Christ Lutheran Sermons

“Know that there is a prophet in Israel."

2012-02-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Epiphany 6, 2-12-2012
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

2 Kings 5:1-14 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel." 5 Then the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me." 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' 12 "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

“Know that there is a prophet in Israel."

Dear brothers and sisters of the Living Savior,
Many people in our world, today, view the Bible as a book of legends, myths, morality tales, and fables. At best, they think of it as a book of guidelines for living. However, all throughout the Bible, we find accounts that just don’t fit that type of literature. The account of Naaman and his healing is one of those events that just wouldn’t be included if the Bible were a book of legends, myths, and fables. No writer would include this story in the accounts of his nation’s kings if his goal were to impress his readers with their exploits. However, God’s prophet, Elisha, clearly tells us why this incident happened and why it is included in the Bible; it is so that you would “Know that there is a prophet in Israel."

A prophet is a man through whom God, who is outside of the confines of this world, works in this world for the benefit of His people. A prophet’s overriding purpose is to bring God’s message of salvation to people who need to hear it. Often in those ancient times, God’s prophets were given unusual gifts so that the people would recognize them as God’s servants and messengers. Elisha was such a man. One thing we should note is that all the Old Testament prophets point us to Jesus.

Naaman is an interesting man to find in the accounts of the kings of Israel. He wasn’t from Israel. He was, in fact, an enemy of that nation. Naaman headed the army of Aram, Israel’s neighbor on their northern border, today, known as Syria. Naaman had grown famous because he had won victory for the king of Aram, most likely over their worst enemy, the dreaded and powerful kingdom of Assyria. But, for all his victories, Naaman had one enemy he couldn’t conquer—he suffered from the horrible, disfiguring disease of leprosy—for which there was no known cure.

There is another interesting character in our lesson, a little slave girl who had been captured and carried out of Israel by one of Aram’s raiding parties. She had come into Naaman’s possession, and he had given her to his wife as a servant. Now, consider this little girl, kidnapped from her home and family, put into a lifetime of slavery far away from her loved ones with little hope of escape. One might expect she would hate her captors, and certainly not be willing to seek their good. But, in this little slave girl, we have a demonstration of how every believer should view our role in this world. In her faithful service to her mistress, the little girl recognized the distress of her master and offered the only solution possible; she told Naaman’s wife that there was a prophet in Israel who had power to heal her master.

Now, for Naaman’s household, this was good news indeed. No one else had any idea how to help him, and Naaman was desperate for a cure. He immediately took this good news to his master, the king of Aram, and the king urged him to go to Israel and even offered to write to the king of Israel to make sure he had cooperation there.

Naaman was desperate for a cure. We can tell this by the massive treasure he took with him. He didn’t know what to expect, but he certainly didn’t expect to receive a cure for free. That too lines up with you and me. We know in our hearts that we cannot be rescued without cost. All pagan religions are built on this natural knowledge. And, like Naaman, there is nothing we can do to cure our worst disease, which is the sin-sickness that leads to death. We need divine intervention to be healed of that rift with God.

A third interesting character entered the story when Naaman arrived in Israel. He took his master’s letter to the king of Israel, and the Israelite king showed us what kind of man he was. The king of Israel read the letter and was immediately distraught. His more powerful neighbor to the north had sent his chief general to him with an incurable disease and the demand that he be cured in Israel. And in that moment, the faith of both parties became evident. The king of Aram believed the promise the little slave girl had made to Naaman, or at the very least, he put it to the test. The king of Israel, on the other hand, who should have known that Elisha could help Naaman, right away assumed the worst. He had no faith in God or in God’s prophet. The King of Arum assumed that Israel’s king and God’s prophet would be working together for the good of the people. However, the Israelite king had no more faith in God than does the devil. Both know of God, yet both rejected Him.

And isn’t that, again, much like our world today. Many people rightly believe that there is a God, but they know nothing about Him, and many normally don’t much care to find out. However, still today, all people are in the position of needing a divine cure. God also puts people like you and me in position to offer the remedy. He gives us the opportunity to tell the sick and suffering sinner that we “Know that there is a prophet in Israel." We can tell suffering souls about the cure that only Jesus can give, the cure for sin and death and Satan.

When Naaman finally arrived at Elisha’s door, he got the surprise of his life. Naaman was expecting a big show; he thought something extraordinary would be done to work a cure. But, Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. He just sent a message—wash seven times in the Jordan and be cleansed.

Naaman was livid—imagine the affront to this powerful man. He was used to being respected and honored by all he met. People simply never ignored him, and certainly didn’t leave him standing at the door. On top of that, washing in the muddy waters of the Jordan appalled him. He considered the rivers of his own nation much better and cleaner. Because of his pride, Naaman almost threw away his cure. He couldn’t believe that God would work in such a humble way.

Again, how like our world today. The human nature finds it impossible to believe that God would work through humble means. God’s Son born in a stable? Ridiculous! A Savior dying for us on a shameful cross? Preposterous! Salvation and eternal life given through the simple waters of Baptism? Even some Christian denominations find that hard to believe. So, they call it an ordinance to be obeyed. Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine offering free forgiveness of sin? “Surely that is impossible!” many say. Except, these are the means through which God promises to heal our sin-sickness. God offers to give us forgiveness of all sin, salvation, and eternal life through the simple means of the preaching of His Gospel, through the water and Word of Baptism, and the bread and wine of His holy Supper.

Naaman almost threw away his cure. Many today do the same. Here is where humble servants can once again save the day. Naaman’s servants pointed out to him that he had been willing to do almost anything to be cured. He would have paid any price, but the prophet gave him something simple, even if illogical; why not try it?

Of course, you know the rest of the story. As he dipped himself in the Jordan, Naaman’s leprous, disfigured body was immediately, fully restored; his flesh became as pure and bright as a new born baby’s.

Do you think there is a message here for you and me? God doesn’t promise salvation through any works we might do. There is no magical ceremony that some special person must do to heal us. We cannot buy forgiveness or eternal life, but God gives us that everlasting gift through faith. When we believe God’s promise that we will be cleansed by the simple means of His washing in Baptism, we are restored to the perfect holiness our first parents enjoyed before their fall into sin.

Dear friends, all around us, today, people are looking for the cure for the curse of death in places where it cannot be found. Some go looking in the marvels of science and medicine. Others go looking in a show of works or a display of riches. Still others boastfully pretend they don’t have the disease and therefore don’t need the cure.

However, there are times when we, as humble servants far away from home, have opportunity to tell sin-sick souls “that there is a prophet in Israel." Now, maybe the sick aren’t always are friends. They might even be our enemies. However, God showed the world, here, what He says in so many places in His Word: that His salvation is for all hurting souls. Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God wants to heal us all. The Lord allows this world to continue for a time so that we, as humble servants, can tell the Gospel of Jesus to afflicted souls all over the world.

“Know that there is a prophet in Israel." All the Old Testament prophets pointed forward to Jesus. Jesus is the One Prophet of God who brought eternal healing to sin-sick souls. Jesus, the only eternal Son of God, humbled Himself, taking on human flesh, to take our place of punishment and death on the cross. He humbled Himself to live as a Man in perfect holiness and obedience to His Father in heaven, all so that we could be credited with His good works without any merit or payment on our part to heal us of our leprosy of sin.

Jesus, as Prophet, brings God’s message of salvation. In Jesus, all the power of the God-Head is found. He offers healing for sin-sick souls from every land and tribe and nation. He doesn’t tell us to perform fantastic feats to please God or to earn His healing. He simply calls for us to hear His voice in the wilderness of this world through the humble servants who proclaim His Word; to believe in the Son of God and Man; to wash in the water and the Word and be cleansed.

Humble servants, Jesus lived and died for you. He took away all your sins, and He credits those who believe in Him with every righteousness. Trust Jesus for forgiveness and salvation full and free. He bought you by the price of His holy precious blood so that you can serve Him in peace. Now you can tell every hurting soul you meet that you “Know that there is a prophet in Israel." 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.

Jesus is driven to save.

2012-02-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Epiphany 5, 2-5-2012
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Mark 1:29-39 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. 32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." 38 But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." 39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Jesus is driven to save.

Dear disciples of the risen Savior,
He must have had a pretty short night. As we look back at what Mark reports of Jesus’ work, we might be amazed at the schedule He kept. By the time the events of our text take place, Jesus had already put in a full day. Having just arrived in Capernaum after spending forty days in the wilderness resisting Satan’s temptations, Jesus didn’t take the day off, but rather spent the Sabbath at the synagogue teaching the people about God’s salvation plan.

Now, look at the forces pulling Jesus in every direction. Wherever He went, and day or night, crowds of people came to Him for help and healing. Even while He taught in the synagogue, Jesus had to deal with demons, driving them out of afflicted souls. The Gospel writers remind us, often, that Jesus and His disciples found it next to impossible to find time to rest, or even eat. But through it all, He never lost focus on what was most important, for Jesus is driven to save.

We come to the scene of our text as Jesus was retiring from a day of proclaiming God’s Word in the Capernaum synagogue. Apparently, Peter and Andrew had invited Jesus to join them at their home for the evening meal and a place to rest for the night. Mark reports: “Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.” We are not told if this was the first time Jesus had visited Simon’s home. Perhaps Peter only discovered his mother-in-law’s illness when he intended to introduce her to Jesus. But, having already seen Jesus’ healing power His disciples immediately brought her illness to His attention with the request that He help her.

Jesus went to the stricken woman and with just the touch of His hand made her immediately well, and not only did she recover; she was at once fully restored—feeling so good that we can imagine the woman saying “Oh, what am I doing lying here when I can be up serving my Lord!” “And she served them.” No recover period was needed; she was immediately well and glad to serve.

Mark goes on to tell us, “At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.” The Sabbath day ended at sundown, so the people felt at ease to bring all their afflicted family members and friends to Jesus. Earlier in the day, they had seen His power and authority at the synagogue where His reputation as a Healer was confirmed, and they didn’t want to miss the chance to receive Jesus’ aid.

Mark doesn’t tell us how many people came to Jesus that night—he just says “the whole city was gathered together at the door.” To understand, think of how many of us know someone who could use Jesus’ healing touch. Don’t we each have family and friends that need Jesus’ healing? So, it isn’t hard to believe that every person in town was hurrying to get to Jesus that night, and He healed every afflicted person brought before him. So, how late do you suppose He worked that night, 10:00? Midnight? 1:00AM?

I would ask you to remember, too, how Jesus worked as He healed. We are told several times, in the Gospels, of how the first thing Jesus would do is examine the heart of the hurting person brought to Him and offer the forgiveness of sins. Jesus dealt with each person individually, lovingly; restoring their bodies and driving the demons away. Not only did Jesus drive out the demons, but He forced them to keep silent lest they mislead the crowds, or further enhance Jesus’ reputation as an earthly helper, for already the people were seeing Jesus only as a miracle worker.

We don’t know how long the parade to Simon’s door lasted that night. Instead, Mark tells us about the next morning. Of course, you can hardly call it morning when Jesus rose in the middle of the night to pray. “In the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” As I said earlier, Jesus is driven to save. His need for sleep wasn’t going to overpower His desire to speak with His Father in heaven.

Now, you might ask, “Why did Jesus have to pray when He is God?” But Jesus was praying for you and me. He prayed for strength for His human nature to carry out God’s plan. He prayed that the people would see Him as the true Messiah He is. He prayed for guidance to do exactly His Father’s will even as He already knew what that will was and is. We don’t know precisely what Jesus prayed for that night, but we can see how He prayed at other times. "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” (John 11:41) "Father, glorify Your name." (John 12:28) “Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name—the name You gave Me—so that they may be one as We are one.” (John 17:11) "Sanctify them by Your truth.” (John 17:17) "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34) Again and again, we see that Jesus’ focus wasn’t on what God could do for Him, but that God glorify Himself by saving people like you and me. Jesus is driven to save.

When daylight finally came, “Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." The people of Capernaum had seen Jesus’ healing power, so they hoped to get some more of it. However, Jesus understood that most of the people were coming to Him only for help with their earthly problems: illness, hunger, disputes with their neighbors, and the like. If not for His overriding concern for the mission His Father had given Him, Jesus might have gotten sidetracked in the details of curing all the troubles of everyday lives. However, Jesus is driven to save.

Jesus knows that of all the troubles we face, our greatest problem is sin. Our greatest need is His salvation. Instead of becoming merely a bread king, or a good doctor, or a wise and fair judge here on earth, Jesus was in this world to win a home in heaven for everyone who would believe. In order to believe, people needed to hear the message. Isaiah had prophesied about Jesus: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3) Jesus would not be turned away from that mission. “And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.”

Dear friends, Jesus is driven to save. But, can the same be said of you and me? As we examine our lives, how often do we find ourselves turning away from our God-given mission of proclaiming the Gospel to every person on earth? How often do we becomes so focused on the problems of daily living: the broken bones, infecting viruses and bacteria, our age afflicted bodies, a struggling economy and shrinking bank accounts, and the strife of politics and race relations, that we forget the main purpose of our lives which is to reach sinners with Jesus’ salvation? How often do we let the miseries of this sin-damaged world draw our attention away from glorifying our Father in heaven with everything we think, or say, or do? If we examine ourselves honestly, we each must bow before our Lord and plead, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13)

Because each and every one of us, from Adam and Eve onward, is afflicted with the same lack of focus on our heavenly Father’s will, Jesus is driven to save. That’s why He couldn’t stay too long in Capernaum, or any other place that wanted to force Him to focus only on the physical things. That’s why Jesus was willing to endure the wrath of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Romans, and others who opposed Him. That’s why Jesus pushed His body to the limit and then willingly allowed it to be nailed to a cross of death.

Jesus had left His home in heaven to make you and me right with God. He set aside all concern for His own comfort to serve all of us who were His enemies by birth. Jesus is driven to save people like you and me of every generation, and by His perfectly holy life and innocent death, Jesus accomplished everything needed to rescue us from the punishment and death we deserved.

Why did Jesus preach? So that the people would remember the prophecies of old and know that God’s intention to send a Savior was being fulfilled in Jesus. Why did Jesus heal? Because in His compassion for sinners, He wanted to help, and to let the world know that He is the Son of God who has the power to heal and forgive sin. Why did Jesus pray? Because Jesus had a perfect desire to do His Father’s will, and the perfect knowledge of how greatly God wants to hear our prayers and provide for our every need. Jesus knew His Father wants every person to come to Him with complete trust in His love for us, and with thankfulness for His grace. Jesus did all these things, and more, because He was living, for you and me, the perfectly holy life God demands of us all.

Today, dear friends, not everyone is looking for Jesus. Almost everyone is looking for help somewhere, but oh so many don’t know much about Jesus. All too often, they get sidetracked by the troubles and cares of this world. All too often, the urgent needs of daily life draw attention away from what Jesus has done for you and me and everyone. Sometimes, our own troubles cause us to neglect our neighbors. Sometimes, daily life in a troubled world leads us to worry about things we can’t control. Sometimes, our struggles with health or wealth lead us to forget all about Jesus. Through it all, Jesus is driven to save.

Through all the troubles of this life, Jesus is still working to bring us home to heaven. He sends preachers who call out to you with His Word. He uses the cleansing water and Word of Baptism to wash away the filth of sin, to put to death our old nature, and raise new lives of faith in Him. He gives His precious body and blood in the Sacrament to strengthen our faith and increase our love. With His holy Word (year in and year out still the most published book in the world), Jesus calls out to all, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus is driven to save. He lived in complete harmony with His Father’s will, so that you and I could be credited with His perfect righteousness. Jesus went to the cross bearing the sins of the whole world, so that the devil can no longer accuse us of any lack of attention to God.

Dear friends, all of your sins are forgiven, because Jesus lived and died for you. He also rose again, and He lives and reigns at His Father’s side to hear your prayers and to help and heal you, both for this life and for forever. May we also be always so driven, that we share this good news in every way we can to everyone possible. May we too always pray for our heavenly Father’s help to carry out His will to save. That will be to the Father’s glory. Amen.

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

Let love rule your freedom.

2012-01-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Epiphany 4, 2-29-2012
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Now concerning things offered to idols: we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Let love rule your freedom.

Dearly beloved in Christ,
The city of Corinth was well known for its riotous life styles, and for its many temples of idol worship. It would not seem to be a place where Christianity would flourish, yet flourish it did. Paul spent a year and a half preaching there, and the congregation grew rapidly. However, the new Christians faced difficult challenges to their new faith in a city where idol worship was widespread and the historical norm. So, the young congregation wrote to ask Paul how to deal with certain difficulties of living in a pagan city. Now, you and I don’t face quite the same challenges as the Corinthians, yet Paul’s instruction applies well to us still today. Simply put, Paul replied, Let love rule your freedom.

Perhaps I should explain the situation. It was very common in the pagan society of Corinth for people to sacrifice animals in their worship of the various idols. With each sacrifice, a portion was offered on the altar to the idol, a second portion was eaten by the giver and his family as a sacred meal, some went to the priests for their support, and some of the meat was sold in the marketplace. Much like we go to the local butcher shop for our beef, a good share of the meat eaten in Corinth was obtained by buying these extra portions of the idol-offerings. Naturally, the question these new Christians faced was whether it was acceptable, or sinful, to buy and eat this meat that had been offered to idols. The answer: Let love rule your freedom.

When Paul preached in Corinth, he certainly had taught the new Christians about the freedom they now enjoyed in Christ. But, it is obvious from his reply to the Corinthians’ questions that some members of the congregation had begun to abuse their freedom. Paul wrote back, “Now concerning things offered to idols: we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” The Greek citizens of Paul’s day were famously proud of their knowledge. New ideas were welcomed and vigorously discussed. Certainly, Paul isn’t saying here that Christians shouldn’t seek knowledge. Rather, that they should be careful not to let human reason overpower their love for Christ and their concern for their fellow Christians. Still today, there is ample evidence that, as our knowledge grows, we can be tempted to think we are wiser than others, even wiser than God.

One sentence, here, gives both a warning and a promise for us: “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” As sinners, we shudder in terror that God knows us. Our Lord sees every sin, every lack of love for our neighbor, every slip, every conscience hurt or destroyed by our actions. Yet God has chosen to know us for the sake of Jesus. God made us His own special people by the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and Baptism. God comes to us, not the other way around. This gives us the comfort of His presence in our lives, and the assurance that we are saved by God’s grace, only.

Therefore, after assuring us that we are known, loved, and forgiven by God, Paul continues to teach how we should live in response. “Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

For the Christian, there is no reason to fear idols, or to put any stock in the teachings of the world concerning them. They do not exist except in the minds of men, and idols are devoid of any intrinsic life or power. Still, Satan exerts more than a little power through idols and idol worship. Many of the people surrounding the new Christians in Corinth did believe in those false gods. The majority of society there was involved in idol worship. Most of the new Christians had suffered under the lies of paganism but been rescued by the preaching of the Gospel. So, those idols seemed very real to the average citizen and even to the tender consciences of some new Christians. .

To that concern, Paul reminds his readers that there is only one true God and one Lord, Jesus Christ. Though many people and demons would pretend to be more than the created beings they are, the Triune God stands alone over all. He is our God, our Creator, and our Savior. We have nothing to fear because He made all things for our use and for our good. Therefore, no matter the earthly source, the meat sold in the market place was all provided by the one true God, and the Corinthian Christians could eat it with thankfulness to Him and no qualms of conscience.

“However, [Paul says] there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?”

Here we see the dilemma we will always face as Christians: in many things we have complete freedom, yet for the sake of the weak conscience, we must be careful in how we exercise our freedom. In Corinth, that meant that while the Christians were free to buy and eat the meat whether it had been from a sacrifice, or not, they needed to love their fellow Christians and protect tender consciences. In other words, Paul was telling them, Let love rule your freedom.

So, you might be wondering, what’s the big deal for us? If we have true freedom, why do we need to be so concerned about what other people think? Paul responds, “And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” Here’s where the rubber meets the road. How we live can impact those around us. Do we want to endanger the eternal salvation of anyone else? Is that love? Of course not! If what we do causes our brother to sin, we have sinned against Christ. Now, how does this apply to us today?

Obviously, we don’t have to worry about buying meat that was sacrificed to one of the Greek gods. However, they are many ways in which we, in our freedom, can cause our fellow believers to fall. One example might be the thrift stores that have sprung up all across the country. Many of these support the work of non Christian groups or heterodox churches. Dare we shop in them?

In our Christian freedom, the merchandise sold there is neither forbidden nor enhanced. It is simply stuff that we may chose to buy, or not, at our discretion. However, if our own conscience tells us not to offer our support to that particular group in any way shape or form, we shouldn’t even enter the building. If in Christian knowledge, we understand that the merchandise was someone else’s offering and to us it as simply merchandise available for a good price, it may be acceptable for us to buy there. However, if our buying there could be misinterpreted by a weak conscience as supporting the false teachings of that group, for the sake of the weak conscience, Let love rule your freedom.

A second example might be our freedom to worship on any day of the week. God does not command that we worship on Sunday or Saturday. However, if by not coming to worship in a regular worship service, we encourage the weak conscience to think that it doesn’t matter whether one attends worship, do we not sin against that brother or sister for whom Christ died? In examples like these, we as loving Christians should want to do everything in our power to encourage and strengthen the weak conscience, even to the point where we set aside our personal freedom, so that we might always do what is best for the weak. We Let love rule our freedom.

Paul wrote, “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” For Paul, this was an easy choice. He would rather never eat meat again if, for any reason, his eating should cause someone else to turn away from Christ Jesus. Paul had personal experience with being a lost and condemned creature. Before being called to faith by Christ, Paul was floundering in false teaching as he tried to crush the Christian faith. Paul knew the miserable feelings of guilt that went along with opposing Christ and trying to earn one’s salvation. Therefore, he wanted all people to hear the Gospel and believe it. He wanted nothing in his life to be a stumbling block to others. That loving concern for others of tender faith was a God-given gift to Paul, as it is also to all who are concerned for the weak.

Dear friends, as I tell you, Let love rule your freedom, remember that you do, indeed, have freedom in Christ Jesus. The Law no longer has a hold over the Christian, for Christ has fulfilled it all on your behalf. All the burden of your sins has been removed from you forever. Satan’s temptations cannot control you for the Gospel can repel him at a word. The curse of death was removed from you when Jesus suffered and died in your place. You need not question any of this for Jesus rose from the grave to life again and promised, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)

However, this world is still corrupted with sin and full of weak sinners. Many do not yet know the truth of God’s Word, nor is the knowledge of our freedom in Christ universal. Therefore, in the sanctified love for others that the Holy Spirit gives us, we will be concerned for the weak just as Jesus was concerned for all who came to Him. And in Jesus, we find the answer for all the times we have misused our freedom. Jesus lived this perfect love for you and me. We trust is His righteousness on our behalf. Yet, for the sake of those around us, we will take no question lightly. We will strive not to abuse our freedom but to be concerned for those who may not yet know of the freedom Christ gives.

Dear Christian friends, your Father in heaven has accepted the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on your behalf, and for His sake, has forgiven all your sins. Nothing more is needed to give you eternal life. Heaven is your home. These are absolute certainties given to you through faith in Jesus. Now, for Jesus’ sake, love your weak brothers and sisters; Let love rule your freedom. Amen.

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

God rescues sinners by His Word.

2012-01-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Epiphany 3, January 22, 2012
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jonah 3:1-10 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

God rescues sinners by His Word.

Dear fellow rescued sinners,
I suspect that if I asked for a show of hands, many if not most of you would claim to be familiar with the story told in the book of Jonah. This book is so full of miraculous events that it is easily remembered even by those who deny that the events ever happened. But just to review briefly: God called His prophet, Jonah, to preach to the people of wicked Nineveh. Jonah, however, ran away in the opposite direction. God then disciplined Jonah by means of a ferocious storm. Jonah recognized his guilt and accepted the punishment of death due him for his sin, but God rescued Jonah from the sea by having him swallowed by a great fish and after three days vomited out onto dry land. At that point, God repeated His call for Jonah to preach to wicked Nineveh, and this time, Jonah obeyed God’s call, which brings us to our sermon text through which we learn that God rescues sinners by His Word.

Jonah is often known as the reluctant prophet. He really didn’t want to go preach to the Ninevites! Perhaps, he was afraid of their monstrous reputation for dealing with those who opposed them, or maybe Jonah didn’t want to be bothered with the inconvenience of travelling to that distant city, but it seems more likely that Jonah simply thought the people of Nineveh didn’t deserve God’s mercy. If we look ahead into the next chapter, we see Jonah, after his preaching, waiting eagerly to see God bring destruction upon Nineveh, and he was angry when that didn’t happen. So, how about you and me? Do we act any differently? Are we willing, no matter the cost, to warn our enemies about God’s wrath, or do we secretly hope for their destruction?

“The word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.” Jonah gave up on avoiding the mission God gave him, though this was a disruption in Jonah’s life. He had to leave his home and go on an approximately twenty-five day journey just to begin his assignment. Plus, Jonah little expected to see positive results from his preaching. He was certain those wicked Ninevites wouldn’t listen to a prophet from Israel, but reluctantly, he went.

“Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’” Jonah diligently proclaimed God’s warning that the great city had a mere forty days to change its wicked ways, or it would be given over to destruction. Certainly, these words just summarize Jonah’s message. Jonah would have preached both law and Gospel. As he warned the people to turn away from their wicked behavior and idol worship, he must have pointed to the true God and His promise to send a Savior. Still, the warning came, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

Jonah expected his mission to be an abject failure. At best, he hoped to survive his walk through the city without being murdered for his warning words. Yet, what did he see happen? Jonah had barely started through the city, and “The people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.” Jonah’s message from God spread like wildfire through that city, and it cut to the heart of the whole population.

Some scholars have argued that the city of Nineveh couldn’t have been as large as Jonah records, but his three day walk likely included the city proper and all the villages and fields which surrounded and supplied its people; Nineveh was more than just the walled enclosure which provided a place of refuge when under attack. But think of it: Jonah barely got started going through this large area yet his message ran ahead of him to every little village and field and even to the king’s palace. From the least slave and smallest child right on up to the king and all his nobles, every person believed God’s warning words.

Now, many modern critics have declared that this couldn’t possibly be true. No way would every person believe, they say, the writer must be telling a fairy tale. But, God rescues sinners by His Word. The critics would be correct if God wasn’t moving these people to believe. They would be correct if God didn’t care about all sinners. Maybe Jonah needed to learn these things, as well, as do we. God is concerned about every sinner. Paul wrote to Timothy, “God our Savior…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) The Lord’s will to save was shown as He asked Jonah, “Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left?” (Jonah 4:11) God was saying that He certainly is concerned about every person on earth.

On top of that, this is a demonstration of how no one comes to faith apart from hearing God’s Word. As we read in the letter to the Romans, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (10:17) And the Lord promises in Isaiah, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Indeed, a miracle happened that day in Nineveh. From the preaching of just one reluctant preacher, God changed the hearts of thousands upon thousands of wicked people who had previously not known Him, so that they would become repentant, believing souls.

We read again, “Word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, ‘Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?’” Most ancient kings weren’t too worried about what one man, especially a foreigner, would have to say against him, but here we see the work of God’s Spirit in the heart of a sinner. Even the most powerful man in this city humbled himself before the Lord. He repented of his wickedness and commanded his subjects to do the same. Not only did the people repent and pray to the Lord for mercy, but the king wanted even their animals to cry out to God for relief.

Dear friends, it is easy for us to point at all the wickedness of our world and cluck our displeasure at those who don’t know God or believe in Him. We like to stand on the sidelines and boo the wicked. Sometimes, we might be a little like self-righteous Jonah who didn’t think these sinners deserved his time and talents to call them back to the Lord. But here, God is showing His mercy for all people. He shows the powerful works His Word can accomplish. Who knows if we are like Queen Esther, to whom Mordecai said, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) You and I live in this time of wickedness and the confusion of the lost so that we can share with others the truth of God’s saving Word, so that we can tell our fellow sinners that time is running short until the Lord returns in judgment, but also, that He is merciful; that God rescues sinners by His Word.

The king of Nineveh proclaimed to his people, “‘Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?’ Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” Some would say that God changed His mind, here, but really He didn’t. This is what God wanted to happen all along—that the people of Nineveh would hear His message, believe it, and turn from their wicked ways to trust in His mercy. God wants that same thing for all of us.

True repentance is more that just admitting our guilt. True repentance also understands and believes the message of God’s Word that there is a reason God forgives sinners. God sent His Son to atone for our guilt. For each and every one of us, Jesus took the punishment, and death, and righteous anger of God, so that His wrath for sin would be appeased, and He would offer forgiveness full and free. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” (John 15:13) In His great and perfect love, Jesus died for friend and enemy alike. In His Son, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

As Christian believers, we have to fight, every day of our lives, against the little Jonah inside each of us that wants to run away from the work God gives us. We have to fight against the self-righteousness that thinks we are more deserving of God’s grace than the wicked people down the street or around the world. As we do so, let us each repent of our sins, humble ourselves before God, and believe in Jesus as our Savior. Jesus rescued us from sin, from eternal death in hell, from the power of the devil, and from our own wickedness. Through the preaching of the Word and the cleansing waters of Baptism, God has turned us to repentance and true faith in Jesus.

To God alone, we give all thanks and praise. Because of His holy Son, He has relented from His righteous anger for our sins. No longer does God threaten us with eternal disaster. He lifts us up from the ash heap of repentance and calls us His own dear children. Today, God looks at the feeble efforts of His faithful people and opens the door to heaven. He looks at our weak faith, and calls us believers—true Israelites in whom is no deceit.

Dear friends, humble yourselves before the Lord. He has cleansed you with the perfect blood of His Son. In His eyes your sins are as white as snow. "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;” (Isaiah 1:18-19) God rescues sinners by His Word. Amen.

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

Come and see Jesus.

2012-01-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Epiphany 2, 1-15-2012
Incomparable love and mercy be yours from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

John 1:43-51 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Come and see Jesus.

Dear fellow redeemed,
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" It seems like a rather bigoted question, doesn’t it? Is it possible that Nathanael had such little respect for the village of Nazareth? If that were the case, though, I think we would have to say that Jesus, too, found Nazareth contemptible since He doesn’t rebuke Nathanael, but rather, praises him as “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Now, we know from Matthew and Luke that many of the people of Jesus’ hometown did reject Him and at one point even tried to kill Him (Luke 4). Still, Jesus did preach His Gospel there, and some did believe, so I think we have to look for a different explanation.

Let’s take one step back for a minute. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael and Philip were close friends, and where were they looking for spiritual truth and eternal salvation? They were studying God’s word, weren’t they? They were actively searching the Scriptures so that they would know what to look for if the Messiah should come in their lifetime. They were ready for the Promised One to arrive. They were waiting for Him. So, when Philip heard Jesus’ call to discipleship, he couldn’t wait to reach his friend with the Good News—the Savior of the world had come. Therefore, Nathanael wasn’t demonstrating a hatred for Nazareth, he just didn’t remember any prophecy explicitly stating that the Messiah would come from humble Nazareth. Philip didn’t try to argue, he just said, Come and see Jesus.

We have a lot of good examples here in these few verses. First of all, we see an example of how we came to faith. No one can find Jesus on his own, so someone had to bring us the Good News of His forgiveness and salvation, just as Philip brought it to Nathanael. Furthermore, none of us decide to follow Jesus on our own, but He calls us to faith. In Philip’s case, Jesus came to Him directly. For most people, Jesus comes to us, and calls us to faith, through the work of His Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament. In the explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles Creed, we testify along with Martin Luther:

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called my by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; just as He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

The Bible says, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) So with Jesus’ call to “Follow Me,” the Holy Spirit was at work in Philip, and when Philip told Nathanael, Come and see Jesus, the Spirit ramped up His work in Nathanael as well.

Of course, Nathanael needed a little extra convincing, but “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" The Spirit had begun the good work in Nathanael already as he studied Moses and the prophets. Now, with Philip’s Good News message and Jesus firm proof, the Holy Spirit brought full faith to Nathanael, so He recognized Jesus as his Savior and King.

Jesus’ little miracle, here, maybe doesn’t seem like much compared to all the other miracles He performed throughout His ministry on earth. Certainly, His healing miracles were much more dramatic, and raising several people from the dead also would have seemed much more convincing. Yet, maybe that is what Jesus is getting at when he says there was no deceit in Nathanael. Nathanael didn’t care that the naysayers were rejecting Jesus because He was the carpenter’s son, and he wasn’t trusting in himself. He wasn’t looking for fantastic proofs and continual signs; just that one little miracle was enough to convince Nathanael that God’s prophecies were coming true in Jesus. Jesus had powers that no one apart from God could have. God’s testimony in the Old Testament was sufficient for Nathanael to recognize Jesus for who He is: our Savior and King.

Therefore, Nathanael too is a good example for us. We shouldn’t demand extraordinary signs from Christ, and we shouldn’t just gullibly take anyone’s word as truth. We need to test the spirits and check what our friends and teachers tell us. Does it line up with Scripture? Does it meet the test of Moses and the prophets? Then, when we see the prophecies fulfilled and the miracles Jesus performed, we will have no excuse but to believe in Him.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Because Jesus knew that Nathanael was familiar with Moses’ account of Jacob’s dream as he journeyed away from his home to escape his brother’s hatred for tricking Isaac into giving Esau’s inheritance to Jacob, He used that vision to bring a promise to Nathanael. (Genesis 28) Jacob’s ladder is Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that the messengers of God come to people, and it is in Jesus that God’s faithful messengers go up to heaven.

Jesus told Nathanael, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open.” This is the most comforting news Jesus could have given Nathanael. It has the same comfort for you and me. Heaven is open. No longer does sin keep us locked away from God. No longer does our wickedness, rebellion, fear, and lack of faith keep us separate from the God who created us. Jesus entered this world to end that separation, and Nathanael would be one of His witnesses. Nathanael would see Jesus work and preach and heal. He would see Jesus fulfill all God’s demand for perfect holiness, and Nathanael would watch as Jesus was arrested, abused, as He suffered, and died.

But, by Jesus’ passion the gates of heaven were opened wide. Nathanael would be there on Easter morning when Jesus showed the whole world that the Father is truly pleased with His saving work on our behalf, for He raised Jesus from the dead as the first fruit of the resurrection to life again. St. Paul wrote, “Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

Dear friends, Jesus conquered death as He destroyed sin. Because Jesus lived and died for you and me, Satan lost his power over us. Hell cannot have us; heaven’s gates are opened wide for those who believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit has called you by the preaching of the Gospel and the washing of Holy Baptism. Through those means of grace, Jesus invited you to enter His kingdom and to enjoy eternity in heaven, and by His body and blood in the Supper, He strengthens our faith in His sacrifice for our forgiveness and salvation. By those means of grace, the Holy Spirit has announced to you, Come and see Jesus.

Now, the question is, with whom do you want to share that Good News? Like Philip, we can’t hardly keep it to ourselves, can we? So, do you know someone who doesn’t yet understand that Jesus lived and died for each and every one of us? Do you perhaps know someone who is unsure of how to find Jesus, or to receive the blessings He gives, that you can lead to your Savior?

I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on you here. If you are thinking that you have, at times, failed to do this, you are like all the rest of us, and for you and for all of us, Jesus won forgiveness and reconciliation with His Father. But maybe we can be more ready to say Come and see Jesus. Maybe we can imitate Philip and Nathanael a little more and search the Scriptures daily, so that as we read the eyewitness testimonies of the apostles, we will be strengthened in our own faith and be confident to lead others to Jesus. Then, because we will know the warnings of the prophets, we will see the signs of Jesus’ imminent return in judgment, and we will be ready and bold to tell everyone we meet, Come and see Jesus. Then every day, we will be ready to meet Jesus with Nathanael’s testimony on our lips, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Amen.

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

“Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.”

2012-01-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Epiphany 1, 1-8-2012
To you who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Amen.

Acts 16:25-34 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

“Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.”

Dear brothers and sister in Christ,
You probably noticed this a while ago, but I really like snazzy sermon themes. I want every sermon to have a theme that grabs you and sticks with you for the next week. I’ll let you be the judge of whether I ever accomplish that, but I have to tell you, I struggled a bit with the theme for this sermon. I was looking for something unique that would use the idea of a powerful shaking, or a sudden turn of events to grab your attention. Perhaps, though, I was a little too much like that jailer. So, to be true to the text, I had to go with the simple truth: Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

This was quite an eventful day in the lives of everyone involved. Let me tell you a little about how Paul and Silas ended up in that prison cell. The two men had been preaching the Good News of the Lord Jesus in the Roman town of Philippi, and for several days a young, demon-possessed girl had interrupted their work with her proclamations about who they were and what they preached. What she said was true, but it appears she had been saying it in a mocking, disruptive way. Paul finally felt the need to rid her of this tormenting spirit, and he did so, casting out the demon in the name of Jesus Christ. One would assume that this healing would be celebrated by everyone, right?

It’s often not a good idea to rely on assumptions. This young woman was a slave, and her owners had taken advantage of her affliction to make a great deal of money through fortune telling. They were severely offended that Paul had taken away their source of ill-gotten wealth. Accusing Paul and Silas of many things, all of which were false, the slave owners started a riot in the public square and brought the two men before the magistrates with their accusing lies. Because of the rioting crowds, the magistrates assumed that Paul and Silas were guilty, so without any kind of trial, they had them horribly beaten and thrown into the deepest part of the local prison.

The local jailer was commanded to hold them upon penalty of his own life, so not only did he put Paul and Silas in the deepest, most secure part of the prison intended for the worst of criminals, he locked them in stocks to make doubly sure they could not escape.

So there we find Paul and Silas, completely innocent of any crime, given no trial, but beaten until bloody, locked in an uncomfortable and painful position in the depths of a prison, surrounded by the worst local criminals, with no food or water, no salve or bandages for their wounds, the whole place pitch dark at midnight. In the course of a few hours the two men had gone from preaching the Good News of salvation to being horribly mistreated without cause.

So what would you expect them to be doing after all that? Crying? Moaning in horrible pain? Swearing? Complaining about God and the mission He had sent them on? That might show how guilty we can be, but Paul and Silas didn’t do any of those things, “at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Just try to stop God’s mission work. Wicked men tried to stop God’s servants here. The jailer did nothing to help. Yet, here we find the Gospel being shared through songs of thanksgiving and praise, and the prisoners were listening. Do you see why I wanted to highlight sudden turns of events?

There were more sudden and shaking turns coming. “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.” Does this seem like an ordinary earthquake to you? I haven’t yet experienced the real thing, and while I expect that the ground does shake so strongly that all the foundations are rattled, is it normal that every door is thrown wide open, and the chains that bind every prisoner immediately fall off? Oh, the ground shook indeed in Philippi, but this was no normal earthquake; rather, the very hand of God, or His angel, stirring things up.

Now, I have a feeling that if or when I experience a big quake, I too will run out in the streets, terrified. That’s what this jailer did. He had been sleeping. We aren’t told if he was at home or on duty, but he was asleep, and after being shook awake, he came running back to the prison, and what he saw terrified him. The doors were wide open! How many prisoners would normally be expected to stay in their jail cells when the ground is bucking and shaking, and stuff is falling off the walls, and the doors of the prison are standing wide open? Yah, we wouldn’t stay in there, either, would we?

Luke doesn’t tell us why the jailer was so afraid that he wanted to commit suicide, but we can speculate pretty easily. Rome had a law that any jailer who allowed his prisoner to escape would have to suffer the escapee’s sentence. That jailer had seen a lot of beaten, whipped men in his day. He probably had led many of his prisoners out to even more torture or crucifixion. It was just easier to get death over with, he supposed.

However, God didn’t plan the events of this day so that the jailer would die; rather, so that he and his family would truly live. “Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!" Those were the first saving words Paul spoke to the man. Greater words came soon after.

The jailer “called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas then spoke the greatest message you and I can ever share with any scared or hurting soul, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Dear friends, we don’t need snazzy slogans. We don’t have to dress up the Gospel in fancy plays or music that makes the heart race. We just need to tell the simple truth of the Gospel, Believe in Jesus and you will be saved, to those who need to hear it. Then, let the Spirit do His work.

It seems too simple, doesn’t it? The jailer didn’t ask what he should believe; he asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Remember though, this is human nature talking. The law written in our hearts tells us we have sinned against God, and our sinful pride makes us think that we can and must do something to make up for our sin. The sad truth though is that nothing we can do is ever good enough to make up for the corruption of sin in us.

Paul and Silas spent the rest of that night telling the jailer and his family the wonderful message of Jesus. Luke doesn’t give us all the details, but they told that scared man of how we are all sinners, but Jesus is a great Savior who took all of our sin on His own beaten, bloody back and carried them to the cross of death to pay for all our evil deeds. They told that household of how Jesus had suffered and died for them and for everyone. They told them of how Jesus had risen from the grave alive on the third day, of how He had fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies to show that He is the Son of God and the promised Savior, and of how His Father in heaven had forgiven everyone on earth for Jesus’ sake. They told that poor man that there really isn’t anything we can do to be saved, yet thanks be to Jesus, there is nothing we have to do but Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. “They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”

Sometimes, even good solid Christians start to wonder if we really are good enough to be saved. Have we done enough? The devil often comes whispering in the Christian ear telling us that surely salvation can’t be so simple; surely we need to do more to keep God happy with us.

We see how hard the members of some sects work to spread their lies, and we feel guilty for our feeble efforts in comparison. We hear from our friends and neighbors that there is more to being a Christian than just believing. Some say you have to be baptized in a certain way or proclaim your faith in a certain way. Some claim you have to pray in a certain way or worship on a certain day. Others say that Jesus did a lot for you, but you must do something more, too. Some say you have to live by certain rules. In all cases, that’s the law talking to those who are weak or completely lacking in true faith.

The truth is, if our having forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life were dependent upon us, the answer is no! We are not good enough, and we will never do enough. However, our salvation is not dependent on us or what we do. Jesus did it all for us. Jesus fulfilled all the law for all times and all places and all people, and He paid the penalty of death for everyone. Then by the washing and Word of Baptism, we were made clean and were dressed in Jesus’ perfect righteousness. To those who were wondering what they could do to please God; “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John 6:29) Today, there is one command, Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

Dear friends, the events of that crazy day back in the lives of Paul and Silas and the jailer ended as Luke reports, “Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.” Sometimes, we worry and fret over how to live our faith and lead sinners to believe in Jesus. The answer is the same, today, as it was back in Philippi: tell hurting, scared, troubled sinners the Good News of Jesus. There is no secret formula. There is no magic to spreading the Gospel. It is simply meeting people where they are and sharing Jesus’ Gospel with them.

Granted, many people won’t want to hear it. Occasionally, wicked men will react violently against us. Like Paul and Silas, there may be days when we have to face persecution for the message, but we have a Savior in whom we can rejoice no matter what happens.

And sometimes, maybe when we least expect it, the Lord will shake the ground enough under some lost soul that he will gladly hear you tell the Good News of how Jesus has won forgiveness and salvation for everyone, and the Holy Spirit will use your words to lead that hurting individual to believe it. Through the simple promise of the Gospel, and the Sacrament of Baptism, God saves formerly lost souls. And it’s not dependent on how we speak or how we live. It is solely a question of whether we believe in God’s saving Son, because Jesus has done everything necessary for our forgiveness and salvation, and the Holy Spirit works through humble messengers like you and me to share that saving Good News with scared, hurting sinners. Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. 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.

Trust the word of the only God and Savior.

2012-01-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Christmas 1, 1-1-2012
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Isaiah 45:20-25 "Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save. 21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. 24 He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him. 25 In the LORD all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.'"

Trust the word of the only God and Savior.

Dear sinners made righteous in Christ,
Have you ever considered how tough and frustrating it must be to be God? Now, you would think that because God has unlimited power and authority and foreknowledge, everything would go exactly His way, right? So, how exasperating it must be for God to deal with the human race!

God’s frustration seems to boil over a little, here, in the middle of Isaiah’s prophecy. Time after time, God called for His people to see how foolish it is to put their hope in man-made idols, and time and time again, God has pleaded with His people to simply trust in Him. Israel often did not. Our sermon text is one more plea from God that we all Trust the word of the only God and Savior.

Numerous times in Isaiah’s writings, God pointed out the utter foolishness of trusting in idols that man makes out of created things. Here the Lord says, “They have no knowledge, who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a god that cannot save.” A bit earlier, Isaiah mocked those who would take a tree, use part to cook their food and heat their tent, then carve a portion and call it a god. Seriously, if that wood couldn’t stop itself from being burned up, how would it ever protect us from the fires of hell? So, God calls the worship of any god besides Himself evidence of ignorance.

To those of us who are Christians, it does seem silly that anyone would believe that a carved wooden image could help them, or in some way, even save them from destruction. However, before we start patting ourselves on the back for our wisdom in choosing to believe in the One true God, we better make sure that we haven’t been worshiping man-made gods. So, do we place our total confidence for today and for the future in God’s pure Word, or do we worry that we are responsible for part of our salvation? Don’t be too quick to boast, because it is easy to fall into the trap of our neighboring religions, even some that claim Christ as their Savior yet demand that you must do your part to complete the process.

For that matter, have you ever put your hope for tomorrow in created things, like a job, or a stock portfolio, economic forecasts, long-range plans, or a cancer treatment, or a surgeon’s skill? Now, don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that we shouldn’t use those things—they certainly can be blessings for us. But, wherein lies our hope? The Lord says, Trust the word of the only God and Savior.

Israel was going through some challenging times when Isaiah wrote this. Some of the people had been carted off into captivity. Many had been killed in war. The worst problem, though, was that the vast majority of the people had been seduced by the gods of their neighbors, which the Lord pointed out repeatedly had no power at all.

When it comes to the way of salvation, the Lord challenges all other comers to the game saying, “Tell and bring forth your case; yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time?” What other god has been around since the beginning of time? What other god has promised a way of salvation from the very beginning? No one can meet God’s challenge. Only the one true God was there when He created Adam and Eve and gave them the opportunity to worship Him in the Garden. And, only the one true God was there with the promise of a Savior at the heart-breaking fall of those two individuals into sin. Already there in the Garden of Eden, before the birth of even one human child, God promised: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15)

Throughout the history of the human race, God’s message has been the same: He will provide salvation for His people. He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that through them and their descendants a Savior would be brought into the world and until that time, God would be taking care of them, providing for their daily needs, protecting them from enemies, and leading them eventually to a homeland of their own where they could live in peace and expand to unlimited numbers. And all along the way God pointed them to the coming Messiah, the Savior who would rescue them from sin and death, and all God asked is that they trust Him. God’s plea to His people is always the same: “There is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Of course, we know from the history of Israel, and from the history of the world, how continually mankind has looked to other imagined sources of comfort and hope. Israel had a history of turning to foreign gods and foreign powers for protection from danger. King Saul even turned to a witch to try to learn the future after he abandoned God. By the time the true Savior, Jesus, walked the earth, most of the people had turned to trusting their own works to please God. That has continued right down to our day. Sometimes, it is bold paganism in which you are supposed to supply all the power for living. Sometimes, it is more subtle, and God is given some credit, but you are told to do something to accept Him or to turn Him to hear your plea for mercy—much like Elijah mocked the Baal prophets for not praying loudly enough to wake their dead god.

And all the while, God is patient with the world, not wanting any to be lost, and providing for the needs of even total pagans as He works through the preaching of His Word to save those who will hear and believe. St. Paul put it this way: “In His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:25-26)

Through Isaiah, God declares again and again, “There is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me.” All other religions, except Christianity, proclaim methods of earning something; whether it be eternal salvation or happiness on earth. They all try to tell you what you can achieve. However, as sin-damaged, corrupted creatures, we could never measure up to God’s just demand for perfect holiness. So every human effort gains us nothing but death. That’s why from beginning to end, God’s Word preaches a divine solution to our perilous condition: Trust the word of the only God and Savior.

Here in Isaiah the Lord says, “I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength.” To Abraham God promised, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3) To David: “I will set up your seed after you…and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13) Through prophet after prophet, God pointed to His coming Savior Son, where we should look for Him, what kind of life He would lead, how He would die for our sins.

No other god was ever able to predict the future with such uncanny perfection. No other god could control history to make it come out exactly as He intended. Most important, no other god ever offered to give us perfect peace without any merit or worthiness on our part. Satan tries to strike bargains with us; “If You will worship before me, all will be Yours." (Luke 4:7) He offers to sell us some future benefit in exchange for our souls as he did to Adam and Eve in the Garden, but only God says, “In the LORD all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.'" In the Lord Jesus, we find rest and peace for our souls. In Him is our glory.

Dear friends, on this first day of the year, we find ourselves celebrating the birth of the Christ Child in a manger some two thousand years ago, and at the same time, looking forward to a future we don’t yet know. But one thing remains constant and true. We have a Creator God who loves us, who sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins: a Child who humbled Himself to take on our sins and suffer and die on our behalf, a righteous Man who obeyed every law for us, who fulfilled every will of His Father in heaven so that we could enter paradise with Him.

This is the outcome God has been promising since the beginning of time. He will provide our relief. He will save; there is no other Savior and God. All others are imposters of the human imagination and the devil’s lies. None of those false gods can do anything but burn in the fires, either here on earth or in hell.

God’s promise for our salvation is so all-providing that you don’t even have to worry about attaining the faith. We don’t have to do anything to become God’s children; He makes us so through the preaching of His Word and the waters of Baptism. Paul wrote, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) But by the Holy Spirit working in us through the Word and Sacrament, we boldly rejoice, “Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him.”

In our Gospel lesson this morning, we heard Simeon rejoice, "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." Simeon heard God’s Word and believed it, and he entered heaven rejoicing in the salvation only God provides. His experience is available also for you. Trust the word of the only God and Savior. 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.

Witness the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory.

2011-12-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Christmas Day, 12-25-2011
The Light, Who brings light and life to the world, shine upon you, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people. Amen.

John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Witness the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory.

Dear lambs of the Good Shepherd,
How do you know who a person truly is? For instance, you know my name, and my wife’s name, but how do you know whether we truly are who we say we are? Would you do a background check? Would you call those we claim to know, or be related to, and ask if we are telling the truth?

For that matter, how do you truly know the person sitting next to you, or across the aisle? And much more important, how do you know who that Babe in the manger of Bethlehem truly is?

Our Lord God, who wants nothing more than to save you from eternal destruction, wanted to make absolutely certain that you would know without a doubt who Jesus truly is. Therefore, God had four different Gospel writers tell you about His Son. Matthew spoke of Christ’s human parentage and how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies God had given to help us recognize the Messiah. Luke spoke, too, of human parentage, and then showed how this Savior was for all people, and Mark showed Jesus as the power and action of God leading to divine sacrifice for sinners.

The disciple and apostle, John, wrote his Gospel a few decades after the other three writers, at a time when many were questioning Jesus’ true nature, and many false teachers were spreading half-truths and lies about Christ. Inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, St. John wrote to emphasize for us the divine nature of Christ Jesus and to Witness the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory.

At the time John wrote his Gospel, there were teachers who claimed to have special knowledge that allowed only them to enjoy salvation. They denied much that was true about Christ, so John began his witness, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In connection with the beginning of all things, the Word, that is Jesus Christ, already was. Before any created thing was brought into existence, Jesus already lived. He is God, and was with His Father before time began, One true God in both persons.

Some were claiming that material things are by nature evil, and only the spiritual things of the creation were good, but John shows this to be nonsense for God created all things good, though some spirit beings later turned against Him which then corrupted the material things. Jesus, as to His human nature, was not evil, because He was true God along with true Man.

Jesus is the Word. He represents everything God tells us about Himself. We cannot see God because He is spirit, so God took on human flesh in the person of the Son, so that we could see God’s love and mercy in Jesus and not just fear God as some invisible, angry Judge.

In our day, great philosophers and scientists wonder about the origins of life. That question isn’t new. The great thinkers of John’s day also pondered that question. Here, the Lord informs us that He is the sole source of all life. John wrote, “The Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The Greek emphasizes that not even one thing of creation was made apart from the Word of God. Life too came from God and from God alone. Only those still caught in the darkness of unbelief cling to the notion that the source of life remains to be found.

The spiritual life that man enjoyed at creation was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. They died spiritually at that very moment and, ever since, every one of their descendants was born spiritually dead too. Without God’s intervention that would be our eternal condition. This is why God sent His Son. Jesus entered this world to restore spiritual life to our fallen race. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

As the source of all life, only God could restore life to the people He had lovingly hand-crafted and into whom He had breathed true life. Jesus entered this world as the Light who would restore life to men. Without His light, we would remain entombed in the darkness of eternal, spiritual death. Therefore, we needed to Witness the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory. Jesus would live a perfectly holy life for us. He would restore peace with God so that we could live with God again. He needed to shine that Good News on those of us trapped in darkness. We couldn’t see His Light on our own. In fact, by our nature, we would hide from His light, scurrying around in the darkness that felt familiar and even safer to us though it kept us separate from our Creator and Lord.

It is God’s glory that overpowers darkness. In His natural perfect holiness, Jesus lived for you and me, and for every sinner of every time period of this world’s eventual history. To demonstrate the glory of God’s mercy and grace, Jesus took all the sins of the world upon Himself. He who had no sin of His own, became the ultimate sin for all of us. His Father then poured out the absolute worst punishment of eternal death upon Jesus. God’s own dear Son endured complete separation from God, laying down His life in sacrifice for the human race, bearing the deadliest punishment for us all.

Jesus surely laid down His life; then to His glory took it up again. Satan thought he had defeated God, but God cannot be overpowered. His glory shines through any battle, against any evil foe. Jesus said, “My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." (John 10:17-18) Therefore, we have the Witness of the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory to show us who Jesus really is. He is the Son of God, begotten of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit in His human mother, Mary.

St. John also told us of a man who was chosen by God to bear witness to Jesus’ true nature. As a witness, John was to recognize the Son, to store that knowledge in his heart and mind, and to testify to the court of world opinion that Jesus had, indeed, demonstrated His true nature. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.” Here is another testimony to God’s glory. God didn’t send a Savior for only those who deserved to be saved (which is none of us), or even only for those who would gladly believe (again, not one of us). Rather, it is God’s greatest desire that every last soul on earth would believe in Jesus and receive the light that gives life everlasting. John witnessed to the people of his day with a fervor that few have ever challenged. His testimony stands still today as a witness to the truth that Jesus is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Not one person on earth deserved a Savior. We each had earned God’s eternal wrath and punishment. Not one of us, by nature, even desired to be given Jesus’ light and life. We didn’t know there was such a thing, but John testified that Jesus “was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” The undeniable truth is that Jesus “was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” This is our natural condition, one that we have no power or ability to change on our own. Satan had so deceived us and robbed us of any spark of life or truth. However, through the love of God, as shown to man by the Holy Spirit, the Witness of the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory allowed some to see the Light of Christ and believe in Him.

“Jesus came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” So that we might actually enjoy the salvation Jesus won for all, it is necessary that we understand that His forgiveness and salvation is never something that we achieve on our own. We do not inherit it from our parents. We cannot attain it by anything we strive to do. Forgiveness is granted to us by the sole decision and accomplishment of God. He sent the Son. He suffered and died and rose again in the person of Jesus. He sent His Spirit through the Word and witnesses. He turned our stone-dead hearts to the light and life that only Christ can give, and He made the decision to adopt us into His beloved family through the water and Word of Baptism.

Dear friends, this morning we celebrate the most wonderful event in human history, the birth of the Savior. John affirmed this for us saying, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John was testifying to what happened in his life time—that Jesus, God’s One and only Son, entered this world of sorrow and death, and gave John new life that will never end.

That, dear Christian friends, is also our story. By faith, given to us by the Holy Spirit, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” In the Word of God, you and I see Christ. By the Word, you and I behold His glory—that though we were sinners and enemies of the One who created us, He came to cleanse us from all sin and save us from eternal death. By the power of the Spirit in the Word, we beheld His glory and believed. Therefore, we have been given the right to be children of God, and we have the sure hope of an everlasting inheritance in heaven.

Because we have this tremendous gift of a Savior, we have the opportunity, and the call, to Witness the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory to those around us. We have this command not to glorify ourselves, for that glory has already been given to us, but so that others, also, might see the Light of Christ and receive the life He gives through the Word.

To many people, a baby born in a manger some two thousand years ago seems like a foolish thing for us to be talking about in our modern times, but that is no different today than it was back then. To those who reject Jesus, the whole salvation story is a silly fantasy, a waste of time. However, it is only through our witness of His virgin birth, and His life, death, and resurrection to an unbelieving world that any of those who are lost can be saved. Like for John the Baptist, it may cost us our physical life to be witnesses. It may cost us a little ridicule from those walking in darkness. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” Beloved friends, that is you and me: children of God, Witnesses of the Word, the life, the Light, and the glory. Amen.

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

God gives to you a Savior.

2011-12-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

Homily for Christmas Eve, 12-24-2011
God gives to you a Savior.

Dearly beloved by God,
Grace, mercy, and peace be abundantly yours from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

This evening, I have a few questions for you. How many of you still have the first Christmas gift you were ever given? Can you even remember what it was? If not, do you still have the gifts you received five, ten, or thirty Christmases ago? And if so, what shape are they in? Do you use those gifts every day, or have they been used up and thrown away? Maybe, you have those once treasured gifts sitting on a dusty shelf someplace, still in your possession, but mostly long forgotten. Of course, if you are like most of us were as little children, there were times when you were more interested in the box than in the gift itself. One might ask; has anything really changed?

Now, I may have misled you a bit with my first question. You see, you most likely assumed that I was talking about all those gifts that get wrapped up in pretty paper, and tied with ribbons and bows, and tucked gently under the Christmas tree. However, those things were not the first Christmas gift you ever received. The Christmas gifts that get put under Christmas trees all around the world to be opened tonight or tomorrow morning are not the main gift of Christmas, they are merely symbolic of the great Christmas gift God gave to each and every one of you over two thousand years ago when God gave to you a Savior in a stable in Bethlehem.

Dear friends, we have come together this evening to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world. That doesn’t mean much to some folks, but it means a great deal to God’s people. The faithful believers among the people of Judea were anxiously waiting for the Savior to come. They knew God’s promises. They were looking for fulfillment of the signs God had promised to show them that the Messiah had indeed arrived. So imagine, the excitement and joy those humble shepherds felt when they heard the angel of the LORD tell them the Good News: "There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Luke tells us how the shepherds reacted. When they heard the Good News that their Savior had been born, the shepherds didn’t sit around enjoying another cup of coffee. They didn’t go ask other people what they should do. They didn’t even pen up their sheep. “They came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:16) Immediately, Jesus became the focus of their attention and their worship. Why? Because the angel said their Savior had been born, who is Christ the Lord. God had been pointing to this moment for thousands of years, and He had instructed His people to “hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:7-8) And now, the Lord, their Savior and Redeemer, was here.

So, how about you and me? How do we react to this great Christmas gift? Is the gift of the Savior something you have forgotten? Is God’s saving Gift something you are glad you have, but you have Him kind of back on a shelf somewhere with a dusty Bible that doesn’t get used too much? Do you question whether this Gift is even yours? Maybe someone told you that you have to ask Jesus to be your Savior, and you’re not sure whether He really is. Maybe, in the hustle and bustle of this time of year and the struggles and hardships of life, Jesus got pushed aside in your house. Or maybe, God’s Gift (the Savior) has seemed to you a little old fashioned, out of style, out of touch, or simply broken down.

If any of these things is the case for you, the Holy Spirit wants you to know that “There is born to you…in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Jesus wasn’t sent to save just the shepherds. Jesus didn’t come to save only the Jewish people. He didn’t come to rule a kingdom on earth, either. Jesus came to save you from your slavery to sin, death, and Satan, and to save you from the punishment and eternal death your sins had earned. Jesus came to live a completely sinless life from conception to the grave, all for you. He took your place in obeying the Law. And, Jesus took your place in dying for your sins. Jesus later told His disciples, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) If you are a person of this world, and as far as I can tell, none of us were born on some other planet, then Jesus was given to, and for, you.

Dear friends, each and every one of us have sins that kept us separate from God in heaven. Jesus was given to end that separation for us all, and when Jesus rose from the grave on Easter morning, His resurrection gave sure proof that his mission was a success. Your sins are paid for. Your death and punishment have been taken by the Son of God, and for Jesus’ sake, His Father has declared you, “Not guilty!”

Today, Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) For He says, “I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." (Isaiah 44:22)

My friends, if you came here, tonight, feeling the burden of your sins, rejoice! Jesus was given to make you holy. If you felt you should come because you have kind of put Jesus on the back shelf of your closet for the last few weeks, or months, or years, rejoice! Jesus is your Christmas gift who lived and died to make you right with His Father, and He “will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) If you came here, tonight, because you felt like someone was coercing you into coming, and you just didn’t want to hurt that person’s feelings, rejoice! Jesus loved you enough to enter this world for you and for all sinners. He loved you enough to humble Himself and take your place on the cross, just as He did for me and everyone else. To all the lost sheep of Israel, to friend and foe alike, to all the wandering tribes of the human race, in other words, to every person who has ever sinned against Him, God gives to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Amen.

A win-win celebration.

2011-12-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

Sermon for 3rd Mid-week Advent, 12-21-2011
Grace mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

A win-win celebration.

Dear brothers and sisters of Christ,
In business, the best deals are always those where everybody wins. Both sides of the transaction contribute resources equally, and the outcome is a synergy in which the bottom line far exceeds what either side had expected. The deal has become a win-win situation.

Many theologians and great thinkers have the misunderstanding that Christianity is just that type of transaction. God does His part—you do yours—and the result is good for both. Sadly, if you or I have to do our part to be saved, the only possible result is eternal suffering and loss.

As we approach the celebration of Jesus’ birth, it is good for us to remember the extreme difference in how the kingdom of heaven works compared to the kingdom of earth. Here in this sin-damaged, broken world, we expect to pay for any benefit we get. Here, there is no free lunch, so to speak.

Now, mankind has a long history of trying to play “Let’s make a deal” with God. Pagan religions of many kinds sprang up simply to try to make this life on earth more secure, but even among those who should have known God’s ways, the tendency has been to imagine that there is something good in us that we can offer to God. God commanded His people “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) But, many people throughout history have assumed that meant we just had to be better than the next guy. Sort of like running away from lions; I don’t have to run faster than the lions; I just have to be faster than the people around me.

The faithful believer, though, has always recognized that we are no where near holy in anything we do. The Psalm writers and Isaiah understood this. Paul quoted them in his letter to the Romans, “It is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.’ ‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’ ‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” (Romans 3:10-18) In our natural condition, we have no righteousness to offer to God, no way to appease His wrath for our sin. That’s why the angels were having A win-win celebration.

You see, the angels that sang the words of our sermon text understood perfectly that God was working to bring salvation to the people of earth. When they observed the event of the Messiah’s birth, an event God had long foretold for our salvation, the angels rejoiced in A win-win celebration.

As they saw the birth of Jesus, the angels recognized what mankind so often missed. God was not striking a bargain with us in which we had to put up some spiritual capital in order to obtain His forgiveness. God knew we had nothing to offer—but our sin—which He hated. Therefore, God took our sins, and He laid them all on His Son, that tiny infant lying in the manger at Bethlehem.

The angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Glory to God—peace to men; that sounds like a win-win situation, doesn’t it? The truth is, though, you and I contributed nothing to that transaction but the debt of sin. However, God glorifies Himself by accomplishing our forgiveness and salvation through His beloved Son, Jesus.

In the days before Jesus gave His life on the cross, He prayed to His Father in heaven, “‘Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’” (John 12:28) When the Pharisees accused Jesus of shaming Himself by eating with prostitutes and sinners, Jesus replied, “I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

Therefore, when the angels saw God’s salvation plan being carried out by the Son, they were filled with glee to sing praise to the glory of God. Their God was saving the main point of His creation. The race of beloved creatures that had been lost to the snares and lies of the devil was now being redeemed, bought back to the Father by the sacrifice of the Son. The angels sang praise to God, and they sang of the benefit to you and me. Remember, theirs was A win-win celebration.

God didn’t send His Son so that He could boast, though Jesus did that after His resurrection from the grave as He went down to hell to declare victory over Satan and his evil hoard. Rather, Jesus came to win peace. The angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" God’s good will toward men is something that had to be accomplished. God loves us unconditionally, but He is also a perfectly just God who must punish the sinner with death, and we were sinners at war with Him. We had sided with Satan, the angel who had turned against God and led mankind into sin. Jesus came to crush that serpent’s head and win us back for His Father. Peace between God and man would be established once again.

As the angels celebrated that long ago night, they didn’t just see the Babe in the manger; they saw that God’s salvation was as good as done. They praised God for His unstoppable love and undefeatable mercy. They knew Jesus, God’s only begotten Son. They knew Satan didn’t stand a fighting chance against the Holy One of Israel. Just as David looked so small and helpless going out to battle against Goliath, so Jesus looked small and helpless there in that manger bed, but the angels knew better.

To win us back to the Father, a debt had to be paid. We owed God our lives for the sins we commit every day. God declared through the prophet Ezekiel, "The soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:20) And Paul bluntly reminds us, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus entered this world to do battle with Satan by living in perfect obedience to His Father’s will on our behalf, and Jesus came to pay a debt as old as time. He paid the debt of sin for everyone from Adam, to you and me, and all those yet to come. “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) That sweet, innocent little Baby in the manger would be the sin-bearer for the human race. And without any merit or goodness or payment or work on our part, God would grant us peace. The war would soon be over. In fact, from the cross, Jesus resolutely declared, “It is finished!”

This Christmas, as we approach that stable and gaze into Jesus’ manger bed, remember the game changing play, the win-win deal God made with us. Jesus lived the perfect life for you. He died the death that took away all your sins. Then, with love that never ends, He sent His Holy Spirit to you through the preaching of His Word. And, through the water and Gospel of His baptism, Jesus made you His own dear brothers and sisters, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. That’s why the angels were singing their praise to God in heaven. That’s why they sang of peace on earth, good will to men.

Dear friends, remember the song the angels sang and join in like you will sing it for eternity, because I promise you who believe in Jesus, you will sing that song with the angels of heaven. We will have an eternal win-win celebration. Then, let us join them, daily, in the songs of our lives, giving thanks to Jesus in everything we do, making our lives here on earth and our eternity in heaven A win-win celebration. Amen.

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

Jesus: God’s mystery revealed to save you.

2011-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 4, 12-18-2011
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Romans 16:25-27 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Jesus: God’s mystery revealed to save you.

Dear friends in Christ,
So, is the suspense building in your house? Are all the little ones in agony, hoping and wondering what will be under the Christmas tree for them? Most of us are probably past that age, but I’ll bet we can remember a time when the anticipation just tormented us. Maybe it was seeing the packages all wrapped in pretty paper and stuck under the tree. Or perhaps in your house, there was nothing under the tree before Christmas, and that kept you in suspense until the last moment. It always seemed so mysterious to me when I was little. Would there be anything for me? Would it be something I begged my parents for, or some conciliation prize that they could actually afford?

In many ways, Christmas is the answer to the greatest mystery of all. For natural man, God is a mystery. Who created us and put us on this planet? Who, or what, controls everything and determines whether we live or die, whether there is plenty to eat this year, or we starve?

Many ancient peoples looked around their world and decided they needed gods they could worship and appease so that things would go well for them. They knew, by nature that God existed, but for most of the people, He was a complete mystery. So, they developed ways to worship whatever gods they could imagine—characteristics of nature were given names and worshiped so as to control them. The heavenly bodies of sun, moon, and stars were also a mystery, so they too were worshiped lest they cause anyone serious harm, or sometimes, to inflict harm upon an enemy.

Modern man, very often, looks back on those ancient peoples with scorn. We have a greater understanding of how this world works, how the planets and stars move in the sky, and what causes rain, or storms, or drought—at least we like to think we do. But modern man, too, finds himself at a loss as to the nature of the being who put us on this planet. It’s a mystery to modern man, where this orb of dirt and rock and water came from. Therefore, we too develop theories. We try to come up with some natural explanation of how the earth and everything on it came to be. Yet, the toughest mysteries remain always outside our grasp. What is the real source of the universe? And, the most difficult of all, how or where did life begin? We can imagine all kinds of theories for our origins, but without some god, some outside power, we are always at a loss for the source of life.

With all this talk about natural man, I had better explain a little. This is the way each and every one of us enters this world. As we grow a little, and start to see the world around us, we understand, by nature, that there is a greater power than ourselves. We know, by nature, that some of the things we do are wrong. We even have a strong idea that there is a god of some kind, but who He is, or what that might mean for our lives remains a mystery to every person born, unless someone can teach him, or her, the truth. So where can we find the truth?

That’s pretty much what Paul is talking about in our sermon text. Paul’s letter to the Romans is a summary of Christian doctrine, but it also touches on the history of mankind. Paul points out our natural knowledge of God, and how we all have sinned against Him. He shows how we deserve the death that has afflicted this world since Adam and Eve. But thanks be to God, Paul’s letter also explains for us much about the God who made us and how that true God loved us and sent His Son to save us. Our text this morning is a doxology of praise to God; it is also kind of a summary of Paul’s summary of doctrine. In this doxology, we see Jesus: God’s mystery revealed to save you.

Paul wrote, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began.” The first thing we need to understand is that God hadn’t kept this mystery secret from man. That is always man’s guilt. Immediately after the fall into sin, God promised a Savior, but somewhere along the way, people refused to believe it or neglected to repeat that promise to their children.

That’s pretty much the story of the mysteries of God ever since. It’s not that God has been withholding information from us poor cheated sinners. Rather, it is the normal that many will doubt what God shares. Mankind has been good at blaming God for everything that goes wrong in this world, but it is hard for many to accept that human sin is the cause of all that afflicts us. So, our natural tendency is to reject God or to neglect Him to the point that the children don’t learn the truth about Him, and then God remains a mystery to the next generation.

The Greek word mysterian, though, is a bit different than our word mystery that is derived from it. For the Greeks, mysteries were those secret things that were now revealed is some way. So when Paul speaks of mysteries, He doesn’t speaking about secrets that can’t be known or understood. He is reminding us of the things that God has revealed to teach us, things that we couldn’t learn on our own, but God has made known. Paul wrote, “but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God.” God has been giving the message of salvation to mankind from the very beginning. Then, starting about for thirty-five hundred years ago, He had His prophets write down His message so that it wouldn’t, again, be lost. These are the mysteries of the faith—things formerly unknown but now revealed to us in God’s holy Word.

As Paul summarized the teachings of his letter, he was emphasizing what had been revealed through him and the other apostles—“Paul’s Gospel and the preaching of Christ.” The prophets of old had laid the ground work so that no one would miss the Savior’s arrival into the world. The message of the Gospel was well given in times past, also, so that no one would be lost, but rather that many would believe in the Promised Messiah and be saved.

You might say that God bent over backward to make up for man’s lax efforts to share the saving truth with others. Time and again, God sent His messengers to call people back to faith. God gave the nation of Israel many ways to remember the salvation He was planning for the human race. All of that is now fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and Paul points to Christ one last time in this letter so that no one will miss the message.

The mysteries of God have been revealed. We were sinners—enemies of God—spiritually dead—disobedient—filthy—blind—lost. But God sent His Son, the only Begotten One. Jesus entered this world to save the lost. He came to be our righteousness—to live in perfect obedience to His Father, to submit to the demands of the Law on our behalf. And, Jesus came to die.

What a mystery! That the death of God’s Son would rescue us from the deadly punishment we had earned. Who could have dreamt up such an amazing truth? Truly, our minds don’t work that way. On our own, we don’t see the need, and we can’t imagine a God who could love filthy sinners that much.

But dear friends, that is God’s glory. In spite of our total lack of merit, regardless of the awful sins we have committed against Him, God showed His love for mankind by giving Jesus to be our Savior. That is the Gospel that Paul called “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) It goes beyond human understanding that God would love us like this, but without His love, we would be lost for eternity.

Again, Paul reminds us why we have been blessed with this salvation: “to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” The only true God is the only being wise enough to devise a way to adequately punish our sin, cleanse us from all evil, and at the same time, restore to us the peace we had once enjoyed with God. It required the death of Jesus—true God and true Man.

And, that is God’s glory. That Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, became God’s Christmas gift to the world. God sacrificed His Son for us. Jesus gave up His life for us. The Holy Spirit has been at work in our lives all along to give us the saving faith necessary to receive the benefit of this saving transaction. You and I did nothing to receive this gift. It was completely God’s action for us. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Man was once the crown of God’s creation. The devil tried to destroy the good thing God had made in man, and mankind foolishly threw away the loving relationship he had enjoyed with God. However, that is not the end of the story. When you look at your Christmas tree this week, remember another tree, one not so prettily decorated, but covered in blood—the tree on which Jesus died to save you by paying the penalty for your sins. When you gaze at the presents under the various trees next weekend, remember one other gift, not a box wrapped in shiny paper, but a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid—not in a nice, warm house, but in a manger in a stable. To God’s glory, He found a way to save us. That one and only way is Jesus: God’s mystery revealed to save you. Amen.

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

Mary’s song: the believer’s thankful praise.

2011-12-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Mid-week Advent 2, 12-14-2011
Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."

Mary’s song: the believer’s thankful praise.

Dear friends who anxiously await the Lord’s return,
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, be with you all in truth and love. Amen.

In a world where Mary is often highly over-esteemed by some, even to the point of idolatrous worship and misguided prayer, yet not valued by others at all, it is important for us to know who this young virgin woman, rightly known as the mother of God, truly was, and what she would have wanted us to know about her. So, to know accurately this Mary, who was engaged to Joseph and soon to be the mother of the baby Jesus, we look to Mary’s song: the believer’s thankful praise.

The words of this song were Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s stated confidence that Mary was blessed by believing the Lord’s message that she would be the mother of the Savior of the world. Mary doesn’t deny Elizabeth’s statement at all; however, she turns our understanding of that statement to the true source of the blessing, the One true God. Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Perfectly accurate in her praise, Mary said that this blessing of a Savior was not her doing; she had not had any part in choosing to be the Savior’s mother. That was God’s choice. Therefore, Mary’s song rightly points to God with thankfulness and praise.

Now, it may come as a bit of a surprise to some of you, but Mary really wasn’t much different than any of us. She did not grow up in a wealthy family. Yes, her distant ancestor had once been king of Israel, but her parents were so little known that nothing is mentioned of them in either the Bible or secular history. A peasant girl being chosen to be the mother of the promised Messiah and Savior is such a contrast that Mary said, “He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”

Even in those first moments of excitement, Mary recognized that every generation following would consider her blessed by God, but nothing in her statement suggests that Mary expected this special blessing or deserved it. She was, after all, a sinner like you and me, but Mary was also a humble believer of the promises that had been handed down throughout the history of Israel. Therefore, Mary, again, pointed to the Lord as the source of her salvation as she sang, “For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” Mary found nothing good in herself. All the glory belongs to God. He is the One who had saved her from her wretched condition of sin leading to death, and God is the cause of her faith. God was sending the Savior into the world. Mary was but God’s humble maidservant, who had grown up believing the promises God had given. But, she wasn’t chosen to be the mother of the Messiah because of any goodness on her part, not even the goodness of her humility; it was only by God’s grace and mercy that Mary has received these blessings.

I should point out that Mary’s humbleness was honest. She is not like so many of us who pretend humility merely to fish for complements, as would many young women who are told they are beautiful only to say “Not little old me.” She is not like the preacher who can’t wait to hear how good his sermon was on Sunday morning, or the cook who responds to a complement by saying she just threw something together and it really wasn’t anything special. So often, we find ourselves showing a false humility, but Mary demonstrates true humility for us. She never denied that she has been blessed; in fact, she shouted that truth, but Mary turned the attention away from herself to the One true God and Savior who has given her these many great blessings.

In her thankful song, Mary reminds us that God isn’t pleased by the high and mighty people who are full of self-pride and confident of human accomplishment. Rather, Mary believed that the Lord was demonstrating, through her, that He works through the humble things of this world. God brings His salvation through the common and the shameful: a manger bed in a stable, a cross of agony, shame and death; through a man and woman of no reputation other than as humble repentant sinners; through common water, and bread and wine. Through humble means, God gives faith and salvation.

“His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.” Notice how often Mary points us to the work that God, alone, has accomplished. Those who would stand and boast before the Lord are foolish and will be condemned. Yet, in His mercy, the Lord leads some to recognize their sin. By His condemning Law, God shows His elect their lack of holiness and their need for this Savior. By His powerful Gospel, the Holy Spirit then leads repentant persons to believe in Jesus as the Messiah long promised, the Son of God soon to be delivered into the world as a human baby through this humble virgin.

How much did Mary’s confidence come from the work of the Holy Spirit in the Word? Twice in this Gospel, Luke emphasizes that “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Every word that God gave through His angels and prophets, every miraculous action the Lord used to keep her and Jesus safe, Mary stored all these things in her heart to keep her faith strong.

Later, Jesus also pointed out that Mary’s blessing wasn’t because she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, but because she believed God’s Word. When a woman in the crowd following Jesus shouted out, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" [Jesus replied], "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (Luke 11:27-28)

Again and again in her song of praise, Mary shows us true faith. She does so, not by elevating herself or putting any confidence in what she has done, but by pointing us to the Lord of heaven and earth as the Giver of all the blessings that are coming to her through this Child. “He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever." Mary’s song: the believer’s thankful praise. It points to the love of God for His people.

This is why the Christian Church sings Mary’s song still today. We don’t repeat Mary’s song to give her praise or to shower her with adoration. We sing Mary’s song because it gives all glory to the Lord. It is a song of our thankfulness that God has remembered His people and His promise to save them. It is a reminder to you and me and everyone who hears or sings it that the Savior is God’s gift to a fallen human race. Jesus’ salvation isn’t given to us because we earn it or because we have a special genealogy in our favor. We are but unworthy sinners, but God lifts us up to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the mansions of His heaven.

Dear friends, Mary’s song points us to the Lord. He is the One we praise. God’s promise of a Savior to give forgiveness of sins and everlasting life in His heavenly home was fulfilled by the Baby Mary was honored to carry and nourish through His early human life. Still today, we join with Mary in this song, because the Lord God is worthy of all praise, because He has loved this fallen human race, because He has lifted up you and me from the sentence of punishment and death we so deserved and made us His honored guests, totally forgiven, completely cleansed of all sin, adopted into His family, and dressed in the brilliant garments of the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is what gave the Virgin joy and why we join in Mary’s song: the believer’s thankful praise. Amen.

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

Jesus took your sin to give you His holiness.

2011-12-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 3, 12-11-2011
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:10-11 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Jesus took your sin to give you His holiness.

Dear fellow redeemed,
After reading this text from Isaiah, many theologians have debated the question, “Who is the speaker?” Is it the prophet Isaiah, or all the Old Testament prophets, or someone who was yet to come? Of course, those of you who were here last week already know the answer, because last week we learned that “it’s all about Jesus.” More to the point, Jesus confirmed that the first passages of Isaiah 61 refer directly to Him. After reading the first two passages of our text to the public in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus told the people bluntly, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:21) So, it is quite clear who is speaking in these first verses, and the message is equally clear: Jesus took your sin to give you His holiness.

With the first sentence of our text, Isaiah made it clear that the Savior would not be an ordinary man. In the Savior, we see the Trinity. Of course, we know from other Scriptures that Jesus is true God because He is born of the Father and conceived by the Holy Spirit, but these passages in Isaiah confirm the involvement of the Trinity in our salvation. Jesus was anointed to do a certain work. This was carried out in time when He was anointed with the Spirit by the Father in heaven at His baptism. There, these words of Isaiah were confirmed as Jesus’ mission was put in motion for all to see.

The promised Savior came with multiple tasks, all of which were necessary for any of us to be saved. Jesus said He came “To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” It’s quite a description of Jesus’ work. Certainly, He had to preach the Good News so that we could learn of the salvation Jesus came to win. Without the message being spread, we would have gained nothing. But remember, Jesus did much more than just preach to us, He came to heal the broken-hearted and to throw wide open the doors of our prison.

Now, there are many of our day who quote these passages to support the idea of their so-called “liberation theology.” The focus of that stream of thought is to ease the burdens and pains of this world. Those who follow this philosophy spend their efforts in trying to reform government and lift people out of poverty. These can be good and noble goals, but the “Liberation theology” so common in our world misses God’s point. The liberation Isaiah prophesied was for all of us spiritually captive souls. It is for rich and poor, for the earthly powerful and for the weak, for paupers and kings.

Jesus once said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:3-6) Jesus wasn’t talking about earthly poverty or the politically downtrodden, but rather, the spiritually poor and meek—the same with Isaiah. The Savior came to preach Good News to those who, on their own, had no hope of forgiveness and salvation. Jesus came to heal all of us who were born with spiritually broken and dead hearts. All of us, who were born in the dark dungeons of spiritual prison because are parents, too, were born sinful, were set free to enjoy the liberty Jesus won for us all on the cross. Satan’s shackles that had kept us bound in his torture chamber were broken when Jesus said, “It is finished.” The tearing of the temple curtain that Good Friday afternoon shows that Satan can no longer keep us locked away from God.

Isaiah prophesied that the Savior would come “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God.” The Israelites knew this “acceptable year” as that Jubilee year when slaves had to be set free and property returned to its previous owners. This foreshadowed the work Jesus would do to set us free from the slavery of sin and make us once again God’s own precious children. This would happen on “the day of vengeance of our God.” You may have thought Isaiah was speaking of two different things here, but “the acceptable year of the LORD” was made possible by the day of God’s vengeance that took place as Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the world. God took out His vengeance upon Jesus for all of us who had betrayed Him, disobeyed and abandoned Him, and walked in whatever way our hearts desired except to follow Him. God punished His own dear Son so that you and I, who deserved only punishment and death, could be set free and welcomed into God’s family and home of heaven.

All of this was so that God could be merciful to all of us who don’t deserve His mercy; “To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." We often call this God’s great exchange: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

In ancient times, ashes on a person’s head signified great grief and repentance for sin. God replaces our ashes of repentance with the beauty of Jesus’ perfect righteousness. In addition, Isaiah says, God gives “the oil of joy for mourning.” Much like we wouldn’t put on perfume to clean a manure pit, God gives us the sweet smelling works of our Lord Jesus after He has cleansed us from our filth.

This is the full demonstration of God’s magnificent glory, and His love for us, that He willingly did everything necessary to save us. Not only did Jesus win our salvation, but the preaching of His Word led us to repentance, it turned our hearts from willing disobedience to sorrow for our sins, and the Lord pours out His holiness upon all repentant sinners. This is God’s glory, that He so loved those of us who, because of sin, were unlovable to a holy God.

So, in the first part of our sermon text, the Lord speaks of His work for all sinners. The second part of the text is the thankful response of those who believe. The forgiven sinner exults in the grace of our Savior saying, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”

Notice what the redeemed and forgiven sinner realizes; there is nothing in the sinner that has won for him eternal life. The forgiveness and salvation that are now ours are not something we earned or accomplished. All the glory belongs to God. The Father gave His Son as the perfect sacrifice for all sin. The Son, Jesus, lived and died for you and me and everyone. The Holy Spirit brought us that Good News and gave each of us a heart transplant. He took out our stone-dead, rebellious hearts and replaced them with living hearts that believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

The faithful Christian looks at himself and sees only sin, but we rejoice because God has taken away our sin and replaced it with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Though we were unworthy to stand before God in our filthy rags, God loved us enough to dress us in the perfection of His son.

Though we may have whored after other gods and prostituted ourselves for the earthly trinkets the devil offers, God washed us clean in the waters of Baptism, and then dressed the Holy Christian Church as the Bride of Christ. Today, God no longer sees us as sinners; He sees nothing filthy or unclean about any of us whom His Son has cleansed.

If you saw the beautiful dress that a certain young woman wore for her marriage to a prince this past year, a dress that cost thousands upon thousands of dollars with its fine cloth, jewels, and delicate stitching, you saw only the poorest imitation of the glorious dress that God has put on each believer. Though Kate’s dress sparkled to our earthly eyes, the dress that Jesus puts on each believer shines with radiance in His Father’s eyes.

So dear friends, how did you come here today? Did you come in feeling pretty good about your works? Were you confident that you are doing things that please God? Or did you enter the church this morning, like the tax collector in the temple, pleading “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”? (Luke 18:13) If you came in confident of your own glory, then repent! Turn away from that sordid lie. But if you came in here knowing that “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;” (Isaiah 64:6) then be filled with joy, for Jesus took your sin to give you His holiness.

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Why would a holy God be so merciful to wretched sinners like you and me? Jesus told us why; it is the pure, sweet love and mercy of God. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Jesus told His disciples, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” (John 15:13) My friends, the Father loved you enough to give up His Son, Christ Jesus, to save you. The Holy Spirit loved you enough to bring you His saving Word so that He could convert you from a rebel enemy into a believing friend. Jesus loved you enough to carry your sins to the cross and die the shameful death you deserved so that you will live forever in glory. Jesus took your sin to give you His holiness. 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.

Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation.

2011-12-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Sermon for 1st Mid-week Advent, 12-7-2011
Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Amen.

Luke 1:67-79 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace."

Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation.

Dear children of the heavenly Father,
Can you imagine the joyful emotions that had to be flooding through Zacharias as he held his little baby, John? After years of frustration and constant prayer for the Lord to give him and Elizabeth a son, the wonderful blessing had finally arrived. You would expect that Zacharias would praise God for giving them someone to provide for them in their old age, for a son to carry on the family name, for removing the stigma of childlessness in a society that perceived that as a curse from God, for the possibility of someday having grandchildren, and of course, simply that his voice had been restored. You might even expect Zacharias to be thanking God for overlooking his impatience and doubt that the Lord would ever give him a son. In fact, Zacharias doesn’t mention any of those things. Rather, he Sings praise for the Lord’s salvation.

Zacharias had spent his life as a dutiful priest to the nation of Israel, but it is apparent that his faith wasn’t as strong as it should have been. When Gabriel startled him with the good news that finally in his old age he and Elizabeth would have a son, Zacharias faltered. He had believed God’s promises in the Old Testament, but when put to the test by the promise that he would be a part of its fulfillment, he couldn’t quite believe it true. Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, that all changed.

It would be easy to read this text and think of ways you and I should behave to be faithful from now on, but that would be law, and Zacharias sings pure, sweet Gospel: "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.” Zacharias looked into the gift of his baby son, and he didn’t just see John, but the promise of the Savior of the world whom John was preceding. John was a great blessing for Zacharias and Elizabeth, but there was a much greater blessing coming from the Lord along with this little miracle baby. God Himself was coming to earth to save the people from their sins. The Son of God visiting—living right here in this troubled world with the hurting people God loves. The Son of God doing everything necessary to buy back the lost from the clutches of evil. The Son of God—powerful in conquering any enemy, any danger, any foe—now at last, Zacharias clearly understood God’s plan and believed it!

“He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets…that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.” All his life, Zacharias had been immersed in the teachings of the law and the prophets, but only now did it all make sense to him. God wasn’t working only for this world but for the world to come. God had long foretold of the Savior He would send, and that Savior would deliver God’s chosen people, not just from Roman oppressors, or Persian, Egyptian, or Greek. God was delivering mankind from the hand of every enemy force. Satan, the one who despised mankind from the beginning, would soon meet his Maker but be on the losing end of the battle. That hater and liar, the oldest enemy of God and man, would be crushed under the heel of the One and Only Son of God and Man.

All the prophets had foretold this day. Zacharias rejoiced to see it. He was at the threshold of God’s action “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham.” All that had been lost in the fall into sin was now being restored. In loving mercy for a fallen race, God was coming to finish the battle against man’s most powerful enemy. You see, when God lifts up His hand to swear, the promise is as good as done. Zacharias now understood that truth, and what great joy was his to know the battle was won.

The Savior of the world was at hand, “To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.” As we look at our lives, we certainly see lots of times when we were no more faithful than Zacharias. We believed the Lord, but how often we doubted. We wanted to live right, but mostly, we wanted to avoid punishment, so we served out of fear. We wanted to tell the story of salvation, but how often our tongues were tied by doubts and fears. All of this, Jesus came to rectify.

Jesus came to take away every sin that has been committed in history. He came to live in perfect agreement with His Father’s will and perfect obedience to His Father’s law. Jesus did that for you and me, and His righteousness is counted for us. The Law has no more hold on the believer. It is finished, fulfilled by the Son of God. Therefore, we truly can serve the Lord without fear. Just as Adam could walk through the Garden of Eden comfortably at peace with God, so now can we! Jesus has restored that perfect harmony, that wonderful peace with God, and no Satan can ever again take it away.

Today, we can walk fearless in this world of torment. We can faithfully serve our God knowing that we have life that will not end when our bodies are laid in the dust. We have a home in heaven waiting for us because of Jesus. That’s what Zacharias, too, saw as he looked down at his little boy. No longer would Zacharias worry about his old age or about who would take care of him in his frailty. The Savior was entering the world, and this little baby boy that Elizabeth had delivered would be announcing that news to the nation of Israel. John would be the prophet God had promised through Malachi. John would proclaim the good news so that many of Zacharias’ friends and neighbors could be saved. "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins.”

“By the remission of their sins.” Zacharias was rejoicing because now he knew that he had been forgiven. His doubts no longer separated him from his Father in heaven. He could praise God for that blessing and for the blessing that many more would also be saved. You and I rejoice day after day, week by week, and year after year, because we too have been forgiven. We have been brought to faith in Jesus. Our sins were washed away in the water of Baptism. The Holy Spirit has entered us and filled us with faith in the promises of God and in His Son. All those times we doubted, all the times we stumble, or our tongues refused to speak God’s praise, all those sins were taken away, and now by faith, we truly can Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation. We sing it here on earth with nothing to fear, and we will sing it forever in the presence of God in heaven.

“Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Zacharias remembered Isaiah’s prophecy, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) Jesus is “the light of the world.” (John 8:12) His glorious light shines on us and gives us the way to heaven. It is also His light that we shine on the world as our faith reflects His glory. The darkness of death no longer touches those who walk in Jesus’ light. In His glory, darkness has been banished, never to trouble us again. Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation. Amen.

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

It’s all about Jesus.

2011-12-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 2, 12-4-2011
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." 3 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' " 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It’s all about Jesus.

Dear friends in Christ,
Have you ever wanted to be famous? Ever thought, wouldn’t it be great to be remembered down through the centuries by generation after generation? That seems to be the goal of many in our world, to have their ten minutes of fame and if they are really lucky, to be remembered after they pass from the scene of this world. So, shouldn’t we do our best to make our mark in the world? Shouldn’t we make our friends and family proud? Shouldn’t we pile up works, and deeds, and honors so that our memorial services are the biggest praise events around?

With that mindset, one would assume that Mark would be proud to have his name attached to this gospel, that John would be thrilled to be remembered as the one who prepared the way before Jesus, and Isaiah would be especially excited to hear his name announced some twenty-seven hundred years after he prophesied. But, if you and I could meet these three men today in their home in heaven and congratulate them for their fame, they would look at us as if we had lost our minds, because for them, It’s all about Jesus.

It should be noted that the writer of this Gospel account didn’t even attach his name to his work. This book was attributed to the man known as John Mark by others. Mark is probably as well known for abandoning Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey as he is for his gospel. And it is thought by most that this Mark is the same young man who was so terrified at the arrest of Jesus that he fled away naked from his Savior and those who arrested Him. By the time he wrote this account, Mark had grown tremendously in his faith, but he wasn’t pointing to anything in himself for glory, he pointed only to Jesus.

Mark began, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark doesn’t talk much about himself, but points out that this message will be good news for the readers. It’s not just history, not a tale of bold men living a glorious life or conquering enemies. It is the good news of the saving Son of God—someone the gentile readers to whom Mark was writing really needed to know.

Mark called this the beginning; then he immediately turns us back to what had long been known among the small tribe of Israel, to the prophecies of God’s chosen messengers. You see, most gentiles wouldn’t have been exposed to those prophets who for hundreds of years had been pointing forward to the Messiah. Mark doesn’t list them all but points to just a couple, Isaiah and Malachi: “As it is written in the Prophets: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.”' " This would make a good beginning for the gentile readers. Here they could see prophecy being fulfilled. God’s messenger sent ahead of the Savior, pointing not to his own work but to the more important One still to come. This messenger would point out the wretched sinfulness of man and turn them to look for the promised Savior. You see, It’s all about Jesus.

It’s interesting that Mark relayed these prophecies and then said, “It happened!” We have to get used to Mark’s quick, impetuous style. His gospel is all action, just the facts, thank you. So, he reports the work of John the Baptist as simple fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and that’s the only prophecy to which Mark refers in his whole book. That’s enough for Mark. God foretold it, and it came true.

“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Can you imagine what the first Roman readers of this gospel account must have thought? If you want to make a name for yourself, why would you go out and preach in a wilderness? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go where the people are? If you want to be famous, shouldn’t you find the best place and way to reach the masses? Go to the crossroads of a superhighway at the very least. But you see, John’s purpose wasn’t to make a name for himself; he was doing only what the Lord God had told him to do. And God made sure John got noticed out in that barren wasteland. Once John was noticed, crowds started going out to see what was so special and to hear what John had to say.

Now, John didn’t have much to say about himself, either. He wasn’t well-dressed, so he wasn’t telling people about the latest styles and how to wear them. He didn’t tell them how to eat to maintain their good looks or their stunning physique. John was dressed pretty much like one of God’s prophets from times past, like Elijah, in a rough camel’s hair wrap tied with a leather belt around the waist. It was about the cheapest clothing one could imagine, and not fancy or particularly comfortable.

Don’t suppose that was a coincidence. God had promised to send His Elijah ahead of the Savior. However, the attention wasn’t to be on the messenger but on the message, on the promised Messiah. John testified that he was that God-sent messenger. When challenged by the priests and Levites as to where he got his authority to baptize, “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" (John 1:23) Jesus too affirmed that John was, indeed, that forecast messenger.

“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” John was sent to ready the people to hear the salvation of the Lord. For that message of salvation to mean anything to them, they needed to recognize their terrible need for His salvation. They needed to hear how their sins kept them separate from God. So, John was preaching harsh, convicting law, but he then followed that with the comfort of the gospel in the baptism of repentance.

Now, it’s very common in our time to hear that John’s baptism was lacking. Certain teachers will tell you that it was just symbolic, a water baptism to show how repentant the people were. That is not the case. This baptism is the baptism Jesus would later command us to use to make disciples of all nations. It is God’s action on our behalf to drown the old nature that trusts in its own ability to please God. In connection with this baptism, we are brought to repentance, which is a complete change of mind. In this baptism, the people were given to see their sinfulness and their need for the Savior soon to come. And in this baptism still today and forever, the forgiveness of sins is brought to the sorrowing sinner, not because our penitence is especially meritorious before God, but because our sins are washed away, and Jesus’ perfect righteousness is given to us by the Holy Spirit through faith. Again, It’s all about Jesus.

Now, John certainly made a name for himself with his work along the Jordan River. “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” Some of those people went out to see just what all the fuss was about. I’m sure some wanted to see the spectacle of the man in camel’s hair clothing who ate such a strange diet. We are told that some of the leaders went out to ask why he was baptizing and by whose authority. The Jews expected that the Messiah would baptize, but they wondered why John thought he should or could.

However, many of those people went out for the promise of forgiveness. They went out for the assurance that Messiah was coming soon. The weight of sin had grown heavy on their shoulders. Sometimes, we forget what that weight feels like. Sometimes, we forget that there are people all around us who are burdened with that load of sin. There are people around us whose teachers pile heavier loads on top of what they naturally feel. Teachers who tell them they aren’t praying hard enough and that’s why they have trouble in their lives. Teachers, who pretend to tell them how to get God to do their bidding, but leave them feeling burdened with unforgiven sins.

Dear friends, we need to remember, It’s all about Jesus. We dare not forget that He is what we are here to share with our friends and neighbors. Nothing else will make them right with God. Nothing else will left the burden of sin that so weighs down the sinner. You can find all kinds of self-help books that can put a little salve on the brokenness of this world, but none of them heal the real hurt. Only the gospel is the power of salvation. It’s all about Jesus. That’s what you and I and everyone else need to hear.

John the Baptist had a measure of fame in his day, but that isn’t why we remember him, and it isn’t why we expect to see him in heaven. John never proclaimed his own merit, but pointed to Jesus. John preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." John knew he needed Jesus. More than that, John recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah. When they first had the opportunity to meet, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A Man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.'” (John 1:29-30)

Ten years from now, no one will remember what you or I do today. One hundred years from now, most people won’t remember our names. Five hundred years from now, no one will remember you even if you become president of the United States or cure every disease known to man. But millions of years from today, you will be known by God if you believe in Jesus as your Savior. For all eternity, you will be remembered by God if you recognize that when it comes to forgiveness and salvation, It’s all about Jesus.

You and I are sinners who can do nothing to win our place in heaven. Everything we do on our own is corrupted with sin. That is what John was proclaiming to the crowds that came out to the desert by the Jordan River. But then John pointed those hurting souls to Jesus. Jesus, the son of God from all eternity, lived and died for you. All your sins were put on Jesus. His perfect righteousness is now credited to your account by the God who loves you enough to sacrifice His own dear Son on your behalf.

Like John, you and I don’t deserve to be the least servant in God’s house. We don’t deserve to touch Jesus’ feet and put His shoes in the closet. But by the Baptism in which God washed you clean of all sin, you were elevated to become the bride of Christ: lifted up from the curse of slavery to sin and Satan to be made the most precious thing in Jesus’ eyes. That’s what Jesus did for you and me. We did nothing. Jesus did it all. He made us righteous before His Father in heaven. He claimed us as His own at our baptisms. It’s not about what we have done or not done. It’s all about Jesus. 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.

Jesus is grace and peace to you.

2011-11-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 1, 11-27-2011
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Dear friends, how often we hear these words, but do we really listen to them? Do we think about what they mean—what promises they hold? Did you hear them this time, or did this greeting just remind you that the pastor is starting his sermon and maybe you better pay attention?

Now, I didn’t start my sermon this way to lay a guilt trip on you about listening carefully to the pastor right from the start—at least not mostly. Rather, today, we begin the new church year. We begin by looking forward to celebrating Jesus’ entrance into this world as a babe in Bethlehem, but at the same time, we are looking forward to, and eagerly awaiting, His return on this world’s last day. So, isn’t it interesting that the sermon text chosen for our first message of this new church year begins with the words, “Grace and peace to you from God.”? “Grace and peace to you from God.” Truly, those few words summarize the entire message of the Bible—that Jesus is grace and peace to you.

Paul began each of his letters with this, or a similar greeting, so sometimes we start to take this as just a pleasant wish, a standard greeting that doesn’t mean a whole lot, but that is a dangerous simplification. What Paul is really promising, and what every pastor who starts his sermon in a similar way should be promising, is that the message going out to the people is the Word of God and nothing less. It is not the pastor’s message or ideas, but every portion is drawn from the Word of God; in Paul’s case from Christ and the Holy Spirit, and for pastors today, from Holy Scripture alone.

Grace and peace to you in not a throw away line. It summarizes the very core and strength of God’s Word. There is no other purpose for the Bible than to tell us of Christ Jesus and how He redeems and saves us. It is by God’s grace alone that Jesus entered this world to be the atoning sacrifice for sin. It was solely man’s fault that we needed a Savior. It was never God’s desire that we sin. God had every expectation of Adam and Eve obeying His instruction, just as He has every expectation that we should be perfect in our thoughts, words, desires, and deeds. God created Adam and Eve good and holy and free to live according to His will. Still, God was not blindsided by their disobedience. In His infinite knowledge, God knew they would grieve Him by sinning against His command. Therefore in His great love, even before the creation of the world, God planned the rescue of the human race. That is God’s grace—that though man would willingly disobey Him, God loved us enough to punish our sin in Himself, so that we could be reconciled with Him.

That reconciliation with God is the peace message of God’s Word. The Bible wasn’t given as a slim history of the world. It isn’t an instruction book on how to please God and earn His favor. It isn’t just a moral code for being nice to your neighbor. The Bible is the message of God’s grace and peace to you. The Bible is the story of Jesus—showing us how we needed Him as our Savior, and how Christ left His royal throne in heaven to live on our behalf in perfect submission to His Father’s will in every way; it tells how Jesus suffered and died for our sins as the law demands “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) And, the Bible tells us how God brings His grace and peace to us through the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament.

If you want to understand how much Paul emphasized Christ Jesus in his preaching, you just have to look at the first ten verses of this letter to the Corinthians. In those ten verses, Jesus is named ten times. Paul was emphatically emphasizing for these beloved Christians that their salvation was not at all gained by what they did. In fact, Paul thanked God continually that He had chosen to gift the Corinthian people with the Gospel and with the gift of the Holy Spirit to believe that Gospel. And it wasn’t enough for Paul that the Corinthians had heard the Gospel. He was thanking God day and night that they had been converted to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus as their Savior. They were made rich by God through the Gospel—no longer were they sentenced to eternal punishment. They had been made heirs of the kingdom of heaven, just as Paul, and you and I, have also been so richly blessed.

Notice too, when you read this text, that Paul doesn’t take credit for the message; it is Christ’s testimony that has made the difference. It was the message of Christ crucified for sinners that converted the Corinthians from pagan enemies of God into saved children of the Father. And, it is the power of God in the Holy Spirit working in that Gospel message that made their conversion a fact.

God held nothing back from these new Christians. Every good gift had become theirs without any merit or worthiness on anyone’s part except Jesus. Because of Jesus, they and all people had been reconciled with God, establishing everlasting peace. Because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians through the preaching of the Gospel, this reconciliation with God was given to each believer individually. The believers were now free from all sin, free from eternal death, and from the power of Satan. They had been restored to the condition of Adam and Eve in that they once again could freely chose to live and serve out of faith in the true God.

Plus, the Corinthians now looked forward to meeting Jesus on the final day of judgment. An unbeliever can only tremble in terror at the idea of facing the wrath of Almighty God. Even those who harden their hearts against that idea here on earth will bow in abject horror of God’s judgment when they meet Christ face to face on Judgment Day. Not so for the Christian believer, for we have our Savior on our side, who will judge us by looking at His own deeds on our behalf. We will bow before Jesus, not in fear, but in thankfulness and praise for His loving sacrifice and judgment on our behalf. But whether out of fear or joy, every knee will bow before Jesus, for “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

Not only do we give thanks to God for rescuing us from the clutches of the devil by sending His Son to the cross, we thank and praise God because He continues to work in us to keep that saving faith strong. Through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit keeps us believing in Jesus, reminding us again and again of the forgiveness and salvation God has graciously bestowed on each believer. Do we participate in this work of sanctification? Yes, assuredly, but the power for our work and preservation is not our human effort but the power of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit reminds us time and again that we are now blameless before God. He doesn’t ignore our sin. In fact, the Spirit works in us the will to do good things instead of sin, but because in this world believers are all at the same saint and sinner, the Spirit is there in the preached word of Christ, and in the visible Gospel of the Sacrament, reminding us that we are forgiven for Jesus’ sake, and none of our sins are held against us, for Jesus has paid the full price for them all. It doesn’t permit sin, but the promise of that complete forgiveness in Christ strengthens us against the temptations of Satan, the world, and our own flesh. The Gospel is our power to live in accord with God’s will—never perfectly in this world, but always looking to Jesus for our forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

Now, most of us here look at our own lives and feel guilty. We know we sin on a regular basis. We hear the words of the law and feel its condemnation. We hear the tempter whisper in our ears that we will never be good enough to appease an angry God. That is certainly a true statement. We will never please God with our deeds apart from Christ Jesus. However, dear friends, we are not saved by faithfulness apart from Christ nor does God demand such. We are saved in connection with Christ Jesus. Connected to Jesus at our baptisms, our sinful nature is put to death, and our new man of faith has been raised to live forever. Connected with Jesus through faith in Him, we are counted as holy and righteous before God.

We are not saved because of our faithfulness, but because God is always faithful. God promised a Savior and sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to be that Holy One of Israel. Jesus came into this world to live the holy life we could not live, and He accomplished that perfection for the whole world. Jesus came, also, to be the sacrificial Lamb of God who would give His life to cleanse all us filthy sinners, and Jesus made that sacrifice at Golgotha when He carried our sins to the cross. His blood was then put on us through faith so that the angel of death would not cast us into eternal death, but we would be preserved to live forever in the Promised Land of heaven—not because of anything good in us, but because God is faithful and always will be.

Dear Christian friends, God in His rich mercy, grace, and faithfulness called you out of darkness into the light of Christ Jesus. By God’s grace alone, you were brought into a connection with Jesus that gives eternal life by taking away all your sin. This connection is an unbreakable fellowship, a willing decision God made to make you His own dear children through faith, to walk with you always, and to work in you continually to keep you trusting in Him for everything needed for both body and soul. No devil, no wicked force can ever separate you from that good will of the Father. God has made this partnership with you by Christ. It is His one-sided promise to you, to rescue you from slavery and this dreary wilderness, to bind you to Jesus, and give you eternal peace.

Now, dear ones, listen to the words of our sermon text and notice how it is God working through Christ Jesus to make you a righteous believer, a disciple of Jesus, and an heir of eternal life:
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus is grace and peace to you. Amen.

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

Remember!

2011-11-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Thanksgiving Day, 11-24-2011
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Deuteronomy 8:10-18 "When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 " Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 "lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 "and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 "when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 "who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 "who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17 "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' 18 "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Remember!

Dear inheritors of God’s grace,
It is quite common for all of us to remember the bad things that happen. Sometimes, those bad things even become our motivators. In 1836, “Remember the Alamo!” stirred up the people of Texas to battle against Mexican domination. In 1898, “Remember the Maine” became the rallying cry of the Spanish-American war. “Remember the Lusitania!” goaded America into entering World War I. After 1941, no American could ever forget Pearl Harbor, and today, almost all of us remember where we were and what we were doing the morning of 911.

In our sermon text, Moses encourages the Children of Israel to Remember! He wasn’t using this as a battle cry, or as a call for revenge, or even as an encouragement for the taking of the land of Canaan. Moses was encouraging God’s people to remember all the LORD had done for them throughout their history and would continue to do to save His people from eternal disaster. Moses told the people to remember all they had experienced, both the good things and the bad, but then to recognize who was the cause of their being in position to enter this Promised Land. The message for you and me is the same. As we wait to enter our Promised Land, Remember!

Today, our nation celebrates Thanksgiving Day. It is a day to give thanks to our Creator for all the ways He has blessed us. Today, we remember those few Pilgrim settlers who had endured a horrible first winter in this country, but then were rewarded with a bountiful harvest the second year, and for that, they gave thanks to the Lord. Moses said, "When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.” If we eat our feast this afternoon remembering how richly the Lord has blessed us, then we bless and thank the Lord.

But Moses also issued a warning to his fellow Israelites: "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today.” Giving thanks to the Lord should not be a one day a year adventure. We give thanks to the LORD, truly, when we walk continually in his ways. True faith in God isn’t demonstrated only on the occasional Sunday morning, or major holiday; it is lived night and day, day in and day out, confidently trusting the Lord God to answer our every need, obeying His commands to keep us safe through the dangers of this world, and always remembering the forgiveness and salvation God has provided us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

In our text, Moses looked forward to a rich blessing that he wouldn’t get to experience—a time in which the people would grow wealthy in both industry and riches. The land God was giving them would provide every earthly blessing they could ever want or need. God’s love would bless their efforts so that they would appear to the world as a people specially blessed by God—as they were! Life would be so easy and good, “when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up.” The Lord richly blesses His people.

But then, the warning comes again, that no one should foolishly assume that those blessings come by his own hand or effort. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Moses saw a day when the people of Israel would forget. He warned them, "When your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'” Moses knew that when times are good, we find it especially tempting to forget that it is God who blesses us with every good thing, yet we dare not forget.

Time and time again, the Israelites had complained against God in the wilderness. They had accused Him of forgetting them, of neglecting His duties to them, and of taking them away from a comfortable home under their cruel slave drivers. For their complaining and unbelief, God caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years, keeping them away from the good land He had promised to give to them. God wasn’t being vindictive. As Moses explains, the Lord was training them by the experience, teaching His people to trust Him without reserve for everything from their daily food to their health and comfort, but especially, to trust the LORD for their life and salvation.

When the serpents and scorpions gave them deadly stings, the people were not instructed in what to do to remedy the poison; they were told to look to the post that held up a bronze likeness of the serpents that were killing them. They were taught to trust the LORD’s solution to death. The same is true for you and me. We were inflicted by the bite of a serpent, the deadly sting of the old evil foe. His poison caused us to face eternal death. Yet the Lord points us to the cross on which His Son, our Lord Jesus—true God in the form of Man—hung, dying the death we deserved so that our lives go on and never end. Jesus promised, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15) When death stings, look to the cross on which Jesus was lifted up to die and Remember!

If you look at the number of people on our prayer list, and let me assure you, each and every one of us could be on that list, you see how sin and death sting us in this world. Bodies in need of healing, spirits troubled and hurting, marriages fall apart, temptations cause us trouble, prison, and pain, death draws closer every day. Remember! God is using our time in this wilderness to draw us closer to Him. He doesn’t allow us to suffer these things to punish us for any wrong doing. All of our sins have already been punished in His Son. God doesn’t leave us here, either, because He has forgotten us or doesn’t care about our pain. He is teaching us to humbly trust Him in everything, tempering us with the trials of this world so that we have a steel-like faith in Christ to deliver us from sin and death—building up in us a faith in Jesus that will not bend or break.

Dear friends, we have much to be thankful for today. We have homes with heat, family and friends, food and drink, political freedom, air to breathe, water to drink and to wash away the dirt of our lives. But don’t forget to thank God for the troubles, the pains, the sorrows, and tears He allows in your world, for He uses even those things to strengthen your faith and trust in Him. Moses reminded Israel that God allowed them to wander in the wilderness those many years “that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end.” St. Paul repeated the message by reminding us “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Moses said, "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” God’s covenant with us is that all your sins are forgiven for the sake of the life and death of Jesus. Just like Israel had a home waiting for them in the Promised Land, you have a home waiting for you in Paradise. Like the Children of Israel, you don’t have to buy it, or conquer it. Nothing you do will earn it, but God is giving you that home in His eternal mansions. With His perfect life and holy sacrifice on the cross, Jesus, the Lamb of God, won your salvation—your place in God’s heaven. Christ’s blood marked you as one of God’s chosen people when you were washed clean of all sin at your baptism. Jesus’ death gives you everlasting life. Though we have to sojourn for a while in the wilderness of this world, that precious Son of God remains with you all the way. You are God’s children, you are precious in His sight, and you are forgiven. Remember! 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.

Acclaim Jesus as King of all.

2011-11-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Last Sunday/Christ the King, November 20, 2011
“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:4-6)

Matthew 27:27-31 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

Acclaim Jesus as King of all.

Dear fellow redeemed,
Commentators have different interpretations of why this sad incident happened to Jesus. Some say that this type of mockery was pretty much standard practice for a Roman crucifixion. The soldiers were trained to humiliate those sentenced to death as a warning against any others who might seek to rebel against Rome.

Yet, others say, no, this was something unique to Jesus’ conviction and sentence. In fact, they claim that Pilate had Jesus flogged as a twisted act of mercy—so that Jesus would die quickly and have to suffer less in total. They also claim that Pilate staged this highly unusual play of royal mockery in a last ditch effort to save Jesus from the Jews’ jealous rage.

I don’t know what to think of these theories, but I know for sure that the mockery happened, and even as the soldiers mocked and jeered and mistreated Jesus, what they said was true; Jesus was, and is, the King of the Jews. And, Jesus truly deserves the honor and worship of every person, because He was in that position of mockery, torture, and death for one reason only, to save sinners like you and me. Therefore, we rightly Acclaim Jesus as King of all.

It might seem a bit strange that these verses were chosen to celebrate Christ the King Sunday. What kind of people would celebrate the mockery and cruel punishment of their King? Who would claim such a quiet, submissive, and seemingly weak individual as their hero and Lord? The people of the world can’t understand what we Christians see in Jesus. To the world, Jesus was just a man, and a defeated one at that, but it is here in Jesus’ suffering and death that we see His greatest glory.

Now, as we look back at those soldiers, we may be tempted to wonder what kind of reaction those heinous people had when they learned, later, that Jesus had risen from the grave, and even more so, when they met Him face to face in judgment at the end of their lives. How shocked they must have been to learn that this Man, the One they had so willingly mocked and abused, was indeed the Son of God, the true King of all Creation, and their Ruler and Judge.

However, rather than worry about how those individuals fared, maybe we should think about how we have treated Jesus. For, who mocks more, the person who unknowingly bows before Jesus calling Him “King of the Jews” but not believing that is a good thing, or the individual who claims Jesus as King yet fails to honor Him as Lord? Who treats Jesus worse, the man who physically spits in His face, or the person who spits in Jesus’ face by rejecting the message He gives in His holy Word? Do we not mock Jesus just as much as those soldiers when we call Him Lord, but fail to obey His every will for our lives? Do we not strike Jesus just as cruelly when we know right from wrong, yet chose to do what we know is wrong, or chose not to do what is right? Do we not also dress Jesus in a tattered scarlet robe when we think our works are, somehow, as holy and meritorious as His?

Rather than look down on those who abused Jesus that day in the Praetorium as somehow worse sinners than we, remember that Jesus once told a crowd, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.” (John 8:7) Jesus also commanded His followers, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

All of us here will readily admit that we are a far cry from perfect in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Not one of us is without sin and, therefore, able to cast stones against those mocking soldiers and jeering crowds of Jesus’ enemies. Not one of us dare cast a stone against our unbelieving neighbors today, either, for we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Yet, this is exactly why we should Acclaim Jesus as King of all. For He also promised, "If you hold to My teaching, you are My disciples indeed. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32) Though we have done nothing to deserve God’s mercy, He sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. The mocking and beating Jesus endured on our behalf seems extreme to our modern sensibilities, but Jesus endured that for you and me. You see, every time we have held our own opinion above God’s clear Word, we have set ourselves up as false kings, who deserve the contempt of a holy Judge, but Jesus took that sin upon Himself. For every time we expected others, or God, to honor us for our dishonorable deeds, Jesus was paying our debt. For every time we spat at Jesus, or slapped His face, by our disobedience to His Father’s command, Jesus bore our just punishment.

The soldiers addressed Jesus as they should have when they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spoke those words, though, in mocking unbelief, just as the unbelieving high priest, Caiaphas, had prophesied, “It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." (John 11:50) Caiaphas and the soldiers spoke in unbelief; however, what they said was true.

The Good News is that Jesus knew that only He could suffer and die to atone for our sins because He, alone, was without sin. Only Jesus had the perfect righteousness and almighty power necessary so that He could lay down His life and take it up again. Only Jesus, and His Father in heaven, had such great, perfect love for all of us sinful, disobedient, mocking people that They were determined to carry out this plan to save us. Later, St. Paul wrote, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Earlier in that last week before His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus was teaching His disciples that He had come to Jerusalem for the express purpose of suffering and dying for sinners, and He prayed, "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." (John 12:28) God was glorified when He sent His Son to deliver His people from this veil of tears. God was glorified when Jesus obeyed His Father’s will in every last detail, even to the point of enduring the death He didn’t deserve. God is glorified when you and I believe in Jesus as our Savior. God the Father is glorified as we Acclaim Jesus as King of all.

In our epistle lesson we heard Paul teach that “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For "He has put all things under His feet." (1 Corinthians 15:26-27) For living in perfect holiness all His days, for taking all of our sins upon Himself, for enduring the mocking and humiliation we deserved, and for throwing off the shackles of death that would have been our eternal fate, Jesus was elevated back to the throne and glory of God and given authority over all things in heaven and on earth. Today, Jesus lives and reigns, not just as King of the Jews, but as Lord and King of all.

Shortly before His ascension to heaven, Jesus declared to His disciples, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Jesus did not say this boastfully. Rather, He wanted us to have absolute confidence that His saving work was complete and our salvation assured. Nothing more is needed to give us forgiveness of all sin and life everlasting. Then Jesus said, "Go…make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) Acclaim Jesus as King of all.

We Acclaim Jesus as King of all, first, when we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer and King. We Acclaim Jesus as King of all, again and again, when we tell the world His Gospel message—the Good News that in His life and death and resurrection, Jesus has done everything necessary so that we and all people are set free from sin. The devil has no more hold on us. There is no sin with which he can accuse us before God, because Jesus is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Satan is defeated. Death has been conquered and can never again make a lasting claim against us. Our Savior now rules all things.

In their jealousy and unbelief, the Jewish leadership and the Roman authorities thought they were getting rid of a troublesome problem: a Man who claimed to be King of a kingdom they didn’t understand, when in fact, God used their rejection, mockery, hatred, and fear to cure our greatest problem, the curse of sin and death. Jesus willingly suffered their cruelty on our behalf so that He could redeem us and accomplish everything necessary to bring us into His unending kingdom of glory.

Dear friends, Jesus suffered and died for you and me, and even for those who rejected Him. He gave His all so that salvation would be available for all, and for His sacrifice, God the Father Acclaimed Jesus as King of all! Amen.

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

Comfort one another in the living Jesus.

2011-11-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Saints Triumphant, November 13, 2011
In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Comfort one another in the living Jesus.

Dear living saints, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ,
Our topic today is death, and almost everyone has a fear of death. Now, that fear shows itself in various ways. Some tremble in terror of death because they have no hope of anything good afterwards. However, lots of people, especially faithful Christians, will say that they don’t fear death, yet may admit that they fear dying. They are afraid of what precedes that last breath: afraid of pain, or of losing control, or of being a burden upon their spouse or children.

The Thessalonian Christians had a different fear. They were so confident that their Savior’s return was imminent that they were afraid those who died before Jesus returned would miss out on His salvation. Surprisingly, that fear is with us still today. It just comes out in more subtle ways. For instance, a child dies, and people weep because they think that child has missed out on a full life. He never got to grow up, be successful, or raise a family. A mother dies young, and people weep because she didn’t get to see her daughter walk down the aisle in marriage. A father dies too soon, and his neighbors mourn because he didn’t get to see his children’s success in sports or business. A prominent individual in our lives dies suddenly, and we mourn because we didn’t take the chance to say thank you and tell that person what he or she really meant to us. In all these things, we might act like those who have no hope, who view the exit from this world as the end. However, for the Christian believer, physical death is merely the entrance into eternal joy, and so, St. Paul urges us, Comfort one another in the living Jesus.

Paul wrote, “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.” Please notice that Paul never said we shouldn’t grieve. We will feel sorrow at the loss of a dear friend or relative. We love to be with those who have loved us, comforted us, nurtured us, and taught us about Jesus. We love being with the children God has placed in our arms. So, it isn’t wrong to grieve for our loss when a loved one is taken from us. That is natural. Jesus was moved with compassion at the sight of a widow burying her only son. He wept with friends who had lost a beloved brother. Not grieving would be an indication that we didn’t love or care. The opposite of love isn’t hate, but apathy.

However, we shouldn’t grieve like the world grieves. We shouldn’t grieve like those who view physical death as the end. That would be a signal to the unbelievers around us that our faith isn’t what we claim it to be. Death, to a non-Christian, is the end of any good thing, because they have nothing to look forward to. We Christians, on the other hand, have so much to look forward to we can’t even imagine it all. That’s why we are urged to Comfort one another in the living Jesus.

Here is the main comfort we have in Jesus: the Christian believer does not die when his body dies. His body dies, yes, but though physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, it isn’t the end. The soul lives on with the Lord. We hear Paul’s words again, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” When Paul talks about those who sleep in Jesus, he isn’t using a euphemism for physical death. Rather, he contrasts real eternal death, the death that Jesus suffered for you and me on the cross, with the reality that because of Jesus’ death, the soul of the believer lives on. The body lies in rest while the soul lives and rejoices for all eternity in heaven, and just as Jesus rose bodily from the grave, so God will raise the resting body of every believer to a glorified, living body to enjoy the bliss of eternal paradise.

Therefore, the child who dies in infancy hasn’t missed out on anything if he or she had been brought to Jesus in baptism. The only thing the child has truly missed is a lifetime of trouble and pain here on earth. My uncle stood at his daughter’s grave with the complaint that she got to jump ahead in line to live with Jesus. Certainly, he felt great grief at his loss of a beloved daughter, but he also understood that she hadn’t lost a thing, but had gained the glory of heaven.

A mother, or father, or husband, or wife who is called from this world doesn’t miss out on any of the joys of this life. Those things don’t compare to the incomparable joys of heaven. Deceased Christians don’t miss out on seeing children grow. They celebrate in timeless joy, giving thanks to God for the salvation Jesus has won for them and for their children. Then, when we get to join them, there won’t be any lost moments to make up for; we will all be praising God around His throne of glory. The things of this broken world will be forgotten in the past. In fact, Isaiah tells us, “That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace.” (Isaiah 57:1-2) For the righteous ones who are called out of this world, all the earthly troubles and sorrows we know so well will be a thing of the past, never to be thought of again.

So, we can say, Comfort one another in the living Jesus, because “God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” These passages have often been misused by millennialists to promote their own mistakes, but the reality is that all these things happen in an instant.

This message wasn’t something new that Paul invented either. Jesus had told His disciples to be watching for the signs of His triumphant return, and He told them, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28) At that moment in time, this world will end, but every believer still alive on earth will be re-united with his sainted loved ones to live with our Savior forever.

The believers who preceded us in leaving this world haven’t missed out on salvation; they’ve been enjoying it, and they will return with Jesus at the judgment to be re-united with their bodies. At that same time, you and I, if still alive here on earth, will also be transformed. The mortal bodies that, today, cause us so much trouble and pain will be made immortal, and we will meet the Lord and our believing brothers and sisters in the air. We read in the first letter to the Corinthians, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54) Again and again, we can Comfort one another in the living Jesus.

“Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Do we sometimes forget that Jesus is with us right now, and always? It’s true, isn’t it? Jesus is with us every day of our believing lives. He promised us before He ascended to heaven that we would never be alone, saying, “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

So how do we take comfort in all this? Should we take comfort only when things are going great for us? Should we rejoice only when everyone we love is healthy and happy and whole? Should we thank God only we are not facing cancer, or surgery, or prison, or pain? That would be the way of the world, wouldn’t it?

No, as believers, we can face each day trusting “That in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) We have these two promises from our Savior (and many more, of course): Jesus will never leave us alone when we face the sorrows and pains of this world, and He will work everything, the good, the bad, and even the truly awful for our eternal good.

So, when we stand at the grave of a believing loved one, we will shed tears just as any other person, but at the very same time, we will be rejoicing, for we will know that that dear child, or spouse, or friend, is walking hand in hand with Jesus in glory. And, when you and I have to face our own graves, we can do so with rejoicing, for “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

If we should face cancer, or need surgery for some physical ailment, or if our bodies are breaking down from age or accident, or we be stuck in prison (whether we did something to deserve the sentence or not), we will not despair because God has allowed us to be in that condition. Rather, we will rejoice that Jesus is with us at all times to help, heal, comfort and protect us, and carry us home to heaven when the right time comes.

When the day comes that we need someone to care for us because we can’t do it ourselves, we won’t be complaining about how awful it is, but will recognize that God is allowing this so that others have the chance to show their love for us, and for Jesus. And, when we are in the position of caretaker, we can do that cheerfully, thankfully, even when stressed to the max, because we know that this too is a good work the Lord has prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

And should we stumble—when we stumble, we will turn to Jesus, again and again, for the assurance that all our sins are forgiven and God has made us His dear children through Baptism. We will trust His Word and the promise of His body and blood in the Sacrament to assure us that we have a home in heaven waiting for us, because Jesus lived and died to make us right with His Father in heaven, because not only did Jesus live and die for us, but He took up His life again and rose from that cold grave on Easter morning, so that you and I can have full confidence that we and all believers will be raised. And when that moment of glory arrives, we will never again have to worry about cancer, or Alzheimer’s, or broken backs, or any kind of pain, or worry, or death, because those things will all be over and done. From that moment on, we will walk in glory, praising God for His salvation, forever with the Lamb who gave His life to make us whole.

Dear friends, Comfort one another in the living Jesus. 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.

The Ancient of Days judges all.

2011-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Sermon for 2nd Sunday of End Time, 11-6-2011
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daniel 7:9-10 "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.”

The Ancient of Days judges all.

Dear Christian friends,
Our sermon text describes the center of a vision that shook the prophet, Daniel, to his core. He had just seen the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Creator of all things, take His seat to judge the world, and Daniel was overwhelmed by what he saw.

We tend to think of God as being pure love, compassionate and merciful, and indeed He is, but God is also perfectly just and holy, and His righteous justice will leave even the most faithful Christian believer overwhelmed in awe as The Ancient of Days judges all.

Daniel reported, "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool.” Now, we could become fixated on questions like, “What did the thrones look like?” or “How many thrones were there?” or “Where did they come from?” and on and on, but the picture is giving us a glimpse of what we don’t normally see in this world. God enters the scene in a different way than Daniel was used to, not as Provider but as Judge. When we take this phrase along with one a couple sentences later, we immediately recognize that this is Judgment Day—God’s final reckoning with the world.

“The Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool.” This is the only place in the Bible in which God is referred to as the Ancient of Days. This name and the color of His hair are intended to leave no doubt that this is Almighty God, the Creator, “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." (Revelation 22:13) The One and Only true God. There was no one, and nothing else, anywhere until God had created it.

The white garment and hair like wool signify God’s purity and holiness. There is no stain of any kind in the perfection of the Almighty Triune God. No one dare accuse Him. No one can oppose His decisions for He alone created all other beings in both earthly and spiritual realms. He alone “is righteous in all His ways.” (Psalm 145:17) God alone can honestly declare, “I am the LORD, I do not change;” (Malachi 3:6) He is the One of whom the angels “never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’” (Revelation 4:8)

“His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him.” Again, it might be easy to get caught up in a variety of questions about how or what this fire could be, but God often appears in fiery might in the Old Testament. This shows once again the perfect holiness of God; He is “a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24) He is the Lord of hosts in whose presence any impure, ungodly, or rebellious thing will be destroyed by His righteousness. No wonder Daniel was shaken by this vision. He had to be wondering who could ever stand in God’s presence and live. After the vision had passed, Daniel recorded this note, “I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself." (Daniel 7:28)

The “thousand thousands [that] ministered to Him” would be the angels of heaven. No other explanation is necessary. But now, we get to the other mass of beings: “ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.” Daniel wasn’t standing there with a little clicker in his hand counting up how many people stood before the Ancient of Days. He used the largest number available to him to signify that everyone will stand before this judgment throne. Every person ever brought to life from woman and man will stand before God to be judged. In our Gospel lesson a few moments ago, Jesus took us to this same place, and told us how He would sit on one of these thrones judging and sorting all mankind as easily as a shepherd sorts his sheep from the goats.

“The court was seated, and the books were opened.” This is what we need to talk about as we view Daniel’s vision. A day is coming that no one will be able to avoid. So, are you ready, today, to face the Ancient of Days? Are you ready right this minute, and every minute of every day, to stand in the consuming river of God’s righteous judgment? The Lord has already warned the world, personally, for the final time as He said, "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Revelation 22:7) He wasn’t joking. He wasn’t lying. God wants you to be always ready to meet your Creator, because He wants you to enjoy His salvation for all eternity.

Dear friends, that is what Daniel’s vision is all about. The people of Judah, who had been hauled into captivity in Babylon were troubled with questions about how God would carry out the saving plans He had promised to their forefathers. Now, that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were no longer free to live in Jerusalem, and no longer free to worship in the temple Solomon had built at the Lord’s command, they had questions about God’s eternal plan. God wanted to assure His people that He was still in charge. Yes, earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Yes, there would be troubles and sorrows of many kinds in this world, but there would come a final day—a day like no other—a day in which every evil power would be judged, when every enemy of God will be condemned to eternal destruction, and every believer be welcomed home to live, for all the ages to come, with the Ancient of Days and the one like a Son of Man.

There are plenty of times, when you and I might be tempted to have the same doubts and worries as the Children of Israel. Our world, too, is full of those who oppose the salvation of the Lord. Daily, we hear of wars and rumors of war, of earthquakes and persecutions, and troubles of every sort. Daily, we are surrounded by death and destruction, and many are questioning whether God is really returning to judge. Mockers surround us, laughing at the idea that there even is a God who remains in control, sneering at any suggestion that they too will face judgment.

We need only look to the warnings and promises God gives in His Word. The warnings are there to wake up slumbering, spiritually dead souls so that they might recognize the destruction they face and seek something to give them hope.

That is where God’s promises come in. God doesn’t leave us to despair. God doesn’t show us these types of visions to convince us we are all going to hell. He shows scenes such as Daniel saw so that we might see the Son of Man in the Judgment and know that we have someone on our side. That finally is what you and I need to hear: that Jesus is the answer.

Daniel was shaken by what he had seen, but he also learned of something magnificent, which he wrote down for us saying, “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14) And then Daniel was told, “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” (Daniel 7:18)

Jesus told us the same thing in maybe a more direct way when He said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.” (John 5:24-27)

“The court was seated, and the books were opened.” My friends, we can’t hide anything we do from the Lord. He sees and knows all things. Whatever righteous things we might have thought we had done would burn up in the fire of God’s judgment. But thanks be to Jesus, we have a better righteousness: “the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” (Romans 3:21-22)

When Christian believers stand before the Ancient of Days to be judged, we won’t be pleading our own good works but the work of Jesus Christ, who took all our sins upon Himself and suffered our punishment and death, and in exchange for the filthy sin-works we gave Jesus, His Father has credited to us every good thought, word, and work of Jesus. The believers are washed clean in Jesus blood, fed the life-giving food of Jesus’ body and blood, and had their stone dead hearts replaced by the Holy Spirit with believing hearts that gladly accept the forgiveness of sins and righteous faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All these gifts come from God who never wanted any of us to be unprepared for His judgment, but rather, that we believe in Jesus and live.

The Ancient of Days judges all. For those who reject Jesus, this is a terrifying vision. But for all of you who hear of what Jesus has done for all people and believe it, the vision may be overwhelming, but it holds the promise of eternal peace, for it shows our Savior who will be our Judge. He will hold up His own perfect life in our place against any who would have dared to accuse us. And then, to each of you who trust in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation, the Ancient of Days will rejoice to say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23) 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.

“I send you as sheep among wolves.”

2011-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Reformation Sunday, 10-30-2011
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Matthew 10:16-23 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 "for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“I send you as sheep among wolves.”
Dear beloved lambs,
Being one of Jesus’ disciples doesn’t sound like much fun does it? One of my neighbors is anxiously waiting to start boot camp for training as an Air Force officer. He was told that it would be “The most fun he’d never want to go through again.” So, was Jesus sending out His disciples to endure some sort of boot camp? Hardly. He was sending them out to experience the life of Christian disciples. And like to the twelve, Jesus tells us, “I send you as sheep among wolves.”

Does that maybe put a shiver in your bones? Just a little way down Main Street you can go and be scared silly in a Halloween Haunted House. Do Jesus’ words scare you in the same way? Sheep don’t usually stand much chance in the middle of a pack of wolves, so what chance do we have to survive such a fate?

Of course, dear friends, our Good Shepherd, Jesus, promises He will never abandon His precious lambs to be ripped apart by their enemies. He warns us about them, but then tells us how we can deal with these dangerous conditions in which we are to live and work. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Notice, first of all, who is sending us. Jesus tells us emphatically that it is He, our Savior and King. In the Greek it’s more like, "Behold, I, I Myself, send you out!” Therefore, we go out with Jesus’ full authority to carry out the mission He has prepared for us. You already know what that mission is because He told us before He left, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) So, if someone should ask you why you do what you do, as a Christian, you can say with full confidence and the authority of God Himself, “I am here to make disciples for Jesus.”

Now that we know where our authority comes from, Jesus warns us about the dangers we will face. Savage wolves are around us, constantly, seeking to rip and tear and consume us. They are not worried about whether we make it home to our Shepherd. They want us dead! You know who their leader is: the same one who wanted to destroy Jesus and steal His glory, Satan himself. Unfortunately, Jesus warns, those lurking enemies are often very close to home: our family members, friends, neighbors, and even ourselves.

Does that shock you? That we each have a deceitful nature that wants to consume us? It doesn’t want us serving the King of Creation, but tries to draw us back into the devil’s lair. Did you ever hesitate to get up on a Sunday morning to hear God’s Word? Forget to read the Bible on your own? Ever fail to share the Gospel with someone you know needs to hear about Jesus? Ever spend your money, or time, or energy in ways you knew Jesus wouldn’t approve? Or, am I the only one here guilty of these things?

“Be wise as serpents.” Recognize that we are all sinners who need a Savior. Be constantly on guard against those who would stomp out your life. Hold on to what we know is true: our Savior and King, all His wonderful promises, His victory over sin and death on our behalf, and His resurrection from the grave showing what He has in store for us. We need to be on our guard against those people and things that would tempt us to wander, and we need to be armed for the battle, not with swords or weapons of mass destruction, but with “The whole armor of God… with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17)

Jesus said, “Be guileless as doves.” Our translation says harmless, but that doesn’t quite capture the Greek word. There should be no evil thought or desire in us. Nothing we do should give our enemies an edge or a reason to accuse. We are to be innocent as doves with no evil intent in anything. That sounds awful tough to do, but remember, we are washed in Jesus’ blood, cleansed from all sin, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament. If anyone can live like this it should be us, and when we fail, or find ourselves struggling, we turn to our Lord for the forgiveness He freely offers to be refreshed and renewed again.

Jesus puts wisdom and innocence together, here, because we need that balance to understand our surroundings. There is evil everywhere, here, but Jesus’ sacrifice covers all.

Jesus told His disciples, "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” Remember what His disciples had to face in the years after Jesus ascended to heaven. The Jewish councils brought them in and commanded them not to speak of Jesus. When that didn’t work, they whipped the disciples, tearing their flesh to shreds. When that didn’t stop the preaching of Jesus’ name, they tried to imprison and kill every Christian. Later, St. Paul had a long list of abuses and injuries he had suffered at the hands of those who hated Christ, and the list of martyrs for Jesus throughout the centuries is very long and growing longer every day.

We might remember how Martin Luther was attacked by the men in power: the pope excommunicating him and putting a price on his head; the emperor commanding him to change his mind or be subject to immediate death, and through all of this strife against the various followers of Christ, what is Jesus doing? He is witnessing to those who hate Him, and sharing the Gospel among His enemies in spite of their efforts to stomp it out.

Remember Paul telling Governor Festus and King Agrippa, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:29) Even in his chains, Paul preached Christ crucified for sinners, hoping that the Gospel would lead some to believe and be saved. Later, he had opportunity to witness even to Caesar.

Martin Luther, too, was able to declare the saving Gospel to the emperor’s high officials and solemnly declare to even those wolves that had invaded the church, “Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures…—and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant…here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen.” “I send you as sheep among wolves,” Jesus said. His disciples face those enemies every day.

Jesus told His men, "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Some would have us believe that Jesus meant we should rely on a special outpouring of the Spirit in ourselves to give us knowledge in every situation. Those same unreliable teachers often then use that myth to invent their own teachings, but Jesus was really assuring us that what His disciples would be given to preach was truly His Father’s message. Therefore, you and I must understand that what they wrote, in what we know of as the Bible, is God’s honest truth, and we should never teach or preach anything that goes against that reliable Word. Jesus’ disciple, John, later wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) So, how can we do this testing? Simply by comparing every message we receive with God’s Word. Anything that doesn’t line up exactly with the message of the Bible, with the promise that Jesus is our One and only Savior from sin without any contribution on our part, is of the spirit of the devil and can be from no other.

Jesus repeated His warning so that His original disciples and all of us would know that even our closest family members can be deadly wolves. "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Not everyone will believe in Jesus. In his natural, corrupted state, an unbeliever always hates Jesus and His every follower. We see it in the news today, in the movies, TV shows and papers. Evil ones have been attacking Christian believers, especially the newly converted, ever since Jesus’ day. The salvation and forgiveness that is such a saving comfort to some, brings out murderous hatred in the rebellious ones.

Still, we have Jesus’ promise, “But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Every disciple who continues in Jesus’ Word until the end of his or her days here on earth has absolutely nothing to fear for eternity, because we who have been brought to faith in Jesus by the Holy Spirit already have eternal life. St. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39) In his great Reformation hymn, Luther wrote, “And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won; the Kingdom ours remaineth.”

“He who endures to the end will be saved.” What a wonderful promise Jesus gives!! That every one of us, who faithfully clings to His Father’s promise of forgiveness of sins and life everlasting for Jesus’ sake, will be saved. That’s also why Jesus sends out His precious sheep into a world of deadly attackers, so that many more of those that hate Him will be turned from their wicked ways and be transformed into sheep in our Good Shepherd’s eternal flock.

We know from the Bible that God works all things for the good of those who love Him. That includes even persecution and hatred by those who despise Christ. Jesus said, "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” Commentators can’t quite agree on what Jesus meant with the last part of this phrase, but we can be confident of the first part. Jesus doesn’t want us to abandon those in our care to the wolves, but when a place is infested with those who want only to kill Jesus’ precious sheep, then it’s time to move on to another place to share the saving message of Christ crucified for sinners. It’s time to shake the dust off our feet against those who reject Jesus and carry the Gospel to another area so that the Holy Spirit can work saving faith in other troubled, hurting souls.

Dear friends, what a message we have from Jesus this Reformation! “I send you as sheep among wolves.” Jesus sends us out so that more and more of His lost sheep will be saved, yet Jesus never leaves us alone to the mercy of the attackers. He is our protecting Shepherd every step of our way. We have His solemn promise, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) “He who endures to the end will be saved.” Amen.

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

Serve the Most Humble One as Lord.

2011-10-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 19, October 23, 2011
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Philippians 2:1-11 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Serve the Most Humble One as Lord.
Dear servants of Christ,
On the sixth day, “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) God then spoke of the service man and woman would perform as caretakers of this great world God had created. Adam and Eve began their assignment of serving God, and all created things, with the great joy of perfect fellowship with the Lord God and perfectly humble service to Him and every created thing. And, everything was very good.

It’s a bit of a challenge for us, I suppose, to think of Adam and Eve, who were created perfect in every way, as being humble. Certainly, if I had no faults, no physical blemishes or weaknesses, no evil or angry thoughts; if I had no enemies and no challenges to my relationship with my Creator, I would be tempted to be quite proud of myself, and I suspect the same could be said of each of you. However, before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve had no such foolish pride. It was their great joy to be servants of all in humble appreciation for their joyful friendship with the Lord.

All of that changed, though, when the devil tempted those first two individuals with the idea that God wasn’t quite as good and loving and giving as they thought. God had selfishly withheld something good from them, Satan whispered. “God knows that in the day you eat of [that one forbidden fruit] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil," (Genesis 3:5) he said, and in that moment of temptation, Adam and Eve stepped from humble holiness into prideful sin, and all of us have been afflicted with the same self-centered arrogance ever since.

The words Paul wrote in our sermon text speak of the battle that rages in every believer. It is a battle between our old, sinful, pride-filled nature and the new faith life of humble servanthood that is given to us when we hear the Gospel of Christ Jesus and believe it. Every day of our lives, thereafter, we wake up in the morning in a struggle between our old man who believes he is good when he is not and our new man who knows he is evil but forgiven. While our old man seeks to promote and serve himself, our new man is ever striving to Serve the Most Humble One as Lord.

The apostle wrote, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Paul wasn’t questioning whether we have the blessings he mentioned, he sets up this condition to draw attention to the fact that these blessings were given to us through faith in Jesus. “Consolation in Christ”? “Comfort of love”? "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends,” (John 15:13) Jesus said, and that’s what Jesus did for you and me to eliminate the rift between us and His Father in heaven. “Fellowship of the Spirit… affection and mercy.” By Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit worked in us to connect us with Christ, so that we are loved by God, and shown all His mercy for Jesus’ sake. The gifts Paul listed are truly ours, given to us as the Holy Spirit brought us to faith in Jesus, and they can’t be taken away by any power in heaven or on earth. (Romans 8:38-39)

The Holy Spirit also caused Paul to write, “Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Paul enjoyed the like-minded connection of love he was given in Christ. Since we too are connected to Christ Jesus through Baptism and the faith it gives, we Christian believers are all one body joined together with Christ as our Head. So, how could we ever go against our Head to walk our own way? True Christians work together as one body or they work for some other head and lord. Loving anything other than what God loves is contrary to the body of Christ. Thinking outside of Jesus’ mind is outside the mind of God, and of every other member of Jesus’ body. Yet, what great joy there is in the body of Christ when we all think and love and work in one accord.

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Here is where the rubber meets the road. It’s easy to say we want to serve God and our neighbor, but do we live it? This is the image in which Adam and Eve were created. Originally, they sought nothing of their own interests but gladly walked with God and served Him only. Their only desire was to do what pleased His mind. But oh how everything changed in the fall! And how we each have struggled to live that perfect way ever since.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Christ has lived as true God from all eternity. He had no need to steal God’s glory because it was already His. Still, He set aside His divine rights, and covered up His divine nature and glory to wear our flesh. Humbling Himself, Christ became a servant to repair the damage human arrogance had caused. Jesus walked this earth in humblest fashion so no one could mistake Him as one who demanded allegiance. He came not to be served but to serve. (Matthew 20:28)) Therefore, Paul wrote to the Romans, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) Jesus stepped down from His throne of glory to make right again what Adam had destroyed.

The arrogance of our sinful nature afflicts us every day. It keeps us seeking our own needs and desires rather than the good of others. It causes us to forget that God wants us to be about the business of serving others and reaching troubled souls with His saving Gospel. That same arrogance causes us to give ourselves more credit than we deserve.

On the other hand, “Being found in appearance as a man, [Jesus] humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus entered this world in human flesh to live the humble life that would restore to us the humility we possessed in the Garden of Eden. Jesus lived in perfect submission to the Father’s will—even to the point of carrying our heavy load of sins to the hill of Golgotha and dying there in substitutionary atonement for you and me. Unlike so many pompous men who consider themselves powerful, Jesus, God’s own dear Son, the owner and ruler of all things in heaven and on earth, didn’t demand the allegiance of sinners. He lived it for you and me.

Because Jesus made that commitment to live and die for you and me, and because He carried out His commitment in every last detail to the very end of His life and beyond, “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” No greater name is heard in heaven or on earth. On a cross of humility and shame, “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9) Jesus’ shame has become our glory.

In honor of Jesus’ humble service unto death, Paul urges us all to Serve the Most Humble One as Lord. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This submission to Jesus’ authority will come. At the final Judgment Day, every knee will bow, even the knees of those who spent their lives hating and opposing Jesus, and of those who thought Him irrelevant. At the return of our Lord, not one individual will be able to stand against Christ’s judgment. Those who in this world refused to believe in Christ will believe when sentenced to eternal torment as Jesus tells them, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) However, at that point their recognition of Christ as God and Lord will bring them only anger, fear, and suffering.

On the other hand, for those who in humble faith believe in Christ’s atoning sacrifice for sins, it is a great joy to shout praise to our Savior and King with both voice and deeds. As we are brought to faith in Jesus, a new man of faith is raised up in us that lives to serve the Lord and our neighbors in everything we do, all to the glory of Jesus’ name.

As we live in humble faith, confessing our arrogant self-centeredness and striving to serve Jesus only, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament to actually fight against our inherited nature and bring glory to God with service to Him and our fellow man. Through faith in Jesus, we truly do want to live with the other person in mind—willingly forgiving those who sin against us, and gladly serving even those who despise and hate us.

In our Gospel lesson, today, we were shown a picture of our two natures; first, the sinful, self-centered man who says “I will obey,” but doesn’t. Even when his intentions are good, his actions fail to measure up to the demands of the commands.

And second, the new man of faith, who looks at his life and confesses his failures, but then in thanks for forgiveness gladly turns to do the work His Father gives. The new life of faith lives connected with Jesus who cannot, and will not, do anything apart from His Father’s will. By the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament, the Christian believer is forever connected with the Most humble One, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who “being found in appearance as a man, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” And we, living now in the one body of Christ, Serve the Most Humble One as Lord. All glory to His name. Amen.

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

Return to the LORD; He freely pardons.

2011-10-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 18, October 16, 2011
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Return to the LORD; He freely pardons.

Dear fellow redeemed,
A few weeks ago, I saw a sale flier from one of the local stores that listed a number of items I could really use on sale at prices so cheap they were almost free. I was looking forward to getting those incredible bargains, but I made one mistake. I forgot to check the dates of the sale. You guessed it; I went shopping one day too late, and those really good prices were all a thing of the past.

In our sermon text today, we have something similar yet so much better than the sale I missed. Isaiah gives us a call, a warning, and especially a promise as he proclaims to all the sinners of the world, Return to the LORD; He freely pardons.

Isaiah’s call comes four times: “Seek, call, forsake, return!” He first says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.” The call and the warning come to us together. Just before these words, the Lord had called to all sinners to come and partake of His rich, life-giving gifts of mercy and grace, freely given without money or cost. Isaiah repeats God’s call, proclaiming to his friends and neighbors, and Israel’s enemies too, to come to the Lord and partake of the salvation found only in the God who created the world and loved it enough to save it from its sin.

Yet, there is a warning here. God does not guarantee that the free mercy and grace He offered will always be available. We were given an example of this when the people of Jesus’ hometown rejected Him, and He withdrew from them, and the Gospel was not preached in that area for some time. We are left wondering how many people missed out on Jesus’ mercy because they refused to listen to the good news of He preached.

There are numerous examples around the world of nations that were once Christian but today are mostly untouched by the gospel of Christ Jesus—their people caught up in the pagan teaching that God is appeased by what we humans do. Even in the nation of Israel, faith in Christ is, today, almost illegal and the promise of salvation in His name mocked and rejected. Israel’s neighbor countries, too, were once mostly Christian, but today the Gospel is rarely heard in them. Europe appears to be suffering the same fate, and many question whether the same malady is spreading across our nation. Will there come a time when the saving Gospel is no longer heard here either? More and more, the Bible, and the rich promises God gives in it, are rejected, mocked, twisted, and hated.

Now, Martin Luther explained our need for the Gospel in his Small Catechism when he wrote, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” Isaiah said, “Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.” How long might it be before you and I have the only Gospel that can save us wrenched from our grasp by the enemies of our Lord? How long before we are forbidden to gather around God’s life-giving message? One shudders to think of that day.

There is another dire warning here. There will come a day when it will be too late to benefit from the Gospel. The moment Jesus returns on Judgment Day, the time of grace for all mankind will end. This, of course, is true also of the moment we each are called from this world in physical death. At that moment in time, each individual, believer and unbeliever alike, will be judged according to the standards God Himself has set. Those who stand on their own works are condemned to hell, but those who trust in the Son of God for forgiveness and salvation are welcomed home to the Father in heaven. Therefore, let us always hear and proclaim Isaiah’s second call, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

This is God’s desire for the entire human race: that we all turn away from wickedness and live. Ezekiel, too, brought that message to Israel proclaiming, “'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'” (Ezekiel 33:11) St. Paul confirmed that this remains God’s will for all people when he encouraged Timothy, saying, “God our Savior,…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) Jesus also gave this same promise and warning when He said, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)

Many in our day would like to judge God for not merely granting forgiveness and eternal life to every man no matter his faith or confession. However, as created beings, we have no right to judge our Creator, but He has every right to judge us, and to make the rules by which we are judged. God remains eternally Lord of all, both the living and the dead. He rightfully condemns those who reject His mercy. Yet, our Lord is also a loving God who sent His Son to save us, and on the basis of the life and death of Jesus, God commands His prophet to declare, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” He calls to the world, Return to the LORD; He freely pardons.

We then hear Isaiah’s well-known words, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” This passage is often quoted by some who would pretend that God’s ways cannot be known, and that they are so mysterious that they can’t make sense to us mere mortals. They make it sound like God is irrational and unpredictable. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. God is neither irrational nor unpredictable, and because He loves us, He tells us exactly were He stands and where we stand with Him.

The Lord declares out loud for the whole world to hear, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.”

What are the thoughts and ways of the wicked man? Way back at the time of Noah, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) Paul wrote that nothing has changed for he says, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’” (Romans 3:9-12)

Dear friends, the Bible tells us that our thoughts and ways are always corrupted with sin. Left to ourselves, we never do anything God-pleasing. On our own, we will always chose to disobey. We are corrupt, unrighteous, and full of the wickedness we inherited from our parents. All of that evil within us leads us to reject God and earn the just banishment to eternal flames for our wickedness.

On the other hand, however, every thought and wish of God is good, and perfect, and holy, and in His holy Word God has shared with us His every desire and plan for our forgiveness and salvation. The way to heaven is not a secret. Jesus tells us plainly, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

In the book of Leviticus, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”’” (Leviticus 19:1-2) If this statement were given solely as a command, we would remain lost for we always fail to be holy. Yet, a bit later God said, “I am the LORD, who makes you holy.” (Leviticus 20:8)

Dear friends, our first parents lost the holiness in which God had created them. God then gave us law to teach us what we should be doing, and to show us our great need for a Savior because we fail to be holy. Then, to poor, stumbling sinners like you and me, God says, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

When faced with enemies who hate us, persecute us, lie and rebel against us, even attack and kill us, you and I think of only anger and revenge. God, on the other hand, when facing such evil, sent His Son to die for us, and the Son prayed from His undeserved cross of punishment and death, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

“My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Instead of dealing out His just anger on sinful men, God punished Himself. St. Paul wrote, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Our human minds would try to devise ways to appease God so that He doesn’t rain down fire and brimstone upon us. Throughout history, religions of various kinds have sprung up with the goal of making some god happy. All fail to do anything but lead the blind to hell. God’s ways are higher than our ways. Without any merit or worthiness on our part, our Savior, God’s own dear Son, calls out to us with His arms open wide, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus offers rest for our souls. No longer do our sins condemn us for Jesus paid for them all. There is nothing we must do to be saved but believe in the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. There with His life-giving blood pouring from His hands, and His feet, and His side, Jesus redeemed every sinner from sin and death, accomplishing everything necessary to make God’s invitation good.

Again and again, God’s messengers call out, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” The Lord is calling to you today, and every day, to trust in the forgiveness He offers through faith in Christ. He calls to those who haven’t known Jesus at all. He calls to those who reject and hate Him. He calls to those who have wandered away from the Good Shepherd’s flock, and to those who didn’t think it important to walk with Jesus all the way home. He especially calls to those who walk humbly, sorrowing for their sins; He calls to you and me: Return to the LORD; He freely pardons. He has freely pardoned you. Amen.

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

Forgive as you are forgiven.

2011-10-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 17, 10/9/2011
Grace, peace, and love with faith be with you who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Matthew 18:21-35 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 “And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 “But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 “The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 “And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 “And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Forgive as you are forgiven.

Dear forgiven servants of God,
Whenever Martin Luther preached on this text, he made it clear that, here, Christ is teaching His disciples the difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the world. You and I live in both kingdoms, but they operate in much different ways. In the kingdom of the world, law and justice must prevail lest anarchy reign and we all be destroyed. By contrast, in the kingdom of heaven, love and grace rule all things. Thus, the rule that governs Christian believers is Forgive as you are forgiven.

Now, Peter didn’t ask this question out of the clear blue sky. Jesus had just explained how we are to deal with a brother or sister who sins against us, telling us how we should be calling that person back to repentance and faith. Some wonder if Peter thought himself to be especially generous to offer forgiveness seven times, since many of the rabbis of his day taught that one needed to forgive the same sin only three times. However, because like you and me, Peter and his fellow disciples were so often focused on the kingdom of the world, Peter may well have been concerned that repeatedly forgiving someone would lead to abuse, and the forgiven person would wrongly assume that the sin didn’t matter. This is why we must understand the difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the world.

In the kingdom of the world, abuse is the norm. Therefore, the government has been given the power of the sword so that it can control gross sin and protect the people from their own tendency to wickedness. That also means that even when one is forgiven by a fellow believer, he will still have to deal with the penalties of the kingdom of the world. They are two separate systems.

Peter came to Jesus and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” You can see why Peter was concerned. If someone repeatedly steals your car, how often are you willing to forgive? How often should a husband forgive a nagging wife or the wife her careless husband? The government enacts rules to control our sinful nature at least to the point where society can function. However, in God’s kingdom, the focus is on grace. In God’s kingdom, forgiveness is unending, even uncountable in the number of our sins forgiven.

Jesus’ parable gives us the picture of a great ruler under whom are many servants, each with great responsibilities to his master. We might think of it as a great landowner expecting a share of the year’s crop from each tenant, or perhaps the head of a large conglomerate, who is calling each division chief to report on the profits for the year—only in this case, one wouldn’t just be fired for poor performance, the servant would be expected to produce the desired return without question or excuse. Failure would lead to the severe consequences Jesus detailed—the servant himself and all his property, including wife and children, being sold in the slave markets to satisfy his shortcomings.

Now for you accountants, the debt of which Jesus spoke here was such that no single family could ever come close to satisfying it. The first servant’s debt was hundreds of thousands of times larger than that of the second servant. Even the sale of the servant, all his property, wife and children would bring only a small fraction of what he owed. But, as in a bankruptcy sale of our day, the king required that whatever could be salvaged from this servant be taken and sold as partial payment.

It sounds harsh, but remember, in the kingdom of the world, the king would have every right to carry out the sentence he spoke. The servant hadn’t performed according to what had been agreed upon and would thus suffer the previously agreed upon penalty. He would lose everything he ever had. “As he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.”

When the debtor finally realized his horrible predicament, he threw himself at his master’s feet begging for mercy. He had nothing to offer except the false promise to repay what he couldn’t possibly repay. Jesus’ parable, though, shows us the kingdom of heaven, and the King is merciful. “The master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.” He was free and clear, and the king demanded nothing, not even a partial payment, from his servant.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.” This king, of course, represents our heavenly Father. We each owe Him absolute devotion, obedience, service, trust, and faith every moment, of every day, of our lives. And for each moment we stray from that perfection, even inadvertently or subconsciously, we owe to God a debt we could never hope to pay. Quite frankly, it’s a desperate picture, because nothing we do in this world is free from sin. So, nothing we could ever do would help settle our account. It is all in the red, all leading to our being cast aside from the kingdom of heaven into everlasting suffering.

Yet, like the king in Jesus’ parable, our heavenly Father is merciful. Though we had nothing to offer, He grants us free release from all our sin-debts. Because of what Jesus did for us with His life of perfect obedience, trust, and service, God readily and willingly frees us from the debt we owe. As Paul later wrote, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) God credited each of us as if we actually paid off our debt, because Jesus paid for all.

However, Jesus had a warning for Peter, and for all of us. He continued His parable saying, “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.” This servant, who had just been forgiven so much, stepped outside his master’s house and demanded justice for a debt that was a mere fraction of what he had been forgiven.

Here is where it is so easy for you and me to fall into the trap of confusing the two kingdoms. We want and need the mercy and grace found only in the kingdom of heaven, but then our sinful nature wants to exercise the justice of the kingdom of the world. Have you ever had difficulty forgiving? Sometimes it seems especially hard to forgive a fellow church member. We expect that our brothers and sisters in the faith won’t hurt us. Husbands and wives often struggle in the same way. We think, “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t hurt me.” Yet, an unwillingness to forgive is to act like this unmerciful servant who enjoyed the benefit of grace and forgiveness, but then demanded justice from his debtor. He was mixing the two kingdoms.

Jesus showed Peter what would happen to us if we try to mix the two kingdoms; He said, “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

If we want to judge others based on the justice of the kingdom of the world, we in effect ask God to judge us by the same harsh justice. And, if God should look at our every sin-debt and demand payment from us, we have nothing to offer. The end result is an eternity in the fires of hell forever separated from our merciful Lord. If we should demand justice instead of mercy, that is the standard God will use for us, and we will be lost.

By the grace of God and the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, you and I have been forgiven of a debt that far exceeded that of even this wicked servant. For every sin we have ever committed, for every evil thought, word, and desire, for every wasted moment, and for every missed opportunity to serve our Lord and Savior, for the sinful nature we inherited from our parents and our own rebellion against the Father in heaven, we have been forgiven. God saw our massive debt of sin, knew we could never repay Him, for once corrupted by sin we could produce nothing to offer, and He sent His own dear Son to pay our price. Jesus lived for us and died for our redemption. We merely believe and walk out into the world as trusted servants of our Master once again.

Now, do you still want to judge others by the standard of the kingdom of the world? No person of faith should ever want that. When we have been forgiven so much by our master, what could we possibly want to hold against our fellow servants? After our own massive debts were wiped away, the sin-debts owed to us all seem insignificant. You see, God has already forgiven those who hurt us, too, for He sent Jesus to be “a ransom for all,” (I Timothy 2:6) “for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Forgive as you are forgiven. Your heavenly Father has forgiven you everything. 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.

We live by the mercies of God.

2011-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 15, 9-25-2011
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Romans 12:1-8 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

We live by the mercies of God.Dear members of the body of Christ,
Who do you work for? In polite company, it is generally accepted that one does not talk about certain things like politics, religion, or income. Therefore, our conversations often center on things concerning our jobs, and our hobbies, lest we fall into the trap of just talking about the weather. We feel safe talking about our jobs, what we do, and who we work for.

Here in our text, Paul talks about the work that we should be doing, because We live by the mercies of God. Paul speaks not just of our temporary, earthly jobs, but the continual service we owe to the One who has redeemed us, who bought us with the lifeblood of His own dear Son,

Every portion of this text centers on this one key phrase: “by the mercies of God.” All the instruction Paul gives is focused on the fact that a remarkable transformation occurrs in our lives. In the earlier portions of this letter, Paul explained the universal sinfulness of the human race; he showed every person’s need for the Savior, and then the Father’s declaration of complete amnesty to all, both Jew and Gentile alike.

Each and every person who enters this world does so as a sinner, as an enemy of God, each one of us on the road to eternal damnation. There is no other way anyone is born into this world except from parents who are sinful and in need of a Savior. But, as Paul so well explained previously in this letter to the Romans, Christ Jesus lived and died so that we might be reborn. By God’s mercy alone, Christ, God’s pure and holy Son, entered this world to rescue and redeem from sin and death all of us wretched, sin-infected creatures. We didn’t earn, or deserve, Christ’s love and sacrifice. Therefore, we must never forget that it is purely by the mercy of God that any are saved.

Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” In the Old Testament times, God’s people were required to bring various sacrifices to the temple of the Lord. Those sacrifices didn’t buy their forgiveness, or their freedom from sin and death. All of those things were pointing forward to the one sacrifice Christ Jesus would make for you and me and everyone.

Today, we are no longer under the command to sacrifice animals or wine or money or grain. From the time of Jesus’ sacrifice forward, there is no need for those substitute sacrifices. We were cleansed, purified, and made acceptable to God by the one and final sacrifice of His Son. Jesus’ sacrifice is counted as the atonement for all sin and credited to each believer through faith in Him.

Because of the mercy God has shown us, we now have a different master. No longer are we forced to serve Satan’s whims, or our own. No longer can anyone demand that we try to earn God’s favor. We have been bought by the blood of His Son, given mercy by the love of God.

Therefore, Paul explains, we present our lives to God out of thankfulness for the forgiveness and salvation Christ won for us all. That is our reasonable service: it is reasonable and good that we gladly devote our every moment, and effort, to living for Christ and praising God for the forgiveness and salvation He has given us. We would give no less thanks to someone who rescued our physical lives, but Christ has won for us our eternal lives in heaven. We live by the mercies of God.

How should we then live? Paul says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Everything about our old way of life as sinners was corrupt. The world is focused on anything but the one true God, so we needed the transforming power of the Holy Spirit as found in the Word and Sacraments.

The Greek word for transform is the same word from which we get the word “metamorphosis.” Like a caterpillar undergoes a complete transformation in the chrysalis becoming a beautiful butterfly, so our transformation will be complete. King David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Thus the Holy Spirit works in us to completely transform us from filth-infested sinners into pure, holy, believing children of the heavenly Father.

And, we were all in the same boat. We all needed this transformation, and it is accomplished in each of us only by the mercies of God. So Paul warns us, “I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Dear friends, as believers in Jesus, we dare not hold too high an opinion of ourselves. There was no spark of goodness that caused any of us to choose faith in Jesus. True Christians confess their complete lack of anything good before God.

At the same time, as Christian believers, we dare not belittle ourselves or any other believer. We are now God’s dear children, cleansed from all sin, and adopted into His family of believers. Each and every believer is precious to God, and we need to keep that in mind as we deal with each other, so that we teach, encourage and forgive in accordance with God’s mercy. We dare not look down on any child of God for each one is so precious and valuable to Christ that He gave His life for that child. When we think soberly, we hear the Holy Spirit remind us that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Lest anyone start to think that any one person is more valuable than another, Paul explains how we all fit together in the grand scheme of the Kingdom of God: “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Not many of us would trade our hearts for an extra set of kidneys, nor would we trade our legs for an extra hand, nor our eyes for an extra ear. God, in His wisdom, made each believer to fit the role He intended each of us to fill in the body of Christ, and for that, we each should be grateful and willing to work to the best of our ability in the role He gives us, for we serve Christ, the Head of all, out of thankfulness for the life He gives us. For, We live by the mercies of God.

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” What great joy God gives us that we can now serve Him for all eternity with no threat of death, no coercion of a slave driver, no overbearing demand to do this or die. All of that Law stuff is over. Christ lived for us the perfect life we could not live. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, God now gives us the ability and desire to live up to the responsibilities He gives us. That is part of what Jesus has restored to us, the desire to serve the Lord as Adam and Eve so desired before their fall into sin.

Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30) Jesus could say that because He came into this world to accomplish everything needed for us to have eternal life. And, Jesus now empowers us to share that life and salvation with others around us. We are Jesus’ workmen; He bought us at the price of His precious, innocent blood; He calls each of us to share the forgiveness and salvation we have been given with other sorrowing souls. No matter what part of the work Jesus assigns to each believer, it is good and valuable work for the growth of His kingdom. As believing Christians, we need to treat every moment of our lives in this fashion for we are a reflection of Christ in this sin-darkened world. We don’t want to have anything we do tarnish Christ’s reflection in us. That sounds like a heavy burden, but We live empowered by the mercies of God.

It seems like whenever I preach on this text, it comes out sounding like another taskmaster telling you how to live. What I mean to share, though, is how we do live, for we have been remade into willing workers, able stewards, shining beacons of hope through faith in Christ Jesus. His glory, His perfect righteousness is put on us, credited to each of us who believe in Jesus.

Dear Christian friends, let Paul’s final words in this portion of text be our encouragement to thankful service: he who exhorts, in exhortation; “he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness!” We live by the mercies of God. Amen.

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

“I, the LORD your God, will save!”

2011-09-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 14, 9-18, 2011
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Exodus 6:2-8 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: "I am the LORD. 3 "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. 4 "I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5 "And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 "Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 'I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 'And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.' "

“I, the LORD your God, will save!”

Dear fellow redeemed,
Moses was warned, and then he was warned again, that Pharaoh would not willingly let Israel go from Egypt, but in spite of receiving those forewarnings, Moses was shocked and upset with the LORD when His command to “Let My people go!” (Exodus 5:1) led to harsher treatment by their Egyptian taskmasters. So, Moses returned to the LORD complaining, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all." (Exodus 5:22-23)

In other words, it was God’s fault that Pharaoh had no respect for God’s command, and at that moment, Moses wasn’t so very impressed with God’s plan, or power, either. In response to Moses’ complaint, God answered with great patience and love: “I, the LORD your God, will save!” That is also God’s promise to us.

The story of the Children of Israel serves in so many ways as a foreshadowing of all that God would do to save us from sin and death. Purely out of mercy and grace, God had chosen Abraham to be the Father of many nations and the forefather of all God’s chosen people. However, God also prophesied that Abraham’s descendants would spend four hundred years enslaved in a foreign land before being brought out to live in a much better place. This all pictures how every human is enslaved in this foreign land that is not our final home. It is a picture of our sojourn through this troubled, sinful world needing rescue before we can be taken home to the Promised Land of heaven. Our sin subjected us to this harsh existence and kept us apart from our God and Father, yet to troubled souls of all ages, God’s message remains true, “I, the LORD your God, will save!”

“God spoke to Moses and said to him: "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.” We shouldn’t take this to mean that God had, somehow, shortchanged the Patriarchs in their understanding of His mercy and grace. God’s power had been on full display for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They also fully understood God’s mercy and His plan for the rescue and salvation of all people. Yet, they could only know this by faith, not by experience, for it would take place long in the future by human time-frame.

The Lord said, "I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.” Moses already knew all of this, but he needed to hear it again. God had lifted up His hand in an oath, promising to Abraham this rescue of his descendants. Moses needed God’s assurance that He wasn’t playing some cruel trick, but that everything was moving according to His plan. That’s the message you and I need to take from this text as well; that God’s plan for our salvation and eternal life is in place and working. Just as He heard Israel’s cry for mercy, God saw our distress. Just as He saw the affliction they endured, God noticed the bondage afflicting us.

You and I were, indeed, born into a cruel slavery. Our inherited sinful condition kept us separated from the Promised Land of heaven. The chains of sin kept us bound to our captors: Satan, our sinful flesh, and a decaying world. In place of Pharaoh’s demand to make an unending supply of bricks, Satan gleefully tormented us with the knowledge that we can never do enough to satisfy God’s demand for perfection. In the place of the whips of human taskmasters, we feel the sting of consciences reminding us that we deserve punishment and death for the sins we commit and the good things we fail to do. At the same time, we must admit that we sometimes get too comfortable with the shallow pleasures of this world, so we don’t always seek our escape, which leads us, like the Israelites, to complain against God when He allows this cruel world to have its way with us for a time.

Now, Satan’s lies often led people to believe that we can, somehow, meet God’s demand for perfection. So often mankind has been misled into thinking that God can be appeased with our imperfect attempts to obey our captors. Yet, the more we labor, the more we fear, for we know we have failed. The longer we labor, and the older we get, the more we feel sin’s destructive power in our lives. Judgment Day becomes ever more real as our bodies wear down, and we learn that we cannot escape the punishment and death our sin-slavery brings. It is then that God’s promise, “I, the LORD your God, will save!” becomes so dear to sinners.

With great patience even in the face of Moses’ frustration with Him, the Lord told Moses to bring this comforting promise to Israel: "Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.’” Moses couldn’t rescue Israel alone, and the Israelites couldn’t rise up and throw off their taskmasters. The slaves had no weapons for the fight, no training in battle. Unless God intervened, their hopeless condition and status as slaves would never change.

That’s the picture God wanted the whole human race to see. Once sin entered our world, we were powerless to escape it. We had no ability to regain the necessary perfection we had lost. However, everything God was doing here in Egypt pointed forward to a much more important rescue that God would carry out. In Egypt, God would use many plagues to force Pharaoh to command the Israelites to leave. Even every firstborn son of Egypt would die for Pharaoh’s rejection of God’s initial command. This all foreshadowed Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, dying for your sins and mine.

In the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise, Jesus rescued us from our bondage to sin and Satan. With His arms outstretched and nailed to the cross, Jesus redeemed us. There at Golgotha, Jesus bought us back to the Father, paying the penalty for every sin, so that every person who believes in Him can be led home to the Promised Land God intended to share with all people. The great judgments imposed upon Jesus were not just earthly torments, though Jesus bore those exceedingly great pains with patience and humility, but the greatest torment He faced for us was the separation from His Father’s love as He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34) God’s first-born Son suffered the eternal death we deserved. His blood became not a river of death but a river of life that cleans us from sin and renews us with spiritual life.

The prophecy continued as God said, “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Israel didn’t choose God; He chose to rescue them and make them His own people. The Lord led the Israelites every step of the way to the Promised Land, in spite of their whining and rebellion; in spite of their fears and lack of faith, God led them on a journey through arid wasteland to take them home to the good land He had promised to their forefathers hundreds of years earlier. The same is true for you and me. God chose us to hear His Word. He chose us to be born into families that believed in His Son, families that would lead us to His cleansing flood of baptism where God claimed us, cleansed us, and marked us as His own dear people. God chose to save us through His Son.

Just as He did with the Children of Israel, Jesus stays with those who believe in Him, walking with us all the way home through our torments and struggles in the arid wilderness of this sinful world. He leads us, protects us, feeds us, cleanses us from all sin, forgives us all transgressions, guides us with His Word and Spirit, and He does that without any punishment upon us for the fact that we are weak and scared and complaining much of our way home. Like Israel, we didn’t choose God; He chose us; we are His people being led on the road to His home.

The LORD promised, “And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.” With uplifted hand, God renewed His vow to save His people from their torment and slavery and bring them to a better place. God, likewise, promises to take us to a land flowing with milk and honey, a place where we will face no more sorrow or death, no more torment from Satan and his evil band. No more tears or pain will afflict us. No threats or burdens will terrify us.

As He journeyed to His final showdown with Satan, Jesus promised His disciples, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3) Jesus was repeating His promise from long ages past, “I, the LORD your God, will save!”

The rest of the Good News is that unlike Israel, once we arrive in our new Promised Land, we will never have to worry about being unfaithful or losing our home there. Our heritage in heaven will never be taken away for Jesus has completed our perfection with His holy life on our behalf. In the Revelation, John was given a glimpse of millions upon millions of believers gathered around the throne of the Lamb of God, and an elder told him, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14) Permanently dressed in Jesus’ pure righteousness, we will live with God and praise Him forever.

The main message of the Bible, the magnificent thread that is woven throughout the book from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is “I, the LORD your God, will save!” As God the Father looked upon sinful man, He loved us so much He gave His Son to redeem us from sin and death. The Son, Jesus Christ, willingly, lovingly obeyed His Father’s will on our behalf and became the sacrificial Lamb who takes way the sin of the world. Together, They send the Holy Spirit through His holy Word to turn us unwilling, stone dead sinners into believing, faithful Christians who live forever. Through good times and bad, through the trials of earthly life, and the tormenting journey to home through this barren wasteland of sin and death, Jesus promises, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) “I, the LORD your God, will save!” Amen.

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

Jesus comes to hear and teach and heal.

2011-09-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 13, September 11, 2011
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Matthew 15:21-28 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus comes to hear and teach and heal.
Dear friends in Christ,
We have before us the story of a great faith, and it is indeed a great faith! And, it would be very easy to preach this text as though we must show this great a faith in order to have our prayers be heard and answered. However, that would be dangerously close to the pagan idea that it is our efforts, and our piety, that move God to be merciful to us. Therefore, as we observe this woman’s great faith, let us also learn how Jesus comes to hear and teach and heal.

I want us to consider for a moment what caused Jesus to go to a place where His interaction with this woman might take place. Many treat this account as if it were an accidental meeting that took place as Jesus was trying to escape from the crowds to rest. That is possible, but neither Matthew nor Mark tell us this, and it seems to me more likely that Jesus knew exactly where He was going and what He would do when He got there. Matthew tells us that Jesus withdrew from the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee to go to the other side of the country, to the area of Tyre and Sidon along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, and then after this incident, He returned to the Sea of Galilee. Now remember, Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve, so I doubt He would make this journey of many miles in each direction through rough and mountainous territory for His own needs and not for the needs of this troubled woman and the crowds that followed Him.

You might think it strange that I say Jesus made this journey to hear the woman’s prayer. Certainly, if Jesus already knew she had the need and would come to Him for help, He wouldn’t have needed to make the trip to hear her, right? Yet, the Lord encouraged us to pray continually. He once told a parable about a persistent widow to teach us that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1) Paul encouraged us to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Much after this incident, Peter wrote that “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers.” (1 Peter 3:12) So, Jesus definitely had heard this woman’s cry before He went to her, yet He went to an area where she could meet Him to show us that He does hear and answer our prayers.

Now, Matthew reported, “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.'" Notice how she prayed. First of all, she addresses Jesus as her one true Lord, and she recognizes Jesus as the promised Messiah by calling Him the Son of David. This is a woman who had heard about Jesus and believed the message. She has one simple plea: “have mercy on me!” This woman asked for nothing but that her daughter be freed from the clutches of the demon that tormented her. She didn’t ask for riches or physical health or judgment upon enemies. All that the woman asked for is that God, in His mercy, would set her daughter free from Satan.

Compare this woman to so many of the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah, who questioned His right to teach and to heal. Compare her to Jesus’ disciples, who even in His presence were often afraid and wondering if He could help them. Compare her prayer to ours. Do we come before the Lord, first, with that simple plea “have mercy on me!”? Or do we come to Jesus with a laundry list of demands?

Jesus then preached a sermon unlike any other. “Jesus did not answer a word.” Think about that for a second. How would you or I respond to a snub like that? More to the point, how do we respond when it seems to us that Jesus isn’t listening? This Canaanite woman had just laid everything on the line by coming to Jesus, a Jewish teacher, begging for His help. Her neighbors would likely have been embarrassed by her actions. Go to a Jew for help? The Jews were the enemy.

That’s the way many of our neighbors view Jesus today—as the enemy, or the Judge, or as a mythical being who doesn’t do anything good. So, if Jesus doesn’t immediately answer our prayers in the way we would choose, do we join sides with the unbelievers? Do we give up hope? Do we stop asking, stop expecting His intervention?

Anybody feeling a little guilty, yet? Oh, how often we stumble in this area. How often we are tempted to pull away from Jesus when times get tough. How often we even question whether God is listening. How often we seek solace and help somewhere else than in God’s loving arms.

“His disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." Jesus’ own disciples didn’t want to be bothered by the cries of this woman. She wasn’t an Israelite, why let her be a bother? They as much said, “Either answer her request or tell her to get lost.” The disciples didn’t have any more patience with God than the rest of the Jews, or you and me. We all want results. Right now! We don’t want to be bothered with what God thinks is best. So, are you feeling guilty now?

Jesus then made an interesting statement, “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’” That sounds like Jesus had no intention of helping the woman or even answering yes or no to her request. But, Jesus was still preaching His sermon. He was pointing out to His countrymen that God had sent His Son to work out salvation for them among the Children of Israel. However, they weren’t coming to Him begging for mercy. Again, Jesus uses His silence and the example of this Canaanite woman to preach His message. She threw herself face down on the ground before Jesus with the simple plea, "Lord, help me!"

Jesus preached His sermon, mostly, by allowing this foreigner to be an example to people of all time. So many people want God’s help for this life, to ease the troubles we face in this world, and they expect it right now, but they forget that the real, and only, reason Jesus entered this world was to win forgiveness and salvation for sinners. So many people come before Jesus bragging like the Pharisee in the temple about all they do for God, but they forget that what we really need is God’s unmerited mercy. What we need is simple, persistent faith in Jesus; never turning away from Him. No actions, no pious works, none of that gains us God’s ear. Knowing her faith, Jesus used this woman to teach us what real faith is. True faith isn’t behaving like spoiled brats to get everything we want; it is trusting the Lord in spite of any contrary evidence or opinion.

Jesus had one more lesson to teach us with this sermon. He told the woman, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Jesus’ words might seem to us like another slam against this poor hurting lady, but she didn’t take it that way. She agreed with Jesus. She understood that she had no merit or worthiness of her own. That’s part of true faith. She recognized that God had promised to send the Messiah to the Children of Israel. And she didn’t let that bother her one bit. Trusting in the one true God, she recognized that of all the rich blessings God was giving to the Israelites through His Messiah, there would be an overflow to be given to those of us who are not Jews by natural birth. It may be that she had heard God’s messianic promise through Isaiah, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

God would give the rich banquet of His salvation to His chosen people through the life and death of His dear Son, but so many of them would rather throw this rich fare to the floor for the dogs than believe in Jesus and experience His mercy. So, Jesus used this opportunity to warn the Jews, and us, that the rich blessings many would willingly throw away, humble souls eagerly lick up.

Jesus’ sermon comes to a stunning conclusion. He didn’t speak to His disciples, to the many Jews who opposed Him, or to the multitude who followed Him for healing and for bread. No, Jesus spoke His conclusion directly to this foreigner, to the dog in Jewish eyes. He said, “‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” The woman’s simple faith was rewarded. She had not wavered in her trust in Christ, and the holy Spirit has been using her story ever since to teach us how Jesus comes to hear and teach and heal.

You see, the woman didn’t make a long and taxing journey to find Jesus. Jesus went out of His way to come to her. Jesus may have heard her plea in the way Paul describes in his letter to the Romans saying, “The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26) Finally, Jesus showed us, here, that He does answer the prayers of those who trust in Him. He does have the ability, power, and willingness to heal even us poor foreigners.

Just as Jesus went out of His way to rescue the daughter of this faithful woman from the clutches of the devil, so He went out of His way to rescue you and me. At one time, Satan had every bit as strong a hold on our souls as on that troubled daughter. No ordinary human could have done anything to help us. Yet, God answered the prayers of our parents as they brought us to Jesus in Baptism, and in the preaching of His Word. Though there were likely times in our lives when one might wonder if Jesus was listening to their prayers, Christ’s merciful healing brought us to trust in Him.

Dear friends, about thirty-five hundred years ago, the cries of the Children of Israel for mercy went up to God in heaven, and He sent Moses to lead them out of slavery in Egypt. About two thousand years ago, God sent His Son to fulfill His promise to send a Redeemer who would rescue us from our slavery to sin and death. In His loving mercy, Jesus went out of His way to live for us the righteous life God demands to be in His presence. Jesus then died on the cross to pay, with His holy life, our earned penalty of death. Through His life and death, Jesus healed the rift between God and man and rescued us from Satan’s torments.

As believers whom God has called to faith, we now cry to the Lord, and He still goes out of His way to hear our prayers for mercy. Without any worthiness on our part, the Lord comes to us in the simple water and Gospel promises of Baptism to drive Satan out of our hearts. Jesus comes to us in the words of absolution to keep Satan at bay. Christ comes to us in His holy Word to teach us of His love and mercy and assure us of eternal salvation. Without any merit in us, without any pious action on our part, Jesus gives us eternal healing as He feeds us the medicine of immortality in His holy Supper, where with His true body and blood Jesus shows us the sacrifice He made to free us from sin, death, and Satan. Still today, Jesus comes to hear and teach and heal. Amen.

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

Praise God for grace received.

2011-09-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 12, September 4, 2011
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Romans 9:1-5 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Praise God for grace received.
Dear elect from eternity,
As a general rule, we reserve our harshest anger for traitors. Some of the most severe penalties any nation places upon its criminals come when one of its citizens is caught betraying his country. History books make special note of those who have betrayed their people, and you most likely have noticed much the same phenomenon on a local level, sometimes even among very young children, because we all expect loyalty from our friends, family members, and neighbors.

Perhaps that is why Paul began this section of his letter to the Romans as he did. In the eyes of his fellow Israelites, Paul was a traitor to his people, to their nation, and to their religion. Though he had, at one time, been the most rabid persecutor of Christ’s followers, Paul had long since been converted to faith in Jesus and become responsible for much of Christianity’s spread among the Gentiles. For his switch in allegiance, and for his tireless efforts for Christ, Paul was hated by many of his fellow countrymen, especially by the leaders, just as Jesus had been rejected by those same men. However, like Christ, Paul bore no grudge and instead, desired only that his fellow Jews would also see Jesus as He truly is, the promised Messiah.

Our text forms a sort of transition. In the first eight chapters of this letter, Paul summarized mankind’s universal need for the Savior’s work, and how through His Son, Jesus, God has supplied the forgiveness and salvation necessary for all to be saved. Now, Paul moves on to other practical matters, and he begins with this text that should serve as a bit of a warning for us and a reminder of the great blessings we were given. We should all be reminded to Praise God for grace received.

Though Paul was sent out as the missionary to the Gentiles, he hadn’t forgotten his own countrymen, nor could he. Paul even goes so far as to express his willingness to sacrifice his own salvation if that could have won over his fellow Jews to faith in Christ. Yet, he knew, and we know, that even the preaching of God’s own Son hadn’t accomplished that result. The majority of Israelites followed their leaders in rejecting Jesus. They rejected the Christ and had Him killed. Though many thousands of Jews did come to faith after Jesus’ resurrection from the grave and the sending of the Holy Spirit, those converts still made up only a small fraction of the Jews. Most of the Jews continued to reject Jesus and oppose His disciples’ message. The Jewish leadership commanded the disciples not to preach about Jesus and sent out men like Saul to hunt down and arrest those who followed Christ (though they didn’t dare kill the twelve apostles). So, the Jews had been given many opportunities to come to faith in Christ.

Now, at the time Paul wrote this letter, his usual pattern in his preaching had been to go first to the Jewish synagogue in each new town and proclaim the good news there first. It was only after the Jews rejected Paul’s message that he would turn to the Gentiles. The result is that these new congregations were made up of a majority of Gentiles along with the few believing Jews.

In our text, Paul grieves that so many of his countrymen had rejected the Good News in spite of all the blessings God had given them; very much like Jesus had earlier grieved over Jerusalem saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)

In Paul’s lament, he recounted the many ways God had called Israel to believe saying, “my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises.” Paul was looking back on the history of Israel as a nation, at a people grown up from the one promised child of Abraham and Sarah into a nation of millions of people, called out of slavery in Egypt, rescued time and again from foreign powers, given the benefit of God’s intervention into their lives time and time again, beneficiaries of God’s Law and temple worship which pointed them to the sacrifice that the Messiah would make for them and for all people. To this nation alone, God had shown His glory in miraculous deliverance. To this nation alone had come the promise of a Savior in the prophecies of God’s messengers. God had adopted this people as His own dear family members, and He had made covenant promise after covenant promise with them and them alone. All of this so that Israel should not have missed out on God’s promised salvation. Yet, the Jews willingly threw it all away by rejecting Jesus.

That makes a pretty strong warning for you and me, doesn’t it? Most likely the majority of us are not of Israelite blood. Yet, we were invited into God’s promise after the Jews rejected Christ, and God gave us the same outpouring of grace through the preaching of His Word and the blessing of Baptism. You see, God never wanted to limit His salvation to just the twelve tribes of Israel. God envisioned a vast multitude of peoples who would believe in His Son and thereby become descendants for Abraham in greater number than the stars in the sky or the sands of the seashore. You and I have been made part of that great number through the grace and love of God. We foreigners to Israel, all of us sinners and rebels against God, were offered God’s mercy, and here we are, today, to offer up our thanks and praise to God for His love. So, will we devote our lives to that thankfulness, or follow the Jews in rejection and willingly throw away God’s grace?

Paul reminds us that Jesus was, indeed, a descendant of the patriarchs: of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus fulfilled all the promises God had poured out upon His faithful people throughout history. After the deaths of the patriarchs, God’s promises continued through prophets like Isaiah and Malachi and through kings like Ahaz, Solomon, and especially, David.

Jesus came into this world as David’s Son, born of a virgin; He is God’s own Son taking on human flesh to enter this world to win David’s throne and rule forever. Jesus rules from David’s throne not for this world, but the next. Jesus won that right to rule forever, not by armed force, not by trickery or deceit, not by human election, but by His perfect obedience of all law on our behalf and complete submission to His Father’s will as He carried all of our sins to the cross to suffer and die and be rejected by His Father on behalf of you and me and everyone. “According to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”

So, dear friends, Praise God for grace received. As we were taught by the first eight chapters of this letter to the Romans, we did nothing to deserve salvation. All of our actions, efforts, thoughts, and desires won for us only the just sentence of eternal damnation in hell. However, God sent His Son that He might rescue the whole human race from that terrible fate. Just as Paul showed us how we deserved punishment, he told us how we are saved saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) God’s saving promise is for the Jews and for everyone else.

So how do we Praise God for grace received? We best look to the experience of Elijah who didn’t find God in the powerful things, the terrible wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the still small voice. We praise God when we hear God’s still small voice in His Gospel, in the Word and Sacrament; when we don’t look for great victories in this world but trust in Christ’s victory over sin, death, and Satan. We praise God when we believe that we are forgiven of all sin for Jesus’ sake and then live to serve Him out of thankfulness for His grace.

We praise God when we boldly trust His promises in spite of what other people might think or say or do. We praise God when we put our complete hope for this life and the next in the Son who could walk on water, heal the sick and the lame and the blind, turn water into wine, calm the storm, and suffer and die for sins He didn’t commit and then rise from the cold, stone grave on the third day just as He promised He would.

We praise God when we grieve for the lost, for our brothers and sisters who don’t yet care about Jesus, when we put our lives on the line to tell both friend and enemy of what Jesus has accomplished for all. We praise God when it is more important to us that we be faithful to Jesus than to appease our blood relatives, friends, or neighbors. We praise God when, in spite of the ridicule or rejection of the world, we follow Christ to receive forgiveness, healing of our souls, and life everlasting.

We Praise God for grace received when we share His grace with those around us, when we lead the little children to Jesus, when we obey God rather than men and proclaim Christ crucified with the quiet whisper of the Gospel in ways both big and small, shouting from the rooftops and the hills to friend and foe alike the message that Jesus died for sinners, for people like you and me; that He rose on the third day to declare His victory, and He is coming again to judge the world and take us home to heaven to live with Him forever. Praise God for grace received. 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.

Come! Eat and drink of God’s mercy!

2011-08-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 11, August 28, 2011
Unlimited grace, mercy and peace are yours from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Isaiah 55:1-5 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you -- The sure mercies of David. 4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. 5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the LORD your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you."

Come! Eat and drink of God’s mercy!
Dear guests of the Living Savior,
This summer, a severe famine has hit the Horn of Africa. It is so severe that desperate families are walking many miles, sometimes hundreds of miles, hoping to find food. By the time these people reach a place of refuge all of their resources have been used up. They arrive with nothing. In fact, their desperation has grown so great that some parents have been forced to decide which of their children they can carry until they reach food, and those that have grown too weak to survive the journey are left behind to the vultures.

So imagine how these starving people would feel if they should finally arrive at a marketplace in which saving food is abundant, but available only at a great price—a price that none could pay—and the starving could only gaze at the food in longing as they die. How awful an end that would be!

Now imagine that same market in which a multitude of merchants are hawking their wares, but there is one who calls out as our sermon text, "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!” Can you imagine how the hungry hordes would rush to that gracious provider?

Dear friends, we don’t have to imagine this situation for it is the very picture of the spiritual condition of our whole world. This world is full of souls starving for the food and drink that gives spiritual life. The multitudes of every nation journey down the long road of life in desperate need of sustenance before the end comes. And, many are the merchants who call out with wares to sell, but only One calls out with the gracious food that gives eternal life. Only One offers that food free to all who will eat and drink. So our theme: Come! Eat and drink of God’s mercy!

Through the prophet Isaiah, God calls out to the people of Israel and to every other nation and people on the face of the earth, Come! Eat and drink of My mercy! So often in our world, we hear people complain that God must not be a loving God, or not very powerful, because He allows all these hard times and terrible disasters that bring hardship upon so-called innocent people. Perhaps, dear Christian friend, that thought has even crossed your mind. But the cause of all these disasters and deadly pestilences is not God, but the sin that infects this world. The sin of people like you and me and everyone else who has ever disobeyed the Creator of all things left us in spiritual starvation leading to eternal death. Sin is the sole cause of all trouble, sorrow, and death, for because of sin, “the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.” (Romans 8:20)

So, we dare not blame God for the troubles of this world. He is the only One completely innocent in this spiritual famine. In fact, in response to the many sins that the people of this world commit on a daily basis, God responded in a way we could never have imagined: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) This world was afflicted with spiritual starvation. Every one of us was among the walking dead, for no matter how long or short our journey to refuge, we had no means of our own to acquire the food that gives spiritual life. However, God, in His great love and mercy, offered His own dear Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus paid the price for the spiritual food that restores dead souls to life everlasting. Then together with the Father, Jesus sends the Spirit in Word and Sacrament calling out to hungry souls, Come! Eat and drink of God’s mercy! “Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

Now, as I said, there are other sellers in the marketplace of this troubled world. There are many who claim to offer a spiritual food. Many of their sales pitches make these other foods sound quite tasty. Most center on some action you must make, some effort you must trade for a tasty morsel. Yet, at the end of the day, all of those other morsels are only fake foods that give no sustenance. They are merely a taste of a smell, a lie upon the tongue, an enticing temptation that can’t stave off death: like standing outside of the bakery and hoping the aroma will fill your belly. That’s why God calls out again to the world, pleading with the sinner, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”

Pure mercy and grace from our God and Father. He calls to us again and again, urging everyone to eat of the spiritual food and drink of the spiritual drink that only He can give. Jesus once met a woman at a well and surprised her by saying, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." (John 4:10) The living water of which Jesus spoke to the woman of Samaria is the message of the salvation He has won for lost souls by His perfect life and innocent death on the cross. Later, “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’” (John 7:37-38) Come! Drink of God’s mercy!

Now, as you well know from experience, anything in this world that is free usually isn’t valued very much. For example, we tend to despise the water that pours freely from the tap. We would rather buy some other water in a bottle, especially if it has a catchy name on the label.

It is a sad fact that once people are fed, they often don’t value the food. There is an old axiom in the commodities business that a man will pay almost any price for a loaf of bread when he is hungry, but he will pay almost nothing for a second loaf. For that reason, the price of wheat in Chicago often fluctuates greatly depending upon whether the crop is viewed to be plentiful or short.

So, what about us? Do we Christians show the same contempt for the abundance of God’s saving food and drink? Look around at the lives of our fellow believers, and let each of us examine our own life. How often have we been more than happy to skip that second loaf of God’s mercy as we pass up the opportunity to hear more of His grace? How often does a warm bed, or a tempting entertainment, keep us away from the reassurance of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins in His Supper? Because we are so often weak in this way, God calls to us, again, “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David.” You might say that God just doesn’t want to give up on us! Paul assures us of that saying, “God our Savior…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) God calls for us, literally, to stretch out our ears so that we don’t miss one speck of His promise. He wants us to hear His Gospel again and again so that we never wander away from His life-giving food and drink.

God wants us to turn away from any path that leads away from Him. He wants us to turn our backs against any of those who are selling their substitute foods that are not God’s life-giving bread and wine and milk. Through the prophet Ezekiel we read God’s own sworn testimony to the world, “'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die?’” (Ezekiel 33:11) Time and time again, God calls out to every sinner, Come! Eat and drink of My mercy!

God calls to His people, “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people.” This is God’s promise to His wandering chosen nation that He hasn’t forgotten His promise to David: "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.” (2 Samuel 7:12-14) First fulfilled in a minor way in King Solomon, this prophecy is ultimately about Jesus Christ. God’s own dear Son entered this world by taking on human flesh to establish a kingdom of grace that will never end.

By His perfect life and innocent death, Jesus has established His kingdom of mercy and grace in which all the hungry souls of sinners can find refuge and peace, where they can eat and drink of the living bread, water, and wine and be refreshed to live forever. For His obedience unto death, Jesus was given authority over all things. He is today our Prophet, Priest, and King. As our High Priest, Jesus made the one and only sacrifice necessary to remove our sins, and today, He continually intercedes for us with the Father. As King, He rules all things in heaven and on earth for our good. As our Prophet, He made this promise to David and continually proclaims God’s covenant of grace for each believer.

Even with these first four wonderful verses of our sermon text, God wasn’t quite finished with His promises to the Children of Israel that day. He also said, “Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you." In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained that the true descendants of Abraham are those who believe and trust in Christ Jesus. God’s chosen nation was justified by faith and glorified by His Son. But the best news for you and me is that God’s mercy and grace are not limited to the physical descendants of Abraham. Christ died for all people, for every sinner, ever. “The Holy One of Israel” has also redeemed you and justified everyone who has been drawn by the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ Jesus. And ultimately, we are glorified through faith in Him.

Through faith in Christ, all our sins have been removed, and we once again stand before God as friends and beloved associates as did Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The perfect righteousness that one man’s sin had destroyed, the Holy One of Israel has now restored and given to us through faith.

My friends, we could talk much more about the water and wine and bread that God offers freely to starving souls. The picture fits so well with the living water of His holy Word and with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. God wants us to partake of His saving gifts continually until we reach our home in heaven. He holds out His life giving treasures to starving and stumbling souls and says again and again, “Come! Eat and drink of My mercy! Believe the Word that gives life. Partake of the bread and wine that assure you of the sacrifice My Son made to win for you the life-giving food I offer.”

God doesn’t want any struggling soul left behind for Satan’s vultures. That’s where you and I can really be a help to our friends and neighbors. We can reach out with the promise of our Savior. We can remind every one we love that God’s Word is life giving and Jesus’ body and blood are real food and real drink that feed and enliven starving souls. Stir up the lazy ones. Wake up the sleepers. Lead the hungry to Jesus. Pick up the fallen ones you find along your way and bring them to the feast. Be bold in repeating God’s call to all those you love. Come! Eat and drink of God’s mercy! Amen.

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

Seek the treasure that makes you a keeper.

2011-08-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 10, 8-21-2011
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Matthew 13:44-52 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 "and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

Seek the treasure that makes you a keeper.
Dear fellow redeemed,
Here, near the center of Matthew’s Gospel, we find recorded a number of parables that Jesus spoke to teach us about the kingdom of heaven. Many of these parables take the form of a simile as Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven is like…” We have three of these similes in our sermon text that each teach a specific point about God’s kingdom. The key is understanding how they all fit together.

All three of the parables listed here speak of some kind of treasure search, but there is a twist. There is a different entity doing the searching in the third parable as compared to the first two. Yet all three searches require sorting out the valuable from the worthless. So, I would hold out the following theme for your consideration today: Seek the treasure that makes you a keeper.

So, what treasure are you seeking? People search for many different types of treasure. Some people think the greatest treasure they could possess is a trophy. Therefore, they spend all their time trying to win a contest, whether it is in sports or business or politics or some other pursuit. This type of person will spend all of his energy hoping to win that corner office, a coveted seat in government, a big house on the hill, a trophy wife (or husband). A hunter might travel the world hoping to hang the biggest heads, horns, antlers, skins, or fish on the wall.

For some, chasing after sports championships has become an all consuming task. Coaches and athletes sacrifice countless hours, their own health, and sometimes even their families in order to win that coveted ring at the end of the season. And this starts even as early as preschool is some cases. But, I have to ask; is winning the trophy worth losing one’s soul?

Other people might be searching for a treasure of gold or silver or toys. They spend every waking hour trying to figure out how to pile up bigger bank accounts, vaster holdings in the stock market or real estate. They might seek to pile up toys like fast cars, big mansions, and lots of bling. I know of a farmer who built a giant machine shed just to store all the antique tractors he had collected and lovingly restored. Another acquaintance has a whole bus garage filled from top to bottom with antique toys into which he has poured his money. But a word of warning is appropriate here, also; do our collections so consume our attentions that we miss the real treasure of which Jesus spoke?

On the other hand, some people have the idea that the treasure itself isn’t so important. They rely on the false hope that what matters isn’t whether you win or lose but how you play the game. The game itself becomes their treasure. It isn’t the end, but the journey, that matters to them. There are also those who fall into the trap of not believing that Jesus knew what He was talking about when He spoke of a treasure so valuable. These folks don’t take Jesus seriously. Because the world hasn’t ended in the last two thousand years, they wonder why we should expect Jesus’ words would ever come true? These are all people of action, but sadly, their actions lead only to an empty end.

Our theme is Seek the treasure that makes you a keeper. As Jesus told these parables, he wasn’t telling us to be a keeper as in one who hoards the treasure. In fact, Jesus had the complete opposite in mind. He wants you to be one of those valuable pieces that are worth keeping. Some of you like to fish. When you go out to fish, you know that whether you’re fishing for trout or salmon or walleye or whatever, sometimes you catch good fish and sometimes you catch junk. Jesus wants you to be a keeper—not the junk that gets thrown away but the valuable prize that is taken home for safe keeping.

Jesus said, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.” The point, here, is there will be a day of separation. Judgment Day will come, and no one will be able to avoid God’s angels’ net. So what kind of catch will you be when Jesus sends His angels to gather up everything and sort the evil from the righteous? Will the angels rejoice because God has called you righteous, or will they drag you off to the fires of hell?

Dear friends, Seek the treasure that makes you a keeper. None of the fish that are gathered into a net realize it is happening until it’s too late to avoid the net. The same will happen in our world. God’s net comes suddenly into the lives of people every day. Every day, some are called out of this world without notice. It is foolish to expect anything different. And even if we are not one of those called without warning, we still can’t be complacent for we will face the sorting angels, and they will come unexpectedly. Therefore, we dare not wait to seek the treasure that saves. It must be ours, today, so that we are always ready for God’s net.

So, my friends, what treasure do we need? Should we put our hope in the contest, in how we live our lives? Those of us who have gone through catechism class know that God commanded every person on earth “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) To put that in sports terminology, it means we can never swing and miss, we can never fumble, never drop a pass, never stumble in the marathon of life, and never miss the coach’s signal. With every swing, we have to hit a hole in one. There is no room for error in God’s kingdom.

I don’t know what you think, but I sure don’t measure up to that type of perfect. Quoting God’s Word, St. Paul wrote, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12) For that reason, we better not view how we live our lives as our sacred treasure or we will be condemned to the eternal fires.

Now, maybe you were hoping to buy your freedom from God’s net with the earthly wealth or the trophies you have been piling up. Yet, God says, “I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness.” (Psalm 50:9-12) Did you ever try to pay off a loan by borrowing more money from the banker? Let me tell you, they don’t take kindly to that type of proposition. So, it will be pretty difficult to persuade God to accept your stockpiled earthly treasures as payment for your debts because God already owns them all. And, when God’s net falls on you, it won’t do any good to stand up and say “Wait a minute God, I’m sure I can find a way to pay you back somehow.” Like the wicked servant in another of Jesus’ parables, you would be thrown into the fiery pit for that response to God’s net. So instead, Seek the treasure that makes you a keeper.

Earlier, Jesus told His followers, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20) The treasure and the precious pearl in our parables, therefore, are not earthly treasures. What Jesus wants us to seek are His heavenly pearls.

Jesus asked His disciples, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." If you want to find true treasure, look in God’s storehouse—His holy Book. The treasures of the Old Testament tell us of a Savior God was sending to rescue the fallen human race. The pearls in the oldest part of God’s treasury tell us of how God created this world perfect and holy, but how man ruined it with disobedience. That buried treasure in the field of God’s written Word tells us how He planned the remedy for our fall. Those Old Testament writings form a divine road map that leads us to the treasure that will make us valuable when the angels’ net sweeps our way.

Dear Christian friends, I hope my pictures haven’t distracted you from the truth Jesus was trying to emphasize. There is no physical wealth, no pretty stones, and no trophies that we can use to buy our freedom from the fires of destruction. Nothing we do in our journey to the net will save us. We need the precious stores that only God can give. We need to find our treasure in Jesus.

You see, Jesus gave everything to make you and me valuable again to God. Jesus paid for our freedom when gave up His life on a wooden cross to wash away the filthy sin-pollution stain that covered us inside and out. Jesus devoted His life on earth to living the perfect obedience of all God’s will so that He could one day declare to those who believe in Him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) Nothing you and I can do will help us when the angels swing their nets, but everything Jesus did in His life and death makes it possible for Him to say to believers at that time, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) When the Holy Spirit puts Jesus’ holiness on us, that makes us the keepers.

Jesus said, “Every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." We already mentioned the old things, all the prophecies that point to Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Savior, but don’t forget the new. The messages of the apostles tell us everything Jesus did to redeem a fallen world. They recount His healing of broken bodies and devil tormented souls. They tell us of how Jesus obeyed every law, how concerned He was for those who hated Him, and the forgiveness Jesus offered to those who betrayed Him, and abandoned Him in His moment of torture on our behalf.

Those treasures new don’t stop with just Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The epistles too tell us of Christ’s great love, of how we are saved by faith alone in Christ, and how God works through His Holy Spirit to bring that saving cleansing of Christ Jesus to sinful people like you and me. And there at the end, we have the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John which shows in vivid pictures the victory Jesus won over Satan and His evil minions, a victory that stands forever; a victory you can share with your friends and neighbors, with family and strangers, with anyone you meet who’s struggling search to find treasure is going in the wrong direction.

Jesus told His disciples, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” (John 20:23) That is a treasure of infinite worth. To the lost soul struggling to find peace, the forgiveness of God gives peace that never ends. To the sinner wondering if his life is worth saving, we look to Jesus, the Son of God, who gave His life to redeem every last soul on earth. Is your life worth saving? Jesus thought so. He gave His life to make you a keeper. Seek His treasure. Amen.

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

The Spirit helps us wait.

2011-08-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 9, August 14, 2011
Grace, mercy, and peace be yours in unlimited abundance from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The Spirit helps us wait.
Dear fellow redeemed,
I have a question for you this morning—are you ready to wait?

Some of you who were in the military are familiar with the idea of hurry up and wait, to be fully prepared for action but still have to wait. When we were children, likely most of us quite often struggled to wait. The end of the school year seemed to take forever to arrive because we just couldn’t wait for the freedom of summer vacation. In the fall, it seemed like Christmas would never come. Even a little thing like waiting for a pan of chocolate chip cookies to come out of the oven was really hard, and how we hated having to wait for them to cool.

This morning, as we listened to the Old Testament and Gospel readings, we were reminded of how hard it is for God’s people to wait for Christ’s return on Judgment Day, of how impatient we often become to see God’s judgment upon the wicked. Here, we learn that The Spirit helps us wait.

Paul wrote, “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought.” What weaknesses do you suppose Paul referred to here? Certainly, the list could be rather long. Would we list our impatience with God for not destroying all the wicked people who cause so much trouble and pain in this world? In the Revelation, we see the martyred saints crying out, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" (Revelation 6:10)

Maybe we would list our desire to escape the work of this world. When I was at the seminary, we often joked, as the end of the semesters drew near, of how we wouldn’t mind if Jesus would return so that we wouldn’t have to write all those papers and tests. So, do we find ourselves hoping for Jesus’ return when we should be reaching out to others with the message of Christ crucified for sinners, even if they don’t like what we have to say? Do we wish Jesus would return so that we no longer have to bear the scorn of our unbelieving neighbors?

Do we sometimes become impatient with God for allowing us to suffer physical ailments, hard financial times, persecution, or flat out rejection? Do we wish God would take certain people out of our lives when they become a burden upon us? Do we sometimes start to doubt whether God is really taking care of us, whether He even hears our cries for mercy and healing and relief of pain?

As we look at our list, do you notice that we have listed some serious sinfulness there; awful things like greed, hatred, laziness, impatience, and a lack of trust in God? They’re all there aren’t they? We pray in the Lord’s Prayer, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done." But, do we always mean it?

Now, certainly, we also long for Jesus’ return in a positive sense. We eagerly await that moment when we will see our Savior face to face. We desperately long to hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21) We look forward with great joy to that moment when we will no longer have to endure the suffering, hardship, and pain that goes along with living in this sin-damaged world. We look forward with delighted anticipation to the day when our sinfulness is completely gone and we get to enjoy eternity in the loving presence of our God and Father and Savior. Through all these things, both the good and the bad, The Spirit helps us wait.

So many times, we don’t know what we should pray for, and so many times, even when we know what we should ask God to help us do, we find ourselves, instead, thinking wicked thoughts of anger and revenge. We know we should forgive, but we find it oh so hard to do. Here is where the Spirit helps us more than we can know. “We do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) In the faith that only the Spirit gives, we come before the Lord on a regular basis confessing our utter lack of holiness. We don’t do that on our own, but the Spirit works in us to correct our evil desires and to help us seek the forgiveness God wants to give us.

The more we avail ourselves to the work of the Spirit through Word and Sacrament, the more we find ourselves forgiving others, reaching out to the lost and lonely, and holding out to those who hate us and reject and hurt us the forgiveness Jesus won for us all on the cross. “The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” We know we have Jesus interceding for us with the Father as our one and only Great High Priest. And, we also have God’s promise that, right along with Christ, the Spirit too is working on our behalf, interceding for us in our weaknesses.

“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The One who searches the heart is none other than the Father, who hears everything, sees everything, and knows everything both now and forever. As we were brought to faith through Word and Sacrament, the Spirit came to live in us, and He continually communicates with the Father on our behalf. The Spirit puts love for God in us and therefore, we rejoice that just a few verses later, Paul wrote, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28)

It is God’s will that all people would be saved, that we all repent of our many sins and believe in Jesus for forgiveness. His Holy Spirit is of the exact same mind and will. Therefore, He is pleading with the Father to turn our sinful natures away from our base emotions to gladly reach out to those who still need to hear of God’s mercy and love and grace. The Spirit helps us wait by reminding us that the martyrs under the altar “were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” (Revelation 6:11) The Spirit is working in us to love the unlovable, and at the same time, He is pleading with the Father to keep this world going until everyone who will turn and believe has that opportunity for the Spirit to work a saving change in that last person’s heart.

In our Gospel lesson, we heard Jesus’ parable of the tares and the wheat. God allows the tares to continue in His field because we all start out as offending weeds. We all enter this world as sinners in need of Christ’s salvation—thorns in God’s eyes. God allows this world to continue even with its many sinners so that the Spirit can work saving faith in the hearts of those who believe the message of forgiveness through faith in Christ. To our sinful nature it looks foolish, but it is God’s way of saving many who would otherwise be condemned to the fires of hell.

Also this morning, the prophet Joel gave us a picture of the terrifying day that is coming soon in which the reapers will cut down the great numbers of sinners and cast them into the eternal fires. However, on that great Day of Judgment, “The LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” (Joel 3:16) The Spirit helps us wait for the judgment by building our faith in Jesus. He comes to us again and again in Word and Sacrament to assure us of the complete forgiveness of all our sins because of the suffering and death Jesus endured on our behalf. He tells us of the Father’s mercy and of His “not guilty” pronouncement upon all people for Jesus’ sake.

As the Spirit lives in us, He builds up our trust in the Father’s good will for us; He helps us be confident “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28) The Spirit helps us see that the wicked unbelievers are not so different from us, but need the salvation Jesus won for all. He helps us wait patiently for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise of eternal life in the mansions of heaven, and by Word and Sacrament, the Spirit strengthens us to do our God-given work with glad appreciation for the opportunity to share the life-giving Gospel with once dead souls. The Spirit helps us wait patiently for the judgment of all people so that more sinners might hear God’s Word and turn and live. In all these things, The Spirit helps us wait. Amen.

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

God’s Word changes everything!

2011-08-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 8, 8-7-2011
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Isaiah 55:10-11 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

God’s Word changes everything!
Dear friends blessed by the living water,
One little sentence couldn’t do much, could it? Philosophers debate whether one man can make a difference in this world, so how could just one little sentence? Still, not everything has to make sense to the human intellect. Martin Luther wrote “This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will, he can harm us none, he judged; the deed is done; one little word can fell him.” Luther understood that when the words come from God, they come with supernatural power.

For instance, we might look to some of the first words God spoke. Immediately after He created the earth, when it was still formless and void, “God said, ‘Let there be light.’” (Genesis 1:3) And light came into existence, and it was exactly as God wanted it to be for our good. With just a few more words, God separated the waters above from those below, and the ground from the water, and again, it was all very good. Throughout the Bible, and the history of the world, we see that this remains constant: God’s Word changes everything!

Now, the question for you and me is “Do we believe that God’s Word changes everything?” Most Christians would immediately say “Yes!” Yet, as we examine our lives, we see how often we fall short of that commitment. We climb into an airplane and a twinge of fear hits us, “Will God keep us safe?” Or, “If this plane crashes, what’s the chance I’ll survive?”

Maybe you are more worried about the stock market, or holding on to your job. Maybe health problems come creeping into your life, and you start to worry, “Will I have to endure horrible pain?” “Will I wake up from surgery?” “If I can’t work, or if I lose my job, how will I pay my bills?” “Who will take care of my family?” “What if I never see my loved ones again?” “What if I die?” Oh, how often our faith is weak. Oh, how often the devil comes whispering in our ears, “Are you sure you can trust God to take care of you?”

There are other fears we might have. We might be afraid that come Judgment Day our friends and neighbors won’t be saved. If they do not yet believe in Jesus, that is a legitimate fear, for Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36) And, the writer to the Hebrews tells us, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

If any of these scenarios, or a hundred other worries, sound like you, then listen to the words of our sermon text and believe that God’s Word changes everything! The Lord God says, "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Those of us who live in the desert should readily see how the water God provides in snow and rain makes such a difference. Just last year, the irrigation water was in short supply and some fields remained barren. Yet, whenever the water flows from heaven, the fields burst forth with production that feeds thousands of the people of our little valley, and so it goes around the world.

Way back in the Garden of Eden, two people ignored God’s Word as they listened to the devil’s taunt, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1) Forever after, mankind has been tormented by doubts. Forever after, we have considered our own thoughts better than God’s, but have been afraid we were wrong. To those two hurting souls in the garden, who had just fallen from life to death, God promised a Savior, for them and for all their descendants. God declared to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel." (Genesis 3:15) This, God’s first declaration of the Gospel, gave Adam and Eve hope and restored them to spiritual life, and for the first time, God’s word had changed death to life.

The words of our sermon text come right after God declared, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways." (Isaiah 55:8) Some use these words to say that God works in ways we can’t understand, that He does things that seem illogical to us, and I suppose that is true, but God was mainly pointing out the difference between sinful man and holy God. We are vindictive. We worry about the future. We find it hard to forgive. We want justice as long as it doesn’t fall upon us. We find it easy to hate our enemies. We want to destroy those who hate us.

However, God thinks differently. Rather than desire His enemies’ destruction, God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) Rather than seek our eternal damnation, God sent a Savior to rescue us. Being perfectly just, God had to punish sin, but instead of putting that crushing death sentence upon you and me, God carried it out on His own dear Son.

Isaiah was given numerous prophecies concerning the Savior, among them that: “He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12) God’s good news: Jesus lived and died to bring life for all of us sinners. Therefore, St. Paul was compelled to write, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

Through Isaiah the Lord said, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Because He loves all of us who sin against Him, God gave His holy Word to bring us life. In fact, from Ezekiel we hear, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)

Dear friends, you and I were once lost and condemned enemies of God; our sins and the sins of our fathers made us so. However, God’s Word changed everything! Somewhere along your journey through this world, someone told you about Jesus, and the message that He lived and died for you changed your life. At your Baptism, God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation dressed you in Christ’s perfect righteousness. You are no longer hopeless. Your sins are forgiven for Jesus sake, washed away from you by His blood. The psalmist exclaimed, “So great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12) You are no longer dead in your sins. You have eternal life already right now.

A few moments ago, we talked about some fears that are common to us all. When we trust the promises God gives, those fears fade away. God’s Word changes everything! When you are afraid of death, remember that Jesus promised, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19) Paul reminds us that we were connected to Christ Jesus in Baptism and says, “If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.” (Romans 6:5)

If you fear what would happen to your family if, suddenly, you should be called out of this world, remember that “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow.” (Psalm 146:9) If you fear being left alone, remember Jesus’ promise, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

If the devil sneaks up on you trying to make you wonder about your salvation and eternal life, hear God’s Word promise, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) And as you realize that there yet remain many people who stand condemned for their lack of faith in Christ, remember the promise of our sermon text that God’s Word is never ineffective. Rather, it brings the love of Christ to those who hear it. Jesus promised, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (John 20:23) As we share the Good News of His salvation, some will believe and receive forgiveness and eternal life. Peter declared, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:39) So, bring your children, your friends and neighbors to sit at Jesus’ feet. Share God’s promise with them, also with your enemies, and with the strangers you meet on the highways and byways of life so that they too hear the life-giving promise of the Savior, for Jesus lived and died for all.

Fellow members of the Christian Church, we don’t know who among this world of sinners will believe. We can’t tell who truly repents of their sins or who will trust that Jesus has won forgiveness for all. We don’t always get to see the fruits of our sharing the life-giving water of Jesus’ message. Yet, God encourages us to be faithful in sharing His Word, saying, “it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

If you are wondering, now, how you can be forgiven of all your sins, listen to Jesus say, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." (Matthew 9:2) The crippled man to whom Jesus spoke those words didn’t earn forgiveness. He was brought to Jesus weak and helpless, unable to do anything to save himself. Jesus healed his body, and more important, He healed the man’s soul. Christ’s words are just as applicable to you, “Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."

Hear, also, Jesus’ words to you in His holy Supper, "This is My body which is given for you;” [and] "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:19-20) The apostle, John, also assures us “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Jesus went to the cross, because we are sinners. He poured out His innocent blood to make you right with God. For the sake of Jesus’ life and death, you are declared innocent by the Father. We have no more reason to fear God’s wrath for He poured it all out on His Son. We have no more reason to fear death. To each and every one of us, God now calls, “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live.” (Isaiah 55:3) God’s Word changes everything! Amen.

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

Jesus carries all.

2011-08-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 7, 7-31-2011
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jesus carries all.
Dear fellow redeemed,
One thing that upsets women most about men is that whenever they tell their men about a problem, or a bad day they are having, the men always want to give them a solution for the problem. Yet, the women usually don’t want the men to solve the problem, just to listen. Women are confident they can solve their own problems just as well as any men can. So, in other words, we are all very much alike. We all like to think that, no matter what, we can fix our own problems.

When it comes to religion and salvation, we also assume that to be the case. Natural man really believes that we are the solution. It goes all the way back through history. The ancient Egyptians thought that at death the soul was placed upon a scale to see if the person’s good outweighed the bad, and that trip to the scales determined the dead person’s eternity.

Most pagans of ancient times were convinced that the gods determined the harvest, success on the battlefield, and everything else in life, by basing their decisions on how well the people carried out the rituals their priests had devised.

The majority of the Jews of Jesus’ day firmly believed that their salvation depended on how well they wore the yoke of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees, especially, were convinced that they could please God with works.

Sadly, many are the religions and teachers, still today, that make your happiness here on earth, and your eternal fate, dependent upon your own actions. This is true of all non-Christian religions, the new age movements, those who doubt the existence of God, and unfortunately, even some who claim to be Christian.

Now, Jesus had something to say about our ability to solve all our problems. He wasn’t commenting on our ability to fix the minor things of earth, but on our ability to repair our relationship with God. “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.’” Jesus spoke these words after considering the great number of people who were rejecting His message. Those who had the greatest access to education and power were most likely to reject Jesus as the Messiah. The Scribes and Pharisees had little time for Jesus except to try to trap Him.

We shouldn’t be surprised. The more mankind has success in solving earthly problems, the more people tend to think they can solve our relationship problem with God. For some people, this plays out as a rejection of even God’s existence. For some, it becomes a way to play God by trying to solve racism, hunger, crime, pollution, and all other earthly maladies. However, Jesus didn’t come to this world to bring peace between nations, or to feed the hungry, or to end sickness and disease, or to solve every disagreement between brothers. Jesus entered this world for one reason—to bring peace between God and men.

Here’s the bad news, the more one is puffed up with self-importance, the less value that person sees in Jesus. A rich man will assume he has earned his wealth. The healthy person assumes he is healthy because he takes care of himself. Rulers assume they rule by their own achievements or by right of inheritance. And most people are confident that God will gladly welcome them into heaven if they are better than the worst of their neighbors. Jesus says that all these people miss the truth which God reveals to babies.

That kind of fits in with those of our world who think Jesus is only for the weak. Jesus is for those who can’t make it on their own. Yes! Finally, that is the only way we come to Christ—when God allows us to suffer so much hardship we seek His help, and through the preaching of the law, the Holy Spirit turns off the arrogant self-reliance that is so much a part of our sinful human condition. It is only when we finally despair of saving our own skin that we see Christ as He really is. We become like babies who can do nothing but call for their parents’ help.

Dear friends, to restore the relationship mankind once had with God, we needed a Savior from sin and death. Comparative goodness would gain us nothing. “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”’” (Leviticus 19:1-2) To be right with God, we needed to be free from every sin. The Father in heaven would have it no other way. His perfect holiness can stand no sin in His presence. Yet, it is God’s desire that everyone should enjoy eternity with Him. It was The Father’s great pleasure to provide for our salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

We need to take special note of one particular statement Jesus made that day: "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father.” This can be taken several ways. For one thing, God promises that everything in heaven and on earth has been put under Jesus’ authority because of His perfect obedience and victory over sin and death to provide for the salvation of all people. But even before that victory, this statement is important. You see Jesus was given all things, especially all our sins. All of our arrogance, our misplaced confidence, our self-righteousness, and the self-centeredness that separated us from the Father was put on Jesus.

Certainly, Jesus didn’t act like a sinful man, but that is because Jesus came to be the perfect Servant, the perfect Son, the perfect Man who would make right what the first man lost. All the Law that condemned the human race to eternal damnation was put upon Jesus. Jesus took on human flesh to obey, for us, every will and desire of His Father. The Jewish rabbis spoke of the Mosaic Law as a yoke to be worn by every person who hoped to be saved. Jesus came as the one sinless Man who would wear that yoke for each and every one of us, and Christ’s perfect obedience is accounted to every person who ever lived.

The Father also piled all the guilt for the sin of the human race upon Jesus. Not only did Jesus come to live for us, He came as the perfect sacrificial Lamb to die the death we each had earned. Jesus’ whole life was a steady march to death, bearing all the grief and pain and temptation that so afflicts us; He went to the cross without any sin of His own to be the atoning sacrifice that would appease God’s righteous anger for the sin of the world. Thus our sermon theme: Jesus carries all. He carried all our burdens, all our pain, all the weak and lowly sinners who come to Him for help and healing; Jesus carries all.

Jesus said, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Being true God, Jesus brings God to the world. The world could not meet God in any other way lest we be destroyed. More than that, in our sinful natural state, we had no way to know God unless He revealed Himself to the world. Nature shows that there is a God, and that He is powerful and mighty in deed, but it doesn’t tell us of God’s mercy and grace. That comes to us through Jesus, the Word made flesh. It is through Jesus that we meet the Father. Jesus paid the price to reconcile us with God, who sends His Holy Spirit to make His salvation known to us.

Because Jesus has the same gracious love for sinners as His heavenly Father, He issues this open invitation to the sinners of the world: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." All of us, who have been burdened by the cares of the world, and by the heartaches and sorrows that afflict us until death takes us out of this world, are called to come to Jesus. Everyone who feels the crushing burden of the law, which we can never carry, is invited to trade that burden for the yoke Jesus gives.

Now, maybe that sounds to you like trading one heavy load for another. There are more than a few teachers who present Christ that way. But think back to the time in which Jesus lived. The people were under the heavy yoke of Roman authority. Their teachers were also preaching law in an increasingly heavy way, laying burden after burden upon the spirits of the people without offering one finger to help them carry the load.

Jesus offers a better yoke, one that connects us with Him. He has already obeyed the law for each and every one of us. He lived the perfect servant’s life, and carried our burdens to the cross, so that no sin would every again be held against us. Jesus is so gentle and lowly that He gladly bore our pains, our death, our punishment. He who is the eternal Son of God and Ruler of all creation set aside His glory to be the most afflicted of men—hated by the people of this world and forsaken by God Himself.

Dear friends we look to Easter morning to see the result. Jesus rose triumphant from that cold stone tomb. His resurrection announces to the world that every thing is complete. God’s wrath is satisfied. The Law completely obeyed for all mankind. The rebel forces of evil are overcome forever. All that’s left for you and me is to rest in the arms of Jesus. Isaiah wrote about the Savior, “He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.” (Isaiah 40:11)

So, do we have work for the Lord? Yes, but we have good and pleasant work as did Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The work of restoring our relationship with God is complete, so what we have left is to walk with Jesus in God’s saving grace. We do that by simply trusting that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and King, by sharing the truth of His salvation as we are able, by leading the sinner to Christ, and forgiving the sins of the penitent for Jesus’ sake.

Hundreds of years before Jesus entered this world as a tiny baby, Isaiah had written, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4) “And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) “And He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12) In His last few moments on the cross, Jesus cried out to the world, “It is finished.” Everything necessary for our salvation was carried on the shoulders of our Savior. There is no more punishment, pain, or grief to carry, or work that we must do to be right with God.

After He rose from the grave, Jesus promised His followers “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Jesus continues to carry us, today. He sends His Spirit in Word and Sacrament to take away our false self confidence that leads to death and to give us the humble child-like faith that gives us eternal life. From His throne at His Father’s side, Jesus guards and defends us and works all things for the good of His people. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light, because it is simply trusting in all that Jesus has already accomplished for each and every one of us. There is nothing more we must do to be saved, for Jesus carries all. 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.

Live the new life Jesus gives.

2011-07-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 6, 7-24-2011
Brothers and sisters made alive in Christ, grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Romans 6:1-11 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Live the new life Jesus gives.
Ah, it’s good to be alive! It feels so good to get up in the morning, take a deep breathe of fresh air, listen to the birds sing, enjoy the heat of the morning sun on your face. Yes, it’s good to be alive!

One thing you will never hear is a corpse saying “It’s good to be dead.” No one will ever say, “It’s good to smell the rotting flesh, to feel the cold dampness of the grave, to listen to the weeping and gnashing of teeth, to feel the heat of burning sulfur night and day.”

Paul wrote the words we just read in anticipation of a question from unbelievers. Just before our sermon text, he had written, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20-21) By the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Paul anticipated that since God’s grace covers all sin, some would assume that we might as well keep on sinning to our hearts’ content. However, only an unbeliever would make such an assumption, and Paul tells us why this is so. Instead of seeking to remain dead in a life of sin, a Christian will Live the new life Jesus gives.

Paul wrote, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” He immediately answers: “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Now, the first time you read this you may wonder how he can say we Christians died to sin. We don’t feel dead. We still get up every morning; we keep on breathing in and out. We go about our lives, in many ways, the same as we did before we became believers. And, we recognize that we still experience the same temptations, suffering, and pain and, often, the same failures that we did before.

So, Paul immediately explains himself, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death.” Obviously, the writer isn’t speaking of our physical bodies, here, is he? This is our old sinful nature, our old Adam that was crucified with Christ. Something very unique happened at your Baptism; you were connected to Christ Jesus in a way that put your old Adam to death. As Jesus was nailed to the cross for the sins of the world, your sins were nailed there with Him. That old nature that knew nothing but rebellion against God, that old man who knew only self-gratification, self-promotion, and self-centered hatred of every one else was crucified with Christ and thrown into the same grave. To the unbeliever who wants to keep on sinning, Paul asks incredulously, “You want to go back to that death of sin?” To which the man of faith always answers, “Certainly not!”

In our world today, Baptism is often belittled. It is thought of a something you do to show God how faithful you are. But in Baptism, it is truly God who does the action. In that water and Word, the Holy Spirit washes away your sins, drowning the sinful man in the water of Jesus’ perfect righteousness. In that seemingly simple ceremony, God connects us to His perfectly holy Son. You and I bring nothing to the fountain but our spiritually dead sinful natures.

Let us not be fooled, though, about the value of our baptisms. “We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Wow! Totally deserving of death, and totally undeserving of any grace, we were connected to both Christ’s death and His resurrection. So, not only was our old Adam nailed to the cross with Jesus, but our new life of faith rose from the same grave on Easter morning. Kind of gives you a new appreciation for Easter Sunday doesn’t it? Now, we can celebrate three birthdays every year, our physical birth, the rising of our new man on Easter Sunday, and our rebirth in the waters of Baptism. Please notice, too, that we weren’t raised by our glory but by the Father’s. His acceptance of Christ’s holy payment for our sins raised each of us to new and eternal life. Therefore, you Live the new life Jesus gave you.

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” So very often, the Christian doesn’t feel like he has been set free from sin. As we walk the roads of this world, the temptations of the devil, the world, and our own flesh are constantly dragging us off the narrow path we want to follow. Still, the Holy Spirit wants us to understand that the old man of sin is no longer in control of the Christian; a stronger man has taken charge, Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, a battle will rage in each of us as long as we travel in this sin-damaged world, but our new man of faith has all the power of Jesus Christ on his side. So do we really want to go back to serving those things that lead us to the rotting corpse of our old sinful flesh? Certainly not! We want our new man of faith leading us with the power and Word of Christ.

“He who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Never again will Jesus die. He did that already for your sins and mine. He has no sin of His own for which to give His life, and because Christ has already died for you and me, death can never again claim us, either. Jesus already bore every deadly punishment God would inflict upon sinners. Satan’s claim on Christ, and on every person connected to Him, is toast. He is defeated forever. Therefore, our new life of faith enjoys everlasting life.

Here is where we take a stand as Christian believers; we are no longer at the mercy of our sinful flesh but are connected to the living Savior. His perfect life is ours. His perfect obedience of His Father’s will through time and eternity is credited to each believer, and if that sounds to good to be true, so be it. That is the promise the Holy Spirit gives us. As Paul writes elsewhere, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Because we are connected to Jesus for eternity, we too want to live to God. We too want to serve Him in everything we do.

In both our Old Testament lesson and today’s Gospel reading, we saw how the world continually attacks believers in the one true God. Still today, false prophets roam the world with messages that would lead away from the truth. People of all sorts enter our lives trying to get us to rebel against our Savior. Even close family and friends often oppose the believer. Children against parents and parents against children, brothers and sisters not agreeing on what saves. Some want to continue is sin. Some want to make our salvation contingent upon living holy lives.

Paul assures us saying, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You and I were made righteous in God’s eyes by the gift of the Holy Spirit in our Baptisms. To go back to a life of sin would be no different than jumping in a mass grave and pretending to enjoy the stink of the rotting corpses.

Now, we all know we stumble. We sin even when we don’t want to; that is the battle that rages within us every day of our earthly lives. For the Christian, the battle is won by Christ. We have His righteousness wrapped around us from head to toe. That doesn’t give us license to sin, only an unbeliever would make that claim. But, the power of Jesus’ holiness encourages and strengthens the believer to continue walking with Christ, to be like the twelve year old Jesus at the temple, eagerly seeking the wisdom of God in His Word. We look to the Law as a guide for how to treat our fellow man as we journey to our true home in heaven. God’s Word guides every thing we do as we seek to live according to His will and to share His salvation with everyone we meet. We obey, today, not because we fear God’s wrath, but because it is a great joy to live according to our Father’s expectations.

In this same letter to the Romans, Paul recognizes the battle raging within each believer as he wrote, “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-25) Jesus has already won this war. His victory was given to each of us in our baptisms. And each time we return to Baptism in repentance for our sins, we are refreshed with Christ’s life-giving promise that all our sins are forgiven because He lived and died for every sinner, including you and me. By the power of the Gospel working in us, by the resurrection to eternal life that is ours through Baptism, we rejoice to turn away from the temptations that would lead us back to death and we walk with Jesus in true service to our Father in heaven.

Dear friends, temptations will come. Sorrows will be on our minds often. Strangers and enemies, sometimes even including friends and relatives, will be seeking our destruction. But we have righteousness that comes by faith—faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Because of Christ’s righteousness, God has declared us innocent and welcomed us as members of His heavenly kingdom. Out of joy at being made a member of God’s family, we Live the new life Jesus gives. Amen.

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

The Lord is with you.

2011-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 5, July 17, 2011
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Jeremiah 20:7-13 O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. 8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. 9 Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. 10 For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him." 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. 12 But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, and see the mind and heart, let me see Your vengeance on them; for I have pleaded my cause before You. 13 Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

The Lord is with you.
Beloved children of the living God,
When Jeremiah was still quite young, the Lord came to him with the command to prophesy to His people. Jeremiah immediately recognized that the message he was being given to proclaim would not win him many friends. Therefore, the Lord assured him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you." (Jeremiah 1:8)

Jeremiah remained a faithful prophet all his life, yet even he sometimes struggled to remember God’s promise as his faith was tested time and time again. You see, Jeremiah was hated by almost everyone to whom he was sent. In the course of his life, Jeremiah had to proclaim God’s judgment upon the last six kings of Judah. As you might expect, none of them appreciated his message. Not one of those kings liked hearing that downfall and destruction were at hand, and almost all the people of Judah sided with the unfaithful kings. Even the religious leaders, the priests and rulers of the temple (who were charged with teaching God’s message of salvation) had turned against God, and against His prophet, because they preferred to practice the religions of their heathen neighbors.

The day before Jeremiah spoke the words of our sermon text, God sent him to stand in the temple courtyard and announce the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah. God’s patience with the nation had reached its limit. All the terrifying prophesies that Jeremiah had previously proclaimed were now being fulfilled.

Now, you might hope that the people who heard Jeremiah make that announcement would have immediately dropped to their knees in repentance, seeking the Lord’s mercy, but you would be mistaken. The ruler of the temple seized Jeremiah, beat him, and locked him in stocks outside one of the temple gates to be publicly mocked and abused. Jeremiah spent that day and night in that torturous and humiliating position before being released the next day. He then had to announce a curse upon the temple ruler who had committed this atrocious act, but indeed, Jeremiah’s faith was tested.

Our sermon text begins with Jeremiah’s complaint: “O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, ‘Violence and plunder!’ Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily.” God’s prophet certainly had a hard life, and at that moment, it seemed to Jeremiah that every message he had been commanded to bring to his beloved nation was bad news. The good news is Jeremiah was never alone. Even in dark moments like this, the prophet had a strong defender at his side. Likewise, the message for you: The Lord is with you.

It was all getting to be more than Jeremiah could take. The kings of Judah, all their top officials, the soldiers, the priests, and the common people, too, thought Jeremiah was , at best, a kook. Here, in physical pain from his beating, and emotional frustration from his lack of true friends, Jeremiah stood before God complaining that he had been forced to endure constant mockery because of the message God had given him to preach. Now, maybe you would expect God to come down hard on His frustrated prophet. That would be a likely human reaction, but remember, God was with Jeremiah, not against him.

Certainly, Jeremiah’s outburst was sinful. His next words weren’t any better: “I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.’” Not a very good attitude for one of God’s messengers, is it? Yet, doesn’t this also sound a little like you and me? Do you find your close friends wondering why you give up your Sunday mornings to come to church when the message is so old fashioned, and the music doesn’t have a rock beat of the popular style? How many of your dear ones criticize you, or maybe snicker behind your back, because you want to hold to all of God’s Word instead of just the parts you like the most? Do we, then, hold back from sharing God’s Word because of fear of being ridiculed? Do we sometimes hold back from studying God’s Word lest we get too enthusiastic about it? Now, I know most of us wouldn’t admit to such an unfaithful thing, but at the very least, we must admit that we are tempted from time to time.

So remember, God had promised to be with Jeremiah as he prophesied; therefore, he really had nothing to fear. Even when his sinful nature wanted to stop proclaiming God’s message, Jeremiah was compelled to speak. He said, “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” Now, I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that God was torturing Jeremiah into speaking His message. God wasn’t punishing Jeremiah or being mean. The words just came bubbling up out of the prophet, because he knew that even when it hurt him, personally, his friends and neighbors needed to hear God’s message. Keeping the prophecies inside was impossible, because the warnings were meant to call the people of Judah back to faith in their loving God, and loving his neighbors, the prophet just couldn’t hold back.

Now, Jeremiah heard some serious and terrifying things coming from the crowds who opposed him. He reported, “I heard many mocking: ‘Fear on every side!’ ‘Report,’ they say, ‘and we will report it!’ All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, ‘Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him.’” Even Jeremiah’s friends had turned against him. All the people of Judah were looking for a way to stop, or even kill, God’s messenger. Rather than heed God’s warning, the unbelieving people looked for revenge for the imagined slight.

Today, you and I live in a pretty safe country, a nation in which pretty much everyone thinks they are serving God whether they believe in the true God or not. But even in this safe land, we are starting to hear grumblings against those who remain faithful to the Word of the Lord. And certainly, as we look around the world, we see more and more populations intent upon killing God’s messengers. Does that sometimes stop us from being faithful, from doing everything we can to reach the lost?

If that is the case, then we need to hear the main point of Jeremiah’s story, here: “But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.” Even in this moment of weakness, Jeremiah was reminded of God’s promise. He had not been abandoned. He was never alone. Though his enemies were fighting against him and misguidedly seeking revenge, Jeremiah continued going about God’s business, for even if the people would succeed in killing him, the prophet could not lose, for he would then be home with his Lord.

Dear friends, The Lord is with you. Like Jeremiah, the Lord is with you “as a mighty, awesome One.” Those who reject God’s message also reject His salvation. So, sometimes, you may feel all alone; you may even feel rejected by those near and dear to you, and persecuted by those who hate God’s warnings, just as Jesus told us, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you…Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:18-20) That mighty, awesome One, Jesus Christ, won your forgiveness and salvation on a cross of punishment and death. That mighty, awesome One made you His own dear child through Baptism and the preaching of His holy Word. He proclaims to every believer, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3) God’s love extends even to those who reject Him for He sent His Son, Jesus, to win the salvation of all people.

Jeremiah pleaded with the Lord, “But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, and see the mind and heart, let me see Your vengeance on them; for I have pleaded my cause before You.” To us, that statement may sound a little vengeful. We too might like to see vengeance taken on those who persecute and hate us, but I think this is rather a statement of faith and repentance. Instead of seeking God’s vengeance, Jeremiah was recognizing his own unrighteousness, and in repentance, laying his sins before God seeking mercy and eternal life.

Jeremiah recognized that God, alone, would judge him just as He will judge all people. In faith, therefore, Jeremiah came to the Lord trusting in the salvation Christ would win for him. He came trusting in the promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promises of a Savior from sin and death. Jeremiah came asking that, at the proper time, God would take him home to heaven, not because Jeremiah deserved it, but because he trusted in God’s promise of salvation for penitent sinners.

The complaining was done, the frustrated prophet repentant; God’s presence had reminded Jeremiah of the salvation He was bringing for His prophet and for all people, so Jeremiah rejoiced, saying, “Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers.” One more time in a lifetime of persecution and rejection, God had faithfully remained with Jeremiah, keeping him alive both physically and, most important, spiritually.

The same is true for you and me. We will never have to face this hostile world alone for “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) As Jesus gave His great commission, telling His disciples to bring the saving message of the Gospel to all the people of earth, He promised us, again, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

Dear friends, The Lord is with you. Like Jeremiah, you have “a mighty, awesome One” in your corner, walking with you every step of your way all the way home to heaven. That awesome Savior lived the perfect life on your behalf, suffered and died to pay the penalty for your sin, and especially, rose from the dead to make clear to the whole world that it was enough. Your forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life in the mansions of heaven is absolutely sure and certain. It is dependent not on what you do, but on what Jesus has already accomplished for you. On top of all that, God sealed His promise to you as He washed away your sins in the water of your Baptism. You are His. God marked you as His own dear child, and no enemy, human or demonic, can separate you from the love of God. The Lord is with you. Amen.

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

Freely give the healing you were given.

2011-07-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Pentecost 4, 7-10-2011
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Matthew 9:35 - 10:8 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." 1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Freely give the healing you were given.
Beloved sheep 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, “Build a bigger house.” Or, “If I get the chance, I’ll retire early and spend all my time on the fun stuff.” Or maybe for you it’s, “When the kids grow up, I’m going to get myself that shiny red Corvette I’ve always wanted.”

But, maybe 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, and to the poor, and to anyone who asks.” Or, “Someday, when I have more time, then I’ll I worry about serving my Lord.”

I think it’s natural for each of us to fantasize a little bit about what we would do if only we could; if only that great opportunity would be given us, what great things we would like to do. But, before we start thinking about what we would like to do, maybe we should think about what really needs to be done. What is the greatest need of your 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? One Man did, our Lord Jesus Christ gave His life to benefit every man, woman, and child who ever walks on this planet. He gave His life to heal our broken souls and give us eternal life. So dear friends, don’t wait for someday when, right now, you can Freely give the healing you were given.

Matthew tells us, “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no 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. Jesus saw the people of Israel, and He felt their most urgent pain. “He was moved with compassion for them.” Literally, His innards were being stirred up from the pain of seeing His people mistreated.

Now, you might complain 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.

“When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Here were the people God had chosen to be His own, a nation God wanted to care for as their loving Father, yet they were knocked down and tormented in every part of their lives. The teachers and leaders who should have been preaching the love of God had instead substituted the harsh abuse of law. Instead of learning about a coming Savior who would give His life to make them whole, the people were told do this and do that and do more or be damned. The Pharisees preached law, law, and more law. The Sadducees were no better; 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 still today. In fact, it’s exactly like we each enter the world. We are born with no knowledge of Christ or His saving grace. All we know is what our consciences tell us and later what our parents and the world teach us. Paul wrote that even when people look good and obedient, “They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.” (Romans 2:15) So, our consciences accuse us, knock us down and scare us, yet leave us not knowing where to turn for help and healing. Many organizations and even churches get built on the idea that they can help you live better. Our government keeps trying to add law after law to make people behave, but law is no help. 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.

“When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” 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 many members currently suffering illness and pain. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just command those torments to leave them? Again, let’s remember the greatest need—the need for spiritual healing.

Jesus looked at the vast numbers of people in the world who needed His help, and He went to the cross carrying all the sins of the world so that He could pay the penalty for the failures and corruption of each of us. Jesus lived His life in perfect obedience to every law and every desire of His Father in heaven, and He did that for you and me. Now, trusting in Christ Jesus as our Savior, we are healed of our worst ailment, the disease of sin. Sin had infected us since the fall, and we had no cure, but Jesus gave everything to be the cure for us.

Now, isn’t it interesting that Jesus told His disciples to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest," and then, He sent out the twelve? “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Do you suppose Jesus’ main point was to fix the earthly troubles of those people? Of course not! Jesus wanted each and every person the disciples met to hear of the salvation He was bringing into the world. The work those twelve apostles were given was to spread Jesus’ eternal healing wherever they went.

So, is our work any different? You and I may not have been given 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 or pain. He did give us the ability to proclaim Christ crucified and to forgive the sins of the penitent, and that power does heal the sin-sickness that had infected us all.

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Those last six words should remind us that Jesus was 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 them the gift of life, the message of the eternal healing of their sin-sick souls through faith in Him.

“Freely you have received, freely give.” Dear friends, 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 or me or anyone else but Jesus. The promise of salvation and eternal life won for you by Christ was brought to you solely through the work of the Holy Spirit 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. 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, “Whoever 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 not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” (Ephesians 2:8)

So, what can we do? “Jesus said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." As we look around the world, we can certainly see people who need to hear of the great love and salvation of Christ Jesus. Therefore, the first thing we can do is pray. Pray that God send someone, with the message of the Gospel, to each lost sinner. Pray that God open the heart of every lost soul to hear the truth before it’s too late. And pray that God make you an instrument of His grace.

We all remember the command, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Let’s not forget to do that also at home. Jesus sent His disciples first “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” So, who do you know that needs your prayer? Who do you know that could use the saving message of the Gospel? We have been blessed with the greatest riches mankind has ever known—the gift of everlasting life. Who do you know 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 Jesus crucified for sinners like you and me? Can you tell a troubled, hurting, fellow sheep that Jesus lived and died to save him or her from sin and death? Can you hold the hand of a guilt ridden sinner and remind him of God’s love for all? Can you ask the pastor to visit someone feeling the burden and guilt of sin? Freely give the healing you were given.

Jesus told the twelve, “As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast 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 Jesus with a tormented soul, and he or she comes to faith, do we not drive the devil far away and raise that dead soul to life everlasting? Freely give the healing you were given. 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.