Heed God’s gracious call.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 3, June 29, 2025

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.

1 Kings 19:19-21  ¹⁹So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat.  Elisha was doing the plowing with twelve teams of oxen in front of him, and he himself was driving the twelfth team.  Elijah crossed over to him and threw his cloak over him.  ²⁰Then Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah.  He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye!  Then I will follow you.”  Then Elijah said, “Go back!  For what have I done to you?”  ²¹So Elisha turned back from following him.  Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them.  Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.  Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him. (EHV)

Heed God’s gracious call.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            What do you do when the troubles of life overwhelm you?  Notice, I didn’t ask “What should you do?”  Even when we know what we should do, we often find ourselves falling far short of the ideal.  When the whole world seemed to be against him, even after a great victory over the prophets of the idol, Baal, Elijah, God’s great prophet, chose to run away in despair.  Elijah let his mortal flesh get the best of him in that moment when his physical life was threatened, yet again, by the wicked queen, Jezebel.

Now, some would expect that God would be greatly disappointed in Elijah’s sudden weakness.  Yet, God sent angels to strengthen His prophet, and then God proceeded to give Elijah the assignment of anointing new leaders to carry out God’s plan for Israel, including his own replacement.  In our sermon text, we view Elijah calling a rich farmer to take his place as the prophet of God.  Therefore, through this interchange, you and I should learn to Heed God’s gracious call.

Immediately before our sermon text, we saw how when God lifted Elijah out of his despair, He also instructed the prophet to anoint this Elisha as his replacement.  Elijah immediately proceeded as instructed in calling Elisha as the next prophet.  Notice, however, in this case, the anointing was not with oil.  Rather, Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha to signify that he was God’s choice to replace Elijah.  We don’t know anything especially significant about that piece of clothing, but apparently, Elisha immediately recognized the meaning of Elijah’s action.  In addition, this cloak was handed down to Elisha when Elijah was taken to heaven by the fiery horses and chariot of the Lord.

Elisha immediately responded to Elijah’s symbolic gesture with his intention to do as asked.  Since there might be some confusion about his reaction, we note his words: He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye!  Then I will follow you.”  Then Elijah said, “Go back!  For what have I done to you?”  What this little interchange tells us is that God’s call to serve is not a law demand.  Rather, God wants us to take up His call willingly, not begrudgingly as if trying to avoid God’s anger. 

God’s call to serve is not another commandment to be obeyed as a slave, but instead, a gracious invitation to serve the Lord with a willing heart.  To serve God only out of fear of being punished is not faith, and we are reminded again that faith is what brings us salvation along with God’s forgiveness and all the benefits He has planned for us.  St. Peter later wrote, “Though you do not see him now, yet by believing in him, you are filled with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Now, this is probably a good time for us to consider how we have responded to God’s call.  No, God doesn’t call us to be prophets in the likeness of Elijah or Elisha, but he does call us to faithfulness to Him and to His Word.  Much of Israel in their day failed horribly in this call.  The northern tribes had almost completely given themselves over to Baal worship.  That became the downfall of the southern tribes not much later in time.  Still, when Elijah was feeling the depths of despair, God assured him, “I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)

Sometimes, it is easy for believers in Jesus to feel alone in the world and under attack, and for sure, Christians have been assaulted in many ways ever since Jesus walked this earth.  At the same time, we are in greater danger if we are not faithful to our call to faith.  You see, none of us became believers of our own accord.  Like the Israelites, God chose to make us His people.  The Father “chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

It is in God’s gracious choice to save us from sin and condemnation that we receive the call to believe in Jesus as our Savior.  It is in that given faith that we are called to walk always with the Lord.  Furthermore, while God does indeed command us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” (Matthew 22:37-39) it is only by His grace and good gift that we are able even to try to do this.  Alone, we can do nothing, but Jesus doesn’t leave us to follow His call without help. 

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus promised His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” (John 14:18)  Jesus also promised them, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.” (John 14:26)  It is through God’s call to those chosen apostles that you and I can hear and know God’s precious invitation, forgiveness, and salvation.  By remaining faithful to the Word of God given through the hands of those prophets, apostles, and evangelists, you and I are received and kept in the kingdom of God.  Therefore, for our everlasting good, we must Heed God’s gracious call.

When Elisha received the call to be God’s next prophet, he showed his faithfulness to God’s call.  With Elijah’s encouragement, “Elisha turned back from following him.  Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them.  Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.  Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him.”  In our Gospel lesson this morning, we heard Jesus tell a reluctant follower, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)  Elisha did not look back.  Instead, he showed his commitment to the Lord and appreciation for the call by sacrificing his oxen and burning his farming equipment to cook the meat.  For Elisha, there would be no going back to his old life, as good and rewarding as it had been.

Here also is a message for us.  Many in this world may heed God’s call for a moment or even longer, but when the temptations of our old way of life come along, they are easily swayed into going back to sinful ways, or perhaps into trusting what the heart imagines is good. 

Of course, most of us are not called to be prophets, evangelists, apostles, or even preachers or teachers.  At the same time, our actions in life preach to the world our trust in what Jesus has done for us.  How we spend our time tells the world what is important in the kingdom of God.  How we use our money shows what is important to us.  Is building our own castles as important as sharing the Good News of forgiveness and life through faith in Christ Jesus?  Is time spent at the lake as valuable as time spent in God’s Word?  Do our words and actions speak, publicly, our trust in Jesus?  Do our children always see us living a God-fearing life? 

Now, please do not take offense.  Many of those things are not, of themselves, sinful.  Yet, when do we cross the line between faithfulness and reluctance to serve our Lord Jesus?  In what ways do we turn away from our call to go back to the ways of our sinful nature?  We each must answer those questions for ourselves knowing that in the end, we will stand before the Judge of the world.

At the same time, Heed God’s gracious call.  Remember that God has called you into the Christian faith through Baptism, and by His gracious love, He has dressed you in Jesus’ righteousness, for Jesus never once forgot His call to serve.  When His disciples were offended that some people didn’t receive Jesus willingly, they wanted to call down fire from heaven in judgement, but Jesus told them His call: “The Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s souls, but to save them.” (Luke 9:56)

Dear friends, Elisha was faithful to God’s gracious call.  Yet, Elisha could never measure up to the holiness of God’s Son, and indeed if Elisha couldn’t be that perfect, then neither can we.  On the other hand, just as Elisha was made holy and saved by faith in the promised Messiah, so you and I are counted holy for Jesus’ sake.  Trusting in Jesus, we have the gift of holiness and faith.  As we have been reminded so many times, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Faith given to us at our Baptisms and renewed in us often through the Gospel and Sacrament.

Just as Jesus reminds us whenever we partake of His Holy Supper, “Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28)  Because of the life He lived in our place, and the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for the sins of the world, you and I can be confident of God’s love for us.  It is also both our duty and privilege to share that message to the world around us.  We do that by teaching our children, helping our neighbors, and confessing our faith in Jesus.  Even our attendance at worship and at the Lord’s Table is testimony to the world of our Savior’s grace, just as St. Paul wrote, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)  Day by day throughout your life receive God’s kindness and love as you Heed God’s gracious call.  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. 

See the kindness Jesus has for you.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 2, June 22, 2025

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.

Luke 8:26-39  ²⁶They sailed down to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across from Galilee.  ²⁷When Jesus stepped ashore, a man from the town met him.  He was possessed by demons and for a long time had not worn any clothes.  He did not live in a house but in the tombs.  ²⁸When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg you, don’t torment me!”  ²⁹For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  In fact, the unclean spirit had seized him many times.  He was kept under guard, and although he was bound with chains and shackles, he would break the restraints and was driven by the demon into deserted places.  ³⁰Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”  He said, “Legion,” because many demons had gone into him.  ³¹They were begging Jesus that he would not order them to go into the abyss.  ³²A herd of many pigs was feeding there on the mountain.  The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.  ³³The demons went out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.  ³⁴When those who were feeding the pigs saw what happened, they ran away and reported it in the town and in the countryside.  ³⁵People went out to see what had happened.  They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet.  He was clothed and in his right mind, and the people were afraid.  ³⁶Those who saw it told them how the demon-possessed man was saved.  ³⁷The whole crowd of people from the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were gripped with great fear.  As Jesus got into the boat and started back, ³⁸the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to be with him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹“Return to your home and tell how much God has done for you.”  Then he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him. (EHV)

See the kindness Jesus has for you.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            As we consider the text before us, I believe we see both real history and present reality.  We see what Jesus did for others as He walked this earth, and we See the kindness Jesus has for you.

While Jesus travelled around the countryside, proclaiming the Good News of His coming to earth to deliver mankind from the devil’s control, He came to the east side of the Sea of Galilee, and there, He met a man who had been possessed by numerous demons.  That poor man’s life had been literally a living hell.  We can only imagine the tortures the devil’s hoards had laid upon him.  All relationships with family, friends, and neighbors had been destroyed.  It is likely that he was both feared and hated for the wretched things he had done under the demons’ control and the circumstances in which he was forced to live. 

Now, while we generally assume that demon possession is a thing of the past, does it not spark a question in our minds when we see previously rational people suddenly commit horrible crimes?  Is there a possibility that Satan has taken control when faith in Christ has grown weak or been replaced by some other ideology, leading to a denial of reality, or the desire for misguided justice for imagined offenses?  I doubt we can answer those questions with certainty, but we know that the man in our text was possessed by multitudes of Satan’s worst, and no other help could be found for him or to protect those who had suffered along with him.  Furthermore, this example shows that the demons actively intend only our destruction and death.

On the other hand, you and I can be comforted because we see how Jesus released this afflicted man from his spiritual prison.  In reality, Jesus has also done that for you and me.  You see, though the world often assumes that we are born in a neutral state and sin is something learned, the Bible makes it clear that we enter this life immersed in the devil’s bondage because of the sin infection we inherit from our parents.  Without God’s intervention in our lives here on earth, that bondage would remain permanent even unto eternity.  However, God didn’t leave us in that condition. 

We truly see God’s kindness and love for us in that He sent His Son, Jesus, to rectify the condition we were born in.  Jesus was in Judea and Galilee to fulfill promises made by God throughout previous history.  Even by making this journey, Jesus was showing us what He is willing to do to save sinners like you and me.  Time and again, we read in the Bible of how Jesus went out of His way to be in position to help some afflicted individual.  Again, we see His kindness in our lives in that God brought us into the world through parents who loved us enough to see that we learned of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins.  We were born in a place where the Gospel can be proclaimed and we can be taught the basics of God’s Word, a place where we can worship freely the One who loved us enough to live holiness for us and sacrifice Himself to redeem us from our slavery in Satan’s rebellion.

Jesus’ confrontation with the demon-possessed man also shows us a bit of the future.  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures tell us that “God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)  Though they severely tortured and abused that helpless man, those demons recognized Jesus, and even while rejecting His authority, they could not stop themselves from falling before Him in honor of His holy presence.  Even the demons had to confess the truth as they pleaded with Jesus, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg you, don’t torment me!”  Those devils already knew their everlasting destination.  Hell was prepared for Satan and his angels.  They know what end is in store for them, because God’s authority and judgment will not be denied by angel, demon, nor any man.

The person, who rejects Jesus or refuses to trust in Him for forgiveness and salvation, should take heed of this warning.  At the end of days, there will be no relief and no solace for God’s enemies, and those who reject Him here on earth will spend eternity knowing that Jesus gave His life to save them, too, but because of their unbelief they will not receive any inheritance of joy or peace. 

Yet, Jesus didn’t enter the world as a Babe in the manger to bring judgment on the world, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) 

Sometimes, people are coerced into fearing Jesus because He will return to judge the world.  However, that is the devil’s lying strategy to get people away from the Savior who loves them.  We see Christ’s love for souls displayed in our text.  Jesus didn’t turn this demon-possessed man away because of his sin, nor because of his depraved and wretched condition.  Only the demons were driven away.

Now, it might also strike you as somewhat odd that Jesus reacted to the crowds who feared Him by honoring their plea that He go away.  Here, we see that people who don’t yet know Jesus naturally fear His divine power and judgment.  However, even as Jesus gave them time apart from Him, He didn’t abandon them to the devil’s schemes.  Notice the healed man’s plea.  After the demons were driven away, and the man was restored to life—body and soul, he naturally wanted to be with Jesus for the rest of his life (and into eternity as well).  Still, in Jesus’ command for the man to return to his house and proclaim what Jesus had done for him, we See the kindness Jesus has for you.

Many a Christian believes, in fact, most Christian believers feel a bit like St. Paul when he writes, “I am pulled in two directions, because I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.  But, it is more necessary for your sake that I remain in the flesh.” (Philippians 1:23-24)  That restored man wanted to remain with Jesus forever, but because his friends and neighbors needed to learn about the healing he had received and the forgiveness and salvation Jesus offers to all people, what they truly needed was not for Jesus to depart, nor for the healed man to leave with Jesus, but that they hear the Good News of what Jesus did to rescue that man and many others from everlasting torture in the devil’s eternal prison.

You and I also have a purpose in this life.  God allows us to remain in this world, and in fact, for the world to continue to exist, so that His Word may be proclaimed to sinners, both those merely misled in all sorts of falsity, and to those who are truly defiant against God, because “God our Savior, … wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (Timothy 2:3-4)

Now, just as Jesus delivered that poor man from the devil’s tortures, so through the baptism Jesus instituted, you and I were rescued from eternal condemnation and death.  Through the Good News of all Jesus has done to save sinners and return them into God’s everlasting care, we were dressed in righteousness and peace.  By the power of the Gospel, the demons are driven away and will be kept away until that final day Jesus returns to gather the elect from every nation and deliver them into His mansions of glory, but on that same day, He will deliver into permanent exile all those who follow the devil’s schemes. 

Dear friends, like that man healed from demon-possession, God leaves us in this world, for a time, so that we can tell others of the love He has shown us.  He doesn’t tell us that to be His witnesses we must know everything about Him.  Instead, we can simply “tell how much God has done for you.”  This is all Jesus asks of those whom He heals.  Sometime later, Jesus returned to that region and the people, who here begged Him to leave, brought all their sick and hurting to Him for healing and life.  Thus, we see that like that man healed of demon possession, it is through our testimony of Jesus’ love and care for sinners that we will lead many other endangered souls to See the kindness Jesus has for you, for me, and for them.  Amen.

The Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen.

Justified by faith, we have peace, hope, and glory.

 

Sermon for Trinity Sunday, June 15, 2025

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love.  Amen.

Romans 5:1-5  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  ²Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.  And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God.  ³Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, ⁴and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope.  ⁵And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. (EHV)

Justified by faith, we have peace, hope, and glory.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            If asked about how peaceful our world is, I wonder how many of us would respond with a joyful exclamation of the great peace that is ours.  Just in the last few days, we were reminded, again, that this world is filled with disaster, death, insurrection, war, tragedy, suffering, and pain.  Likely, we all struggle to some degree with contentious neighbors, relationships in our families, friends who abandon us or turn on us, loved ones who hurt us, and troubles of almost every kind.  Bullying among school children and political upheaval in so many places still undermine our confidence of peace.  So, for most people, peace feels elusive.  Trouble, oh that’s easy to find in our world, but peace not so much.  Yet, today, I am here to tell you that Justified by faith, we have peace, hope, and glory.

I’ll bet there are some of you out there, who struggle mightily to think peace, hope, and glory are truly yours.  The world batters us with daily torments, so peace is hard to find.  In the midst of the troubles and trials of daily life, hope can be a scarce commodity.  And glory, how many of you have shelves full of trophies and people knocking on your door begging for a picture or autograph?  But, maybe, just maybe, we are looking in the wrong place when we think of peace, hope, and glory.

According to Paul in his letter to the Romans, these blessings are already ours.  We possess them right now—that is, if we are justified by faith.  So, I suppose that raises the question, are we justified by faith?  Paul makes this statement after telling us how we are, indeed, justified by faith in Jesus.

You and I have been justified by God, and we had nothing to do with it.  Each of us was born a sinner.  We deserved nothing but wrath and punishment.  At one time, we didn’t even know who God is.  Yet, He justified each one of us.  He declared each person on earth “not guilty” because of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice He made.  Our justification, which means to be made right with God, was accomplished completely without any contribution on our part, but it is done.  Jesus lived the perfect life to fulfill the law for us, then He took away all our sins, and for Jesus’ sake God calls it enough.

Still, that declaration of innocence had to be brought to each of us who were stuck in the slavery of sin.  We had to be set free from the devil’s powerful grasp.  That’s what it means to be justified by faith.  You and I had nothing to do with that, either.  We couldn’t come to life or break free from the devil’s hold, and we wouldn’t have known where to go for safety even if we could have gotten away, so God sent His Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament to break Satan’s awful hold over us. 

By the will and power of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit intervened in our lives at our baptisms to break us free from Satan’s control over us.  Thereafter, the Spirit doesn’t leave us to the winds of fate.  Rather, through the same Word and Sacrament by which He separated us from the devil’s power, God gave us faith in Christ which connects us to our Savior.  Faith in Jesus is the link that connects us to Jesus’ holiness—to His crucifixion and His resurrection.  The faith which the Holy Spirit implanted in us is our connection to the Holy Redeemer of the world.  Therefore, when God now looks at us who are connected to His Son, He no longer sees guilt, but only the perfect faithfulness, righteousness, and glory of His own beloved Son who gave His life to save us poor sinners.

So dear friends, as believers in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are justified by faith.  This is God’s gift to you.  The Son made you right with His Father, and the Holy Spirit made sure you would benefit from the Son’s sacrificial intercession by working faith in you.  The first gift is that Jesus took away the debt of sin we owed to God.  The second gift given to you and me is the forgiveness of all our sins.  That gift came at the tremendous price of Jesus’ blood, as God gave His beloved Son to die on a cross and suffer hell in our place.  The third gift God gives us is the faith in Jesus that connects us to Him.  So, wow!  It almost feels like Christmas morning, doesn’t it?

Along with those first gifts, God gives us much more.  Under the tree of our Savior’ cross, we are blessed with a multitude of presents just waiting for us to unwrap.  For instance, Justified by faith, we have peace, because along with the gift of justification by faith, we receive peace with God. 

Now, some people don’t think that means very much.  They maybe look at the gift of peace with God and wonder, “What does that do for me, now?  What good is it, if I still have all these troubles, sorrows, and hurts?  When facing the world’s hatred, what good is peace with God?”  Sometimes, we need to confess that we are pretty lousy at giving thanks for God’s gifts.  We tend to see only the present, while God is concerned about our forevers. 

Now, most likely, a newborn baby wouldn’t get too excited if his grandparents give him a million dollar investment for college, but that doesn’t mean he won’t reap tremendous benefits later, does it?  Even though he doesn’t feel the gift at that moment, and actually doesn’t even understand it yet, it is already fully there for that child’s future.  The same is true for our gift of peace with God.  You and I have that perfect peace fully granted into our possession even if we don’t already feel it. 

The fact is, we will have to face our Creator at some point, many of us sooner than we might expect.  This is one thing that is nonnegotiable; we will face the just and holy God of all creation in judgment.  God was rightly angry for the sins of the whole world, and your sins and mine would surely have condemned us to eternal death and punishment.  Yet, because of Jesus, we have been reconciled with God.  We have peace with Him.  Consequently, the judgment is official.  Jesus paid your penalty, and God declared you innocent, and because you are now connected with God’s beloved Son Jesus, by faith, you are now a beloved member of His family, ready to be welcomed into the mansions of heaven.  Now, doesn’t that sound like a wonderful gift of God’s grace?

Justified by faith, we have hope.  In this letter to the Romans, Paul goes on to explain what hope really means.  It is not just a wish for something positive.  Rather, the gift of hope we receive by faith in Christ is a certain, confident expectation.  God didn’t say that maybe He would forgive and give you life everlasting.  He has declared this to be already yours through faith in Christ Jesus.  Friends, it’s a done deal.  No matter what happens to us here on this troubled planet, we have a home in heaven that far exceeds anything we could ever hope for here.  We possess a future peace that can’t even be imagined as we circle the sun on this little chunk of rock.

The faith that connects us with Christ brings some wonderful things.  Paul wrote, “Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.  And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God.  Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope.” 

Did you catch that little part about how we “rejoice confidently in our sufferings”?  Does that shock you a bit?  Do you wonder, who actually does that?  Well, Christians do!  In the midst of our tears, we rejoice in the great gifts God gives us.  When we face the loss of fellow believers in death, we don’t weep as those who have no faith, because we know we will see that beloved Christian again.  When we must lay believing dear ones in the grave, our hearts break for our loss, but at the same time, our hearts are leaping in joy for the gain our dear one has just received.  You see, we know that at death, the believing Christian steps into his or her Savior’s loving arms to enjoy peace forevermore.

More than that even, we rejoice confidently in the trials and tribulations this world throws against us, because these things show us that we no longer belong to this world.  When the devil tempts us, we know that means Satan no longer has us under his control, or he wouldn’t be trying to get us back.  When unbelievers mock or attack us, we have confidence that we are not part of that crowd.  Just as the devil’s crew attacked and hated Jesus, they will hate and attack us, but we rejoice in that, for it confirms that we belong to Jesus, and connected to Him by faith, our salvation is sure.

Paul wrote, “Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope.  And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us.”  The hope Paul spoke about doesn’t disappoint because its promise is already a sure and certain thing.  God accomplished it for us.  Forgiveness and salvation are already ours, because God’s Son, Jesus, took care of it all on our behalf. 

The more the devil, the world, and our own flesh attack us, the more the Holy Spirit preserves us to remain with our Savior.  The more times we get up in repentance after being knocked down by sin, the stronger our Christian character becomes.  And with that true Christian character comes the rock solid hope that our salvation is accomplished.  It is finished.  God made us His own dear children by faith in Jesus.  Jesus has claimed us as His bride for love everlasting.  This hope can never disappoint us, because it doesn’t depend upon our fragile spirits, or on our feeble efforts.  Furthermore, our enemies can’t take it away, even if they take our earthly life.  God’s love is already ours.  He said so.  He declared peace with us.  He promises us a home in heaven because of Jesus.

Justified by faith, we have glory.  This faith that connects us with Christ gives gifts that will never stop coming, along with which, we receive eternal glory.  Jesus claimed us as His own beloved.  He dresses us in His perfect righteousness.  Then, after we leave this world to be at His side, we will never again see trouble, sorrow, or pain.  Never again will sin or death come our way.  That all ends right here where we were covered by Jesus’ glory. 

The devil is stuck in his prison forever, and those who follow that kidnapping liar will have to suffer with him for all the eternities yet to come, but not you and me.  Our time of trouble is temporary.  Our time of temptation and trial is actually very short.  At most it might last a hundred years or so, and then we step into that eternal life where there is only the glory of our Savior, clothing you and me forever with perfect righteousness, holiness, and peace.

As we observe the world around us, every day seems to get harder and harder.  Friends betray and hurt us.  Mockers call us stupid or worse.  Our bodies fail us.  The devil keeps whispering in our ears, “Are you sure God really loves you?”  Through it all Jesus holds out His loving arms and says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

The gifts found beneath the tree of Jesus’ cross keep coming and coming, pouring out from His Father’s loving grace.  We’ve only talked about a few of those gifts today, but they are all yours and no one can take them away.  Therefore, go out and boldly meet this troubled world, doing battle with your sinful flesh and with the old evil foe, walking with Jesus as He leads you home, because being Justified by faith, we have peace, hope, and glory.  All praise and thanks to the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

The scattered by sin are united by the Spirit.

 

Sermon for Pentecost, June 8, 2025

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

Genesis 11:1-9  The whole earth had one language and a single vocabulary.  ²As people traveled in the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there.  ³They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”  They used mud brick instead of stone for building material, and they used tar for mortar.  ⁴They said, “Come, let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”  ⁵The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building.  ⁶The Lord said, “If this is the first thing they are doing as one people, who all have one language, then nothing that they intend to do will be too difficult for them.  ⁷Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one another’s speech.”  ⁸So the Lord scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city.  ⁹It was named Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth.  From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (EHV)

The scattered by sin are united by the Spirit.

Dear friends united in Christ,

            Our sermon text takes us back to a time that is amazingly close to the days of the Great Flood.  Many Bible scholars believe that this event took place within three hundred years after Noah and his family departed the ark, so it is very likely that Noah was still alive, though perhaps late in his life.  Now, we might expect that the people living at that time would have had a great fear of the Lord.  After all, the eyewitnesses to the destruction of the world were living right there with them, still able to tell them about the mind-boggling changes God’s judgment had poured out on earth, and Noah and his family were well able to share God’s instruction concerning how they should live.

Of course, we can look at our own country and see how much things can change in just a few hundred years.  What was once a nation dedicated to Christianity, and one of the few with freedom to worship the true God without restraint, has been fast transforming itself into just one more heathen nation.

When Noah’s family left the ark, “God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’” (Genesis 9:1)  God wanted the people He had mercifully saved to be a new start for mankind on the earth.  It was God’s desire that they would spread across the planet, and that they should live in peace and harmony with each other and with Him.  They were to know of God’s grace for Noah and his family while saving them through the flood and be reminded of the Savior the LORD would one day send to redeem all mankind.  Instead, these couple chapters of the book of Genesis tell us of how quickly the people abandoned faith in the true God to follow their own desires.

Unfortunately, even with Noah instructing them, the people determined to elevate themselves to the level of a god.  Rather than continue to encourage their fellow men to spread across the globe in order to honor and worship God alone, They said, “Come, let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 

Their bold defiance shows what is in the nature of each of us.  As soon as man has a little success, he starts to think he has achieved it on his own and often desires to build monuments to his own glory.  That is what we see at Babel.  Those people were no longer humbly satisfied to follow God’s plan.  It wasn’t good enough to believe in the life and salvation God offers.  They wanted to manufacture their own glory.

Now, indeed, they were a talented bunch.  In a place that had few stones to build with, they manufactured stones by burning clay bricks in kilns and glued them together with bitumen.  There are examples of this type of construction that have survived for thousands of years in that area.  However, that tower would never take them to heaven.  Of course, that really wasn’t their desire.  They were interested in being famous and powerful here on earth.  They didn’t think they needed God.  They certainly didn’t want to follow His instructions.  They’d rather achieve their goals on their own, and rather than allow others to follow God’s plan, those arrogant men decided it would be better to control their neighbors and keep them from spreading across the land.

Looking back at this account of the days after the flood, it really doesn’t seem that different from our world, does it?  Few people really want to hear what God has declared or think it is important to follow the instructions God has given.  Most of the people would be happy to go blindly their own way.  Almost all of us readily judge other people and, if given the opportunity, would rule over them with whatever power and cleverness we possess.  Yes, sin is still very prevalent in the human nature, so even Christians struggle with these temptations.

As God observed those people beginning to build their city and their tower of power, He decreed that it wasn’t good that they could cooperate so well in disobeying His commands.  As we would expect with all mankind descending from one family, everyone on earth spoke the same language.  The Lord said, “If this is the first thing they are doing as one people, who all have one language, then nothing that they intend to do will be too difficult for them.  Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one another’s speech.”

How would you like to wake up tomorrow morning and discover that every other family in your neighborhood spoke their own strange language?  How would you like it if you couldn’t communicate with anybody but your own close family?  It would make working at your job terribly difficult, and back then, it also made it just about impossible for any one person, or even a group, to control the rest of the population.  “So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.  Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”

Now, some might complain or question why God brought that difficulty upon the world, but in His great mercy, the Lord God had rescued mankind from destruction in the flood, and He wasn’t about to let that rescue go for naught.  Rather than allow mankind to make gods of themselves, God brought confusion to their communication so that life wouldn’t seem so easy and people would return to seeking His help, for left on our own, we lose our way and instead of heaven gain only destruction. 

This account connects with Pentecost because at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit restored communication skills to His Church, enabling the spread of the Gospel in a wide variety of languages, telling sinners around the world about Jesus and all He has done to rescue us and them from sin, death, and the devil.  In the miracle of Pentecost, we see how God is working to change sinful man into believing Christians.  It teaches us that The scattered by sin are united by the Spirit.

As I spoke of the nature of our world a few moments ago, you may have felt like I was accusing you of conspiring to disobey God and lead your neighbors astray.  However, we need to recognize that we inherited this nature from our fathers even if they are believers.  Sin pollutes each person from birth which will send us to hell if not cured by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The natural knowledge of the law written in our hearts tells us God exists, but the corruption we inherited from our parents also had us under the control of the devil who would lead us into all kinds of sin.  So, corrupted by inheritance, we feel like we have the right to judge and rule our neighbors, even God, and we often want to build our own way to heaven, or at least our own way in life.  Even when we know the truth about God, salvation, and His heaven, it is still so very tempting to think, falsely, that we have to build at least part of our way there.  However, on our own, we can’t find a way to God or build a tower to His eternal home of glory.  That’s the lesson God wants us to learn at Babel. 

Today, mankind is scattered over the whole face of the earth.  Thousands of languages have been identified, and many more have come and gone in the intervening years since the events of our sermon text, but by the miracle at Pentecost, God showed us how He makes our salvation and eternal glory possible.  Throughout the last six months, we have been hearing how God has won salvation for mankind through the life and death of His Son, Jesus Christ, but the only way that will benefit anyone on this planet is if he hears the Good News and believes it.

Of course, there are always some who will tell you that you can find harmony with God on your own, and others would like to tell you that the Holy Spirit picks and chooses those He will save completely at random and there is nothing you or I can do to make a difference.  However, those are wicked men as deceived by Satan’s delusions as those in the plain of Shinar who wanted to rule their neighbors and make a name for themselves.

The truth is, through the Good News of Jesus, The scattered by sin are united by the Spirit.  Before He returned to His Father’s side in heaven, Jesus told His disciples, "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)  Jesus also said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.  He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him.  You know him because he stays with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)  The Bible also says, “God chose you from the beginning for salvation by the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth.  For this reason he also called you through our gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Like those rebellious people in our sermon text, we needed God’s intervention.  We needed to hear the truth about our sinful nature so that we would know we needed a Savior.  We needed to hear about Jesus, and we needed a miracle to bring us to believe in Him as our Savior.  We couldn’t find Jesus on our own, for we were born dead in sin.  We were blind, lost and condemned creatures. 

Therefore, after paying the price for our sins on the cross while suffering our punishment and death, Jesus rose from the dead, then returned to His Father, and together, they send their Holy Spirit to work through the saving Gospel to enliven people like you and me, to give us the faith in Christ that will save us from hell and damnation.  Through the proclamation of the Gospel and the pouring on of water with the Word in Baptism, the Holy Spirit removed your dead heart and gave you life.  The Holy Spirit works in you just like He did that day almost two thousand years ago when He gave a bunch of weak disciples amazing gifts of speech, and just as important, the strength of faith to admonish their fellow Jews as sinners in need of salvation and then offer the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection to those stricken souls. 

Over three thousand convicted sinners had their hearts changed that day through the almighty power of the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel proclaimed by humble believers like you and me.  The disciples weren’t better Christians than we are.  They didn’t come up with extraordinary powers by some type of prayer or ritual.  They simply believed Jesus, and the Holy Spirit worked through their humble voices to share salvation and eternal life with other repentant sinners.

Though centuries have passed by, nothing has really changed in the Christian Church.  Oh yes, some enthusiastic groups will call us dead Christians, because we don’t all speak in some strange tongue, but those new Christians at Pentecost weren’t made believers by some strange unknown language.  Rather, they were blessed to hear the Gospel in their own native tongues just as you are.  God still desires that for us today; that we hear the Gospel unto salvation, that we believe it, and that there can be men who share the Good News of Jesus’ victory over sin and death in your neighbor’s native language so that in those lost sinners, the Holy Spirit can work eternal life and salvation in formerly dead hearts and thereby bring them back into unity with God and all His faithful people.

Dear friends, God uses the Gospel to bring us to life everlasting.  Draw near to God through the regular use of His Word and Sacrament, for by the Gospel in those means of grace, The scattered by sin are united by the Spirit.  All glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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

Jesus prays that you be united with Him in glory.

 

Sermon for Easter 7, June 1, 2025

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

John 17:20-26  ²⁰“I am praying not only for them, but also for those who believe in me through their message.  ²¹May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you.  May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.  ²²I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one: ²³I in them, and you in me.  May they become completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.  ²⁴“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am so that they may see my glory—the glory you gave me, because you loved me before the world’s foundation.  ²⁵Righteous Father, the world did not know you, but I knew you, and these men knew that you sent me.  ²⁶I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have for me may be in them, and that I may be in them.” (EHV)

Jesus prays that you be united with Him in glory.

Dear beloved of God,

            A favorite hymn for many people, in our hymnal and likely in most modern hymnals, makes the bold, emphatic statement, “What a friend we have in Jesus!”  It goes on to celebrate how Jesus took the punishment for our sins, and how He now hears and answers prayer, and again, how someday, we can expect a good life in heaven.  That is all well and good, but the hymn doesn’t really dive into the depth of what Jesus is for you and me.  I think people often approach a text like we have before us this morning with a similar shallow approach.  In fact, it could be that none of us can fully grasp the depth of all He is doing here as Jesus prays that you be united with Him in glory.

Our text is the concluding portion of what is known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  In that prayer, Jesus prays for help for Himself as He undergoes the final suffering and sacrifice for the sins of the world.  He prays for His disciples who will witness His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, and then Jesus prays for all those believers yet to come, including you and me. 

To His Father in heaven, Jesus says, “I am praying not only for them, [His chosen twelve apostles] but also for those who believe in me through their message.”  Jesus here pleads with His Father, and ours, for every person who will ever read or hear the Gospel of all He has done for us.  In His great love for people who don’t even yet know anything about Him, Jesus is imploring the Almighty to work saving faith in what were once stone-dead hearts, and that God preserve and keep us in that faith until we are together with the Lord in life everlasting.

Jesus has no delusions about the wickedness of this world and the people in it.  He knows not everyone will believe.  Yet, Jesus doesn’t want anyone lost who has heard the Good News.  For the baby who is brought into the Kingdom of God through baptism, Jesus is praying that parents do not neglect to continue to lead that child in the word of God’s grace.  Jesus is praying for the person who stumbles into the devil’s snares or the tempting spirits trying to mislead us, so that Christ’s holy Word and Spirit keep us believing God’s promises.  Jesus prays, “May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you.  May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus and the Father are perfectly united in this mission to save sinners from the devil’s rebellion.  There is never a moment in Jesus’ life as a Man when He is not perfectly united with His Father’s will.  Consider how important that is for us.  Jesus’ righteousness is what we need to enter God’s heaven.  If the Man, Jesus, ever had even one second of doubt, worry, or fear as He faced our greatest foe who has deceived mankind since the Garden of Eden, you and I would be lost eternally.  As Jesus prays this prayer, He knows exactly the cruelty and pain, the lies, distortions, and false accusations that will be poured upon Him in a matter of hours.  Jesus already understands the separation from His Father’s care that He must endure on the cross for you and me.  Jesus was willingly undergoing all that pain to reconcile the world with God.  Yet, boldly, Jesus prays that you be united with Him in glory.  When believers are united with Jesus, we tell the world of His victory for all.

Sometimes, when people read this plea for us to be one, they misuse it to insist that all churches, or even all religions, be united in one big association without regard to actual doctrines, leading to the mythical lie that all roads lead to heaven.  The enemy has pushed that delusion almost since Jesus ascended to heaven.  In response, we must make two points.  First, Jesus is praying for us to have true, indivisible harmony.  Second, that true harmony must be not just among people, but most importantly, complete unity between us and God’s Word.  It really doesn’t help anyone to be united with multitudes of people if they are not united with God in truth.  Therefore, anyone leading people away from relying fully on God’s true Word is not and cannot be united with Jesus.  A division in doctrine marks a division in spirit, and false doctrine separates from Jesus.

Still, in this Church of believers who trust in Jesus, there is real unity, but it won’t always be visible here on earth.  Here on earth, we are all frail, imperfect people who may have faults that would disqualify us from membership in God’s kingdom if our membership depended on us.  Therefore, we like to call this united assembly of believers the Invisible Church.  If you remember that term from your confirmation days, that is the assembly of all believers who while repenting of their sins, believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior who has lived and died and rose again for them.  He is their only hope.  They trust in Jesus’ promise, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)  Likewise, St. Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write, “So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  Thus, Jesus’ prayer is answered through the work of the Holy Spirit in granting faith to imperfect souls, so that we are counted as holy through faith’s connection with Jesus.

Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one: I in them, and you in me.  May they become completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”  We might ask, what glory did that ragtag bunch of disciples have as Jesus prayed this prayer?  But Jesus had called them to believe in Him, and by that faith, weak and wavering though it was as He was arrested, crucified, died, and buried, those men possessed the righteousness that Jesus was living for them and for us.  The world won’t see the glory Jesus gives His people until Judgment Day comes.  Yet, even now, the world sees differences between believers and unbelievers in how we approach the troubles and sorrows of this sin-damaged world.  As Paul wrote to the Roman congregation: “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4)  Here on earth, we strive to live for Jesus.  In heaven, Christian believers will live forever in His glory.

We read Jesus’ plea for our eternal welfare, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am so that they may see my glory—the glory you gave me, because you loved me before the world’s foundation.”  From before time began, the Father has loved the Son.  Because the Son is living the Father’s love for us, and voluntarily being the atoning sacrifice for our sins, Jesus could tell His disciples, “This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.^” (John 10:17-18) 

As the Son of God in human flesh, Jesus has always been the human representation of God’s divine goodness.  The Holy Spirit tells us, “For all the fullness of God’s being dwells bodily in Christ.” (Colossians 2:9)  Jesus likewise told His disciples, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)  Though separate persons, the three persons of the Trinity are always united in substance and truth, and united in His desire to save us from the devil’s betrayal.  Jesus came into this world to restore united harmony with all of us and our Creator.  That is what Jesus lives for and why Jesus prays that you be united with Him in glory. 

After Adam’s fall into sin, and after God preserved Noah and his family in the great flood, the world soon forgot about God and all His love and promises for our fallen race.  Thus, Jesus prays, “Righteous Father, the world did not know you, but I knew you, and these men knew that you sent me.  I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have for me may be in them, and that I may be in them.”  The disciples learned to know God through Jesus.  By His preaching, and the evidence of His life, Jesus convinced His followers that He was the long-promised Messiah and Savior.  Still, when Jesus prayed this prayer, His disciples had many questions. 

On the other hand, though you and I may sometimes have questions about Jesus and His plan for us, we have sure and certain proof that Jesus is who He claims to be.  He gave solid proof that He has accomplished our salvation and peace with God when He rose from the grave Easter morning.  Because Jesus made sure that there were numerous eyewitnesses that He lives and breathes even though He had been dead, we can have real certainty about the grace He gives us.

Furthermore, because Jesus continued to give men and messages concerning His love and how His Church is brought into eternal life and peace, there is no good excuse for anyone who denies Jesus as Savior.  Thus, we say boldly, “What a friend we have in Jesus!”  Jesus not only won our salvation and grants that grace to us full and free, but He continues to intercede with His Father on our behalf.  In line with this, so that you and I never waver in that sure truth, and working to make His own prayer come true, Jesus prays that you be united with Him in glory.  Amen.

May the LORD our God be with us, just as he was with our fathers.  May he never leave us or abandon us.  May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways.  Amen.