God gives generously for our generosity.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 10, July 28, 2024

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:8-11  ⁸God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work.  ⁹As it is written: He scattered.  He gave to the poor.  His righteousness remains forever.  ¹⁰And he who provides seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing, and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.  ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you may be generous in every way, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. (EHV)

God gives generously for our generosity.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            A recent report claims that over half of all Americans are chronically unhappy, and furthermore, the level of happiness in this country has been dropping steadily for years.  Now, we could blame a lot of things for this.  Some politicians, especially, might suggest that it is the rich getting richer that makes people unhappy.  Yet, the level of unhappiness doesn’t seem to correlate all that well because the very well off are often just as unhappy.  Others could suggest that it is crime that makes people unhappy, but certainly the criminals are not happier than the victims either.

It is more likely that unhappiness comes from somewhere deeper, something inside us.  For whatever reason, the unhappy person assumes that he or she needs or deserves something more, something better, or perhaps just something different.

In our sermon text this morning, St. Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is addressing our willingness to be a cheerful and generous giver.  What is interesting about this is that how much to give isn’t addressed.  Rather, the Spirit addresses the motivation of our giving, giving that is good or needed by our neighbor and is pleasing to God.  It leads us to see that God gives generously for our generosity.

In our lesson this morning, we saw how the Israelites so quickly forgot that God would take care of their needs.  Within days of their rescue from slavery in Egypt and their deliverance from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea, the people assumed that God would let them starve in the wilderness.

In much the same way, when confronted by a huge crowd in need of a meal, Jesus’ disciples likewise assumed that they couldn’t possibly find a way to feed them.  In both cases, the people demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord.

Now, is it possible that we too sometimes fall into this lack of trust?  How often have we been presented with the opportunity to give generously to some real need, but we were worried about how big our crop would be, or whether we might need that money ourselves sometime later?  How often have we had the opportunity to lend a helping hand but we found own immediate tasks too overwhelming to pause to help a neighbor?  How often when being bombarded with the multitude of organizations imploring us for contributions to what may, or may not, be truly worthy causes have we simply stopped evaluating the need and given a deaf ear to every plea?

All of this, therefore, isn’t to tell you how much to give, but rather, to teach us to examine our hearts on whether we truly relied on God’s generosity to guide is in doing truly righteous things.  Paul wrote, “God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work.”  Here, the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness shows us how generous God can be.  When the Lord promised Israel that they would daily have bread and meat to fill their bellies, He provided so much that they grew tired of eating.  The manna that coated the ground every day but the Sabbath day was so much that they could have collected double what they needed each day, but only on the sixth day—the day before the Sabbath—was Israel allowed to gather enough manna for the next day or otherwise the food spoiled by the next morning.

Later in their history, when Israel was again guilty of not returning thanks to God with their commanded tithe, the Lord of heaven and earth challenged them, “Test me in this, says the Lord of Armies.  See whether I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour down blessing on you, until there is more than enough.” (Malachi 3:10)  Thus, we are taught that God isn’t commanding us how much to give, but that God gives generously for our generosity.

Probably few people in the world put more trust in the Lord than the farmer.  Each year he or she must take the seed and plant it knowing that the crop is determined precious little by our actions but mostly by God’s deliverance of rain and sunshine in the proper amounts and times.  Our own experience in the last few years is to marvel at how generously God provides for us even when the elements of earth don’t seem to cooperate.  Paul quotes Psalm 112, “As it is written: ‘He scattered.  He gave to the poor.  His righteousness remains forever.’” 

It is easy for people to assume that their own labors provide the means for making a living, but who provides the ability?  Who provided the raw materials by which so many modern marvels are manufactured?  We can go so far as to ask, “Who provided even the fossil fuels so many want to cease using, but then, who also provides the wind and sunshine that many tout as a better alternative power source?  The answer to all these type of questions is our God, the One true God who created heaven and earth and everything in them, and generously preserves and provides for us through His good gifts.  The same God created mankind and knit you, and me, together in our mothers’ wombs. 

As Paul noted, here, “He who provides seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing, and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.”  In other words, God gives us all these things in great generosity, so that we might do righteous works among our fellow people.  Just as Paul wrote to the Ephesian congregation, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)  Furthermore, it is not commanded how much we should do nor how much we must give, but that we give from a heart purified from sin through faith in Christ Jesus.  Trusting in our Savior, by whom this whole world is now ruled, we will have what we need in amounts that far exceed what might be needed for the good of all.

Now, none of this is to say that we must devote ourselves to poverty and give everything away.  Nor does God expect us to pour out a blessing on every selfish demand of the self-entitled brat.  He does, however, give to us what we need to supply the needs of those in our care, particularly our families, our neighborhood, and our country.  Most importantly to the eternal welfare of those around us, God gives to us, generously, what we need to share His saving Word with those who need to hear it.  He provides for us so that we might be His willing hands in reaching out to troubled souls with the Good News of all Jesus has done to save us.  The Lord gives to us everything needed for body and life so that we may encourage the weak, give aid to the hurting and wounded, food to the hungry, comfort to the lonely, and sure hope to the troubled.

Of course, all of this talk of giving of ourselves might make us worry about how terribly we have failed in the past.  Certainly, our weaknesses are brought to mind among the faithful.  Yet, for that we also look to the Lord.  The Spirit moved Paul to write, “You will be made rich in every way so that you may be generous in every way, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.”  Finally, the greatest treasure we have is the faith that moves us to give generously, for it is that faith which has brought us into peace with God.  When we truly trust that Jesus has opened the way to Paradise for us by removing all our sin and guilt, then we know there is nothing on this earth that is too valuable for us to part with.  When we trust the Word of our Lord, then we have sure hope that all our sins are forgiven and whether we live or die here on earth, we have a Savior who will take us home to live forever in heaven where we will never again suffer any need or want.

In our Gospel lesson, we heard again the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand using only five loaves of bread and two small fish.  In that account, Jesus isn’t teaching people to reach into their pockets to share what little they have.  He is rather teaching us to trust that He will provide every possible thing we might truly need.  At times, that is food for the body.  Other times, it may be healing.  Always, Jesus provides the blood that washed away our sins at the cross.  Always, Jesus intercedes for us with the Father in heaven so that those who believe in Jesus as their Savior are welcomed into God’s presence as beloved children of the promise.

This morning, dear friends, Jesus again provides us with a meal to comfort our souls and nourish our faith.  By giving us His own precious body and blood in the bread and wine, Jesus is assuring us that He has fully and completely atoned for all of our sins, and that He is and will be with us throughout whatever this world might bring.  No matter the present state of your bank account, or your fields, come to Jesus with full assurance and faith that God gives generously for our generosity.  Amen.

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

Jesus is our righteousness.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 9, July 21, 2024

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

Jeremiah 23:1-6  "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.  ²Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people.  “You have scattered my flock.  You have driven them away.  You have not taken care of them, but I will certainly take care of you, because of the evil things you have done,” declares the Lord.  ³ “I will gather what is left of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pastures.  They will be fruitful and multiply.  ⁴I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them.  They will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.  ⁵ “Listen, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, who will reign wisely as king and establish justice and righteousness on earth.  ⁶In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely.  This is his name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.” (EHV)

Jesus is our righteousness.

Beloved lambs of Jesus’ flock,

            They called Jeremiah a traitor when the prophet delivered God’s warning that Jerusalem and the nation of Judah would be destroyed if they didn’t turn away from idolatry and return to the LORD.  They called him a traitor again when Jeremiah advised King Zedekiah to surrender to God’s discipline which was coming by the hand of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar.  Jeremiah pleaded with Judah’s king to turn back from his wicked ways so that the city, and the people, would not be completely destroyed, but they called him a traitor to his homeland, because God wouldn’t tolerate the ways of the wicked.

We hear a lot about tolerance in our times.  We, who want to follow God’s instruction, are expected not only to tolerate but even to celebrate all kinds of wickedness, because the world doesn’t believe God is serious about what is written in the Bible.  Those of us who reject the ways of the world are often called traitors, even haters, by the various groups that advocate for wickedness—all while those who make a public spectacle of their rejection of God’s commands are lauded as heroes to the cause.

Since we so often find ourselves rejected like Jeremiah, it is good for us to learn from him, not only from the warnings, but especially from God’s promises: that Jesus is our righteousness.

Our sermon text divides easily into three parts.  The law comes first: "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.  Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people.  “You have scattered my flock.  You have driven them away.  You have not taken care of them, but I will certainly take care of you, because of the evil things you have done,” declares the Lord.  God was warning all those who were leading His people astray.  From the king of Judah to the priests in the temple who weren’t doing their jobs; from the nobles who mocked and killed the prophets to the teachers and scribes who ignored God’s Word, to the fathers who knew better but failed to teach what their faithful fathers had taught them, God would spare no one who was leading His chosen people to worship false gods.

All those leaders of Judah were soon to pay for their failures.  The men God had put in positions of authority, and their followers too, would soon face God’s harsh discipline.  Nebuchadnezzar’s armies were coming to surround Jerusalem, put the city under a terrible siege, then tear it down, and every one of those wicked leaders would be killed or carted off into exile never to see their homeland again. 

Jeremiah’s message from the Lord should put the fear of God into every person on earth who has been given the responsibility to lead people to the Lord.  Preachers should preach God’s Word faithfully.  Teachers of religion should teach nothing but the pure truths of the Scriptures without any impurity or human whim nor desire changing even one speck of God’s Word.  Fathers and mothers should do everything in their power to hold on to the truth and to teach it to their children by both word and example, and the children of faithful parents should continue this chain of faith in Christ in their lives and pass it on to the next generation. 

We need to take this warning seriously, because if we put any chink in the armor of truth, we have put the souls of every generation to follow in grave danger of hell.  "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD.  Jesus said it this way, “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)  If that warning doesn’t leave a leader, preacher, or father shaking in his boots, what will it take?

Truth be told, none of us can honestly say that we have never misled anyone with either our words or actions.  All of us parents would prefer to tell our children, “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Every faithful pastor walks in some fear of inadvertently misleading his people or teaching them something false. 

Thankfully, God doesn’t leave our salvation up to the words and actions of us sinful people; He takes that into His own capable hands.  After warning the leaders of Judah about the destruction that was coming for their unfaithfulness, God declared the promise we all need to hear: “I will gather what is left of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pastures.  They will be fruitful and multiply.  I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them.  They will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

Make no mistake; those who reject God’s call to faithfulness will suffer destruction for their lack of faith.  However, God in His mercy wants to save all people from destruction.  Not one of us deserves God’s mercy, but that’s why it’s called mercy, because He offers forgiveness and salvation to those who could never deserve it.  God promised to bring back His chosen ones from the various nations in which His people had been exiled.  Though He would carry out His discipline on His people, they still had God’s love.  The same is true for you and me.

God is keeping this promise, still today, wherever His Word is preached in its truth and purity and the Sacraments are rightly administered.  Not one of us chose to come to faith on our own.  No one learns of the salvation of Jesus apart from the work of God.  God alone decides who will hear of His mercy and be saved, and it is His Holy Spirit working in the hearts of those who hear the Gospel that replaces lost, stone-dead hearts with the living, believing hearts of faithful Christians. 

Though you and I were born as exiles, God brought us back into His flock by the water and Word of Baptism and the proclamation of His grace and mercy.  Plus, God’s Word working in us makes us fruitful so that we multiply His grace.  We don’t do that on our own.  It is God who sends His messengers out across the planet with the Good News of the suffering and death of Christ, and it is His love in us that makes us gladly share His promises of forgiveness and salvation with others around us.

Dear friends, you and I have been richly blessed, because God sent faithful shepherds who were willing to stand up to the rejection of the world in order to bring us the truth of God’s love.  Prophets and apostles like Jeremiah, Peter, John, and Paul, and faithful teachers and preachers like Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz, C.F. W. Walther, and many others along the way were God’s gift to us because they carried forward His message of forgiveness and grace against the opposition of a world of rejection and hate.  Our parents, grandparents, and friends who made sure we heard the Word and received the gift of Baptism were all part of God’s plan to give us His forgiveness and salvation.

Still, none of this could have happened without the third section of our text being fulfilled: “Listen, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, who will reign wisely as king and establish justice and righteousness on earth.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely.  This is his name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.”  Of all the messages Jeremiah carried to the leaders of Israel, none carry the message of God’s mercy and grace more clearly than this.  Out of the destroyed stump of David’s royal lineage, God would raise up a new shoot of righteousness and grace.  Here, God repeats the promise He made to David, to Abraham, and to Adam and Eve.  A Son would be born who would restore everything that was lost in the fall.  This Branch of the line of David would be unlike any other king; this King would have no sin.  This King would live in perfect harmony with all of God’s will.  This King would be true righteousness for all people.

Six hundred years before Jesus was born, God gave Jeremiah a message to carry to the people of Judah telling them again of His great mercy and love.  Though almost the entire nation had turned against the One true God who had chosen them as His own beloved people; though they had acted as an adulterous wife to the Lord, God was not ever going to forget His love for them.  He would send a Savior—His own dear Son—to take on human flesh and live to save the lost tribes of Israel.  The believers of the nation of Judah, here being destroyed and carted off into exile, would be saved by the blood of this King.  In The Lord Our Righteousness, every person who believes God’s promises lives.

Dear friends, this promise is fulfilled in Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus is our righteousness.  Out of the bloodline of David, a virgin named Mary was chosen to bear the Christ child.  Out of the line of David, a humble carpenter named Joseph was made the earthly father of the promised Savior of the world.  On the night this Son of David was born, the angel hosts of heaven sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” (Luke 2:14)  Jesus lived every day of His life on earth in perfect holiness for you and me.  The Bible says “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.” (Luke 2:52)  On at least two occasions, the Father in heaven proudly declared, "This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him." (Matthew 3:17 & 17:5)  Because Jesus was both true God and true Man, He was able to live the perfect life we needed, and He lived it for us.

Not only did Jesus “establish justice and righteousness on earth,” He also took care of God’s justice.  Though He had no sin for which to pay, Jesus took upon Himself every sin, every weakness, and every failure that would keep us exiled from God.  Jesus received God’s just anger for all the sins of the world on a cross outside Jerusalem.  There, the Jews’ rejection of God was, once more, publicly proclaimed, but God used their rejection for our good.  There, on the cross, Jesus established justice for you and me.  He died so we can live.  He suffered so we can enjoy the fruits of victory in heaven. 

Now, maybe the people of the world won’t like us.  Perhaps, they will call us traitors to their causes, but we have a Savior called, “The Lord Our Righteousness.”  He is Jesus of Nazareth, who was rejected by His own people.  They called Him a traitor, too, because He refused to condone their unbelief and self-righteousness.  Yet, Jesus was perfectly true to His Father in heaven.  Jesus is the “righteous Branch,” and He lives and reigns at His Father’s side in heaven so that people like you and me receive the Word of God and believe it.

Like the prophet, Jeremiah, we may sometimes have to suffer for our faith.  We may be despised and rejected by people around us, but in the end, none of that matters, for we have a faithful God.  He promised to send us a Savior, and He did.  He promised that His Messiah would take away our sins and restore to us a home in heaven, and He did that.  He promises that Jesus is our righteousness, and He is.  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 saves sinners through His messengers.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 8, July 21, 2024

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

Mark 6:7-13  ⁷Jesus called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.  He gave them authority over the unclean spirits.  ⁸He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their money belts.  ⁹They were to put on sandals but not to wear two coats.  ¹⁰He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area.  ¹¹Any place that will not receive you or listen to you, as you leave there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them.”  ¹²They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³They also drove out many demons.  They anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (EHV)

Jesus saves sinners through His messengers.

Dear servants of the Living Word,

            A great danger in the use of this portion of Scripture is that we could become like Pharisees who glorify the law rather than be hearers of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In the past, some used passages such as these to seek a special glory with God, while others used them to hide their unbelief and lack of love.  For instance, because Jesus sent His disciples out with the command to take no extra provisions, some have guessed that called workers must take a vow of poverty to serve the Lord.  Others make such a lifestyle a badge of honor.  Rather early in the ancient church, the false idea was floating around that individuals who abandoned all property to live in poverty and isolation were doing something meritorious before God.  These fanciful ideas are nothing less than lies from the devil himself. 

Instead of these passages being rules for how Christians should live, Jesus was teaching His disciples to trust Him to provide for their material needs through the people who were being saved from eternal condemnation through the Gospel Christ’s messengers proclaimed.  So, rather than seeking to earn favor with God by our lifestyles, we learn that Jesus saves sinners through His messengers.

The first thing we should note is that Jesus calls those He intends to send out to proclaim His saving Gospel message.  No man should assume that call on his own.  This is not, however, to limit the universal priesthood of all believers as Scripture clearly teaches elsewhere.  Every Christian has his or her role in spreading the Gospel to the world, and each is given the authority to forgive or retain sins.  Those truths are not contradicted here.  Yet, there is a separate call to those whom Jesus intends to serve in the public ministry.  The first twelve received a direct or immediate call from Jesus.  Today, pastors receive a mediate call through which Jesus calls servants into the public ministry through groups of believers such as this congregation, and only those men who receive such a call should assume the office of public ministry.  At the same time, we are shown that the Lord doesn’t call ministers because they possess such great skills, but rather, He gives them the gifts to serve His people.

“Jesus called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.  He gave them authority over the unclean spirits.”  Those twelve men were called and sent out to participate in the work of Christ’s harvest.  In this role, they received authority over the evil spirits that could lead people to hell.  By the power of Christ’s message, the disciples cast out demons miraculously.  More than that, by the preaching of the Word, the demons were bound, and the powers of hell defeated.  That continues to be the work pastors do today.  As we proclaim the Good News of Christ crucified for sinners, Satan is kept chained lest he harm God’s people.  Therefore, the disciples were sent out to preach true repentance, preaching the plain law to convince sinners of their need for a Savior, and then pointing the repentant souls to Jesus, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

Now, perhaps the more misunderstood passage throughout history comes next.  “He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their money belts.  They were to put on sandals but not to wear two coats.  He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area.’”  Some have said that this means God’s called workers must accept a life of poverty, but that is not what Jesus was teaching here.

Remember, as Jesus sent out these twelve men, He was training them to be His witnesses to the world.  Jesus’ point here is not to require a total lack of worldly things, but that His followers have absolute trust in Christ to provide all needed things along the way.  Jesus wanted nothing to hinder His disciples from doing their work.  Therefore, these witnesses-in-training were not to go out expecting material gain, nor should they go as beggars.  Rather, the Lord wanted them to learn that He would provide all things needed for their work through those to whom He was sending them.

For that reason, the disciples were to go out just as they were.  A staff was their ordinary tool for walking, sandals their ordinary footwear.  Even today, most travelers would take along extra clothing for unseasonable weather.  However, Jesus was telling His disciples not to be concerned for material things.  Everything necessary would be provided for them by His rich blessing.  That is also why Jesus told them to stay in the first place they entered rather than to look around for what might be considered more beneficial lodging.  Jesus’ disciples were to focus on sharing His salvation mission, and not to be concerned about earthly things.  The entire focus of their work was proclaiming Christ’s message, that the hearers should turn away from sin and unbelief and follow Jesus for life and salvation.  In other words, they should know that Jesus saves sinners through His messengers.

Now, even though this text speaks to the office of the ministry, it also teaches much for all Christians.  Jesus told them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area.  Any place that will not receive you or listen to you, as you leave there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them.”  Jesus’ disciples should not expect better nor worse material care than those who hear their message of salvation through Christ could provide.  As is usually the case, some homes would be more richly appointed than others.  Some would have much to share and others very little.  Yet, the disciples should be content with whatever their circumstances,  The hearers of the Gospel would gladly and willingly share what was needed in thankfulness for the forgiveness and salvation they received when hearing of Christ Jesus.

This concept remains in place for us today.  Pastors should not seek material enrichment by their work, but neither should congregations expect their pastors to be willingly impoverished.  Later in time, St. Paul took up a collection for the struggling church in Jerusalem saying, “Our goal is not that others take it easy while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.  At the present time, your abundance will provide what they lack, in order that their abundance will also provide what you lack—in this way there will be equality.” (2 Corinthians 8:13-14)  Jesus also declared, “The worker deserves his support.” (Matthew 10:10)

Dear friends, if any of this sounds like I am worried about my salary, please understand that is not the case.  Both pastors and laymen face the same temptation: that we lose focus on Christ’s mission because of concern for material gain.  And that temptation is sin.  This world is passing away, and not one of us will carry any material thing to heaven, or to hell.  So, our main concern should be on those we can take with us, the sinners who will hear the Gospel of Christ, repent, and be saved.

As proof for us, “They went out and preached that people should repent.  They also drove out many demons.  They anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”  Let us not get caught up in discussions about physical healing and the casting out of demons.  The point here is that these new Gospel preachers did what Jesus sent them to do, and His power went with them.  When they preached repentance, they were preaching the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, even if they didn’t yet realize how that would happen.  As the people were told to repent of their sins, they were also told to put their faith in Jesus.  This is the only true repentance.  The believer confesses his sinfulness, turns away from his former ways, and from any self-righteousness, then trusts in Jesus for forgiveness, life, and salvation.  Thus, when faith in Jesus is truly present, there is no room left for the demons.

Today, as we study God’s Word, let His warnings be real for us, but may His Gospel be always more powerful.  The disciples were told to shake the dust off their feet whenever someone or some place would not listen to their preaching.  It was a sign with which the Jews were familiar, for the Pharisees would shake the dust from their feet whenever they left a Gentile property.  They intended it to show that there was nothing in common between the two groups.  Jesus meant it to be a final warning to those who would not hear of His salvation.  There is no fellowship between Christ and the unbeliever.  There is no fellowship, no common ground, between Jesus’ followers and those who reject Him.

Jesus warned His disciples that some would not listen to them.  In fact, many people would reject and hate them for their message.  However, He also tells us that many will believe and be saved.  The LORD declared through Isaiah, “My word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty.  Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)  This is our confidence.  God’s promises are always true.  The forgiveness and salvation Jesus promised us is already ours, for we have the good news that Jesus has dealt with our sins by His perfect life and innocent death.  His sacrifice as the Lamb of God eliminated the rift that had separated mankind from the Father in heaven.  We now enjoy a perfect relationship with God even though we don’t yet feel that glory here on earth.  Still, this should be our continual focus, hope, and joy. 

For the believer, what is there in this world that we would hold on to?  It is all headed for destruction in the end.  However, the blessings we receive through faith in Christ give us power to serve Him all the way home without fear of trial or hardship.  We don’t need to be concerned about material things for Jesus promised to be with us and to rule over all things for our everlasting good. 

So, what should be our concern?  The same as that of our God: that all people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live.  God’s plan includes that Jesus saves sinners through His messengers.  In that plan, Jesus calls and sends His messengers into the world so that sinners might hear, believe, and thereby be kept from the torments of hell.  And, Jesus gives every member of His Church ways in which to participate in His mission of bringing forgiveness and salvation to the sinners of the world. 

At the same time, we all are being continually re-assured that Jesus died to take away our sins.  As we examine our own hearts, we each see times when material concerns overwhelm our desire to serve as Jesus intended, and we feel guilty.  Yet, this is exactly why Jesus came into this world. 

Jesus walked this earth for you and me without any material cares.  He had absolute confidence in His heavenly Father to take care of His needs, and Jesus’ absolute confidence and trust in His Father’s good will and power is credited to you and me through faith.  Furthermore, Jesus paid for your sins on the cross so that God in heaven welcomes everyone who has been brought to believe in Jesus, counting the believer as His perfectly holy child, washed in Jesus’ blood, cleansed of all sin in Baptism, made holy by the sacrifice of His Son, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. 

That is our focus, our comfort and our joy.  Therefore, for the benefit of all those still hurting in the slavery and torment of sin, may our concern be not on earthly things, but always on the Gospel of Christ Jesus, for He lived and died and rose again that through the Gospel proclaimed by the men He calls and sends, Jesus will save many more repentant sinners through His messengers.  Amen.

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

Stay strong in the grace of our faithful Savior.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 7, July 7, 2024

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

2 Timothy 2:1-13  You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  ²Entrust the things you heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, to faithful men who will also be able to teach others.  ³Share hardships as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  ⁴No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the affairs of everyday life.  If he does, he will not please the one who enlisted him.  ⁵Also, if someone competes as an athlete, he does not receive a crown unless he competes according to the rules.  ⁶The hardworking farmer should receive a share of the crops first.  ⁷Think about what I am saying, because the Lord will give you understanding in everything.  ⁸Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, a descendant of David, in accordance with my gospel, ⁹for which I am suffering, even to the point of being chained like a criminal.  But the word of God is not chained.  ¹⁰For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, along with eternal glory.  ¹¹This saying is trustworthy: Indeed, if we have died with him, we will also live with him; ¹²If we endure, we will also reign with him; If we deny him, he will also deny us; ¹³If we are faithless, he remains faithful, because he cannot deny himself. (EHV)

Stay strong in the grace of our faithful Savior.

Dear friends in Christ,

            In this letter, St. Paul is giving farewell instructions and encouragement to his protégé and fellow pastor, Timothy.  In our text, there is much to guide future pastors as they take up their calls, yet it is also good encouragement and instruction for all believers because of the call of our Savior, “Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father.” (Revelation 1:5-6) 

By making us members of His kingdom, Jesus puts us in position to serve His Father in heaven here on earth, and as priests in His kingdom, the Lord invites, encourages, and even commands us to pray, while also assuring us that God hears and answers our prayers for Jesus sake.  Therefore, we can confidently work in the world, knowing that God will bless our efforts, both to help our fellow man, but even more so, to spread the Good News of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  Thus, we are urged to Stay strong in the grace of our faithful Savior.

Paul had chosen Timothy to accompany him on his second missionary journey, and in that capacity, Timothy had grown in his faith and knowledge of the Gospel of Christ Jesus.  Having been taught the Scriptures from infancy by his mother and grandmother, Timothy was well-versed in the Old Testament scriptures.  Upon hearing the Good News of what Jesus had done for us all, Timothy was further trained by Paul for the work of the ministry, but when Paul wrote, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” we too are reminded of what we have in Christ Jesus.

The question then might be “How do we remain strong in this grace?”  Some might view this as if training for a strongman competition.  The idea would be to keep studying the Word of our God, to immerse ourselves in it until we could live more holy lives than others and out debate all comers.  Still, we don’t win people to faith by overpowering them.  Rather, remaining strong in Christ Jesus is to keep our eyes and thoughts focused on what Christ has done for us—how He lived for us, died for us, and rose again to certify for us that God will also raise us from the dead. 

Certainly, being strong in Jesus means doing everything in our power to learn more about Jesus.  Likewise, it means trusting His word completely.  Paul wrote, “Entrust the things you heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, to faithful men who will also be able to teach others.”  It behooves us, therefore, to make sure that the people we trust to teach us in Christ’s churches are faithfully teaching God’s Word.  In order to do that, we all need to keep diving into the Scriptures, building up our confidence in what God has spoken, living by it, and doing as Jesus instructed His disciples, “Gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)  The work of the Church doesn’t belong to just the pastors but to the whole body of believers.

Paul then shared examples from life.  He wrote, “Share hardships as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the affairs of everyday life.  If he does, he will not please the one who enlisted him.”  No one dare expect that life as a Christian will always be easy.  The devil and his followers will always be at war against Christians in this sin-damaged world.  There will be hardships when following Jesus.  We should not delude ourselves into imagining that we shouldn’t have to deal with trouble.  On the contrary, Jesus both warned and promised us, “In this world you are going to have trouble.  But be courageous!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  Taking Paul’s advice, we remember that while we are in the world and living as travelers through this troubled place, our focus remains on Christ in everything we do.

The Holy Spirit also teaches, through Paul, that no one is able to cheat his way into heaven.  Many are the religions and teachers in the world who imagine that a person can earn his way to heaven, but the law declares that only through perfect holiness will anyone enter God’s mansions.  So again, we turn to God’s holy, innocent Son, Jesus, who took away our sins, paying the full penalty for the world on that bloody cross.  In our daily contrition, we return to our baptisms by which the Lord washed us clean of every guilt and raised us up to new life in Jesus.  Now, dressed in Jesus’ perfect righteousness, we run our race to the end and thereby enter the winner’s circle to receive the crown of victory.

The Spirit had Paul write, “The hardworking farmer should receive a share of the crops first.  Think about what I am saying, because the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”  It is good and right that those who serve the Lord of all things will be rewarded, not because they made the fields produce, but because they served faithfully.  As the seed is planted, God makes it grow according to His good will and plan.  The glory belongs to God alone.  At the same time, the Lord gives generous, eternal reward to those who serve Him in His kingdom.  Thus, the more we walk in harmony with the Lord, and the more diligently we study His Word, the more the Holy Spirit will grant us wisdom and understanding.  Solomon teaches us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)  He also advised, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

Now, we come to perhaps the most important part of this text: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, a descendant of David, in accordance with my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of being chained like a criminal.  But the word of God is not chained.”  God’s purpose in allowing this world to continue is that He wants many more people to learn of Jesus and be saved.  Our focus in worship, in evangelism, and in daily living must be on Jesus who is the source of our salvation, the cure for our sin, and our hope for life everlasting in heaven.  We are pointed to the prophecies Jesus fulfilled so that we would know that He truly is the Anointed One God sent to win our rescue.  Paul reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead—the sure sign that what the Bible promises is true.

To the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “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.  We preach Christ crucified, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)  Paul was imprisoned in chains and fully realized that his end was at hand because of opposition from unbelievers.  The people of the world will always reject Jesus—and His people.  We tell them the truth of the Gospel, anyway, “because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)  The Gospel is what drew us to Jesus and converted our dead hearts from stone to flesh, so that we too would believe.  The same is true for all.

Throughout the history of the Christian Church, it often grows more during times of persecution.  When life is easy, people don’t seem to care much about their need for a Savior.  Yet, when the world is persecuting believers, and they continue to make a faithful testimony to the hope that is theirs, those troubled by their sins take notice, and by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel produces faith in some who once rejected God’s grace out of hand.  That is when penitent sinners sing joyfully, “Chief of sinners, though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me, died that I might live on high, lived that I might never die.  As the branch is to the vine, I am His, and He is mine.” (ELH 429)

God’s apostle endured much hardship to share the Gospel throughout the Gentile world.  He was hated and mocked, tortured, beaten, and finally killed for the message of the Gospel.  Paul was willing to endure that because he trusted the Savior who had endured the same and so much more, so that you and I and all who believe might receive forgiveness and eternal life.  These blessings come to us only through hearing the Gospel of Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil.  Christ’s sacrifice has made us holy and acceptable to the Father in heaven.

It is for this reason that Paul assures his readers with this promise: “Indeed, if we have died with him, we will also live with him; If we endure, we will also reign with him; If we deny him, he will also deny us; If we are faithless, he remains faithful, because he cannot deny himself.”  Our God is always faithful to His promises, because that is what He is, faithful, true, holy, and just.  God loves us even though we have sinned against Him.  God loved us so much, He was willing to sacrifice His own beloved Son, so that we might be reconciled to Him and receive a loving welcome into His heavenly home at whatever time He chooses to call us there. 

Dear friends, whatever the circumstances, give glory to God and trust Him completely.  His Word will never be broken for God is ever faithful.  Stay strong in the grace of our faithful Savior.  Amen.

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