Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 4, June 25, 2023

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

Matthew 10:5, 21-33  ⁵Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, … ²¹“Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child.  Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  ²²You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.  ²³And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next.  Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.  ²⁴“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master.  ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master.  If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!  ²⁶“So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.  ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.  ²⁸Do 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.  ²⁹“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.  ³⁰And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  ³¹So do not be afraid.  You are worth more than many sparrows.  ³²“Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.  ³³But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. (EHV)

Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.

Dear disciples of the living Savior,

            Our text is a portion of what we might say is Jesus’ ordination address to His disciples.  He commanded these personally chosen twelve to go first “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:6)  Yet, Jesus also explained how they would be witnesses of His work to all the people of the world.  He had much instruction for them—they were to be shrewd yet innocent, on guard against those who would oppose them, yet freely giving of their testimony concerning the grace He was bringing to the world. 

In this portion of His direction to them, Jesus warns that being His follower will bring much opposition even from those closest to the disciple.  Still, they are not to fear earthly enemies, for the salvation He has won for them will be all they need to receive life everlasting.  The message likewise for us is to Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.

We live in a world that pretends to want unity and equity in all things.  However, many things divide people naturally.  Christianity, even more so, is by nature divisive.  The natural man wants to rule his own destiny.  The sinner wants to believe that he can get along without a Savior.  The reality is that God alone can save us, because heaven requires perfect holiness for entry into that glorious place. 

Jesus told His friends, “Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child.  Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”  Because of the sinful nature, those who follow Jesus will be rejected just as He was.  Remember, even Jesus’ own family thought Him insane before His death and resurrection. 

The closer we get to Judgment Day, the more we see families divided by faith.  When someone who comes from a nonreligious family begins to believe in Jesus, many of those people closest to the person assume that the believer has become judgmental because he or she no longer wants to chase after the sinful ways of the world.  Some non-Christian religions even demand death for those who become Christians.  In certain countries around the world, converting to Christianity can lead to a death sentence if that conversion becomes public knowledge.  Thus, we recognize that Jesus knew what He was talking about when He taught His disciples.

Three times Jesus told His disciples not to be afraid.  Accordingly, we might ask, what do you fear?  Are you afraid of rejection from your neighbors or family members if you speak about Jesus?  Do you fear what people think of you if you live according to the teachings of the Bible?  We live in a world where many things are changing, and more and more fear is being expressed about the changes in our politics and the safety of our surroundings. 

As one listens to the news and peruses social media, it is easy to become afraid that we will become victims of persecution, or that bad actors intent on making martyrs of believers will hunt us down.  Psychologists and sociologists bombard us with more and more reports of fear between the generations.  Young people, and old as well, are consumed by stress and anxiety.  But why?  Is it because of fear of an unknown future?  Because we fear the finality of death?  Or is it because of a lack of faith in the One who has taken away all guilt and fear?  We know that the answer for more and more people, today, is their lack of trust in the One True God.

For Jesus’ disciples, faithful confidence didn’t come immediately.  When Jesus was arrested, they all fled in terror.  However, everything changed for them when Jesus rose from the dead Easter morning.  Those who once had been paralyzed by fear because bold proclaimers of the Good News to the world, men who were not afraid to die for Jesus’ name.  Rather, in fact, for the rest of their lives, regardless of the opposition, they testified boldly to the truth of what Jesus had done for them.  The same is true for you and me.  Christ’s resurrection from the tomb is sure and certain proof that everything the Bible says is accurate, and everything God promised is real for you and me.

Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master.  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master.  If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!  So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.”  There were many early Christians, including all of Jesus’ disciples, who were persecuted, and many were killed for their faith in Jesus.  It is also reported that some early Christians even sang hymns of praise to God as they were led to slaughter. 

The apostles themselves, after they were arrested, jailed, beaten, and ordered not to teach about Jesus, “left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name.” (Acts 5:41)  Why could they do that?  Because they now knew the end of the story.  They remembered that Jesus had said they would be treated like their Lord.  At the same time, they remembered the sure hope they had in Jesus.  All their sins were forgiven.  All their fears and lack of confidence were forgotten by the God who is their true Judge.  And all of this is just as true for you and me.  Therefore, we too can Endure unafraid until Christ returns for us all.

There will come a time when every evil intention will be revealed.  Those who reject Jesus here on earth will be rejected by Him when it matters most, and they will be cast into eternal punishment.  You, on the other hand, have a Savior and a God who valued you above everything.  You have a Friend on high who suffered God’s wrath on your behalf, and has opened the gates of heaven for you.  A Friend who promises “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, because those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

Jesus gave us a command of kindness: “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.”  It comes naturally to us who are caught in the curse of sin to be afraid of anyone or anything that would hurt or kill us.  However, Jesus wants us to respect the power of our almighty God and Savior.  Yes, Jesus has the power to send us to hell, but rather than use His power and life to destroy, He gave of Himself to cleanse and save us, and in the end, He will use His power to give us life and restore our bodies to eternal glory.

Jesus asked rhetorically, “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  So do not be afraid.  You are worth more than many sparrows.”  Your God and Father in heaven knows every intimate detail about you, but even the worst of your sins didn’t stop Him from sending His beloved Son to live and die for you.  How much are you worth to God?  The very life and sacrifice of the Son most dear to His heart.  For you, Jesus lived and died.  For you, Jesus rose from the grave triumphant over death and the devil.  For you, Jesus and the Father send the Holy Spirit through the Gospel so that you can be converted from sinner to saint, from someone walking in darkness to the light of life, so that you may be transformed from a sinner terrified to meet your Judge on Judgment Day, to a beloved child running to the arms of the Father who loved you from the beginning.

Why should you be able to Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you?  Because Jesus, the One Man who has been given authority to judge all things, promises, “Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”  Those of us who have been given faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit have nothing to fear.  Our Savior who loves us is in control of all things.  No matter how beastly the world might rage against us, we have a sure and certain future with Jesus in heaven. 

The unbeliever and all those who persecute and kill God’s children will be cast into outer darkness for eternal suffering.  However, those whom God has called to faith and cleansed by the blood of His Lamb have been “conformed to the image of his Son” via the faith in Jesus they now possess. 

When we stand before our Savior, either at Judgment Day, or should our life on this earth be taken away someday soon, we will hear the proclamation of Him who has done all things well, “Well done, good and faithful servant! … Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:23)  You see, when we are judged, we won’t be rejected for our sins, because Jesus has paid for them all.  Through faith, we will instead be dressed in the righteousness Christ Jesus lived for us all, and in His righteousness, we will be received into heaven to the shouts of saints and angels praising God for His goodness to us.

This morning again, all you who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, come to the altar of our beloved Brother who gave His life so that we may live and never die.  Come receive of His precious body and blood in the bread and wine, the sure forgiveness Jesus won for you and the medicine that strengthens your faith in Him as your Savior.  Trusting in Jesus for righteousness pure and forgiveness full and free, Endure unafraid until Christ returns for you.  Amen.

Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Freely give the healing you were given.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 3, June 18, 2023

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Amen.

Matthew 9:35-10:8  ³⁵Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.  ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.  ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  ³⁸Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.” 10:1-8  Jesus called his twelve disciples to himself and gave them authority to drive out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness.  ²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee and his brother John; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. ⁵Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not enter any town of the Samaritans.  ⁶Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  ⁷As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’  ⁸Heal the sick.  Raise the dead.  Cleanse lepers.  Drive out demons.  Freely you have received; freely give. (EHV)

Freely give the healing you were given.

Beloved lambs of the Good Shepherd,

Have you ever played the “If then” game?  That’s where you look at the future and say, “If I ever get rich, then I am going to buy a boat and sail around the world.”  Or, “I’ll build a bigger house, or buy that car I always wanted.”  Or, “If I get the chance, I’ll retire early and spend all my time on the fun stuff.”  Or maybe like my dad would say when we were kids, “If I ever get rich, I’ll buy a farm and farm until the money’s gone.” 

But, perhaps, your thoughts aren’t so selfish; maybe your dreams run more along the line of “If I win the lottery, then I’ll give a million dollars to help the schools.”  Or, “When my ship comes in, I’ll give lots of money to church, to the poor, and to anyone who asks.”  Or, “Someday, when I have more time, or when I retire, then I’ll dedicate myself to serving the Lord.”

I think it’s natural for each of us to fantasize a little about what we would do if only it was easy; if only the opportunity would be given us, what great things we would like to do.  However, rather than fantasizing about what we could do, how much better it is to take advantage of the opportunities to serve that God already gives us. 

Now, ask yourselves, what is the greatest need of our friends and neighbors?  What is the foremost need of every person in this world?  Could you possibly do something that would be of benefit to every person on earth?  It is important to note that One Man already did.  Our Lord Jesus Christ gave His life to benefit every man, woman, and child who is ever conceived on this planet.  He gave His life to heal our broken souls and give us the riches of eternal life.  Thus, the message of this text for us is don’t wait for someday when, right now, you can Freely give the healing you were given.

Matthew reports, “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Jesus gladly healed the physical ailments of all the people who came to Him, but that physical healing was just a foretaste of the eternal healing He came to give.  As Jesus observed the people of Israel, He felt their most urgent pain.  “He was moved with compassion for them.”  Literally, His innards were being stirred up by the pain of seeing people He loves tormented by the curse of sin.

As Jesus walked among the people God had chosen to be His own, a nation God wanted to care for as their loving Father, He saw that Satan assaulted and tormented them in every part of their lives.  The teachers and leaders who should have been preaching the love of God instead harshly abused them with the law.  Instead of teaching about a coming Savior who would give His life to make them whole, the people were told do this, do that, and do more or be damned.  The Pharisees preached law, law, and more law.  The Sadducees were no better, for they focused on obeying the Romans lest they lose their positions of authority and power. 

It all sounds pretty sad, but when you think about it, it sounds very much like our world today.  In fact, it’s exactly like we each enter the world.  We all were born with no knowledge of Christ or His saving grace, so all we could know, naturally, is what our consciences told us and later what our parents and the world teach us.  Paul wrote that even when people look good and obedient, “They demonstrate the work of the law that is written in their hearts, since their conscience also bears witness as their thoughts go back and forth, at times accusing or at times even defending them.” (Romans 2:15) 

Consequently, our consciences accuse us, batter us, and scare us, yet leave us not knowing where to turn for help and healing.  Many organizations and even many churches operate with the idea that they can teach you to live better.  Our government keeps adding law after law to make people behave, but law never eases the burden of guilt.  It tells us what we should do but doesn’t give us any power to do it.  So, who can really heal the sin-disease that leads to everyone’s death?  The answer is only Christ Jesus.

Now, you might say that Jesus finally saw their distress as He was walking among the people of Israel, but clearly, God saw that pain already before Adam and Eve fell into sin.  That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, into this world to cure that awful pain and to destroy the enemy who causes it.

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd."  Maybe, right now, you are wishing you had the power to heal the diseases that so afflict us in this world.  Even in our own little congregation, we have members currently suffering illness and pain.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could just command those torments to leave them? 

In our times, many people mock the power of prayer, so you may find it interesting that Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.”  Do you suppose Jesus’ main intention was to fix the earthly troubles of those people?  Of course not!  Even though Jesus is surely concerned about our troubles in this life, He is always focused far beyond these temporary conditions to the eternal life to come, and He wanted each and every person the disciples met to hear of the salvation He was bringing for the world.  Sin has infected us since the fall, and we had no cure, but Jesus gave everything to be the cure for us.  The work those twelve apostles were given was to spread Jesus’ eternal healing wherever they went. 

Looking at the vast numbers of people in the world who needed the help only He could give, Jesus lived every moment of His life in perfect obedience to every law and every desire of His Father in heaven.  He did that for you and me.  Jesus then went to the cross carrying all the sins of the world paying the due penalty for the failures and corruption infecting us.  Now, however, by the grace and mercy of God, trusting in Christ Jesus as our Savior, we are healed of our worst ailment, the disease of sin. 

Today, as we remember those original believers, is our work any different?  You and I may not have the power to heal physical ailments.  God doesn’t promise that every Christian will have that gift, but He did give us the keys to the kingdom of heaven where there is no more illness, suffering, sorrow, or pain.  God has given us the ability to proclaim Christ crucified, to forgive the sins of the penitent, and to share the Gospel medicine that heals the sin-sickness that infected us all. 

Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “… As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’  Heal the sick.  Raise the dead.  Cleanse lepers.  Drive out demons.  Freely you have received; freely give.”  Those last six words teach us that Jesus was perfectly focused on our main problem, the sin-sickness within.  Jesus hadn’t healed even one of those twelve disciples of a physical ailment, but He had brought to each of them the gift of life, the message of the eternal healing of their sin-sick souls through faith in Him.

Dear friends, “Freely you have received, freely give.”  You were brought to faith in Jesus without any cost on your part.  Your sins were paid for on the cross of Golgotha without any contribution from you, me, or anyone else but Jesus.  The promise of salvation and eternal life won for you by Christ is brought to you solely through the Holy Spirit’s work in Word and Baptism.  As your parents brought you to that life-giving fountain, God set no charge of what you must do or give to be saved.  He simply washed away your sins with the words “Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus paid the full ransom price for your sins.  He gave His life to make you right before God; nothing more is needed for your forgiveness; nothing more is required for you to live forever with God in heaven.  It sounds so simple that many people struggle to believe it.  They wonder, how can I be saved simply by believing in Jesus and not doing something to please God?  It is beyond human understanding, but Jesus tells us plainly, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (John 3:36)  And as you have heard so many times, Paul assured us, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” (Ephesians 2:8)

So, what can we do?  As we look around the world, we can certainly see people who need to hear of the great love and salvation won for all by Jesus.  Therefore, the first thing we can do is answer Jesus’ call to pray.  Pray that God will move more believing young men to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel.  Pray that God sends someone with the message of the Gospel to each lost sinner.  Pray that God will open the heart of every lost soul to hear the truth before it’s too late.  And at the same time, pray that God makes you an instrument of His grace. 

We all remember Jesus’ instruction, “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.” (Matthew 28:19-20)  Let’s not forget to do that, also, right here at home.  Jesus sent His disciples first “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  So, who do you know that has wandered from the flock?  Who do you know that still needs to hear the saving message of the Gospel?  For whom can you pray?  Do you need help or courage to do these things?  Jesus promises, “And surely I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) 

The reality is, we have no reason to play the “If then” game, for we have been blessed with the greatest riches mankind has ever known—the gift of forgiveness and everlasting life.  Remember that Jesus took your guilt.  Know that you have been forgiven of every sin.  Is there anyone with whom you would like to share that gift?  Are you praying God to send laborers to that person?  Can you reach out with the healing message of Christ crucified for sinners like you and me?  Can you comfort a troubled, hurting, fellow sheep with the simple truth that Jesus lived and died to save us all from sin and death?  Can you hold the hand of a guilt-ridden sinner and remind that person of God’s love for all in Jesus?  Can you help the pastor visit someone feeling the burden and guilt of sin?  Freely give the healing you were given.

Jesus told the twelve, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’  Heal the sick.  Raise the dead.  Cleanse lepers.  Drive out demons.  Freely you have received; freely give.”  Most of us probably won’t be given the gift of physical healing, but when we share Christ, we do participate in the healing of sin-sick souls; we do wash away the leprosy of sin as we share the message that Jesus lived and died for all people.  When we share Christ crucified with a tormented soul, and he or she believes, do we not drive the devil far away and raise that dead soul to life everlasting?  The answer is surely and certainly, “Yes!”  Therefore, beloved ones, Freely give the healing you were given.  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.

The great I AM has come to save you.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 2, June 11, 1984

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

Exodus 3:1-15  Now Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, a priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  ²The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in blazing fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but the bush was not burning up.  ³So he said, “I will go over and look at this amazing sight―to find out why the bush is not burning up.”  ⁴When the Lord saw that Moses had gone over to take a look, God called to him from the middle of the bush and said, “Moses!  Moses!”  Moses said, “I am here.”  ⁵The Lord said, “Do not come any closer.  Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”  ⁶He then said, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.  ⁷The Lord said, “I have certainly seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry for help because of their slave drivers.  Yes, I am aware of their suffering.  ⁸So I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  ⁹Now indeed, the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me.  Yes, I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them.  ¹⁰Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”  ¹¹But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  ¹²So God said, “I will certainly be with you.  This will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.”  ¹³But Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I say to them?”  ¹⁴So God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”  He also said, “You will say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”  ¹⁵God also told Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers―the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob―has sent me to you.  This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.’” (EHV)

The great I AM has come to save you.

Dear elect of the Living God,

            It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  In the history of the Children of Israel, God gave the world a living picture of His love and mercy.  At the same time in that historical diorama, we are shown the horrible end that comes to those who reject the God who created the world and everything in it.  God graciously chose to bless Israel so that all people yet to come could experience His great mercy to those who believe in His promises, and conversely, that they see His judgment upon all those who oppose His gracious will.  The message of our text for us is that The great I AM has come to save you.

When the time came for God to carry out His plan to rescue Abraham’s descendants from slavery in Egypt, He chose a shepherd to carry out that rescue.  Now, in this foreshadowing of what the Savior would do for all people, Moses appeared as an ordinary man appointed to an extraordinary task.  The details are different, yet the events of Moses’ life foreshadow much of what Jesus would live as a Man, and the experience of Israel in Egypt foreshadows that of all God’s people. 

While Moses was adopted into the Egyptian Pharoah’s family, Jesus was born into the line of King David through the virgin Mary.  As an infant, Moses had to be rescued from the deluded jealousy of a Pharoah, just as by an escape to Egypt, Joseph would protect Jesus from King Herod’s jealous rampage.  Just as Moses had to flee from the land of his birth to Midian to avoid the wrath of a ruler, so Joseph and Mary raised Jesus in the hinterlands of Galilee to avoid Herod’s son’s jurisdiction.  Just as Moses made his living as a shepherd during his time in exile, so in His sojourn on earth, Jesus was the Good Shepherd who laid down His life to save His sheep of all times and all places.

The descendants of Abraham had now been dwelling in Egypt for about four hundred years, just as God had told Abraham they would.  The great blessing that Joseph had been to the Egyptian nation was no longer remembered by the Pharaohs, and they enslaved the Israelites under heavy bondage.  However, no one should imagine that God had forgotten His people or His promises.  The Israelites, on the other hand, appear to have forgotten God’s promise to Abraham.  Moses, likewise, does not recognize the Lord when He calls.  Like all of us at birth, Moses and his people had much to learn.  Notice, though, God’s ongoing, gracious concern: The Lord said, “I have certainly seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry for help because of their slave drivers.  Yes, I am aware of their suffering.” 

In our day and age, many have forgotten God.  Likewise, there are many times that we are tempted to wonder whether God remembers to keep His eyes on us.  Does He see the troubles we all have to face in these tumultuous times?  Does he recognize the dangers that oppose us in our day-to-day lives?  At the same time, we might fearfully ask, does God see our rebellious ways?  Does He see our sins, our weaknesses, our disobedience, our disdain? 

Our text shows us, graphically, that God doesn’t miss any of that.  He sees it all.  He sees our faults, and He sees everything the world and the devil do to mislead and abuse us.  Therefore, we must remember that our God is the Great I AM, the God of mercy and lovingkindness, the same God who promised His people, “I will forgive their guilt, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

Because it is not God’s desire to condemn sinners as we deserve, but rather, that “God our Savior, … wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) He spoke to Moses, telling His chosen prophet and rescuer exactly what the Lord would do for Israel, which would foreshadow what the Christ would do for all sinners trapped in the slavery of sin.  The preincarnate Lord declared, “So I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”  What does this mean for you and me?  As we read Israel’s history, we learn of how God carried out the rescue of His chosen people.  Through it all, the people did nothing to save themselves.  Rather, God the Lord, alone, delivered them from slavery and led them to their promised home. 

To do what the people were powerless to do, God came down to earth to lead His chosen people out of cruel slavery, through a wilderness life, to a good land promised to their forefather for eternity.  It is an illustrative picture of how God’s Son, Jesus, came down from heaven to take on human flesh in order to deliver us, and all who believe, from the bondage of our sinful flesh and the devil’s power over us. 

More direct correlations could be drawn from throughout Israel’s rescue pointing us to Jesus and to how we are saved.  Therefore, we too can look forward to being delivered to the Promised Land of heaven—not by our own efforts but through the life and sacrifice of the Angel of the Lord, His own dear Son, Jesus, who came into this world on a mission to save the lost and enslaved souls of mankind.

When Moses trembled in worry, God promised, “I will certainly be with you.  This will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.”  Again, from the history recorded in the Bible, we know that God did indeed bring His people out of Egypt with a powerful demonstration of His authority over all things, and because God carried out this promise just as He had said, we can know that His promises to us are also true. 

Now, some might question the corollary, but from beginning to end of the Bible, what God promises happens.  What God records as history is backed up by evidence in the fossil record, in archeological studies, and even in much recorded secular history.  Sure, the sceptics argue against God’s Word, yet God’s Word still stands triumphant. 

Therefore, when the Holy Spirit causes Paul to write, “‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ of whom I am the worst.  But I was shown mercy for this reason: that in me, the worst sinner, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example for those who are going to believe in him, resulting in eternal life,” (1 Timothy 1:15-16) we can trust that our sins, no matter how grievous, are also forgiven for the sake of God’s Son who gave His life to pay for the guilt of us all.  Just as God was patient with Israel, and likewise with Paul, so He has been patient with us, not wanting to condemn us but to work faith in our hearts through Word and Sacrament, so that we too will believe in Jesus unto life everlasting.  For this purpose, The great I AM has come to save you.

In our text, God, the Angel of the Lord, and the Great I AM are one and the same God.  Whether two or three persons of the Trinity are speaking to Moses may be argued, but God always works as One, whether the action be by the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit.  In answer to Moses’ question as to who he should say has sent him, God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”  He also said, “You will say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”  

From everlasting to everlasting, our God lives and reigns over all things.  Likewise, because of His great love and mercy, the I AM came into this world in the Man, Christ Jesus.  He came to deliver us from death, the devil, and eternal condemnation.  By making Himself God’s holy sacrificial Lamb, Jesus took away the sins of the world and ripped us from the control of the prince of this world to bring us to the safety and peace of heaven.  At the same time, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God sends all who reject the Triune God to eternal torment. 

Today, again, Jesus gives us His body and blood in His holy Supper, to mark the doorposts of our hearts with the blood He shed on our behalf, and to give us to eat of His body that was nailed to a tree in our place, to remind us of His great mercy and grace, to restore in us the forgiveness Jesus won on the cross, and to strengthen our faith in Him as the everlasting Savior and Redeemer, who will lead us through the wilderness of this world to our true home in the glorious, everlasting Promised Land of heaven.  By His life, death, and resurrection from the grave, The great I AM has come to save you.  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.

Go for Jesus who goes with you.

 

Sermon for Trinity Sunday, June 4, 2023

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

Matthew 28:16-20  ¹⁶The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.  ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some hesitated because they were uncertain.  ¹⁸Jesus approached and spoke to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  ¹⁹Therefore 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, ²⁰and 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. (EHV)

Go for Jesus who goes with you.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            What motivates you in your everyday activities?  That is a question that most people likely should ponder, but I wonder how many really do.  Of course, I am equally confident that you could find numerous self-help books and motivational counselors that would encourage you to understand what drives you in your day-to-day efforts.  Are you motivated to work harder to make more money, have a bigger house, a fancier car, or more entertainment?  Do the trappings of wealth drive you, or are you motivated by the idea of prestige, of being famous for success in business or politics?

I suppose that these questions might sound a little uppity out here on the prairie.  Most of us will never make headlines in the news for our political achievements.  Nor are we likely to become famous for our music, or multibillionaires because of some invention or idea we have developed.

Still, a person doesn’t have to be rich to be motivated by money.  The poor are often just as driven, even if it is just to try to find enough to eat.  Jealousy and greed are two sides of the same sin.  Likewise, a person doesn’t need connections in high places to be motivated by a desire for influence.  When election season rolls around, local issues are just as likely as national ones to cause a stir in the community, and we could find numerous examples of people who irritated their neighbors simply by trying to influence their vote or their behavior.  Unfortunately though, wealth, privilege, fame, and power, all soon prove to be capricious and fleeting masters without any ability to save the soul.

Still, the question hangs in the air, what motivates you?  Or better yet, what should motivate you as a Christian believer?  And, what do you suppose motivated those eleven disciples to go out to the mountain that Jesus had designated as the place to meet Him?

In answer, what should motivate all people is the reality that there is an all-powerful God who will one day judge every person on earth.  However, we know that this knowledge alone won’t motivate anyone, because a law-based motivation is really a fear-based motivation and fear makes us enemies of the One who will judge, so a law-based motivation always fails.

This portion of God’s Word in our sermon text gives us the answer to our questions and provides a proper motivation for Christian believers.  Matthew reports, “The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.  When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some hesitated because they were uncertain.”  There on the mountain of Galilee, the eleven disciples met again their resurrected and glorified Lord, Jesus Christ.  For at least the second or third time they were witness to the power of the Almighty God and to His victory over death and the devil.   Because of this meeting on the mountain at Galilee, you and I can know that everything recorded in the Bible is true, and every promise God made to send a Savior is accomplished. 

Now, the text says some of those disciples doubted.  What they doubted isn’t clarified, but likely this simply means they weren’t at first sure what or who they were seeing.  Like some of the Old Testament prophets, they perhaps wondered, momentarily, whether this was Jesus or an angel of God.  Did they dare worship this Man who presented Himself before them in such radiant glory?  And the answer is a resounding, “Yes!”  So, with great joy, we Go for Jesus who goes with you.

Jesus approached and spoke to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  As God’s Son from eternity, Jesus always possessed unlimited authority according to His divine nature.  Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, alive once more, is the seal showing that by His willing sacrifice, and victory over death and the devil, divine authority is also extended to the Man Christ Jesus.  It confirmed for the disciples, as well as for you and me, that just as they should worship and serve the God in heaven who created the world and everything in it, so we will worship and serve Jesus, “For all the fullness of God’s being dwells bodily in Christ.” (Colossians 2:9)  Thus, we celebrate the Trinity.

What we must note, now, is that God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge the world, but instead, to bring reconciliation between mankind and God.  The message of this text is that Christ’s work of reconciling sinners with God is complete.  Jesus now tells His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore 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.” 

The point of all this is that we are called to serve our Lord, not out of a demand of law, but as an invitation to take forgiveness and salvation to the whole world.  Time and again, it is recorded that God sent Jesus to save all people.  Paul wrote to the Corinthian congregation, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)  Jesus had declared, “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)  Again, Paul assured young Timothy in his calling to missionary service, “‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)  Thus, we are urged to Go for Jesus who goes with you.

When His enemies became incensed with Jesus for forgiving the sins of a paralytic, claiming that only God can forgive sins, Jesus healed the afflicted man so that everyone would see that He has authority to forgive.  That authority was won by the sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of every sinner, you and me included.  Now, He tells us to go and share that relief with everyone else. 

Naturally, Jesus isn’t telling every Christian believer that they must serve as apostles or missionaries as His eleven (actually twelve) disciples were sent out to do starting at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)  Yet, in the body of His Church, Jesus has roles for all of us.  Therefore, we are to live our lives serving God rather than the devil or our old sinful flesh.  We were set free from that captivity to sin by the blood Jesus shed on the cross.  Therefore, whether we are farmers, fishermen, accountants, nurses, teachers, housewives, lawyers, politicians or any of thousands of other professions, it is our duty and privilege to serve Jesus and our neighbors by living for Him who died that we might live forever.  Whatever the task, whatever the question, the Holy Spirit tells us, “Do everything to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)  Therefore, by following Jesus in thought, word, and deed, we bring glory to the Father just as Jesus did with His holy obedience and the sacrifice of His perfect life on the cross on our behalf.

Therefore, when we bring children into the world, the first thing we want to do is bring them to Jesus, followed by teaching them everything there is to know about what Jesus has done to set us free from the devil’s control, torment, accusations, and everlasting prison.  When we have opportunity to share forgiveness with those around us, it is our joy and privilege to share that forgiveness freely.  Not all of us are called to travel the world as missionaries, but we join together with fellow saints to pool our resources in order to send men into the mission fields ripe for harvest.  In all of this, and God-willing much more, we Go for Jesus who goes with you.

Jesus promised His disciples He would send another Helper for them, the Spirit of Truth, and He promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” (John 14:18)  This morning, Jesus confirms that promise, saying, “And surely I am with you always until the end of the age.”  By the power of His authority over all things in heaven and earth, Jesus is working on our behalf, enabling us to do the tasks He gives us and protecting us from every true harm.  He sends His Holy Spirit through the Word to bring us to faith, to guide us, and to protect us in the true faith.  Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, well equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Jesus assures us that until that final day when He returns to judge the world, “Where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them.” (Matthew 18:20)  So, in our worship services, Jesus is with us.  In our prayers, He intercedes for us with the Father.  In the communion with His body and blood in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is with us, nourishing our faith, restoring forgiveness, and building us up to go out among the world with His grace and truth.

Dear friends, on this day in which we celebrate the Trinity, we remember that the Father who created us also loved us enough to give His own Son into death so that we may live.  Both the Father and the Son together send the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament to bring to us the Good News that works faith and life everlasting.  The God of heaven and earth, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, have had, and continue to have, only your everlasting good in their hearts and minds.  There is no greater power in heaven or on earth than the Savior who gave His all so that you are forgiven and redeemed children of His Father, also now your Father, in heaven.  With sure confidence in Jesus and all He has done to give us forgiveness and life everlasting, we give thanks and praise to the Triune God.  Therefore, now Go for Jesus who goes with you.  Amen.

For the LORD, our God, is good.  His mercy endures forever.  His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Amen.