Both now and then, Jesus speaks life.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 26, November 17, 2024

Grace, mercy, and peace be yours, forever, from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

John 5:25-29  ²⁵“Amen, Amen, I tell you: A time is coming and is here now when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will live.  ²⁶For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself.  ²⁷And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  ²⁸“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹and will come out.  Those who have done good will rise to live, but those who have practiced evil will rise to be condemned.” (EHV)

Both now and then, Jesus speaks life.

Dear hearers of the Word,

            Two weeks ago, we reviewed the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave.  We were reminded of how Jesus declared loudly, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43)  Incredibly, if Jesus had simply shouted, “Come out of your grave!”, it is completely possible that vast numbers of the dead, perhaps even everybody who had ever died, might have risen along with Lazarus.  Now, skeptics may deride this idea with mocking laughter, but do not be fooled, Jesus here explains the power of His voice by which Both now and then, Jesus speaks life.

Jesus said, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: A time is coming and is here now when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will live.”  Truly, adamantly, Jesus emphasizes that the power of His message never changes.  At the very beginning of time, God spoke, and everything came to be exactly as He desired.  St. John introduced His Gospel by teaching the world, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3)  Thus, the power of the Almighty is in Jesus and comes through His voice.

In every time and place, those who hear the Gospel, and believe it, receive the gift of life.  That was true for Adam and Eve, for Abraham, for the people who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry, in all the years of history since Jesus ascended to heaven, and it remains true until He returns again in glory to judge the world.  Jesus told His disciples the time had come to believe, and those who hear receive everlasting life through faith.  As St. Paul wrote, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

At the same time, we know, just as Jesus knew, that our earthly bodies have an expiration date.  Because of the curse of sin upon the world, and because we are all sinners, we all will die.  That’s why Jesus’ statement also points us toward His future return.  It is vitally important that every sinner understand that he or she will face Jesus at the judgment, “and those who listen will live.”  Those in whom the power of the Gospel has worked faith in Jesus will be raised to enjoy eternal life in heaven.  Thus, Jesus came into this world to give us life that doesn’t end. 

Jesus didn’t become our Savior because He enjoyed suffering the rejection of His people and persecution from those who should have recognized Him as their Savior.  Jesus didn’t take our place because He had a strong desire to live in poverty and meekness, or to endure brutal flogging, thorns pounded into His brow, nails ripping through His wrists and feet, or the piercing of a spear in His side.  Instead, Jesus came into the world because of love, the love of the Father and the Son for the people of the world, as Jesus explained, “No one has greater love than this: that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  So, Jesus left His home in the glories of heaven to live holiness for us and to take the separation from His Father we deserved because like our first parents, we too have listened to Satan.

Jesus said, “For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”  You and I and everyone who has ever been born from a woman’s womb, inherited from our parents the spiritual corruption that made us spiritually dead in sin which separated us from God.  On our own, we had no way to change the eternal death sentence, but as we said previously, Jesus has the full power of God to bring life to dead beings.  Jesus told His disciples, “I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again.  This is the commission I received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18)

By His powerful hand in creation, God brought us into physical life.  Through the water and Word of baptism, His Spirit gives life to everyone who believes.  Now, because Jesus gave His life into death in order to save us, and because He has risen from the dead triumphant over death, the devil, and the grave so that we may enjoy everlasting life, the Father has given Jesus the due reward and responsibility of judging all people. 

For the sins of all people, Jesus bore the judgment of death, but to us comes the life.  To His disciples as they marveled about His words, Jesus admonished, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out.  Those who have done good will rise to live, but those who have practiced evil will rise to be condemned.”  Many in our world deny and even mock the idea that they will be judged and sentenced to eternal punishment.  Some are even so bold as to brag about their expectation of dwelling in the bowels of hell. 

Here, Jesus warns that those who have done evil will be condemned to a torment far worse than what our sinful minds might comprehend.  People look at the good and bad events of human history and assume that nothing could be worse than the pandemics, casualties and cruelties of war, the betrayals, murderous rampages and cruel rapes of sinful men, the crushing death toll of natural disasters, or even the depressions, manias, and malaise so common in the world. 

However, hell is a never-ending experience of suffering totally separated from God and any good thing He gives.  For those stuck in that awful place designed to punish Satan eternally for his deceptions and deceit, there will be no joy, no peace, no comfort, and no escape.  Their greatest punishment may well be that they will know, too late, that Jesus is Lord of all.  Speaking to those who rejected and despised Him, Jesus said, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside.” (Luke 13:28)

While those who reject Him will receive their due reward of eternal suffering and separation from God, Jesus promises, “Those who have done good will rise to live.”  Here again, we see that Both now and then, Jesus speaks life.  Then and now, by His Word in the world, Jesus gives life to sinners and the sure hope of eternal life to those who believe in Him as their Savior.  Then, when He returns in glory on Judgment Day to judge both the living and the dead, the sound of Jesus’ voice will raise from the grave every person who has ever lived.  As the Lord declared through His prophet, Isaiah, “I have sworn by myself.  From my mouth a righteous word has gone out, and it will not return unfulfilled.  Indeed, to me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance.” (Isaiah 45:23)  At that time, then, the wicked will finally realize with trembling and shame that they missed their chance to believe and be saved.  However, for those who do believe, their confession of faith in the Lord Jesus will be their triumph song.  Having received the crown of life by the Word of Jesus, we will rejoice forever worshipping at the throne of our God and Savior.

Hearing the words of our text, however, many wonder, who is it that has done good?  Who among us has ever lived a spotless life before the Law?  Who can say they deserve this crown of glory?  And of course, we know that no human, ever, except Jesus, can make that claim.  Therefore, how can any of us stand before Jesus on Judgment Day and live?  Both now and then, Jesus speaks life.  We repeat the message of Jesus’ words.  In answer to some who came to Jesus asking, “What should we do to carry out the works of God?”  Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one he sent.” (John 6:28-29) 

Those who are counted as doing good on Judgment Day are not some who have lived perfectly holy lives in their deeds or even their thoughts and intentions.  They are instead those, and only those, who have been counted worthy through faith in Christ Jesus, the Savior who lived holiness for them and paid for all their sins.  Indeed, we rejoice, because “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

That dear friends, is the gift God gives to you and me.  As we live through these dark and dangerous days, when it appears more and more that the Last Day is swiftly approaching, we who believe in Jesus have nothing to fear.  When Jesus warned His listeners about the signs of the end times, He assured us, “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.” (Luke 21:27-28)

This second last Sunday of the Church year focuses our attention on the Judgment Day that is coming to all people.  This world will not last forever, but a day is coming when all people must give account of their lives.  For those who have rejected Jesus to follow any other god, philosophy, or idol, there is only eternal banishment and torment to come.  On the other hand, those who walk with Jesus by faith rejoice now, and then eternally, for that last day brings only our entrance into the glories and peace of heaven.  Give thanks to the Lord our God, for Both now and then, Jesus speaks life.  Amen.

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.  Amen. 

Rich in grace, may we overflow in generosity.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 25, October 10, 2024

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

2 Corinthians 8:1-9  Now brothers, we want you to know about the grace of God that was given in the churches of Macedonia: ²In a severe test of trouble, their overflowing joy and their deep poverty overflowed into an abundance of their generosity.  ³I testify that of their own free will they gave according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, ⁴pleading with us with an urgent request for the gracious privilege of joining in this service to the saints.  ⁵And they did this not as we had expected, but in keeping with God’s will they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.  ⁶As a result we urged Titus, since he had already made a beginning, to bring to completion this gracious gift on your part.  ⁷But just as you overflow in every way—in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you also overflow in this gracious gift.  ⁸I do not say this as a command, but to test how genuine your love is, by comparing it with the eagerness of others.  ⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich. (EHV)

Rich in grace, may we overflow in generosity.

Dear friends enriched in grace,

            The question is often asked, “How much should I give?”  Sometimes, this question comes from a person seeking to know what the minimum requirement might be.  Some churches insist that their members tithe, or give ten percent of their income in order to remain in good standing.  A few, I am told, require a membership fee or to purchase a ticket in order to attend services.  At least one church I know of, at one time, annually required its members to pledge a certain amount each year, but if the elders thought you hadn’t pledged enough, they would demand that you increase your pledge.  How that could be seen as a voluntary offering, I am not sure.  Instead of such legalistic demands, though, and recognizing that we are Rich in grace, may we overflow in generosity.

Now, when reading the words of our text, it is certain that Paul has something to say about our giving, so perhaps your reflex defenses even went up thinking that the pastor would now be flogging you about giving more money.  While this text certainly does touch on the action of generous giving, in reality, it is about love—God’s love for us and our fit response.  The Holy Spirit is reminding Paul’s readers about the two great commandments.  Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

A little background history would be in order here.  When Paul wrote this second letter to the church in Corinth, about a year had come and gone since he had last visited that place.  In that year, much trouble had afflicted the congregation.  In Paul’s absence, false teachers had infiltrated and afflicted the congregation with many wrong ideas.  Even an incestuous relationship had become known which needed to be admonished and the culprit brought to repentance.  There had been a lot of turmoil in this little church in just one year’s time.  Paul wrote his first letter to them to correct those serious problems.  Then, having achieved the goal of correcting those issues, it was time for these faithful Christians to pick back up where they had left off when the problems distracted them.

The year previous, the Corinthian congregation had enthusiastically begun gathering an offering to assist their persecuted and suffering fellow believers in Palestine.  Their good example had even served to encourage other new congregations in adding to the aid of their fellow Christian brothers and sisters.  Thus, Paul reminds them to finish the good work they had started. 

To re-ignite the passions of the people at Corinth, Paul told them about the amazing response of the Christians in Macedonia.  The Macedonians were not richer than the Corinthians.  Instead, they were suffering severe persecution and poverty.  Yet, that didn’t stop them from giving richly and abundantly from the depths of their hearts.  The Macedonians gave far above what any reasonable person might expect them to do.  Those not-at-all-wealthy people literally begged for the opportunity to give for the benefit of their fellow believers.

So, what does this all mean for you and me?  Are we supposed to give everything we’ve got and more?  Must we consider only the needs of other people and not our own?  Is our God making a legal requirement that we impoverish ourselves to help others?  Many ancient monastics seemed to think so.

Here’s where we would do well to mimic the Macedonians.  Paul reported that “they did this not as we had expected, but in keeping with God’s will they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.”  In their example, we see the Holy Spirit at work.  In those formerly-pagan paupers, the Spirit worked a generous faith, not a faith of mandatory generosity, but a faith that fully trusted in the Lord and His amazing generosity to them.  Because of their newly received faith in Christ, those Macedonian Christians abandoned concern for the riches of this world.  They would gladly get by with even less than the little they already had in order to help their fellow believers they now gladly loved, even though they had likely never met any of them.  They were all fellow brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, so how could they not gladly and willingly give for their relief?

Paul then reminded the people of Corinth what they already knew and what had so gladdened the hearts of their fellow believers to the north: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.”  This is what the Christian faith is really all about.  It isn’t about being the best or biggest givers.  It’s about loving God because He first loved us, and then living in that great love of our Redeemer and Savior, loving our neighbors, and especially, our fellow believers in turn.

You might remember this last verse of our text being used for a reading or a sermon text at Christmas time.  Leaving the majesty of heaven, Jesus entered this world by setting aside His glory, and the all-encompassing riches and power of His rightful place in heaven, all so that He could become a pauper for you.  Yes, Jesus gave up everything He rightfully possessed so that He could give you everything you really needed.  By His holy life and sacrificial death in human flesh, Jesus gives you forgiveness.  He gives you hope.  He gives you everlasting life, a home in heaven, and a crown of glory.  Christ won for you peace with God above—everlasting peace with the One who created you and all things.  Christ made you rich with an inheritance in the eternal glory of heaven.  Furthermore, while granting you the overflowing riches of His grace through His Son, God never neglects your physical needs here on earth.  Therefore, being made Rich in grace, may we overflow in generosity. 

As is always the case in Paul’s writings, and the Bible as a whole, this text is really about God’s amazing love for fallen mankind, and the generous grace shown to us in His Son, Jesus.  John the Baptist once taught the crowds that came to him, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." (Luke 3:11)  The point isn’t that you must give away everything but the shirt on your back.  Rather, we should be as concerned for our fellow man and, especially, our fellow believers, as we are about ourselves. 

To be more concerned about holding on to our wealth than about the true needs of those being afflicted by the world is actually a form of idolatry, and no idolater has a place in heaven. (Ephesians 5:5)  Likewise, James wrote to his fellow Christians, “If a brother or sister needs clothes and lacks daily food and one of you tells them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but does not give them what their body needs, what good is it?  So also, such ‘faith,’ if it is alone and has no works, is dead.” (James 2:15-17)  

Consequently, Paul encourages believers to look past their momentary troubles and bask in the richness of God’s grace that they truly are enjoying.  The message for us, too, is to keep our eyes on our Savior.  Know what Jesus has won for you: salvation, and peace, and a sure hope of everlasting life.  Paul went on to say, “But just as you overflow in every way—in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you also overflow in this gracious gift.  I do not say this as a command, but to test how genuine your love is, by comparing it with the eagerness of others.” 

Now, by no means does the Lord want us to boast in comparing our giving with that of others.  You see, it isn’t about the size of your gift, but the wealth of your faith in Christ, which will be shown in your attitude toward giving.  The Lord can and will take care of His faithful believers whether we are generous with material things or not, but He gives us the opportunity to share in His love for our fellow man.

Even so, God doesn’t demand that we become impoverished so that someone else might be enriched in material things.  Rather, we are encouraged to love our fellow saints and to share with them when they are in need while we are materially blessed.  It might even be the case that someday, if the tables should be turned that we will be in the position of need, that those who received our gifts may in turn help us.  For us then, also, God is demonstrating His concern for the welfare of every person on earth, and He works by blessing some of us for the good of others in a time of need. 

Furthermore, it is especially important that we continue to share the gift of God’s rich love with those of our world who don’t yet know it.  It is good and kind on our part to proclaim the Gospel wherever it might be heard, so that those on the outside of salvation may hear of Jesus and be welcomed into the Church.  Then, they too can experience the richness of God’s grace that is yours; that all of your sins—including even whatever sins you may have in the area of giving—are forgiven for Jesus’ sake, that we are all equal parts of one body made up of many members—the body of Christ Jesus—the holy Christian Church, and that all of us together have peace with God, a crown of glory, and a home in heaven above.

Therefore, dear friends, together with the whole Christian Church on earth, being Rich in grace, may we overflow in generosity.  Amen.

God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever!  Amen.

See how Jesus loves you.

 

Sermon for All Saints’, November 3, 2024

To all those loved by God…called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

John 11:32-44  ³²When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  ³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.  ³⁴He asked, “Where have you laid him?”  They told him, “Lord, come and see.”  ³⁵Jesus wept.  ³⁶Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”  ³⁷But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”  ³⁸Jesus was deeply moved again as he came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.  ³⁹“Take away the stone,” he said.  Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, because it has been four days.”  ⁴⁰Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  ⁴¹So they took away the stone.  Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me.  ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.”  ⁴³After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  ⁴⁴The man who had died came out with his feet and his hands bound with strips of linen and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus told them, “Loose him and let him go. (EHV)

See how Jesus loves you.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            It is likely that we all have been in a situation like this.  We all have had to bid farewell to a loved one far too soon.  We maybe even fell into the same state as the Jews here who complained about Jesus, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”  How easy we find it to blame God when we are in the throes of sorrow for our loss.

At the same time, we can learn something from that Jewish crowd, because as Jesus shed tears when He met His friends in their grief, some of the crowd said, “See how he loved him!”  From their observation, you and I can take comfort and See how Jesus loves you.

When we read this account, it can be somewhat difficult to sort out the reactions seen.  Both Mary and Martha asked the same question, and it is a question similar to what the Jews asked, yet from a different point of view.  Each sister, upon meeting Jesus after Lazarus had been placed in the tomb lamented, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  In contrast, though, to the Jews question of why Jesus didn’t help, this is actually a question that comes from a believing heart.  Yes, it is a complaint, but both sisters trusted Jesus completely, and they were certain that Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying, which is true. 

You and I pray to the Lord with the same confidence.  That’s why we pray.  We know that Jesus can intervene and do whatever is needed.  There is nothing we might ask of Jesus that He could not do.  We believe and trust in Jesus as the Son of God who has authority over everything in creation.  To be honest, that is exactly what Jesus intended to show His friends that day.

You see, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He delayed coming to see him.  Then, when Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus had died, He even declared, “And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe.” (John 11:14-15)  What more did Jesus’ disciples need to believe?  Primarily, that Jesus has power over death.  They would see that here plus so much more.

When Mary and Martha led Jesus to Lazarus’ grave, we See how Jesus loves you.  The shortest passage in the Bible tells us, “Jesus wept.”  Why did Jesus cry?  Jesus didn’t weep because He was powerless.  He didn’t weep because of this loss of life.  Rather, Jesus wept out of love for sinners.  He wept because He knows how much pain the curse of sin has laid on His dearly loved friends.  Jesus wept because He made Himself one of us.  He shared in our pain.  He feels our despair.  He knows how much we hurt because of the devil’s lies and the betrayal of our own weak flesh.  At the same time, however, Jesus didn’t leave His friends in their agony.  In fact, Jesus had just taught His disciples, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Jesus was deeply moved again as he came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.  “Take away the stone,” he said.  Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, because it has been four days.”  Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  So they took away the stone. 

If you’ve ever gotten up close to roadkill, you know how quickly death is followed by decomposition.  Without refrigeration or at least some form of embalmment, a body begins to break down almost immediately after death.  The people of that day were just as familiar with the effects of death as we are.  That’s why bodies are buried—to hide and cover up the decomposition.  We bury the dead to hide the effects of the curse of sin. 

Martha recognized the state Lazarus would be in when they opened the tomb.  Yet, notice Jesus’ response: “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  Two things this tells us.  First, those who believe will see the glory of God.  In fact, we will see and experience it forever in heaven.  After we join the ranks of saints raised to life everlasting on the last day, we will forever after experience the glory of God face to face.

But back to their present time, the glory of God is shown to them as they would see Jesus’ power over death.  From the beginning of time, God spoke, and it came to be.  The very existence of this world came through the declaration of God.  St. John later testified, “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)  Thus, in this miracle, we see how Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, but we also Jesus’ love for His disciples at large, and we See how Jesus loves you. 

Jesus wanted all of us to understand and believe with full confidence that He came to give us life.  He wants us to see His compassion for those who have been hurt by the curse of sin, which is all of us.  Jesus wanted us to see how easily He could conquer death and the devil on our behalf.  The disciples couldn’t yet understand what He meant when Jesus told them He would be arrested, crucified, and die but rise to life again.  They couldn’t understand how that was possible, because all they had ever seen, before Jesus, was death stealing life away.

Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.”  After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  The man who had died came out with his feet and his hands bound with strips of linen and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus told them, “Loose him and let him go.

See how Jesus loves you.  Everything Jesus said and did that day, and really every day, was to show His love and compassion for you.  Jesus didn’t have to speak that prayer out loud.  Jesus and His Father in heaven are always in perfect communication and complete harmony in their commitment to giving you life.  Still, Jesus wants us all to know that He always does His Father’s will.  For sinners like you and me, this is life changing.  We have often been guilty of doing what we know is not God’s will.  On the other hand, Jesus perfectly obeyed every will and command of God so that we could be counted righteous by His Father in heaven.  Jesus never missed anything.  He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

We see Jesus’ power in the result of His command, “Lazarus, come out!”  That man who had lost his life through illness, walked out of that tomb fully restored.  The illness was gone.  There was no stench of death on him.  As soon as the grave clothes were removed, Lazarus was free to continue his life. 

Now, the Bible doesn’t tell us how long Lazarus lived after he was raised from the dead.  Anything more we could say about that would be mere speculation.  However, we do know that Lazarus lives because of his faith in Jesus, for Jesus has promised us, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. … He who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (Revelation 2:10-11)

The second death is eternal condemnation in hell.  That is the everlasting separation from God that sin brought upon the world.  However, Jesus lived His love for us when He took that everlasting death away from those who believe in Him as He laid down His life in our place on the cross.  Jesus declared, “No one has greater love than this: that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  See how Jesus loves you as He gave His life into death to rescue you and me.  As the perfectly spotless Lamb of God, Jesus substituted His perfection for our imperfection.  He gives us His righteousness through faith in exchange for our corruption.  He gave His life to reconcile us with God so that we may have life in exchange, forever.

See how Jesus loves you.  How does Jesus love you yet today?  Today, Jesus demonstrates love through the Baptism by which His Holy Spirit brings you new life and faith in Him.  He shows His love and faithfulness by sharing His very body and blood with you in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper by which He testifies with an oath that your sins are forgiven.  Sin will no longer be held against any of His dear friends.  Jesus shows His love after your confession of sin as He declares your forgiveness through the proclamation of absolution by His called servants.  And Jesus, God’s own true Son, declares His love for you whenever that servant of the Gospel puts the blessing of God over you and your life in the words of the benediction.  You see:

The Lord told Moses to speak to Aaron and to his sons and to tell them to bless the Israelites with these words: “The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.  The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.  In this way [God said] they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22-27)

Today, as we remember those beloved ones, so near and dear to our hearts, who have been called away from this world to the glory of heaven, remember that God didn’t ignore or abandon them.  Instead, God called them from this veil of tears so that they may have life that never ends.  Furthermore, Jesus promises that He will return and raise all people from the grave, and those who have believed in Him will dwell forever, body and soul, in the peace, joy, glory, and life everlasting of His heavenly home.  In that promise, we again and again See how Jesus loves you.  Amen.

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

Keep watch for the Gospel must be preached.

 

Sermon for Reformation, October 27, 2024

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

Mark 13:5-11 ⁵Jesus began by telling them, “Be careful that no one deceives you.  ⁶Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.  ⁷“Whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled.  Such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  ⁸In fact, nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places.  There will be famines.  These are the beginning of birth pains.  ⁹But be on your guard!  People will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues.  You will stand in the presence of rulers and kings for my sake as a witness to them.  ¹⁰And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  ¹¹Whenever they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what you should say.  Say whatever is given to you in that hour, because you will not be the ones speaking; instead it will be the Holy Spirit. (EHV)

Keep watch for the Gospel must be preached.

Dear disciples of the living Lord,

            After Jesus taught His disciples many things, and they were leaving the courtyards of the temple, those men marveled at the beauty and structure of that temple.  They were shocked when Jesus foretold its destruction along with other prophecies of the end of days.  Unsurprisingly, the disciples were curious about how all those things would take place, so in our text, Jesus is reminding them, and us, that the things of this world should not be our primary concern, because He did not come to make this world a perfect place, but that He might rescue us and many others for a perfect home in heaven.  Therefore, He commands us, Keep watch for the Gospel must be preached.

The men Jesus chose to take the Gospel out to the world would face serious opposition, great hardship, and severe persecution for telling the world what Jesus has done to rescue people from sin, death, and the devil.  The immensity of what those eyewitnesses had to endure for the sake of the Gospel is hard for us really to grasp in our relatively gentle and peaceful lives.  In our little part of the world, wars, earthquakes, harsh persecution for preaching the Good News, and even conflict among family members seems pretty far away.  But is it, really? 

Oh sure, any terrible persecution we hear about is usually in far distant lands, but if we are honest about it, we face many of the same problems, if less by degree.  Even more serious, every day brings us closer to the day Jesus will return to judge the world.  The time to bring the truth of God’s love to our friends and neighbors grows shorter day by day.  So, where does that leave us?

Jesus began by telling them, “Be careful that no one deceives you.  Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.”  Has this prophecy afflicted us yet?  Well, maybe we don’t know, personally, of anyone claiming to be Jesus, but for sure, we have heard of many who have tormented the world with their lies about being Jesus, or a new Messiah of some sort.  New religions pop up from time to time, each claiming to have a better truth than what the Scriptures speak.  Even among many churches that claim to be Christian, false doctrines have crept in, and many of our friends and neighbors have decided that God’s law should no longer be taken seriously since people have supposedly evolved into enlightened beings not needing God or His truth.

It shocks me at times how we delude ourselves into thinking that people who seem nice on the outside must surely be good on the inside.  Even more alarming, many people in this world blatantly deny the warnings God has given.  Worse yet, they even deny that Jesus ever lived, or gave up His life on their behalf, or rose from the dead as was clearly reported with unassailable testimony even to the point of defending this truth with the eyewitness’s life.  By the way, we called those eyewitnesses martyrs.  On the other hand, most of our so-called enlightened scholars, today, imagine that the Bible is nothing more than a book of myths and fairytales designed to hurt our tender feelings.

But again, where does that leave us?  The answer lies in this truth, the sinner will always reject the Christ.  St. Paul wrote,

Indeed, since the world through its wisdom did not know God, God in his wisdom decided to save those who believe, through the foolishness of the preached message.  Yes, Jews ask for signs, Greeks desire wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified—which is offensive to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:21-24)

In reality, we face the same trials that the apostles had to face.  We go out to the world with the message of God’s grace, proclaiming it to people who don’t want to hear it.  We go out among people who would just as soon see people like us dead.  Even more extreme, we face a world led by demonic powers that will do everything they can to oppose our witness.  The world in its deluded foolishness wants to defend killing babies.  The evil within all people seeks to elevate our own kind above others who differ from us only in the color of skin, economic background, or genetic heritage.  The evil influencing so much of our modern world, media, and public discourse seeks to promote war, murder, hatred, selfishness, greed, and division between neighbors.  Rulers are derided as evil—even those who seek to serve faithfully.

Now, in our little insulated lives out here on the prairie, all of this might seem pretty distant, but it influences us here as well.  How often do we find ourselves questioning the future, as if our Lord is not truly in control?  How quickly do we latch on to the ideas of the doom and gloomers who are so sure that this world will be destroyed by one political candidate or another?  Even though we know that this world will pass away in the end.  How often do we buy into the imaginings of the cultists who tell you that we must do things their way, and their way alone, if we want to save this world, or ourselves?  How often do we find ourselves despising our neighbor, or at least not be willing to discuss together with them peacefully our differing opinions, or maybe, how often do we stay away from this one place where true peace is found because we don’t want to see, or interact with those who disagree with us?

As we look at the middle of this text, we can certainly recognize that we live in times when “you hear of wars and rumors of wars,” where there are multitude reports of earthquakes, famines, deadly storms, murderous rampages, and any number of other terrible problems.  St, Paul could very well be describing our time in the world when he wrote:

In the last days there will be terrible times.  For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemous, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, not able to reconcile with others, slanderous, without self-control, savage, haters of what is good, treacherous, reckless, puffed up with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to an outward form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

To all of this, Jesus declared, Keep watch for the Gospel must be preached.  You and I have certainly been guilty of our own sins and selfishness.  Yet, because God is merciful, He has brought us to believe in Jesus as our Savior, and therefore, our sins are wiped away forever.  God has then given us the privilege or reaching out to friend and foe alike with the Good News of Jesus’ perfect righteousness lived for you and me and all people.  He has granted us the good fortune to believe that Jesus died for our sins paying the full eternal price so that we may live with God forever.  The Holy Spirit has blessed us with the Word of God in its fullness and purity so that we can be fully confident that Jesus rose from the dead that first Easter morning, confirmed by eyewitnesses, so that no reasonable person can deny what God has done for all of us.

Jesus told those twelve men, “But be on your guard!  People will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues.  You will stand in the presence of rulers and kings for my sake as a witness to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”  The truth is, Jesus’ words were perfectly prophetic.  The apostles were treated exactly as Jesus foretold.  His witnesses were put on trial, beaten and abused for denying the false religions of the day, whipped and stoned and crucified for telling people about the peace with God that is theirs because Jesus lived, died, and rose again to restore peace between God and mankind.

So, what happened when those things came to be?  One might expect that the story of Christ would have died out within weeks, months, or at most, a few years after Jesus was crucified.  Yet, that isn’t what happened.  The Word spread, and as people marveled at the martyrdom the apostles were willing to endure in order to tell about Jesus, they began to ask honest questions about what made these men tick.  What made them be willing to give up their lives to testify about Jesus?

The answer, of course, is the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit moved those men to believe and speak.  The Spirit moved those who wrote down the words of Scripture, and it is the Spirit of God who has kept that powerful Word down through the ages so that you and I can read, hear, learn, and believe it.

Dear friends, that Holy Spirit restored life to you when you were washed in the waters of Baptism.  He continues to build and strengthen that faith throughout your life through hearing the Gospel and after confirmation feeding you with the body and blood of Christ Jesus in, with, and under the bread and wine of His Holy Supper.  That same Spirit lives in us and among us still today, granting us eternal life in connection with Jesus, and giving us the strength to share God’s love with our neighbors, even when they reject or persecute us.  He gives us the encouragement and will to bring our offerings together so that many more people will hear the Gospel and by the power of the Spirit believe it.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit working in us that allows, even moves us to forgive those who hurt or offend us, because we know that we once also needed forgiveness and healing from God.  If you are like me at all, you know you still need God’s forgiveness every day, for like Martin Luther wrote, I daily sin much.  To which the Holy Spirit replies through St. Paul, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Jesus told His disciples, “Whenever they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what you should say.  Say whatever is given to you in that hour, because you will not be the ones speaking; instead it will be the Holy Spirit.”  Thank God Jesus’ words are true.  We have the Gospel because Jesus never let us down and because His Holy Spirit continues His work still today. 

I don’t know who among us, if any, might have to testify before the authorities about our faith, but don’t be surprised if this world continues to turn against us and even hate, persecute, or kill us.  However, our future is sure and secure.  Because Jesus rose from the dead and lives forever, we who are united with Him through faith, will certainly also enjoy eternal life with our God and Savior in His heavenly home.

Therefore, today and every day, we must keep watch.  We must beware so that we are not corrupted by the deceits and lies the devil uses to keep the people of the world under his evil influence.  We must keep watch so that we are not misled by false teachers or even friends who have gone astray.  We must watch ourselves so that we never stray even one iota from the truth of God’s holy Word, nor from its Gospel, the Good News of all our Lord has done to bring us forgiveness and everlasting life, “because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)  For all the days you live here in this troubled world, Keep watch for the Gospel must be preached.  Amen.

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

We serve to share in the Gospel promises.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 22, October 22, 2024

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence.  Amen.

1 Corinthians 9:7-12, 19-23  ⁷What soldier ever serves at his own expense?  Who plants a vineyard and does not eat some of its fruit?  Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink milk from the flock?  ⁸Am I saying this just from a human point of view?  Doesn’t the law also say this?  ⁹Yes, it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain.”  Is God really concerned about oxen, ¹⁰or does he say this entirely for our sake?  Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in hope of getting a share.  ¹¹If we sowed spiritual seed for your good, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?  ¹²If others have some right to make this claim on you, don’t we even more?  But we did not use this right.  Instead, we endure everything so as not to cause any hindrance for the gospel of Christ. … ¹⁹In fact, although I am free from all, I enslaved myself to all so that I might gain many more.  ²⁰To the Jews, I became like a Jew so that I might gain Jews.  To those who are under the law, I became like a person under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might gain those who are under the law.  ²¹To those who are without the law, I became like a person without the law (though I am not without God’s law but am within the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who are without the law.  ²²To the weak, I became weak so that I might gain the weak.  I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.  ²³And I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others. (EHV)

We serve to share in the Gospel promises.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            As we contemplate this chapter of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian congregation, there might be a temptation to pit ministerial workers and other members of the congregation against each other.  Paul seems to be justifying his service as worthy of compensation from the congregation.  Yet, he has refused to make use of his right to just compensation so that the spread of the Gospel is not hindered.  The temptation to fight over this comes when members imagine that Paul was showing that called workers are to sacrifice in ways that the general congregation does not.  This is not the point Paul is making, but rather, that We serve to share in the Gospel promises.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is teaching just what Jesus taught as he sent out His disciples: “The worker is worthy of his pay.” (Luke 10:7)  Contrary to what I have heard some express, a called worker does not take a vow of poverty to serve the Lord.  Those who are served with the Gospel message owe support for the physical lives of the ones bringing the Good News.  Because we all participate together in the body of Christ, each part should work together for the eternal good of the whole.

At the same time, the Gospel worker should be content with what the Lord provides through His congregation.  Having said that, the reality of this text becomes clear for all of us.  We are not on opposite sides in proclaiming the Gospel.  That is the duty and privilege of the whole Christian Church on earth.  We work together to reap a harvest of souls for eternal salvation, not because we can save anyone, but because the Lord Jesus has paid the redemption price for all people, and those who proclaim the Gospel are the conduit through which Jesus brings salvation to more people.

Now, some may have accused Paul of preaching to enrich himself.  While that accusation is clearly false, Paul wants it to be understood that he too deserves support even though he has not demanded it from any of his audiences.  Thus, He wrote:

Yes, it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain.”  Is God really concerned about oxen, or does he say this entirely for our sake?  Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in hope of getting a share.  If we sowed spiritual seed for your good, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?  If others have some right to make this claim on you, don’t we even more?  But we did not use this right.

Paul made no claim on his right to physical support because he recognized that our true reward comes not on earth but in heaven.  However, just as every business, doctor, mechanic, and government official who serves us in some way expects to be paid, so too do God’s servants deserve their due compensation.  Paul didn’t demand that right because he wanted nothing to stand in the way of spreading the Gospel when it was so newly appointed in the world.

The second portion of this text could also lead to grave misinterpretation.  Paul declares, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.”  When preaching to Jews, he lived as the observant Jews had lived for centuries.  He did this not as though masquerading as a Jew, for he himself was of that heritage, and it was normal for him as well.  At the same time, when preaching to the Gentiles, Paul rightly operated in the same manner of life as they did without demanding observation of Jewish law and custom which was foreign to their way of life.

None of this means that Paul was willing to live in any form of sinful disobedience to the Ten Commandments, the moral law God has laid down for all people of all time.  This moral law is written in our hearts and makes even the most lawless feel guilty.  Paul was not misleading, misappropriating, nor in any way deceiving those to whom he preached.  Thus, like Paul, we realize that wherever we proclaim the Gospel, we do so in the midst of people who may think and act differently than what feels normal to us.  We therefore accommodate as we are able, while at the same time being faithful to the instructions of our Lord and Savior, which brings us to the main point of our text, and the motivating force in the Christian Church on earth.  Paul explained, “I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others.”

Like Paul, you and I have been granted forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  This is not something we discovered on our own.  We did not choose to walk in the holiness of our Lord.  We didn’t make the decision to believe in Him on our own.  We didn’t earn any portion of this gift.  Instead, through faith granted to us by the Holy Spirit, we each have been rescued from the condemnation our natural status deserved.  We have been redeemed by the holy blood of Christ shed for us on the cross.  We were washed clean of all guilt in Baptism.  Through the hearing of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit has given us new life in connection with Christ Jesus.

Therefore, because of all that the Triune God has done to deliver us from the forces of evil and the eternal punishment waiting for the devil and his followers, we who believe in Jesus are connected with Christ as the body is to the head, so “in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28).  Thus, because Jesus in in control of our hearts, we now welcome His call to serve in rescuing others from the devil and death.  This isn’t forced upon on us, but instead has become our way of life.

In light of this reality, everything we do here on earth is aimed at serving the Lord Jesus in His goal to harvest souls from the clutches of the old evil foe.  Jesus told His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)  Consequently, some are called as pastors, teachers, and leaders.  Others serve this harvest mission through their secular vocations, but we all serve together as the Church headed by Jesus to win souls to fill His Father’s house in heaven.

Unfortunately, as we all know, our sinful natures often lead us to forget the blessed gift we are given—not just that we are saved by faith, but even forgetting how great a blessing it is to us and to others to share the Gospel with those who still need to hear it.  There can be times when selfishness leads us to focus on what we can store up for ourselves here on earth.  Yet, everything we might store of worldly goods will pass away. 

However, what we can take along with us to heaven are the souls who are won through loving concern and sacrifice as we become the conduit through which Jesus reaches the lost with the Good News of the life He lived so that we might be credited with holiness and the death He offered to His Father in heaven as full payment for the sins and guilt of the world. 

On top of all that, the Father raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, just as promised and foretold.  He has given us certain and sure proof that our salvation is accomplished.  When Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished!,” everything needed to bring us home to heaven was done.  All sin was paid for.  All our wicked deeds and desires were wiped away from God’s remembrance.  No longer can the devil or anyone else accuse us of sin, because Jesus redeemed us from them all.

That, dear friends, is the message of this text for us today—that We serve to share in the Gospel promises.  We are able to serve because God has rescued us from darkness and death.  We are able to serve, because Jesus took it upon Himself to come down to earth and live among us, not in judgment or divine retribution, but to dwell with us in humility and weakness and become for us the great Intercessor we need.  The One true God who knows our weaknesses and faults no longer holds them against us because He counts us righteous for the sake of His own life lived in our place.

Paul wrote, “I became weak so that I might gain the weak,” not because this was a choice he devised on his own, but because Paul, having been rescued from condemnation, was now living connected to Christ and serving Christ to share the forgiveness and salvation of the Gospel with other sinners.  This, then, has become our assignment, our joy, our way of life, and our hope.  Because we are connected by faith to Jesus who lived, died, and rose again from the dead to give us eternal life, and because “in Him we live and move and have our being,” (Acts 17:28) We serve to share in the Gospel promises.  Consequently, Jesus grants us the same promise He gave His apostles, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11-12)  Amen.

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