don’t look at the car in your garage, or the grain in your bin, or the money in your accounts.  Look, instead, to the cross.  Look to God’s Son being sacrificed there for you, so that you can live in glory—dying for sins He didn’t commit—dying there so that the Father in heaven could count you as having never sinned at all—giving up the very life He took up to live for you so that you could be holy in God’s eyes.

Remember how Jesus lived for you—walking this earth confident in His Father’s care even though He never owned a house, or a bed to sleep in, possessed only the clothes on His back, often went hungry and cold, and in His ministry faced neighbors and enemies who wanted to kill Him, and then, knowing that His Father would turn His face away from Him, Jesus went willingly to be beaten and abused and nailed to the cross and to have His blood-drained corpse lie in the grave, but confident, on your behalf, that His Father in heaven would not abandon Him there.

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Seek first means to seek God and His righteousness as the primary thing in your life.  Let that be your confidence and joy—that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection gives your life meaning.  Cling to the love and mercy God showed to you at your baptism when He washed away every sin, doubt, worry, and fear that has ever troubled you, where He drowned your old flesh but raised up a new life of faith by implanting in you a new heart of faith where before was only stone. 

Jesus said, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Remember what Jesus told His disciples before He went up to Jerusalem to die, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) 

Trouble comes naturally in this world.  The world is cursed because of sin.  This world is also passing away—nothing you or anyone else can do will save it.  The world also hates those who follow Jesus, so expect to have trouble in this world, but expect also, the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)  God’s promise is what gives you true riches.  He gives you eternal life in heaven, a place described as having streets of gold, a place where there is no more trouble, sorrow, weeping, or pain.  A place where you will never again be separated from the glory of God and the holiness of His Son.  That, my friends, is real peace.  That is what we have to look forward to, because God loves you so much that He willingly sacrificed His own beloved Son, Jesus, so that you could live forever with Him in glory and peace.  Therefore, For real peace, seek the kingdom of God.  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. 

Led by the Spirit win the battle within.

Sermon for Trinity 14, September 22, 2019

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

Galatians 5:16–24  ¹⁶What I am saying is this: Walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out what the sinful flesh desires.  ¹⁷For the sinful flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful flesh.  In fact, these two continually oppose one another, so that you do not continue to do these things you want to do.  ¹⁸But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the control of the law.  ¹⁹Now the works of the sinful flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, complete lack of restraint, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, discord, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things similar to these.  I warn you, just as I also warned you before, that those who continue to do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  ²²But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful flesh with its passions and desires. (EHV)

Led by the Spirit win the battle within.

Dear friends in Christ,

            When I was young, our local county fair featured a tug-of-war contest as a prominent annual event.  Teams of big strong men (and some who thought they were) would each grab hold of the thick rope and pull with all their might in opposite directions trying to overpower their opponents.  The teams would usually place their biggest and strongest puller at the end of the rope to serve as their anchor, and oftentimes, the team with the strongest anchor prevailed.  A flag in the middle of the rope would move back and forth as each side struggled until, finally, one team would gain the upper hand and pull the center flag, and often the other team, over the line to its side. 

In considering our text this morning, those tug-of-war contests picture well the constant struggle we face between the old sinful flesh and the new man of faith.  As we journey through this rugged world, your old sinful nature and your new life of faith continually battle for control, and there are likely times when you feel a bit like the rope in a tug-of-war contest, constantly being pulled back and forth.  In order to come away victorious with a sanctified Christian life, you need to have a strong and determined anchor on your side, a leader who pulls with you and gives you the strength and stamina to resist as your opponent tries to wear you out and drag you over to his side in defeat.  Our text shows us that our unbeatable anchor is the Holy Spirit, who with God’s Word pulls us to the victory won for us by Christ.  Therefore, dear friends, I encourage you; Led by the Spirit win the battle within.

The man of the world, and consequently, our old sinful nature, also has a powerful anchor in this struggle.  Satan is constantly doing everything in his power to pull you away from the salvation won for you by Christ.  Thus, we must constantly battle against the devil, the world, and our old flesh.

The Galatians, likewise, had to contend in this spiritual tug-of-war.  On the one hand, they wanted to follow the Gospel—the good news of Jesus’ salvation, while on the other hand their opponents continued pulling them in the opposite direction.  In reality, they were being pulled away from Jesus with a double attack.  First, the Galatian Christians felt the pull to go back to the pagan sins of the flesh, but they were also feeling the pull of enemies who taught a salvation by works of law.  Even as they wanted to trust that Christ had paid for all their sins and had done everything needed for their salvation, in this second attack, some teachers were trying to convince the Galatians that they still needed to obey the Old Testament Ceremonial Law in order to be saved.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul clarifies for the Galatian people that the Law had been completely fulfilled by Christ, so that it no longer holds the Christian in bondage.

Earlier in this chapter, Paul wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1)  Because Christ accomplished perfect fulfillment of the Law, He set all Christians free from the burden of Law, because God counts Christ’s perfect obedience as ours through faith.  Furthermore, Jesus then paid the penalty that the Law required for all the sins of all people everywhere.  So, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” the Law’s use for our salvation was ended.  Thus, Paul wrote, “But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the control of the law.” 

While the false teachers wanted to impose the ceremonial law upon the Galatians as a condition of salvation, the Holy Spirit through Paul warned that applications of Law do nothing to help us.  The Law teachers were following the pull of their sinful nature.  The natural law, written in our hearts, tells us that we have sinned against God and something must be done to merit God’s favor, but that natural knowledge of law knows nothing of what Christ Jesus has already done to set us free.

Of, course, if obedience of the Law doesn’t gain us anything for salvation, there will always be some who will be tempted to ignore it and flaunt their freedom as the desires of the flesh pull them back toward the devil’s side.  This is a temptation that is a life-long pull against the believer as well.  Therefore, our text says, “Walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out what the sinful flesh desires.”  Likewise, we say, Led by the Spirit win the battle within.

Dear Christians, we don’t earn anything by following the Law, but if we allow the devil, the world, and our own fleshly desires to pull us back toward the devil’s side, we are succumbing to a team that cannot win eternal life.  Therefore, the Law still has usefulness for the Christian, for it shows us how to live God-pleasing lives, recognizing that the Spirit of God will never lead us astray. 

In his letter, Paul gives us two lists: the first list graphically shows us when we are being pulled back to the devil’s team, while the second list teaches us what being led by the Spirit really looks like. 

Paul wrote, “Now the works of the sinful flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, complete lack of restraint, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, discord, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things similar to these.”  This is quite the list, and every item is a pull against our sanctified will.  The first three address any kind of sexual immorality, including actions, thoughts, words, and desires.  The next two summarize the ways people turn away from God to seek other sources of power, help, or knowledge but end up worshiping something other than the One true God. 

“Hatred, discord, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition,” are all ways that we put our own desires above the needs of our neighbors and especially against the will of God.  “Dissensions, heresies,” are talking about disputes and, especially, religious opinions that lead that lead us away from the truth of God’s Word.  In fact, the Greek word for heresies often simply means, “opinions,” which is exactly what a heresy is—a human opinion that goes against what God’s Word states.  The rest of the list mentions other ways that people go against God’s Commandments. 

Paul lists seventeen different types of sin concluding with “and things similar to these.”  In other words, if we are involved in anything remotely similar to the things on this list we are being pulled by the flesh, and not by the Spirit.  The list isn’t intended to be exclusive, but rather, we are shown how to identify ways in which we are pulled back to the devil’s losing side, and that is the primary purpose of the Law for Christians—to warn us against turning back to the desires and evil deeds of the sinful nature, the devil, and the world.

The main warning is this, “those who continue to do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Our obedience of God’s Law will never merit our salvation, but disobedience shows that we are pulling on the devil’s side.  There is a constant tug between the Spirit and the flesh for our lives.  If we pull with the Spirit, we are following the faith that trusts in Christ as our Savior.  Anything else is following the flesh. 

Now, Paul isn’t condemning us here for those times when we stumble and fail to live up to the perfection of the Law.  Indeed, perfection is not something we will accomplish in this world.  Paul is condemning those who make a practice of flaunting the freedom Christ won as they live a life of sin—no matter how great or small those sins may look in our eyes of the world.  Practicing any kind of sin means denying the seriousness of sin and ignoring the gift Christ’s death on the cross gives us.

Now, on the side of life, Paul also shows us what the new life of faith looks like, saying, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”  Naturally, this list starts with love.  God’s chief command is to love Him with every part of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  It is love that sent Jesus down to earth to live in perfect obedience on our behalf, and love that held Him on the cross as He suffered and died for the sins of the world.  Consequently, it’s God’s love that motivates us.  All the rest of the things on the list flow from the Spirit’s love working in us to return thanks and praise to God.  When we love God, it is because we are living in the knowledge that we have forgiveness and salvation through Christ.  His love gives us great joy and eternal peace.  When we focus on God’s love for us, as evident in Christ Jesus, the rest of the things on this positive list become not only easier but our greatest desire and motivation.

Still, we know the feel of that tug-of war between our sinful nature and the new man of spirit.  Our old man wants to look out for himself and doesn’t care about the needs of others while the new man lives to be the hands of God serving all who we meet.  The sinful flesh wants to be a god unto himself, but the new man bows in gratitude before the Lord of creation.

The sinful nature takes offense at any slight, injury, or defeat.  On the other hand, our new man of faith gladly puts up with anything this world might throw against him out of thanks for God’s mercy.  The new man never lets go of the faith the Holy Spirit has given him through baptism and the proclamation of the gospel, but empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament, the Christian believer holds on with all his might to the blessings God gives, realizing that though this world will soon end, we will live forever with our Savior in heaven.  Bound by the Spirit to the love of Christ, we imitate Jesus’ perfect life with patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control —avoiding sin and striving for perfection in godly living.  There is no law against these things because they describe a truly God-pleasing faith-life. 

So, dear friends, does this all make you feel like your sinful nature is winning the war most of the time?  As we look at a list of our sinfulness like this, it becomes scarily easy to feel that we spend way more time pulling for Satan than we do pulling with the Spirit.  Our sermon text closes by reminding us of what Jesus has done for us, saying, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful flesh with its passions and desires.”  We don’t crucify the sinful desires; Jesus did.  Jesus took all of the sins of our evil passions and desires on Himself, and He ended them by paying the debt for them on the cross.  Those who belong to Christ are all those who follow Him, trusting in Him, alone, for their salvation, and His perfection is credited to everyone who belongs to Him through faith.

There is one more warning; if we think we do anything to earn salvation, we are again turning to following the flesh.  That isn’t what Paul is telling us to do.  In fact, just the opposite: we crucify the passions and desires of the flesh when we trust solely in Jesus for forgiveness, salvation, and life.   This faith comes to us only through the Holy Spirit working through God’s Word.  So, what can we do?  We pull along with the Holy Spirit as we stay in God’s Word.  We are pulled by the Spirit as we hear the Gospel message of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  We are pulled by the Spirit as we eat and drink Christ’s body and blood in the Supper He gave for our assurance, and we pull with the Spirit as we return daily to our Baptisms by confessing our sins of the flesh. 

My friends, when we pull with the Holy Spirit, it really isn’t us who are winning this tug-of-war. Rather, the Holy Spirit wins the victory on our behalf as He anchors us to the Gospel promise that all of our sins have been forgiven.  Pulling along with the Spirit, we can’t lose, because Jesus has already won the victory over sin, death, and the devil.  Led by the Spirit, we win the battle within.  Amen. 

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

See what prophets and kings longed to see.

Sermon for Trinity 13, September 15, 2019

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

Luke 10:23–37  ²³Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  ²⁴Indeed, I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you are seeing, yet did not see them, and to hear the things that you are hearing, yet did not hear them.”  ²⁵Just then, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”    ²⁶“What is written in the law?” he asked him.  “What do you read there?”  ²⁷He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself.”  ²⁸He said to him, “You have answered correctly.  Do this, and you will live.”  ²⁹But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.  He fell among robbers who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.  ³¹It just so happened that a priest was going down that way.  But when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  ³²In the same way, a Levite also happened to go there, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  ³³A Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was.  When he saw him, he felt sorry for the man.  ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them.  He put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him.  ³⁵The next day, when he left, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him.  Whatever extra you spend, I will repay you when I return.’  ³⁶Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?”  ³⁷“The one who showed mercy to him,” he replied.  Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

See what prophets and kings longed to see.

Dear friends in Christ,

            This parable is often presented as if Jesus was teaching how we should live to please God.  The trouble is, when we try to satisfy a just and holy God by living according to the commands of law, the sword of the law hangs gleaming and sharp over our heads ready to strike us down in judgment, for who ever really lives up to what the law commands? 

This past week, I had the “opportunity” to be accused of not living up to Christ’s command to love one another.  My accuser claimed that we don’t do enough to live up to that law, and though I thought I, our congregation, and our church body were being so very unfairly accused, I also know that the acusation has merit—because we don’t always love our neighbor as we should.  No one ever truly lives up to the full extent of the law, because even if we try out best, we simply cannot measure up.  At the same time, I know we can’t just give up and ignore God’s commands.  We dare not imagine that we can live in whatever way we might want to choose.

The main reason, however, that caused my accuser to be so vehement against me comes from the fact that so many teachers in our world have failed to rightly divide law and gospel.  By assuming they actually do obey the law, and that others must also be forced to obey as they think they do, they fail to See what prophets and kings longed to see.

Luke includes this parable immediately after the seventy-two disciples returned to Jesus rejoicing because of the successes they had experienced in going out and preaching about Jesus.  Among the things Jesus said in response is this: Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  Indeed, I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you are seeing, yet did not see them, and to hear the things that you are hearing, yet did not hear them.”  Their eyes and ears were experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior.  They were learning, firsthand, that our salvation doesn’t rest on how well we keep the law, because if it did, we would all stand condemned.

Christ’s enemies, on the other hand, weren’t so excited to see what Jesus was doing and teaching.  The teachers of the law based their hope of salvation on their works.  They had convinced themselves that they actually were obeying the law, and they expected everyone else should be held up to their high standards.  How dare Jesus teach that forgiveness could be freely given.  Even more so, how dare Jesus make any of the claims He made concerning Himself.

One of those law experts presented himself before Jesus to put Jesus to the test.  He wanted to trap Jesus in His own teaching, so he asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Now obviously, no one does anything to cause an inheritance because, by definition, that is a gift, but that was just part of the trap, and Jesus didn’t fall for the maneuver.  Instead, He turned the tables on the lawyer, asking him, “What is written in the law?” …  “What do you read there?”  Now, the lawyer was forced to admit that he knew the law.  That alone should have been adequate to teach the man that he had failed to live according to God’s will.  However, those who focus on law often fall into the trap of imagining that they can keep it.  Self-righteousness is a strong delusion that afflicts many. 

That lawyer wasn’t ready to admit defeat.  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  That is perhaps the key question of the day—who is my neighbor—who am I to love as much and as well as I love myself?  Who deserves my undivided care and concern?  Who is worthy of me sacrificing my time, my treasure, and even my life to help?

The lawyer likely thought he was in pretty good standing.  Most likely he had given much to charity.  Even more likely, he would have been a regular at the temple and dedicated to obeying the common rules the teachers had ordained.  But, that’s why Jesus told this parable about the Good Samaritan.  Helping your neighbor isn’t determined by geography.  It isn’t determined by race or creed or color or worth.  It is setting aside personal safety in order to rescue the injured or endangered.  It is making yourself the neighbor of whomever you find in need, even if that person needing help would ordinarily not be welcome in your company as was the case between Jews and Samaritans. 

Now, certainly, we know of many individuals who devote their lives to rescuing their neighbors.  Our towns are filled with volunteer fire fighters who sacrifice their time and sometimes put their lives on the line in order to help their neighbors.  Policemen, soldiers, doctors, nurses, and numerous others dedicate their time to helping make our lives better and safer.  But, who among us has done this perfectly?  Who among us has never failed to overlook a need, to ignore a call for help that comes weak and faint from another part of the world?  And even if we wanted to answer every call, would there be enough wealth and manpower in the whole United States of America to eliminate all the death, devastation, persecution, danger, and starvation we hear about from all parts of the world?

That’s the problem with assuming we can satisfy God with our measly efforts.  We always fall short.  The law always hangs over our heads like a sword ready to swing the eternal execution.

That’s why I want you to See what prophets and kings longed to see.  You see, this parable wasn’t given to teach that lawyer more law.  He already knew more than enough law—he just failed to see that he wasn’t keeping it as well as he assumed.  What he needed to recognize was the Good Samaritan who actually did live according to God’s will every moment of His walk on earth.

By rightly dividing law and gospel, we see that Jesus is the central character in this parable, just as He is in the whole Bible.  We are the ones who were beaten and robbed and left half-dead along the road.  Satan had stolen our innocence, beaten us up with temptations and accusations, and self-righteous teachers do nothing to help, but rather, leave our bloodied souls along the path to die.  This parable is spoken pointedly against the very ones that lawyer thought were so good.  The Pharisees and experts in the law made pronouncement after pronouncement about what everyone should be doing, but they did nothing to bring the mercy of God to those caught in Satan’s cruel trap.

But Jesus wouldn’t ignore our need.  Jesus entered this world from the throne room of heaven, first to live as the perfect neighbor to everyone whose path He crossed.  Numerous times, He even went well out of His way to save some lost soul who otherwise likely would have never met Him.  In human flesh, the Son of God walked among us, healing the sick and injured, the lame and the blind.  Jesus handed food to the hungry and forgiveness and comfort to those stricken by guilt.  Never once was the question asked whether we deserved His rescue, because Jesus was focused on loving the unlovable and the undeserving.  Never once did Jesus put His own needs above another’s.  Never once did Jesus fail to keep God’s commands, and never once did Jesus forget His Father’s mission for the Son.

You see, what the prophets only glimpsed in the prophecies, and the kings only dared hope for, was an answer to the demand of the law that the sinner must die.  Good kings wanted to help their people.  Good prophets wanted the people to know God’s love.  In front of the eyes of Jesus’ hand-picked disciples walked the solution to the world’s sin.  The perfect Son of God, living as the world’s only perfectly obedient Man, would present Himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  This is the message Jesus wanted the lawyer to understand.  We, with all our frailties, prejudices, and sins, cannot live up to the law, but the Son of God and Man did—on our behalf.

Furthermore, if we should have to pay the true price for our shortcomings, we would be forever bound in the devil’s hell, for if we missed the mark of perfect holiness, even just once, we would have no means of escaping our just condemnation.  But that’s where Jesus stands in again.  As the perfect Man, Jesus had no sin of His own, so He couldn’t be accused by the devil.  Yet, God made Jesus to be sin on our account, so that He would rightly take the punishment we deserved, and our debt of guilt was satisfied.  When Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished,” the case was closed.  The devil, with all his devious power, had lost, but we were freed from the curse of sin.

Three days after Jesus gave up His life on the cross, the world got to see His victory over everything that would have destroyed us.  By the power only God possesses, Jesus rose to life again, and death no longer has power over Him.  Now too, connected to Jesus by faith, the Christian also is free from death and condemnation.  As St. Paul wrote, we were connected to Jesus’ death in baptism, and raised to life with Him at the same time in that new birth from above.  In Christ, we are forgiven for our lapses of faithful obedience of law, forgiven of those times when we fail to recognize our neighbor’s needs, even forgiven for willful neglect when these sins are repented.

At the same time, the Good News of what Jesus has done for us changes us.  What previously had seemed difficult, now becomes a pleasure.  While previously, we would perhaps try to help a neighbor out of fear of condemnation, but now restored to life in Christ, we strive to help those we find in need out of thankfulness and a new heart of love instilled in us by the power of the Holy Spirit who worked faith and life in us.

Today, as servants and friends of the living Savior, we are still instructed to love our neighbor, now even more so than before, for Christ’s new command is to love as He has loved us.  Yet, this command is not burdensome for it is Christ dwelling in us that motivates us to live and love as He did.

Still, we know that as long as our earthly walk continues, we will stumble and grow weary.  Good works will sometimes be hard to find even among the faithful, and in this world where the troubles and sorrows of life are broadcast across the globe in an instant, there will always be hurting people that are beyond our reach or ability to help.  Still, we have no reason to be afraid, for our Redeemer has set us free from the threats of the law.  His holiness covers us.  His love empowers us and protects us.  It is not anything we have done, but Christ’s righteousness and holy sacrifice that made us God’s people.  Therefore, keep your eyes focused firmly and steadily on Jesus—for in Him, you will always See what prophets and kings longed to see.  Amen.

Now to Him, who is able, according to the power that is at work within us, to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.

Our competence is in Christ.

Sermon for Trinity 12, September 8, 2019

Grace to you, and peace, from Him who is, who was, and who is coming.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 3:4–11  ⁴Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God.  ⁵Not that we are competent by ourselves to claim that anything comes from us; rather, our competence is from God.  ⁶He also made us competent as ministers of a new testament (not of letter, but of spirit).  For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.  ⁷If the ministry that brought death (which was engraved in letters on stone) came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look directly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (though it was fading), ⁸how will the ministry of the spirit not be much more glorious?  ⁹For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory.  ¹⁰In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it.  ¹¹Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent! (EHV)

Our competence is in Christ.

            Statements some people have made in rejecting Christianity: God loves us no matter what, and that’s all we need to know.  What gives you the right to judge?  You Christians think you are better than everyone else!  Your religion oppresses people!  Get your cross out of my face.  What makes you think your God, or your religion, is better than any others?  You’re just a bunch of white supremists trying to hold on to your privileges.  I don’t need your God, or your church, to have a good life!  The world would be better off without your kind! 

Dear friends of the living Lord,

            What kind of accusations, misdirections, red herrings, and outright lies are being thrown against you as you try to serve the living Lord with honest reverence?  Since the world is growing ever more hostile to the Word of God, it seems to be ever-increasingly harder to share the Gospel with our friends and neighbors.  Pop culture fights against us.  Much of our media fights tooth and nail against the ideas put forth in Scripture.  Our own lack of confidence doesn’t help.  Even among many churches, some calling themselves Lutheran, we are becoming a pariah for not going along with the in crowds that have taken over our culture, our schools, and the politics of our times.

As harsh as that sounds, and as difficult as it might sometimes feel to talk about what Jesus has done for us, it really isn’t all that different from what Paul’s opponents were saying in Corinth.  There too, accusations were made that Paul, and other faithful Christians, didn’t have the proper credentials, or weren’t giving proper heed to other teachers, or simply weren’t telling the full story.  Paul’s answer, and our confidence, as well, is that Our competence is in Christ.

Paul wrote to his dear friends, “Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent by ourselves to claim that anything comes from us; rather, our competence is from God.”  The first thing to remember is that we do not, and we must not, preach ourselves.  We have done nothing to earn salvation.  We didn’t find God on our own.  We certainly have never lived holy lives.  Instead, God picked us up out of the gutter of sin and death to give us new life.  He cleansed us by the water and Word of Baptism.  The Holy Spirit worked faith in our hearts by pouring the Gospel over and around us. 

My friends, our greatest badge of honor is simply that “God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses.  It is by grace you have been saved!” (Ephesians 2:4-5)  Thus, because God worked His love in us, Our competence is in Christ.

When God rescued us from the gaping jaws of hell, as He reconciled Himself to us by the holy life and sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, “He also made us competent as ministers of a new testament (not of letter, but of spirit).  For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.”  According to the letter of the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai, all of us should have been eternally condemned.  However, it was never God’s plan that all should die.  He would far rather die Himself to save as many as will believe. 

Therefore, it is Christ Jesus—living, dying, and rising again in our place—who made us worthwhile servants of the living God.  Furthermore, Jesus gave us our marching orders when He told His disciples, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)  After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus further instructed, “Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven.  Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (John 20:23)  So, whoever refuses to hear, what God gives us to say as servants of Christ, are really condemning themselves by their arrogant refusal to repent of sin or to be forgiven by the Savior who died for all.

Now, there are many in the world who think themselves worthy of praise for the lives they lead.  Many of those also use a standard of their own imagination as to what is right or wrong.  Numerous forces, politicians, activists, and non-Christian theologians try to force self-exalted behaviors on their neighbors.  That’s the driving force behind many laws, environmental movements, and political campaigns of our present age.  And, many people think themselves good for supporting those efforts, but the truth is, no matter how noble the law, no matter how honorable the intent, none of this will bring anyone one inch closer to heaven.

The Ten Commandments that Moses carried down from the mountain, inscribed in stone by God’s own hand, so glorious was that meeting with God that Moses’ face shone for weeks after, and those laws are God’s will for our lives and relationships.  Yet, the law never does anything to help us.  It always condemns and brings death, because none of us ever live up to the demands, and the penalty is eternal separation from God.  Yet, this is the glory many people throughout history have sought—how can we live to be holy?  But honestly, how we live, no matter how glorious the cause, leads only to death and eternal hopelessness.

Our obedience of law doesn’t lead to righteousness but to condemnation, and those who don’t know Christ have no chance at being saved, which means no chance of heaven.  This is why it is so important that Our competence is in Christ.  It is Christ’s righteousness, credited to us by faith, that makes us acceptable to God in heaven, and it is Christ’s righteousness working in us that motivates us to desire to live according to God’s will.

Now, many of our world don’t want to hear that.  Even many Christians, today, have become ashamed to stand up and say it.  A major denomination, that still calls itself Lutheran, declared at their synod convention this summer that we can’t know for sure how to get to heaven, therefore they would recognize all faiths as equally valid.  What absurd, absolute arrogance it is to stand before the Lord and declare that they don’t know how we are saved.  They claim to be Christians, but they deny the words of Christ Himself who clearly said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6)  This, we might say, is the sum of all holy scripture.  Every part of the Bible points to Jesus as God’s answer to the sins of the human race. 

Everything Jesus did and said declares the love of God for a fallen humanity.  It is the same for every person on earth no matter their parentage, upbringing, religion, or race.  There is no pleasing God and no entering heaven apart from faith in Christ Jesus.  If we love anyone, that is the message we simply have to share.  Because if we don’t share all that God has said, we have left people adrift in their self-absorbed lives leading to death in the hell prepared for the devil and his angels.

As Christian believers, we know that we do have to preach the law.  However, we also know that we can’t save anyone with the law, for it mainly shows the need for the sinner’s rescue.  Therefore, law preaching lacks the glory it has often been thought to have.  Preaching the Gospel, though, is far different and far better.  Paul wrote, “For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory.  In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it.  Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent!”  The glory of law fades fast in comparison to the blessings received in the Gospel, and the promises of the Gospel last forever.

By preaching Christ Jesus, and Him crucified for us, we have the honor of reaching out with the hand of the Holy Spirit to lift lost souls out of the darkness of death.  What greater glory could we hope for than to see some lost, hurting friend, who once had been hurtling toward hell in a broken-down body of sin, enter the gates of everlasting life to be seated in Jesus’ presence forever?

By holding on to Jesus, alone, as the source of salvation, and to the Bible, only, as the divine message to a fallen humanity, we are walking side by side with Jesus who the world rejected but God has declared His beloved and perfectly holy Son.  By walking boldly with Jesus through every trial and tribulation, we are walking in the footsteps of Paul and Barnabas who conceded, "We must go through many troubles on our way to the kingdom of God," (Acts 14:22)

Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another, which doesn’t refer to our feelings for each other but means that we must always do what is best for the other person’s life and health.  Jesus then said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me first.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, for that very reason the world hates you.”  (John 15:18-19)

This is our reality as Christian believers—though the world may reject us, we will remain true to Him who loved the world enough to die for it—and we will walk with our Savior in sure confidence that though the world may hate us, our Father in heaven loves us with an everlasting love, a love poured out for us through the blood of His own dearly loved Son.

What the world says against us may hurt our feelings, but it can’t hurt our status with the Father above.  They may even kill the body, but they cannot take away our place at the throne of glory in heaven.  This is our hope, our joy, and our confidence—Our competence is in Christ.  Amen.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever.  Amen.

God comes in a gentle whisper.

Sermon for Trinity 11, September 1, 2019

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

1 Kings 19:9b-18  Then the word of the LORD suddenly came to him, saying, “Why are you here, Elijah?”  ¹⁰ He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant.  They have torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword.  I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”  ¹¹ The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is passing by.”  Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains and shattered rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind came an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.  After the fire there was a soft, whispering voice.  ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak, and he went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.  Then a voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”  ¹⁴ He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant.  They have torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword.  I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”  ¹⁵ The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came and go to the Wilderness of Damascus.  When you get there, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.  ¹⁶ You will also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet in your place.  ¹⁷ Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.  ¹⁸ But I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.” (EHV)

God comes in a gentle whisper.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            He wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last prophet to be threatened with death by his government.  Truth be told, many prophets have been killed by unbelieving earthly rulers.  In fact, Israel eventually earned a reputation for killing God’s prophets.  But, here, one of the greatest of all God’s prophets was on the run apparently fearing for his life, and the Lord God came to him asking why.  So, why did Elijah run?  Why was he hiding so far from home?  Why was he in despair?

The Bible doesn’t tell us why Elijah so feared Jezebel’s threat, but perhaps we can speculate.  Elijah had just seen the greatest display of God’s power in centuries.  Elijah had challenged King Ahab to test the prophets of Baal and Asherah, two of the idols Ahab, and especially his wife Jezebel, were pushing on the tribes of Israel.  The test was set up, the idols proved themselves as silent and useless as we would expect, and God displayed His divine power in a flash of heavenly fire. 

Upon seeing this great display of God’s power, the people of Israel fell prostrate in worship crying out, "The LORD, He is God!  The LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39)  Elijah immediately called for the people to seize the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, which they did, and taking them down into the Kishon Valley, they slaughtered all of those workers of iniquity. 

The victory seemed complete.  But, at the end of the day, nothing really changed in Israel.  Ahab didn’t move to drive the idolatry out of the land.  Instead, Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life, swearing she would kill him within twenty-four hours.  Thus, the idolatry continued firmly in place.

So, did Elijah run just because he was afraid of Jezebel’s threat, or was Elijah also despairing because he thought his work for the Lord hadn’t accomplished what he had hoped it would?  We can’t answer with certainty, and maybe it doesn’t matter, because the Lord doesn’t reprimand Elijah as much as simply point him to the truth of the way God operates in this world.

There was another time when one of God’s great prophets had been frustrated with the slowness of people to believe.  After Moses dealt with Israel worshipping a golden calf, he went back up on the mountain to receive again the law of the Lord.  But first, God had a message for Moses; He passed before Moses on the mountain declaring, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth, maintaining mercy for thousands, forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin.  He will by no means clear the guilty.”  (Exodus 34:6-7)  In our text, God reminds us of the same thing.  He is not a God who just wants to condemn the sinner; rather, He wants to save.  Yet, it is not through power that God works salvation, but rather through humble, unexpected means.  Furthermore, God doesn’t save anyone be wreaking judgment on the sinner.  Rather, it is through the soft, whispering voice of His holy Gospel that God works salvation and a change of heart in sinners.  We might say that still today, God comes in a gentle whisper.

After God spoke to Elijah, He caused three powerful forces outside that cave.  There was a violent wind that tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks there.  That was immediately followed by an earthquake, and we can all imagine how destructive and terrifying that might be if we were hiding in a cave.  Finally, there was a fire.  We’ve all seen how fire can rage through a wilderness destroying everything in its path.  Yet, with each display of power we get the same message, “the LORD was not in” it.  Certainly, the Lord was passing by that place, but he wasn’t in the powers of destruction. 

Yet, that wasn’t the end of God’s message: “After the fire there was a soft, whispering voice.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak, and he went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.”  Elijah then understood.  He wrapped his face in the cloak because He knew God was in that soft, whispering voice.  If Elijah wasn’t reminded of Moses’ experience on the mountain, he surely got the same message.  It isn’t God’s desire to destroy the wicked.  That isn’t what God wants, even though His righteousness demands it in the end.  However, “God our Savior…wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)  And, “The Lord is not slow to do what He promised, as some consider slowness.  Instead, He is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

This is one of those Bible stories that we all need to take to heart.  It’s very easy for the Christian to begin to look forward to God bringing judgment and wrath upon the wicked.  We might wish we could stand and cheer as He rains fire and brimstone down on those who hurt us and persecute His Church.  However, that isn’t what God wants.

God sends believers out in this world almost like defenseless sheep.  St. Paul recognized this when he wrote, As it is written: "For your sake we are being put to death all day long.  We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." (Romans 8:36)  Christians appear to be defenseless before the rampages of the wicked.  Likewise, to the unbeliever, God’s Word doesn’t seem all that powerful.  Yet, it is through that small whisper of the Gospel that any of us are saved. 

Jesus, too, doesn’t look like a great King.  How could He?  He was a penniless preacher to the Jews who was falsely accused by His own people, then led helpless to a cross to be slaughtered for crimes He didn’t commit.  Who would follow such a teacher?  Well, in fact, you and I do.  Why?  Because that Teacher is God’s Son who works through the humble means of water and the soft whisper of the Gospel to give us faith, and forgiveness, and eternal life.

Now, many people say that the miracles of the Bible are hard to believe.  Likely, many of your friends and neighbors will doubt that God created the world in six days.  Vast populations on earth refuse to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin.  Most modern scholars mock those of us who believe all the miracles recorded in the Bible.  They say it’s just mythology or propaganda. 

Yet, it is through that soft whispering voice that you and I were changed.  We aren’t the same as when we came into the world.  Then, we too had no knowledge or respect for God.  At birth, we thought only about ourselves.  We didn’t care about sin or hatred or even death.  We just wanted to feel good.  As we grew older, feeling good sometimes meant we wanted to see revenge—pay back for our hurts.

That’s what is so astounding about the God who created the world and everything in it.  Every one of us has hurt and offended God.  Every one of us has at times gone against what He would wish for us and for those around us.  All of us have betrayed Him, so God’s holy righteousness would naturally seem to demand that we be paid back the punishment we deserve for those times we hurt Him.  But, such is the love of God that He wants to make peace with us instead, and He did that by taking our sins, our shameful conduct, our rebellious thoughts, words and actions—He took all our guilt upon Himself.  That is why God’s Son, Jesus, went willingly carrying His shameful cross to the top of the Golgotha hill—because He would rather die on our behalf than see us suffer the eternal punishment of hell.

The second time God asked Elijah why he was there, the prophet replied word for word the same as the first time, but the tone of his voice seems to change.  Yes, Elijah had seen some trouble, the same trouble he had faced his whole life of prophetic service.  But now, he understood how merciful God is.  Therefore, God sent Elijah back to work, back to the same antagonistic neighbors he had been trying to reach before. 

Now, don’t be mistaken, judgement would come upon that nation, just not yet.  The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came and go to the Wilderness of Damascus.  When you get there, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.  You will also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet in your place.  Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.  But I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.”

Despite what his feelings told him, Elijah was not alone.  Furthermore, saving faith isn’t a product of what we humans do.  Yes, the majority of the people in those ten northern tribes had abandoned the God of their forefathers, but God Himself was still preserving seven thousand believers.  There would be a time of judgment, for sure.  But for the time being, God wanted His message of repentance unto salvation proclaimed to those struggling tribes.  Faithful Elijah had work yet to do, and first on that list was preparing his replacement.

The same could be said for you and me.  The world we live in doesn’t always like to hear what we teach.  We may lose friends because they don’t like to hear what God says in His Word.  We may even yet face persecution far greater than any of us have faced thus far.  But, we are never alone, and while we journey through this sin-broken, Satan-led world, we can be sure that God is working through His soft, whispering voice in Word and Sacrament to bring His mercy and forgiveness to thousands more.  He will use us to share His Good News.  Yes, there may even come a time when God uses us in martyrdom, but He will never abandon us to the devil or the devil’s followers.  The Lord will never leave us alone.  We have Jesus’ promise on that, for when Jesus told His disciples (including all of us) to go to work sharing His message throughout the world, He promised, “And surely I am with you always until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

Dear friends, do not be afraid of what the world might do against you.  Rather, be confident in what Jesus has already done for you.  Then always remember the message given to Elijah that day, God comes in a gentle whisper.  Amen.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and in His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.  Amen.