Blog from Lord of New Life Lutheran

What Does The Christmas Tree Symbolize? (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 18:26:02 GMT

First Sunday after Christmas (Sunday, December 26th, 2021)

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Hebrews 2:14,15

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

It just wouldn’t seem like Christmas without one. It’s always seen in a prominent place in our homes, it’s sometimes decorated a little too much, its shape a little less than perfect – and yet, it’s always beautiful just the same. Of course, I’m talking about a real Christmas tree. It has become one of the most popular, one of the most universally accepted and recognized symbols of Christmas. Therefore, we ought to let that tree show us exactly what it does symbolize. For if it’s only one of the many things we decorate and arrange for our celebration of Christmas – then we’ve actually missed the most important thing that tree has to show us.

Just look at the tree! Stately, green, and beautiful – with its fragrance filling our homes, and with its top pointing to the heavens. And it’s been covered and decorated with the brightest and best we could possibly find. So that tree becomes a symbol of joy and life, of hope and happiness. It becomes the focal point of our Christmas celebration – at least for a while. But now, look more closely at the tree. The tree becomes dry and the needles start to fall, its trunk begins to decay, and it just won’t take water any longer. So, it’s served its purpose. No more than we can make our Christmas celebration last, no more than we can stop the new year from coming – are we able to put new life into that once beautiful, but now really dead Christmas tree.

Oh sure, we could try more decorations, more ornaments, and more tinsel. We could even go as far as planting the tree outside. But, you see, it wouldn’t make any difference. Because the tree is dead. It’s really too bad, isn’t it? Dead already. For all of our choosing, decorating, and admiring – it will soon be a pile of bare branches in our yards, useless and thrown out for the garbage. And yet, the Christmas tree is the perfect symbol for this Sunday after Christmas – because it shows us what we all experience in the passing of another Christmas and another year – but don’t like to face. The tree clearly shows us the inevitable rush of time.

You see, we try to make Christmas a time of remembering and doing. Every Christmas must be like the last one – only better. So, we bake, we buy, we plan, and we fix – everything has to be perfect. And Christmas finally comes! We enjoy ourselves, we laugh and sing – and suddenly, it’s over. There’s a certain letdown that hits us right after the celebration – the recognition that, for all of our activity, another Christmas is over. And we can’t bring it back or relive it. This is what the Christmas tree shows us! Christmas just past, another year on its way out, taking down the decorations, throwing out our trees – all of this shows us that as we live, we are surrounded by death.

We want to be happy, we want to celebrate – so why all this talk about death? Because it’s the message of the text. The writer to the Hebrews says – “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

And we’re the ones who faced death. We’re the ones who were held in slavery by our fear of death. Finally, we recognize that the Christmas tree is us! Born alive and beautiful, with the expectation of a long, happy, and successful life. And as we grow up, we decorate ourselves and our futures with plan, hopes, and dreams. But life hurries by. We see our branches, our plans drying up – and we see our needles, our hopes and dreams falling to the floor. We’d do almost anything to prevent the passing of time. But it’s clear, like the tree, our lives will also come to an end. And there’s really nothing we can do about it.

If this were all we had to look forward to, then we wouldn’t have any reason to celebrate today. However, this isn’t all there is! We have so much more in the words and promises of our God. For in the face of our humanness, God has acted. St. Paul writes – “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

So Christmas does indeed speak very clearly to our living and dying. The text for today states that Jesus came to share in our humanity, so that by His death – He might give us life. Christ came – and in His suffering and death, He gains for us nothing less than complete victory. It is written – “He too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil.”

On one hand, there was hopelessness and despair. But Christmas tells us that Jesus Christ has changed all that. He has destroyed death and the power of Satan. We no longer live in slavery and fear. Dr. Martin Luther wrote – “What more should the most merciful Savior have done but did not do? He took sin completely away. He left death, but He left it conquered. Besides, He made the fear of death harmless.”

It’s as miraculous as the tree coming back to life. It’s as if the tree reroots itself and lives – so perfect is the gift we’re given by God in the Savior. And our gift of life is eternal. It’s a life that will never come to an end. You see, we’re not sent out on our own to struggle through life. We don’t just put in our time, deteriorate, and die. For the coming of Christ to us – suffering, dying, and rising for us – makes life ours now and eternally. And so, we can indeed live in hope.

Because our Lord has destroyed the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil – we’re now really free. St. Paul writes – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” So, we’re not rootless trees, watching the needles of our lives fall and trying to prevent our inevitable decay. We’re alive, really alive – in the victory that God’s Son has won for us.

Also, because of His suffering, we’re not alone. Christ is our Brother and has been involved in our existence. Therefore, when we suffer, we don’t suffer alone. For Christ has been there. And when we face problems, worries, pain, or sickness – we’re not alone. He is there. Our Lord understands and shares our pain. He forgives us and accepts us as His own. He has won the victory. We are given the prize.

It would be great if we could list as one of the gifts of Christmas – the removal of all pain, suffering, and fear. It would be tremendous if we could make the joy we try to create at Christmas – a permanent feature in our lives. However, we know that this won’t happen. We’ll still have pain. There will still be suffering and sadness, problems, sickness, and even death. And yet, our God is not a distant God. He has become one of us. He gives us the assurance of His continued care. He reaches down to us with His never-ending love and constant blessings.

St. Paul writes – “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life…neither the present nor the future…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So, as we take down our Christmas tree this year, we might feel some of the recognition that comes with the passing of happy times – and we might be reminded that as we live, we’re surrounded by death. However, today, we have the assurance of God Himself, the kind of hope and assurance we really need. For in the midst of death, we have life – eternal life in Jesus Christ. And in this hope, our joy and our celebration of Christmas will never come to an end. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

This is Christmas (Hebrews 1:1-3)

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 18:07:58 GMT

Christmas Eve (December 24th, 2021)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Text: Hebrews 1:1-3

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoke to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

A manger, shepherds, a lowly mother, a hillside village, and a shining star. A tiny baby, cattle lowing, sheep resting, and a little family gathered in the midnight air. Lovely carols, warm feelings, love and peace and giving presents. Christmas cookies, colored lights, fancy ribbons, and excited children. This – and a long, long list to which each of you could add – is Christmas. The tenderest, the warmest, and the most sentimental time of the entire year. This – and much, much more – is Christmas.

Who would change one bit of it? To be sure, we know it can be overly sentimental. We know that some of it is crassly commercial – and some blatantly secular. But now, on this evening, all of those thoughts are brushed aside. And that which remains is soft, and warm, and tender, and good, and loving. This is Christmas. And 100 million pictures, printed on cards, have been sent again from home to home – once more telling the story. Call it warm, call it tender and loving, call it full of peace and joy – for this is Christmas. This is the time for which children have waited, for which adults have prepared – and which we all rejoice to see again.

We affirm all of this – and so much more. We can say – “May your Christmas be the best and the happiest ever!” But then, into the midst of this wonderful sentiment, good feelings, and joyous spirit – we would say one word more. As Christians, we need to hear and believe that Christmas is more than a manger and more than a baby. Christmas is more than lovely carols and warm thoughts – it’s about One who reflects the very glory of God and who bears the stamp of His nature. Christmas is more than bright ribbons, good food, and gathered families – it’s about One who is the radiance of God’s glory, and who upholds the universe by the power of His word. Christmas is the Word of God incarnate – breaking through into human history and human life!

By all means, enjoy your gifts. With your get-togethers, dinners, and fellowship – know the warmness of home and family. But never forget – this day is important because of One who is the eternal Word, One who is the heavenly Christ, One who came to make purification for sin. Boldly and with power, we proclaim – that this is Christmas – and what happened on that night involves the meaning and whole purpose of this universe.

To be sure, Christmas is about a baby, and a mother, and about tender loving things. But even more – it’s about the power and might of God. It’s about that One who in many and various ways was spoken of to His people – trying to win them back, to return them to their rightful destiny as His own sons and daughters. And finally, God has spoken to them through a Son – a clear, persuasive, complete Word – Jesus Christ.

This Christmas, that Word confronts each of us with a choice. And yet, who wants to make decisions on Christmas? But there is a choice – it’s going to be God’s way, or it’s going to be our own way – it’s going to be Christ, or it’s going to be chaos. It’s so much easier simply to enjoy all of the trimmings and all of the sweet, sentimental things. Why spoil all of this with talk of Christmas – with ultimate questions about God, life, death, sin, grace, and forgiveness? We wouldn’t – for a moment – spoil any of it. But in the name of that God who has spoken in these days through His Son – the Word must be proclaimed. The One who has come is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.

What is that glory? Not some heavenly pomp, ceremony, or display. Too often in our minds the glory of God reflects what we might consider to be glorious in the world. Power and empire, wealth and wisdom, and popular acclaim – not these! For the glory of God doesn’t reflect the ideas that we might consider to be glorious. The power that made the universe, the eternal Word that is spoken, that first-born Son brought forth and placed in a manger – surprised the world. For He came to give Himself, to walk among people, to touch their sin-filled lives, to have children sit on His lap, to have men and women kneel at His feet, to take a towel and – like a servant – wash the feet of His disciples. And then in one final stroke of glory – to die, nailed to a cross. Through this One, through this Word – that glory is set loose in our world.

You can still see it, if you’ll only look and observe – for it’s a glory that is reflected in the eyes of every man, woman, and child who knows what it means to be redeemed, to be freed, to be forgiven. It’s a glory reflected in the life of every person who has been given strength to endure suffering, sorrow, and pain.

It’s a glory that is reflected in every home represented here this evening – where each and every one of you knows the spiritual resources that are needed to live as a family in our world. And it’s a glory that is shared every time two or three gather to unite their hearts in prayer – under the power of God’s grace. That’s the Word. It reflects the very nature of God – that He is love. Not awesome power – not explosive or destructive. Not the clap of thunder or the roar of wind – but the still, gentle voice of God, coming into the world as a helpless infant – to touch your life with a heavenly dimension.

We know what we share is a mystery. It’s beyond our comprehension. God has spoken and, to be sure, some refuse to listen. There are always those who won’t allow God to be the God of their lives. They have the right to make that awesome choice. And if we’re honest, we know that spirit of uncertainty touches the lives of all of us. We live in a skeptical age – and skepticism has weakened the Christian conviction of many. I suppose that there are even some – perhaps some here this evening – who wouldn’t be found in church at any other time than Christmas and Easter. Someone might think they actually take the message seriously! And we do. We take it very seriously.

Let there be this Word. And let none of us be captive to the illusion that any man or woman is competent to work out one’s own destiny with no thought of God. Let Christmas be this much – a heavenly Word, an eternal Word, a life that bears the very stamp of the nature of the power of God. The Word became flesh to dwell among us – full of grace and truth. Let there be carols, songs, and sentiment. But let us remember that it’s that heavenly Christmas that is the foundation of our faith. It’s beyond our comprehension, beyond our understanding – fables and foolishness to some – but it’s life and light to all who believe.

A skeptical age may have its say – but for us there can be no mistake. It’s Christmas, Christ the eternal Word made flesh, who has brought all of us to this time and place. He’s the One whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He’s the One by whom all things exist and from whom we derive our existence. It’s He who heals the broken-hearted, and also counts the number of stars and calls them by name. It’s all of this – and much more – that stand behind the manger, the shepherds, the young mother, and the tender infant. And for this we who number ourselves among God’s faithful people can sing for joy on this day – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Recognition and Honor (Luke 1:46-55)

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 01:10:40 GMT

Fourth Sunday in Advent (December 19, 2021)

Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

Text: St. Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said: “My soul praises the Lord and the spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Everyone wants recognition – and the honor that goes along with it. We begin to reach for this recognition already when we’re quite young. And if we don’t get the recognition and honor we think we deserve, our pride is hurt – and we can become angry, resentful, and filled with bitterness.

And yet, our God gives us honor and recognition. This is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. This is what Advent and Christmas are all about – that God has given us special recognition and honor in His Son. You see, God notices the unimportant of this world – while the world recognizes only those who are important and influential. The people that the world looks at and admires are the powerful, the strong, the wealthy, and the beautiful. Superstars, people in high positions, athletes and achievers – these are the people who receive recognition and honor in our world today.

So, if we want to be honored, we must be or do something that impresses people. We have to outdo others – either in ability, intelligence, achievement, beauty, wealth, or social status. And yet, who in the world knew anything about a young woman named Mary who lived in Nazareth? And who really cared? However, look at what Mary says in her song of praise in the text for this morning – “My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” You see, God knew – and God cared!

In the first chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel is the story of two women who were honored by God – even though, according to the world’s standards, they were both quite ordinary and unimportant. One was an old woman. Elizabeth was well beyond the age of child-bearing. Just an elderly woman! But more than that, not to have given birth to a child was considered a disgrace. People thought this meant that God didn’t care about her. But God indeed did care about her and notice her – for in her advanced years she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, John, who was the forerunner of our Lord. So, Elizabeth was given the special honor and distinction of being the mother of the one who was to prepare the way of the Lord.

The other woman was Mary – and she also would be considered ordinary and unimportant. But God honored her by choosing her to be the mother of His eternally begotten Son. And no greater privilege or honor could ever be given to any human being. Elizabeth said to her – “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” And with these words, she recognized the great honor that God had bestowed on Mary. And then, Mary praised that God, who had chosen her to be the mother of our Lord – “My soul praises the Lord…for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”

The honor that God had given was an undeserved gift of kindness and love – it was a gift of grace. Earlier, the angel Gabriel came to Mary and said – “You have found favor with God.” You see, people may be impressed by what others are and do, and they honor them because they’ve deserved it in some way – or have earned the recognition. But God isn’t impressed by who you are or what you have done. He isn’t moved by your power, wealth, influence, achievements, or social standing. God gives honor to those who have in no way deserved it – as a gift of His love. And this is what Mary was saying in her song of praise. For the grace that God had given her – only caused her to see His greatness.

And yet, how often don’t you feel unimportant, or that there’s really no one who cares about you? And how often haven’t you felt that even God has forgotten about you? In the Old Testament, the Psalmist himself wondered whether God had forgotten and forsaken him. And this is also what the people of Israel must have felt like. Long before, God had promised Abraham that He would bless him and all of his descendants. And yet, here they were – living in Egypt as slaves. No doubt, many of them had thought – “God has forgotten about us.” But God remembered – and sent a deliverer, Moses, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”

“Nobody cares about me.” This feeling of being forsaken, abandoned, and forgotten – is the result of sin. But God has remembered you – and has given you an honor you would have never thought possible. God acted, He sent His only Son to become one of us. He gave us a Savior! Just think of it! The eternal Son of God – took on our likeness. Christ did this – in order to take away the burden of our sins, our shame, and our disgrace.

It is written – “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons.” “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” With these words, spoken by the angel Gabriel, the child’s name wasn’t only announced, but also what this Child of Mary was to be and do. Our Lord became a human being. God acted – in order to bring us salvation.

And this is what the greatness of God is all about. People who are powerful and strong can demand obedience and honor from others. But this isn’t how God works! He comes, exhibiting His power and glory, by coming as a humble, lowly infant. He comes – in order to honor us and give us the gift of forgiveness. The apostle Paul writes – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The burden of our disobedience has been laid on Jesus. And St. Peter writes – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…by his wounds you have been healed.” We are forgiven. God declares us to be holy and righteous in His sight – because of Jesus Christ.

The apostle John writes – “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are!” Think of it! God has called us to be His own, His people in the world! He gave us His name as our own in Holy Baptism. So, we’re no longer ordinary and unimportant. We haven’t been forgotten and abandoned by God. In Jesus Christ – we are loved by God, we are His people, we are somebody – somebody special. Mary said – “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”

Every year at Christmas time, you’ll hear someone ask – “What can you give to the person who has everything?” And the answer is – “Nothing!” In the same way God can’t give anything to people who believe that they already have everything. In order to receive something from God, we must first acknowledge our great and desperate need. Only those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – will be filled and satisfied. And this righteousness is given to us by God – as a gift of His love. “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”

Long before Mary proclaimed her song of praise, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, said – “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.” And this is the honor that God has given us. He has lifted us up out of the ashes of our sins, and has given us special places of honor – there to inherit a blessing. And one of the reasons we look forward to Christ’s return is that He’ll acknowledge us as His own forever. Our sins will be forgotten. No mention will be made of our weaknesses, our many failures, or our disgrace. It will be as though they never existed. And there we’ll stand, honored by God as His people, eternally.

How great our God is! “My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.” This morning, praise God for His great love and mercy, and for the salvation that is yours through His Son. Elizabeth said about Mary – “Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” And you also are blessed – you who believe what God has said to you and given you in Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rejoicing Always! (Philippians 4:4-7)

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:59:02 GMT

Third Sunday in Advent, December 12th, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Philippians 4:4-7, but especially these words –

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The last century has been dominated by insecurity. Over ninety years ago the world was rocked by the Great Depression. Most of us can remember our parents, with much pain and emotion, speaking about the Great Depression of 1929 when banks closed, when savings were wiped out, and when once hardworking people were suddenly unemployed and were now lined up for welfare assistance. At various intervals during the past ninety years we have been hit hard by what economists call “recession.” And fifty years ago we were beginning a period of runaway inflation.

Whether we are in a period of depression, recession, or inflation, during times such as these, people find it very hard to enjoy those blessings that they have already received from their God. During times of unrest, people find themselves almost overwhelmed by concerns for their future.

In a sense, such concerns are very natural, and when we see people acting tense and irritable because of them, we can understand why they feel as they do. We, as the people of God, are not exempt from the same worries, pressures, and tensions.

But here, in the midst of such tensions and concerns, St. Paul comes along in the text for this morning and tells us to rejoice always. It almost seems like too much. When he tells us to lead a life of consistent joy, we’re tempted to tell the apostle Paul to give this command to someone else, or to come back some other time when we don’t have so many worries and concerns. After all, how can we rejoice when we are surrounded by so much insecurity?

Whether it be depression, inflation, or recession – whether we are talking about the destiny of our nation or merely looking at our own troubles and problems – in the middle of such trials it is hard, very hard, to always be joyful. For the sad fact for all of us – and periods of trouble only bring this truth home to us more forcefully – is that we can rejoice only on those rare occasions when things seem to be going our way. And it is truly a rare occasion for most of us when we feel everything is turning in our direction.

When our income doesn’t grow fast enough to keep up with the cost of living, when we face troubles and worries, when things don’t go well at home, at work, on the farm, or in the office, it is impossible for us to be joyful at all times. We may indulge ourselves in a few brief moments of joy. But to be consistently joyful – that’s quite another thing.

We need to be honest with ourselves. If we cannot be joyful all of the time, evidently we have not yet learned the secret that St. Paul emphasizes in the words of the text. The apostle Paul isn’t making a demand that he regards as unattainable. Neither is he giving us advice in a matter he knows nothing about. St. Paul knows how we can attain real, consistent joy, because he knows how he has attained it himself. And he realizes that to have that kind of joy is just as possible for us as it was for him.

But first of all we need to realize our problem. Perhaps because we have been living through so much instability and uncertainty, we have come to believe that to be joyful we need to depend on things, material things. If we have enough money in the bank, if we have enough put aside for that proverbial rainy day, if we have homes, and enough cars, televisions, and other appliances and conveniences, we feel that we can be joyful. And if something comes along to threaten our possession of these things, we find ourselves distressed and disappointed.

But St. Paul managed to escape from this kind of trap that so subtly and yet so effectively robs us of joy. For in the text for this morning, he tells us that he has learned first of all to be content, no matter what condition he has faced. He reminds us that there were times in his life when he had an abundance of goods, wealth, and food. But for some strange reason the Word of God is silent about those periods when St. Paul experienced these things.

Yet there also were times when he went without the necessities of life and suffered adversity, hardship, hunger, and misery. But what he insists on is that, regardless his own fortunes, he could be joyful because he had learned to be content with his situation in life. What is of the greatest importance for us is why the apostle Paul could be content. It wasn’t because of some strong, inner force – his self-discipline. The reason he could be content is that he knew, no matter what the trial or need, that his God was always near. Knowing this, St. Paul didn’t have to worry about anything. He could go to his God at any time and let his God know what he needed.

St. Paul was not an excessively, overly confident person. He wasn’t a blind optimist who ignored the perils he had to face. Anyone familiar with the apostle Paul’s writings knows that he did experience periods in which he was utterly, unbearably crushed. He had a thorn in the flesh which he begged God to remove. And St. Paul still heard God deny that request. But he also could say that he knew that God would guard and keep all that he as His apostle had entrusted to His care. For this reason, St. Paul assures us that he could do everything with the help of his God. For God supplied strength to do what needed to be done.

Paul’s life was not a bed of roses, not an easy way. He experienced poverty, weakness, and hunger as well as success, prosperity, and strength. But through it all he knew that His God would be with him always, that his God had marked him as His own in his baptism, that his God had died on Calvary’s cross for even the worst of sinners, that his God had made Paul’s body His temple. St. Paul knew that with the gift of Jesus God would give him everything. So what was there to threaten his joy? He was beyond the reach of anything that could try to separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

It is from these experiences that St. Paul tells us that we, too, can be joyful always. We have the same promises that God gave to Paul. We have the same God who has adopted each of us to be His dearly loved children. We have the same God who loved each of us so much that He gladly left His throne in heaven and came to earth as our Brother – to suffer and die for us so that we need never fear death or any other enemy. We have the same God who fills us with every good and perfect gift – not because we deserve His gifts but rather because He loves us and wants to give us everything He has that is for our good.

Because St. Paul knew such a God, he could be content no matter what condition or situation he faced in his life. Because the apostle Paul knew such a God, he was convinced that he could do everything through the God who gave him strength to face any challenge.

You and I have the very same promises that St. Paul had. Would God have placed more than 7,000 promises in His Word if He didn’t care about our every need, down to the very hairs that fall from our head? We can live the same life of confident joy that Paul enjoyed. We, too, can always be joyful. But only if we fix our joy on the fantastic promises that our God has made to us.

We don’t have to let any worry steal that joy from us when we take our needs, our concerns, our cares to our God. St. Paul assures us in the text for today that our Lord is near. With that assurance, we can experience God’s peace that surpasses all comprehension and that will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Friend.

It’s a tremendous life, a life of permanent joy and of peaceful contentment, when we live life as the apostle Paul did, trusting in God’s promises. May that life be ours, now and forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Emphasis Of Advent (Luke 3:1-14)

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 03:01:29 GMT

Second Sunday in Advent, December 5, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Luke 3:1-14, but especially these words –

The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The emphasis of the Advent season is repentance. Prepare the way for the Lord! And yet, the question that’s so very often put before us today is – “Who needs repentance?” For society’s idea of repentance is trying to make ourselves look good on the outside with the same old self on the inside. A shallow, cosmetic sort of thing.

But this isn’t what repentance is all about! However, it was the attitude that John the Baptist had to endure, as he confronted the people of his day. After all, they were Jews, the sons of Abraham, God’s chosen people! So, they felt that if there was any preparation necessary, any shaping up to do – it could be done with several small adjustments. But, you see, this attitude is still here today – the idea that a little brushing up will serve the purpose and is all that we really need. Because who needs repentance anyway? Can’t we meet God as we are?

Well, you and I need repentance – because we can’t meet God as we are. And it involves so much more than only a few small changes or minor adjustments. It involves all of life – and this is what so many are afraid of! For repentance goes beneath the surface and beyond the outward show of piety that they wrap themselves up in. It’s a painful process of a revolution that begins in our hearts – and that turns our lives around. Repentance reverses our priorities and our values. It shatters all of our own false hopes and ideas, our own security – and leads us to look outside ourselves to the One who alone is able to give us security, hope and peace.

Repentance tears us away from ourselves and invests our lives in and for others. It checks as wrong those easy answers we’ve always used. It rises in revolt against the sins we’ve committed and turns us back again toward God. Repentance comes with empty hands and empty hearts – and receives the grace of God’s forgiveness and love in Jesus Christ, which is, in fact, the only way that we can be prepared to meet the Lord when He comes. So, the emphasis of the Advent season is repentance. The voice is again calling in the desert. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Prepare the way for the Lord!

And so, as the voice calls out to you today, you ought to listen to what it has to say. But this seems to be one of our greatest shortcomings today. No one ever listens – or if they do, they don’t really hear what’s being said. The young person says – “My parents don’t understand me. They never listen to what I have to say.” And maybe he or she is right. However, maybe the young person also has a problem of not listening. Or a wife tells her husband – “The problem is that you never listen to me anymore.” And I would imagine that she might at times be right also. For, as I’ve been told, the human male ear is an amazing mechanism with a very effective filtering system. And yet, today the voice calls. And what you hear isn’t an echo that’s disappearing in the distance, but a voice that gets louder and louder – as you go on digging yourselves in deeper and deeper. And so, we ought to listen, to really hear the “voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord!’”

We are looking at two statements in the text for today. One goes back almost 3,000 years, written by the prophet Isaiah. The other goes back about 2,000 years, written by St. Luke. So, how do these statements apply to us? What in the world could an Old Testament prophet know about our problems today, or how could a first century evangelist possibly help us? However, these two statements do apply to us – if we’ll only listen to what God has to say.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah looked ahead in time and saw the people of Israel being held in slavery. Jerusalem, the Holy City, laying in ruin, and the temple of God destroyed. This would be God’s judgment on a faithless people who had sinned and had not repented, who had tried to use God rather than serve Him, who had tried to manipulate Him to serve their purpose while forgetting the mission and purpose He had given them. And yet, in spite of all this, God said to the prophet Isaiah – “Comfort, comfort my people…Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” A voice calls out in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord. Get ready for your God, for He will come and will act. For the covenant He had made with His people was not forgotten. The mission He had given them was not to be forsaken. God’s faithfulness and love toward them had never failed and had never diminished.

And is there any other way that God’s way can be prepared than by His message of forgiveness – God’s message that He hasn’t put us aside and forgotten us. For our hard service has been completed, our rebellion written off, our sins paid for. And about eight centuries went by before St. Luke repeated the words of the prophet Isaiah in reference to John the Baptist. He referred to him as “a voice of one calling the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord.’” But notice how St. Luke does it. Sometimes you and I are tempted to ignore details. St. Luke didn’t.

He writes – “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea…during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” St. Luke carefully details the names of those in authority – and with a purpose. For in this setting, our redemption would be accomplished. This was history, the situation at that time – with its emperors and governors, its politics and policies. Now, the mighty God was coming into the world to act. And in the desert – a voice. Prepare the way – because God is coming.

And is there any other way that God’s way can be prepared than by the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins? Is there any other way His paths can be made straight, the valleys filled in, and the mountains and hills be made level – than by God’s message that He hasn’t put the world aside, but that He has instead come to break oppression, to set the captives free, to take away transgressions, and to rule? We really miss the point unless we understand what St. Luke is telling us in these details of history – that Jesus Christ came into the world, into our history – that His salvation is a very real thing and that it’s for us! So, we can’t put the Lord aside or put Him in some corner, you can’t put your faith in a place where it has nothing significant to say, and you can’t ignore His Word as though it doesn’t concern itself with your problems.

For through the prophet Isaiah, through St. Luke, and through John the Baptist, God speaks to you and to me, even today. “Repent, and prepare my way.” And this is a Word you can use. This Word is just as important as it ever was. For God is here with us now. Forgiveness and freedom have been secured. Repent! Believe! And obey! To repent is nothing less than to turn from whatever it is that keeps us from having anything to do with God. To repent is nothing less than removing the barriers and roadblocks, those things that get between us and God. To repent is nothing less than feeling sorrow over the mess we’ve made of things, when we’ve gone our own way. To repent is nothing less than turning back to God, whose hand still reaches out to us where we are. And so, to repent involves a total change in our lives.

John the Baptist put it this way – “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” And that’s what he was here for – to prepare the Lord’s way, to proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. The message of John the Baptist in the text for today – is an obvious description of a highway project, where the cuts through the mountains and hills provide the fill for the valleys and low places – so that the road might be smooth and straight. This is also what repentance and forgiveness are all about. To level the mountains and hills of human pride, to fill the valleys of despair and hopelessness, to get rid of all the crooked and perverse things in our lives, and to smooth out the rough places – to make a highway for our God so that He might be able to come to us with His forgiveness, grace, power and love.

Therefore, today, God calls upon us to take a look at ourselves, to examine our priorities, and the intensity of our devotion, service and love. He asks us to take a look at all those things that disturb us, bother us, and all too often defeat us – and to bring them to Him because of Jesus Christ’s forgiving and strengthening love. God calls upon us to come to Him, to open our empty hearts, hands and lives – there to receive His abundant grace and blessing. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Word Became Flesh (John 1:6-14)

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 03:05:10 GMT

Second Midweek Advent Service, December 8, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. John 1:6-14

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The early Christian Church was persecuted at times for what seems to us to be an odd reason. It was accused of eating and drinking human flesh, for those who spied on the Christians reported that they had heard them say – “Take, eat; this is my body…Drink of it, all of you; this is my blood.” To us such an outrageous claim sounds odd indeed. But there is an idea prevalent in the world today that the Christian Church proclaims a theology of blood. The claim is made that the Christian Church is in reality a pagan society, for it teaches that God demanded the sacrifice of a human being to satisfy His anger. It’s our purpose to study this charge and to see what God Himself says about the necessity for the death of a man. On the basis of this second part of the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel, we learn of the necessity for the incarnation of the Son of God, under the theme – “The Word Became Flesh”.

Is there any truth to the charge that God is not living up to His promises when He demands the death penalty? Is there any truth to the idea that God must be a kind, grandfatherly type of being who forgives and forgets the little mistakes of His children? Well, what kind of God would He be if He did not demand justice? What difference would it make if He did not threaten to punish? We must remember that it was not God who brought sin and death into the world – but it was man himself. God had made human beings perfect and good. They were the ones who disobeyed. St. Paul writes – “Death came through a man” – and then goes on to say – “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” Again, it is written – “The wages of sin is death.” And God tells us – “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” You see, we’re told quite clearly that death is the natural and inevitable result of sin, even as He told Adam when He gave him that one command – “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

God’s law states that sin must be punished. But God’s love demanded that something more must be done for sinners. When St. Paul had said – “Death came through a man” – he continued his statement by adding – “The resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” This is God’s plan of salvation. Whereas in the Old Testament the priests had to make a special sacrifice for their own sins before they could make a sacrifice for the sins of the people – God sent a new priest into the world who did not have to make a sacrifice for His own sins first. God sent a man into the world who had no sin, so that whatever sacrifice He made – would be counted for the sins of all people. The only kind of man who could do this would be God Himself who became man. Only God is sinless – and yet God had to become man so that He could die a human death. That is the reason for the incarnation. That is the reason for the birth of Jesus Christ as a human being. And that is the reason we still celebrate Christmas to this day. God became man.

The fact that God became man is revealed to us in the accounts of the Gospel writers. But that same Jesus Christ who is the Redeemer of the world is in truth a man, just as you and I are human beings. All we have to do is read the accounts as they have been preserved for us. We read in St. Matthew and St. Luke that Jesus was born. Even His ancestors are enumerated for us so that there can be no doubt. The story of His birth to Mary is well known. We read that Jesus grew up like an ordinary human being. We read that Jesus needed food and drink. He walked. He spoke. He prayed. He slept. He suffered. He died. There can be no doubt that this Jesus was in fact a true man. There can be no doubt that the Word became flesh.

St. John began his gospel account by stating that the Word was God – and he repeats that idea in the text for this morning. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” Strange, isn’t it – that the creature doesn’t recognize his Creator? Strange, isn’t it, that though the world was made by Him, yet the world didn’t know Him? The world didn’t want to receive Him and acknowledge Him for what He really was. The world didn’t want to submit to His authority, nor did the world want to receive the love that He displayed for it when He laid down His life on the cross. But to be sure, we say, the Jewish people should have received Him. He was born among them. He was of the house of David. He was born in their city of Bethlehem. He was the One who had been prophesied long before. Certainly, His own should have received Him. But what does St. John record for us? He writes – “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Not even the Jews, who had the advantage of being the chosen nation; not even the Jews, to whom the promise had been given, received Him for what He really was – the Savior and the Light of the world.

Oh, there were a few. And in the text St. John shows us the hope that still exists. He writes – “We have seen his glory”. Thank God for that! Thank God that there was someone who believed – for had there been none, there might not now be any record of His coming. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father.” That glory is revealed to us by the fact that Jesus Christ is also the Creator of the world. This glory is His by virtue of the fact that Jesus Christ Himself is God, to whom alone belong all honor and praise. His glory is the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father.

That glory is His because He lights up the whole world. St. John dwells on this point at some length. He speaks of the Light, through whom all people might be saved. He tells us that Jesus is the true Light. Jesus Christ is not some false prophet. He is not a false aspirant for divine honor and glory. St. John tells us that He is the genuine article, the real thing. He’s not an imitation – but He Himself is the very Light of the world.

John goes on to say that our Lord’s glory is full of grace and truth. What do we mean by grace? Grace is something that is not earned. It’s free. Grace is that which God has done, not us. Grace is a gift. Grace is the act of God whereby He has made it possible for us to be saved – something that we ourselves could never do. That’s what His glory consists of. His glory is the underserved love of God brought down to us.

“We have seen his glory.” St. John is speaking of those who not only saw the Lord Jesus physically – but also received Him for what He really is – the Savior and the Light of the world. John is here speaking of himself and the other disciples. He says that they observed His glory and believed that this One was in truth the Son of the living God. They had the privilege of seeing Jesus and knowing Him as their Savior. This new life was born in them by God Himself. It comes into existence in every person who receives Him. It is written – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Have you seen the glory of Christ, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth? Of course, you have! For you have been chosen by God to hear the message of the Gospel. It has been proclaimed to you regularly in His Word. And you have seen it in the Sacraments. All you have to do is receive this word of truth that God presents to you. All you have to do is believe that the Word became flesh for the forgiveness of your sins. For then you have the assurance – “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Do Christians proclaim a blood theology? Perhaps in the eyes of the world we do. But we proclaim nothing more than what God Himself has commanded us. We proclaim only that God chose to send His only Son into the world in the form and nature of a human being so that He could take upon Himself the burden of our sins. We preach only that Jesus satisfied the justice of God by dying for all. We preach Jesus Christ – and Him crucified. If that’s a blood theology, so be it. We rejoice in what God has done for us. “The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Word Was God! (John 1:1-5)

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 02:40:23 GMT

Midweek Advent Service, December 1, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. John 1:1-5

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 all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

People are generally willing to accept the fact that Jesus was a human being. The Jews acknowledged the fact that a man by the name of Jesus really lived. The Muslims list Jesus as a prophet. And history tells us that such a man lived. Most people today will generally admit that Jesus was a good man. But one thing that they aren’t so willing to admit is this – that Jesus is actually God. The only place that tells us that this is so – is God’s holy Word. St. John opens his entire Gospel account with a ringing declaration that Jesus was and is God. On the basis of these words, we too see that the Word was God.

St. John begins his narration with these words – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He uses a term to identify Jesus that is quite foreign to us. He says that Jesus is the Word. At first glance this strange term doesn’t mean much to us – but when we study it further, we see what John means by it. “Word” is used in human language to identify certain parts of speech. A word is simply the visible or audible symbol for something. It’s the way we write things down in order to preserve them. It’s more permanent than the spoken language. When we talk, the sound of our voices soon disappears. But when we write things down in words, then our ideas are recorded for future generations – and are more or less permanent. Our words can be reconstructed again. Our words can be made into sounds again. A word, then, is a permanent expression of an idea.

When we apply this to spiritual things, we recall that God had an idea. His idea was that human beings shouldn’t die eternally. Instead, they should be saved from their sin. To record that idea and to make it permanent so that people can grasp that idea – God used His Word. The Word, then, is the expression of God’s love. The Holy Scriptures tell us that only Jesus is the real expression of God’s love to a sinful world. Yes, Jesus is that Word. This Word, St. John says, was in the beginning. It existed from eternity. It wasn’t created. It was always there. And that’s exactly what God tells us in other portions of Scripture. Even before He had laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth, God had provided the means whereby people could be saved from the sin that God knew they would commit. Even before the earth was created, that Word existed.

But St. John becomes more specific in speaking of Jesus as God. He tells us that all things were made by Him, that is, by this Word – and without Him nothing was made that has been made. Without a doubt, Jesus was instrumental in the creation of this universe.

This leads us to the second part of our contention that Jesus is God. Not only was Christ active in the creation of the world – but He was active as the Redeemer of the world and is active today as the Sanctifier of the world. St. John writes – “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Again we stumble over a word in the text. What is meant by “life”? The word “life” means that a being has vitality, that a being is animate. Applying this idea to Jesus Christ, we see that He is a being who has life in Himself.

However, the word “life” has a higher meaning even than this. Again God tells us through the apostle John what is meant by this word. In his First Epistle, John tells us – “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Jesus is the means whereby we can come to that life which is of real value. He did this by giving up His own life for us – so that we now don’t have to give up our lives. It is written – “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

St. John continues this account of our Lord’s divinity by stating that this life was the light of men. Why do we use a light anyway? Why do we take a flashlight into the dark? We do it so that we might see. We take a light so that we might not lose our way – or stumble or bump into objects in the darkness. And so Jesus is the Light of all. He comes so that all might see. He comes so that they might understand. He comes so that they might not lose their way. He comes to show them how they might be saved. Our Lord Himself declared – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

St. John’s account of the life of Christ is a realistic one. He admits what has happened. He tells us that Jesus, the Light of the world, shone into the darkness. Our Lord came into a world that was dark with sin. He came into a world where people are disobedient and willful. He came into a world that wanted nothing to do with Him – but that needed Him so desperately. He came to those who were sick with sin, as He Himself said – “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” And this is the message of the Gospel – that Christ came into a world that needed Him most.

But we mourn with our Lord over the unbelief of human beings – as He Himself mourned over the city of Jerusalem. It is written – “The darkness has not understood it.” Jesus knew what the trouble was with the world. He said – “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” By nature, human beings simply do not want God’s way of salvation – because God’s way gives glory to Him and not to us – and we are full of pride and want to take credit for our own abilities. What a tragedy! The darkness didn’t take the Light of life to itself.

This statement that St. John makes about the world should prompt us to reconsider our own reception of Christ. It should lead us into a sincere appreciation of all that God has done for us. It should cause us to run again into the loving arms of God. It should drive every thought of our own abilities away. It should cleanse us – by leading us into the grace of God. We should therefore receive Jesus Christ as the One who was made man for us.

Think again about what John has to say about Jesus as our Creator. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” He is your Creator and mine. As the preexistent Word of God, He has created us and all things and still preserves us. For that reason it is our duty to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him.

However, a greater reason for such thanks and praise is also given in the text. When St. John writes – “In him was life, and that life was the light of men” – he reminds us of the astounding fact that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He could be our Redeemer only because He is God – and because this God became man.

The incarnation of the Son of God is tremendously important for us. Only through this incarnation – “God becoming man” – could there have been a man who could keep the Law of God perfectly in our place. Only through the incarnation could there be a man who could die for the sins of all. Only through the incarnation could there be a man who could be raised from the dead – as a sure and certain guarantee that God had accepted the sacrifice made by that man. Only because that man who died and rose again was God – or rather – only because God became man, could there be a Redeemer and joy beyond compare. He has redeemed you!

By creating life in you, He enables you to live the real life both here in time and hereafter in eternity. What is your life without Christ? Nothing! But those who receive that life which God has prepared for them in Jesus Christ receive eternal life. They also live with Him here on earth. No, He never says that you won’t have troubles – but when you live with Christ, you share your burdens with Him, and He takes those burdens upon Himself.

When burdens are shared, the load becomes lighter for each person. The opposite is true of joys. When you share your joys, they increase. This is how we respond to the love of God in Christ. We share our sorrows and our joys with one another. This is what our Lord asks us to do while we’re here on earth. This is His command to us – that we love one another.

Let us, this morning, see Jesus as He really is – our God, who is the Word who created the world – our Savior, who has brought light and life to us – and as the One who enables us to remain faithful to Him and to live lives of love and service. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

From Fear to Faith (Luke 21:25-36)

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 03:21:33 GMT

First Sunday in Advent, November 28th, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Luke 21:25-36, but especially these words –

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint with terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

This is a day when many shake their heads and wonder what the world is coming to – and others lift their heads and wonder at the One who comes. The one is fear – the other faith. Newscasts that describe the crises and convulsions of the world play havoc with the dreams of social planners and the best laid schemes to heal a sick society. But they affirm for others that the kingdom and the power and the glory will not be ushered in by our development to higher and more noble and more human creatures, but by intervention from the other side. The one is fear – the other faith.

When these things begin to happen – things like war and hatreds, pestilence and famine, violence and vengeance, hearts will fail with fear for what is happening on the earth and from the depths cry out – “What can we do?” But other hearts look up and other heads are raised to see what God is doing and to know that victory, His victory, is just around the corner. The one is fear – the other faith. Some see the end as an annihilation in a nuclear destruction, or in a human race that chokes to death on fumes of progress, or in a collision of the planets. Some see it in the freezing of the world because the sun is burning out, or in the boiling of the world because the sun moves in too close. Others see it in the coming of the Son of man with power and great glory, bringing our redemption. The one is fear – the other faith.

The words of the Apostles’ Creed – “From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead” – some dismiss it as a myth, or refer to it as the frightful prospect of a day when all must stand before a God who knows too much. But there are those for whom those words of the Creed call for celebration – the celebration of the day when what is hidden now will be revealed and faith permitted to see the full reality of what it has believed. The one is fear – the other faith.

Suddenly it’s Advent once again, and suddenly it will be Advent in the final sense when He who came and He who comes will come again. What are we to make of this – we with our alternating practice of belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience, fear and faith? We can tolerate the festival we celebrate almost a month from now as long as we can make it over in our image and get rid of Him again when He disturbs us. We rather like the theme of love He brings to us as He comes now in Word and Sacrament.

But this – what do we do with this – that He will come again in power and great glory, that the world we know today will end, and that the history we are making will be laid to rest in history that He is making? Is a word like this designed to shape us up in the panic of a world gone mad before we get caught unprepared? Isn’t there a harshness in these words of Jesus quite unlike the meek, mild, and tender Jesus we have known? Does He speak to fear or does He speak to faith? Advent calls God’s people to repentance. the only preparation for His coming that can be acceptable to Him. The broken and contrite heart – our Lord will not despise. But Advent is a many-splendored season, and each of them a splendor of His Gospel, calling us from fear to faith, from unbelief to trust, and from despair to hope.

Be sure of this – that Jesus Christ is speaking here to us, and He is speaking to our fear and to our faith. We can’t dismiss His word as easily as we might like, reading this as though He had in mind the day Jerusalem would be destroyed and not one stone left standing on another. That happened many years ago. Or reading it as though it were a long way off, a day set far enough into the distant future so that we still can crowd into life whatever we had planned. That’s fine! People ought to have their dreams and make their plans and set their goals.

We cannot be through with this that easily and Christ won’t be through with us that easily. He won’t be content until He calls us from our fear to faith – the faith that lives and acts today because it is faith that’s sure about tomorrow. Is there anything in the words of Christ here to call us from fear to faith? This is true, that if our faith is merely in the future, some unknown day ahead when everything will be all right and when the promises for better things ahead are all fulfilled and when the human race finally breaks through and achieves its goal of a perfect world, well, then, there is little in the words of Jesus that will support that kind of faith.

And this is true – that if our hope for something better in the future is invested in us to free us from our problems and ills so that we can be more human and create a world of brotherly love, then Jesus’ words provide little help and no hope. In fact, I have to admit that I find the prospect frightening, this prospect that our Lord places before us in the text today - “On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity…men will faint in terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

I find it frightening that all of these demonic powers stalk the earth and wreak havoc in the horrors of our inhumanity, our wars, our crimes against others, our addictions also, as each of us exalts himself or herself as god. When these things begin to happen, – these desperate, distressing things, and when I too must find myself with nerves upset, my spirit standing at the brink of despair, when everything goes wrong and all of my foundations crumble, when every light goes out and I am sitting in the dark alone – what will I do then?

Shall I abandon hope? Forsake the faith? Surrender to my fears? Jesus isn’t threatening us with possibilities of what might be. He is simply realistic, telling us not what might be but what will be, and then says – “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen” – not by going around, but going through, and then to stand before the Son of man.

That’s the key that turns everything around from fear to faith. When the Son of man comes in power and great glory, the word might be – “Look out!” But for a child of God, a child of faith, the word is not “look out”, it is instead “look up!” It is Jesus’ call from fear to faith, telling us to stand up, and to hope again – “…because your redemption is drawing near.” Yes, many shake their heads and wonder what the world is coming to, but others lift their heads and wonder at the One who comes. The one is fear, the other faith.

And who is this Son of man who comes? He is the Son of God, and that says more than we can ever fully grasp. Jesus Christ took on our flesh. He Himself has been through the tribulation, and He suffered it all for us. But when these things began to happen, when He journeyed to Jerusalem to be delivered into the hands of wicked, men, His mission neared completion. He accomplished our salvation, atoned for all our guilt, purchased our forgiveness, crushed the power of death, and assures us of our redemption. He is the Son of man in whom we have been brought from death to life, and in whom we know the joy of guilt removed and sin forgiven.

The Son of man has never lost control. He never will. And He want us to know that as He calls us from fear to faith – that the time will come, in fact it already has, when everything will speak against our faith, when all the evidence will question us – “So where is your God now?” The time will come, in fact already has, when fear will grip the world to choke off all these myths about a God who steers the course of history to its goal.

But faith must answer – “Where is my God? He is today right where He has always been. And He is there where He will be when I come home – right by my side.” So when these things begin to happen, then look up, lift up your heads for your redemption is drawing near. That means the kingdom of God is breaking through. It means – victory!

From fear to faith, and this is the faith – the certainty that at the end though heaven and earth may pass away, our Lord never will. Where else, then, can we find our refuge but in Him. Where else can we find hope if not in Him who alone has mercy that endures forever. Where else is there an escape from all these things that will take place if heaven and earth must pass away and only He remains? Who else can take and claim the top priority in our lives today? The only thing we need to fear is faithlessness. For where there is no faith – there can only be fear.

When all these things begin to happen, look around. The scene is hopeless, isn’t it? When these things begin to happen – look within you. The scene is even more distressing. All self-trust is shattered. When these things begin to happen, then look out! That useless also, for we can’t maneuver out of them. When these things begin to happen, then look up, lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near. “These things” are not a reason to give in or give up and say – “I’m beaten” – and surrender to the world. “These things” are the reason to give out – to give out with all that we are and all that we have of what the grace of God has made of us and given us – to speak of the joy we know in Him who is the Lord of all – to call the world from fear to faith. And don’t you think – it’s time for that? Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Giving Thanks...Or Buying God Off? (John 6:28-35)

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 02:19:03 GMT

Thanksgiving Eve Sermon, November 24, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. John 6:28-35

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

“Stop the presses!” That’s the order that had to be given several years ago when the United States Government Printing Office was turning out federal office calendars. Someone had been mistaken about Thanksgiving Day. The calendar designated November 29th as the holiday – but that was wrong. It should have been the fourth Thursday, November 22nd. Well, rather than destroy the over one million calendars that had already gone through the presses, the General Services Administration decided simply to attach a correction to each of the calendars in error – and let it go at that. That’s not the only mistake that has been made concerning Thanksgiving.

If over a million calendars were wrong about it – so are many individual observances. Oh, they may have the right date, but they have the wrong idea. Like the people in the text, who thought they had to do something to earn God’s favor, many Americans today celebrate Thanksgiving Day in a way that’s little more than a bribe. Many people are just religious enough to feel that there must be a god and that it’s only sensible, therefore, to pause occasionally to show this god, whoever he may be, a certain amount of consideration. In fact, it just might pay off.

So there are thank offerings that smack of being bribes. They may be made with folded hands, bowed heads, and subdued voices. They may be offered in the name of kindness and gratitude. But actually this kind of thanksgiving is no better than the business gifts that some firms give to their customers. These gifts are given as part of a deal – whereby the business hopes to reap a return. Treat your customers well, and it will pay off in the end!

Thank offerings with strings attached remind us of the businessman. He slips an under-the-table gift to a client – and he expects a return. It’s in this same vein that some people come to God around Thanksgiving. For them, this is the time for an annual trip to church. They empty their pockets of a few dollars – because they have the opinion that, if they give some of their hard-earned cash to the Lord – He, in turn, will bless them. They feel they have to do for God – to get Him to do for them.

By nature, human beings like to bargain. They believe that they must offer God something – if they’re going to gain the favor of their Creator. The Galileans in the text were like that. After they had witnessed our Lord’s miraculous feeding of the five thousand, they got the idea that it would be nice to have a king like Jesus, who could supply all their needs – and they were anxious to make that kind of an arrangement. As a result, they started to discuss terms that would keep the King of heaven in their corner and insure for themselves the good life. They asked – “What must we do to do the works God requires?” The very form of their question shows that they were bargaining. In effect, they were asking how much doing on their part was necessary to get God on their side. They were ready to buy God’s favor – and the same thing is happening here in this country also today. Spiritual bribes are all too common.

People who ought to know better actually expect to put God under obligation to them. They may never have been so disrespectful as to think of God as one who could be bribed – but for all practical purposes, they treat Him as such. They’re not above trying to jockey God into a position where they feel He owes them a favor. And they would feel cheated if, after they have gone through the motions of gratitude, God would withhold prosperity from them – in the weeks and months between now and next Thanksgiving. They would feel that God had not kept His part of the bargain. And you’d be pretty safe in predicting that under adverse conditions – their hymns of thankfulness and praise would be sung less frequently. They would drastically cut back their gifts to the church – not because of their inability to give, but because of their unwillingness to give to a God you can’t buy off. “What’s the use of giving? If we’re not going to get ahead by doing so, why bother!”

People who are trying to buy God off – have the wrong idea as to what Christianity is all about. Christianity isn’t a bargaining table where people make deals with God – and haggle over the terms. Rather, our God is continually offering us a bargain. And the bargain is this – that God gives us more than we could ever expect of Him. In fact, He grants us eternal life – as a gift, free! And here’s the very heart of every proper Thanksgiving celebration – God so loved us that He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, into the world to be our Savior, the Bread of Life.

It is written – “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. That’s why He could call Himself – “the Bread of Life”. He’s the One who gives us spiritual food. He’s the source of our deepest joy right now. He’s also the source of our hope – everlasting life in that place where we will eat of the eternal manna forever.

“God so loved the world that he gave…” This is the message not only of the upcoming Advent and Christmas season. This is the pattern that has prevailed ever since the dawn of creation. Every day – God so loves that He gives. Every day is a day of grace – whether we go back to the Garden of Eden, to the little town of Bethlehem, or stay right here in Midland. We can never catch up to God in the matter of giving – much less get ahead of Him. Even when we give Him our best, we’re doing nothing more than giving Him of His own.

Thanksgiving in America is traditionally a kind of harvest festival. We thank God especially for the fruits of the field and our daily bread. As He nurtured the people of Israel with manna, God nurtures us with food for our bodies. The people of Israel, as the text indicates, were grateful for the tremendous way in which God provided for their forefathers. The manna that Moses gave the people was really a gift of God, as is our daily bread – and it’s certainly in order to thank Him for it.

But in the text, Jesus reminds us that there’s a blessing of even greater importance – and that is the Bread of Life. The greatest blessing of all is that Christ took our sins to the cross, died for them, and rose again to be our resurrection and life. Through His saving act, “paradise lost” became “paradise regained” – and for that, we can never praise God enough. Today, we thank God for big gifts – and also for small ones. We thank Him, not with ulterior motives, but simply because we’re grateful for everything that comes into our lives, everything our God has given us.

Isn’t it great that God is like He is, blessing us – without any worthiness on our part. Isn’t it great to live in His world, even though we so very often mess it up. Isn’t it great that God loves people like you and like me. And isn’t it great to hear Him saying day after day – “This is for you.” A bribe – forget it! Thanks, to be sure, in word and in deed – for He is good, and His mercy endures forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Build Your Tomorrows On God's Yesterday! (Deuteronomy 10:12-21)

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 02:19:02 GMT

The Last Sunday of the Church Year, November 21, 2001

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Deuteronomy 10:12-21, but especially these words –

And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good...Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today…Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

“What do I do now?” People live in the now. The manager is responsible for long-range planning – but when an angry customer storms into his store, he wants to know what to do now. The salesman has a quota for the entire year – but his career depends on today’s presentation. The beginning music student dreams of playing in a symphony – but today’s assignment is to practice the musical scales.

You and I remember the past with a mixture of nostalgia and regret. We anticipate the future with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. We can’t change the past. And the future is not yet here. All you and I have is now! And yet, what we do today – builds our tomorrow. And God’s Word for today encourages us to build our tomorrows on God’s yesterday.

While every today is a pivotal point between the past and the future, you and I think about it more at certain times than at others – graduation, starting a new job, marriage, enrolling a child in school, reaffirming our baptismal faith in confirmation, a funeral. Certain dates force us to look beyond today.

The people of Israel stood at such a pivotal point in their history – so important, in fact, that the Holy Scriptures emphasize the date – on the first day of the eleventh month of the 40th year after the first Passover. Moses spoke words of farewell, for not only was he about to leave the people of Israel – but the people of Israel themselves were about to move into a future very different from their past. Perhaps, there have never been so many people with so much in common!

And just look at their past. For 40 years – the people of Israel lived under the direct guidance of God Himself. For 40 years – they ate the manna that He had provided. For 40 years – their clothing and sandals had not worn out. For 40 years – the Lord’s presence was before them as a cloud by day and as a light by night. However, for 40 years – their own complaints against God and against Moses continued.

The people of Israel listening to Moses also shared a national memory of who they were. They carried the bones of Joseph with them for 40 years because they were sure of the promise of the land in which he was to be buried. They carried the ark of the covenant, in which two engraved stone tablets testified to the agreement God had made with them. Some of them and all of their parents had ratified that covenant, saying – “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”

Moses reminded them that the Lord had kept His part of the bargain – even though they had repeatedly broken theirs. The people of Israel had not been obedient. First, they broke the covenant that God had made with Abraham, and then they broke the covenant made at Mount Sinai. Their long wilderness journey reinforced their consciousness of former slavery. Yes, the people who assembled before Moses in the text shared a common heritage. And you and I here today share a great deal with those people to whom Moses spoke, don’t we? We also have a common heritage as sinners. We have exiled ourselves in the slavery of sin, as the people of Israel had done. We complain at least as much as they did.

However, the people of Israel shared more than a heritage as sinners and slaves. The Passover festival reminded them of the years of slavery – but it also celebrated their freedom. The Lord their God had reached down and chosen 70 people as His own. And from those 70 He raised up a great nation, the nation of Israel, the people of God. These people shared a God who had fought and had won victory after victory for them.

And we who are here today share a common heritage as sinners. But by the grace of our merciful God, we also share a common heritage as saints. We have known the blessings of our God in providing for our daily needs. Through no merit or worthiness of our own, we have been lifted out of slavery to freedom in Jesus Christ. We have known His patience with us. Where the people of Israel were baptized into Moses in the Red Sea, we have been baptized into the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ at the font. Where Moses mediated the Lord’s will for His people for 40 years, we have had the Word of that same Lord proclaimed and taught to us. Where they ratified God’s covenant at Mount Sinai, we have confirmed our faith in His sacrifice for us on Mount Calvary.

As Moses spoke, the people of Israel stood at a pivotal point in their history. The now for them – was that they shared a future. Now they faced the unknown. The immediate future meant facing strong military resistance. They now faced strange gods and new temptations. Now a people always on the move – settling down in the land which God had promised them. And all of this was to be done under the untested leadership of Joshua. Behind Moses’ words of farewell, we can hear the people asking – “What shall we do now?”

Often, we also ask – “What are we going to do now?” Our future is unknown. New leaders arise before us in government and in the church. Strange gods and new temptations call and make us fear for our children as well as for ourselves. We have grown up in a society that measures progress in the amount of goods produced. Today, strange weapons, strange ways, strange religions, and strange ideas keep coming at us. What are we going to do now?

The answer that God gave the people of Israel as they stood at that turning point in their history – is what He also prescribes for us – “Build your tomorrows on God’s yesterday!” Build your future on God and what He has done for you in the past! We’re tempted to trust in ourselves and our own righteousness. We’re tempted to build tomorrow on our own strength and goodness. Listen to what Moses said to the people before him, and what God through Moses says to you and to me today – “And now…what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”

This isn’t a requirement to gain salvation. It’s a requirement to live today and to build tomorrow on what God has done in the past. It’s the requirement of response. For what was promised to the people of Israel has been fulfilled for us. The promised Christ came and died on the cross for all people, for you and for me – and He rose again as proof positive that He has made peace between us and our Father in heaven.

But more, Jesus ascended and rules now as Lord of today and tomorrow. The Lord, who demonstrated His power in freeing the people of Israel from Egypt, has done even greater things for us. His love and power have freed us from the fear of death, from the tyranny of Satan, from guilt over our past, and from anxiety about tomorrow.

And now God shows us how to build our tomorrows on His past. Remembering what it was to be exiled in sin, remembering what it was to have separated ourselves from our loving Father, we’re to show love for those around us who are still in the grip of sin and Satan. As the Father has loved you in Jesus, your response is to proclaim that love to those around you who have not yet become part of God’s family. And following up on that proclamation, you put the love of God into action by reaching out.

Yesterday, God in Jesus Christ brought you forgiveness. He set you apart and chose you to be His special people. Today, Jesus rules as Lord of heaven and earth, Lord of the church, and Lord of your lives. He has made you holy. Now, He challenges you to live each day as His faithful people. What Jesus has done yesterday – is the basis for building our tomorrows. What He has done yesterday shows you what to do now. His new command is to love as He has loved you.

How do we build our tomorrows on God’s yesterday? We live as if our Savior really does matter more than anything else. We live as faithful stewards of the material blessings He has showered upon us. We honor His name in worship, in prayer, and in proclaiming it at every opportunity. For our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. It’s on Christ, the solid Rock, that we stand today. It’s in Christ, that we build our tomorrows on God’s yesterday! Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Where Do You Live? (John 8:31-36)

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 01:40:24 GMT

Reformation Sunday, October 31, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. John 8:31-36, but especially these words –

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

“Where do you live?” For most of us, that’s an easy question to answer. We would simply give our street address, city, state, and zip code - as our place of residence. But the question – “Where do you live, where is your home?” - has a much greater meaning than this. Where do you put the roots down for your life? Where do you find guidance and direction for living each and every day? So, the question I’m asking isn’t – where is your place of residence – but where do you place your trust and your lives? In the text for today, Jesus tells the Jews who had believed Him – “If your hold to my teaching…” – or as another translation puts it – “If you make my word your home…” – “…you are really my disciples.” By this statement, our Lord is indicating that some people live in a place other than in His Word. And so, the question is a legitimate and proper one – “Where do you live, where is your home?”

We must be aware that some people have no home for their lives. Such people simply exist. In the minds of many, life is only existing – a period of time marked by the date of birth, followed eventually by the date of death. And in between, as the commercial put it – “You grab for all the gusto you can.” That’s it for many! They believe in no god, in no meaning for their existence, and in no future after death. And our Lord was aware that many people are just like that.

In a parable, Jesus described people who were more concerned about their earthly pursuits – than they were in attending the great banquet that had been prepared for them. At the end of this parable, Christ declared – “I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” In fact, in the verses preceding the text for today, our Lord spoke of those who were of this world, who would die in their sins, and be lost eternally.

But your presence here today indicates that you aren’t among those who find no meaning or purpose in life – for you are in Christ, you are Christians. However, it isn’t enough, on this our observance of the Reformation, simply to thank God for restoring the Gospel to us. We can’t just sit by complacently – while so many are missing the whole purpose and joy of living. For the Reformation didn’t end in 1517 or in 1530 – and it won’t end, as long as there are people who don’t make their home in the words of Christ. You see, the Gospel is meant to be shared with others. On our celebration of the Reformation, let’s think about those people who have no spiritual home, those people who have no answer to the question – “Where do you live?” And then, let’s resolve to get on with the real work of the church – sharing Jesus Christ with those who are spiritually homeless.

I’m sure that no one would accuse the Jews in the text for today – of being irreligious or spiritually homeless. These Jews proudly proclaimed – “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.” And they weren’t only talking about their ancestry. They themselves thought that they had a religious home – but they didn’t find it in the words of Jesus. These Jews were indeed religious – but they certainly weren’t Christians!

“Religious or Christian.” This is the title of a book that was written a number of years ago – and it expresses an interesting division in the world. For there are many who live in the home of religion – but who don’t know the Master of this home, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I’m not speaking about those who have never heard the Gospel, but about those who are included in the membership of the Church – and yet, haven’t come to terms with their Lord. And unfortunately, this seems to be the case for far too many people. Their names are on church membership lists. They may be active in the organizations of the church. They go through the motions – and say all the right things. And many of them, like the Jews in the text for today, can claim a long line of religious ancestors. And yet, they are strangers to God.

Take a look at the end of the eighth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, from which the text is taken. At the completion of this episode, these Jews picked up stones to kill Jesus. Obviously, their religion wasn’t very deep. It didn’t move them to love and concern. They were religious, but not Christian. And there’s a connection here with the events of the Reformation. No one would doubt for a moment that people in Martin Luther’s day were religious. They went to pilgrimages. And some even tortured their bodies in an effort to gain God’s favor.

How is it with you? Where do you live? Is Jesus Christ – the source, the meaning, and the purpose for your life – your Savior? Do you continue in fellowship with your Lord each and every day? The Gospel means nothing, the Reformation mean nothing – unless Jesus is your Lord, your Savior, and your Redeemer. Because it isn’t enough to be religious. Jesus calls you to be His people, Christians – to be people who live in His Word. Where is your home?

However, today, let’s also take a look at the positive aspects of the text – the description that our Lord gives us of the Christian faith. For the message of the Reformation is indeed a positive one – and we do Dr. Martin Luther and his fellow workers a great injustice, if we only think that they were opposed to certain practices and teachings of the church at that time. For Christianity is a process. And notice that the text emphasizes continuity. Christianity is a matter of living, remaining, and abiding in the Word of God.

Our faith isn’t only a single action, but a continuing process – one in which faith is to grow and develop. The important thing is that it’s to be a way of life. The kind of emotional thing that moves a person for a moment and then disappears – is not what faith is all about. A person who drops by our home once in a while is a visitor – not a resident at our house. And anyone can fell religious every now and then. However, the Christian faith means being a permanent resident in God’s Word – God living within us.

One of the tragic figures in the Holy Scriptures is Saul, the first king of Israel. King Saul had his moments. He was capable of real religious devotion – but it just didn’t last. Our Lord isn’t talking about this kind of religion. Even the Jews who are mentioned in the text for today – believed in Jesus for a short time, but it didn’t amount to anything.

You see, Christianity is a way of life. As a matter of fact, members of the early Christian Church called themselves followers of “the way”. They knew that our faith has to be lived. And every figure used in the Scriptures to describe the Christian faith brings this idea of living it across – born again, living stones, and seed ripening to harvest. We, as the people of God, live in His Word. Of course, there are some days that we feel closer to Christ than we do on others. But our faith is indeed a way of life – living in the words of Jesus Christ.

Truth. We can’t do justice to the words of Christ until we consider what He means by the word – “truth”. Now, truth is an interesting word. For most of us, it means a kind of statement, a doctrine, or a creed that we confess. And especially on this our observance of the Reformation, we may be inclined to think of truth in terms of doctrine – for our church came into existence because of a struggle over doctrine. But our Lord isn’t using the word in that way. Truth, also, is concerned with life – with our existence every day. Truth then is life lived according to Jesus’ direction. And our Lord tell us – “I am the way and the truth and the life.” All of these words stress living – this is what the truth is all about.

Freedom. It wasn’t the word “truth” that moved Jesus’ hearers. It was when He insisted that He could make them free. That did it! These Jews said that they had always been free. And today, I’m sure that the outcry would be even louder – as people heard the Lord say that He could make them free. For people are convinced that Christianity holds them down and surrounds them with a lot of dos and don’ts.

Jesus said, however, that we were made free to be the people of God. And God tells us that we were created in His image. It follows, then, that we are free when we do what we were created to do – to live in the Lord. We find peace and freedom – when we find the purpose and meaning of our lives in serving God. So, the question asked by the text for today is an important one – not only on this our celebration of the Reformation, but everyday of our lives – “Where do you live?” For there is only one place where we ought to live – in the words of Jesus Christ. He has shown us the only real way. He is to be the Owner of the home in which we live.

The way of sin and separation from God bring slavery and defeat. The way of religion without Christ brings frustration and despair. Only in Christ are we really free. Only in the Lord can we know and live in the truth. This is the message Jesus gave to the people of His time. This is the message of the Reformation. And it’s still the message of God to us and to all people also today. Therefore, live in the words of Christ – for as you do, you’ll know the joy and happiness of beings God’s own sons and daughters, until that time when you dwell in the heavenly Father’s mansion above – and rejoice in that freedom which will never come to an end. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Become Wise! (Proverbs 9:8-12)

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 01:29:56 GMT

Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost, October, 24, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Proverbs 9:8-12

Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Most of us, deep down inside, desire the good life. We constantly seek the key to successful living. We want happiness, wealth, and wisdom. And we strive for the necessary knowledge and skills that will enable us to make it in our world. Our society feeds our appetite for the good life. Our educational system seems primarily concerned with teaching skills that enable us to earn more money. Advertising constantly excites us with images of the successful person and all of the good things that success brings. Certain religious groups fuel the desire for abundant living by promising – “If you love God enough, He will reward you with prosperity.” Current wisdom says that the desire of our life – is for success and abundance. To be wise is to have the good life.

And psychologists tell us that parent’s comments like – “Grow up” or “You’re dumb…stupid…a failure” – can have a traumatic effect on a child’s future. Years later, a person may say – “You always said I was stupid and would never amount to anything – and I didn’t. I started to believe what you were telling me – I am stupid – and I’ve decided to live with it.” Children have a way of living up to or living down to what is said or expected of them. As unintentional as some comments may be, they can lead people to some rather irresponsible and unfortunate conclusions. The words of the proverbs are, therefore, a cry for wisdom. Become wise! Know the truth!

Solomon says – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The word “fear” describes the terror one feels in the presence of the true God, but it also means to “reverence” or to “hold in awe”. There can be no true knowledge apart from the Lord, who has revealed Himself to His people in love and grace – so that through them, He might make Himself known to the world.

Our basic need is to know the Lord. He alone is our God and Savior, who calls, gathers, and enlightens us through His living Word. Solomon is saying that knowledge of the Holy One brings understanding and life. The word “wisdom” in Hebrew conveys the idea of “skill”. It is written – “The proverbs of Solomon…for attaining wisdom and discipline, for understanding words of insight.” The purpose of these proverbs is to develop and equip the whole person – body, mind, and soul – to live in today’s world. He wants us to know the truth – to become wise.

We must begin our search for truth by dealing with out biggest problem. And that problem is sin. If we want to know the truth, then we should begin by knowing the truth about sin – and it’s a painful picture. Proverbs uses words like insults, hatred, and suffering to make this clear. Insults are common. Hatred – you know what that is! It’s what happens when we lose control, and that brings suffering. Jesus also wants us to know something about the world. He says – “Be as shrewd as snakes.” Some people are streetwise. In this case, Jesus wanted His disciples to use common sense in dealing with life. The Master was saying – “Become wise!”

We all know that the struggles of life aren’t easy. Our conscience makes us cowards. We have a way of looking in the wrong direction. We can pick up on the strangest stories. We can reach out to more trouble than our legs can carry us away from. We’re human – and God wants us to know the truth about ourselves. Become wise! But God also wants us to know the truth of the Gospel in Jesus Christ. For our Lord came into this mixed-up world so that we could know and understand God. He wants each of us to know that He is with us always. We have an abiding Lord, who never gives up on us.

Fortunately, God doesn’t play by our rules. He acts toward us out of love and knowledge we can never attain. He says – “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Furthermore, when disaster seems near, He promises that good can come from evil. St. Paul writes – “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Jesus said – “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends…I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Christ did it all! He gave us these words of assurance and backed them up with His death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the grave. Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost. He alone is your Savior, and He wants you to know that you are His child. Think of the many people who live in bondage. They are imprisoned by emotions that they can’t control. Child abuse, premarital and extramarital sex, alcoholism, and drug addiction – are often related to a lack of emotional control. However, the great problems that we see on the surface of life are but symptoms of a deeper problem. The real problem is a matter of the heart. We read in Proverbs that as a person – “thinks within himself, so he is.”

God wants us to know that we don’t have to live in bondage to human weakness. We’re free to live as His people. St. Paul writes – “It is for freedom Christ has set us free.” We’re freed from the desires of our sinful nature. God said through Solomon – “Whoever finds me finds life.”

Life is a precious thing. It is God’s gift to each of us. It’s a special opportunity and the reason for which we’re here. There are so many ways that God blesses us. He gives us time. And He uses this time to bring us His eternal truth. While we’re busy in the midst of time, God reaches out to us with His love and grace. He permits us to live in the freedom of time – so that we’ll be free to use the talents God has given us.

But our Lord also speaks about the cost of discipleship. He wanted the large crowd that was following Him to know that He doesn’t go by the standards of the world. Christ was looking for quality, not quantity, when He said – “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” God blessed us so that we’ll be free to live, free to share, and free to take up the cross and follow Him. There’s so much that we can do to the glory of God. We’re free to invest in the physical and spiritual needs of others. Each day that God blesses us, He demonstrates His love for us. He does this so that we can be free to share His love with others.

Oh, how we need to become wise! A wise person has a treasure that no one or nothing can ever take away. That treasure is Jesus Christ Himself. And He alone can make our time count for something. I pray that the treasure you have received will move you to open your hearts freely, lovingly, and joyously to one another – and that your commitment to Christ will lead you to respond to the needs of those who are looking for the loving touch of the Savior. The wise person fears the Lord and grows wiser still. We have been baptized into His death and resurrection – and have committed ourselves to following Him. Have we counted the cost? Have we feared the Lord – and in that way – become wiser still? Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Word of God Grew! (Acts 12:24)

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 01:19:00 GMT

Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost, October 17, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Acts 12:24

But the word of God grew and multiplied.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

When our Lord spoke these words – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” – He was charging His Church of all times to be about the Father’s business throughout the world in a variety of ways. In the name of Him who has all authority in heaven and on earth, they were to go and make disciples, followers, believers of all people. They were to bring others into the family of God through the preaching of the Word and by the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. And they were to incorporate those who were brought to faith into the one living body of Christ and equip them for a life of Christian service – by teaching them all things that the Savior had shared and commanded.

This was Christ’s plan for the Christian Church at that time, and this is still His plan for those who come forth to respond to His call today. Together with the entire Christian family, you and I here at Lord of New Life have also been so called. And as we gather in worship and praise today, you and I do so with a prayer that the Savior Himself would come into our hearts with His love and set them on fire with a renewed interest and zeal for the Lord’s Church – and with a passion for the souls of people in our community and throughout all the world.

In the text for today, we have a brief and direct word from St. Luke in the Book of Acts. It’s a phrase that occurs several times in the New Testament – and each time, when something important was happening in the history and the life of the Church. St. Luke reports – “But the word of God grew and multiplied.” It accomplished its purpose. Just as the prophet Isaiah proclaimed – the word of the Lord did not return to Him empty. Like the seed that fell in the good soil, it sprang up and produced fruit a hundred-fold. The Word of God produced a group of believers who reached out with their Lord to – “seek and to save those who were lost.” It created God’s family, people who – “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

“But the word of God grew.” That phrase is probably the shortest history of the Christian Church ever recorded. For the word of the Lord grew in the hearts of a called and chosen people – and the seed sprouted into a living faith and hope in Jesus Christ. But the word of the Lord also grew among them as it produced the bond of Christian fellowship. And the result of this was a living community of believers who cared for one another and who lived together with true Christian love and concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ. And the word of the Lord grew through them – as it produced a strong Christian witness and empowered them to reach out and lead others to the Savior.

You see, that’s the way the Church is - and that’s the power and purpose of the Word which God has implanted in our hearts today. The Word still continues to accomplish God’s purpose. Jesus says – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” And so, the word of the Lord grows! The way the word of the Lord grew in the Book of Acts is history. We praise and thank God for it. But the way the word of the Lord grows today is our concern.

We must realize that the church of the Savior isn’t simply an organization. It’s not simply a defined Synod or church body. It’s not simply a group of nice people who happen to have confirmation certificates and who have their names on the same church membership list. No, the church is still the body of Christ. The Church is the fellowship of those who know and believe that Jesus Christ is their Savior from sin, who trust in Him for eternal life, and who respond to His call – “Follow Me”. The Church is people God has called by the Gospel, enlightened with His gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith – in order to accomplish His purposes.

And while the Church is the same from generation to generation in its faith and confession, it’s changing from day to day in its make-up. For ever since that first Pentecost, the Lord is still adding to the Church those who are being saved. The Church is never static. It’s always growing, always on the move. There are people who were in the Church on earth yesterday, who are in the Church in heaven today. And there are people who yesterday were outside the kingdom of God, who today are part of the family of believers. For the word of the Lord continues to grow.

May that word of the Lord grow mightily in you. We’re now talking about the most precious and important thing in all the world – your own relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so blessed, so privileged, so special. God has sown the seed of His Word in your hearts. By your Baptism and through your hearing of His Word, God has called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. St. Paul writes – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”

All of the greatest treasures of heaven and earth are yours! But it’s not that you chose to be followers of the Lamb. Instead, it’s that the Lord has chosen you. He has called you to be His own sons and daughters. In the precious blood of the Savior, your sins have been forgiven. God has not charged them to your account. He has charged them rather against His only begotten Son. And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. And now nothing will ever separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus the Lord.

My prayer today is that the seed of the Word which God has planted in your hearts might continue to grow and keep you with Jesus Christ in the one true faith unto life everlasting. Above everything else, I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you and I might hold fast to that which we have – that no one takes our crown. There are so many important goals for which we strive in this life. However, Jesus is the most important – and only your relationship with Him will last forever. For after all the things that people have built have rotted and crumbled, and after the thieves have broken in and the moth and rust have corrupted the treasures of this life – there is still eternity and then there is only Jesus. And how blessed are the men, women, and children – whose hope remains only in Him.

“But the word of God grew and multiplied.” May it grow in your hearts. For as it does, you can be sure that you are more than conquerors through Him who loves you. No matter the crisis, dilemma, fear or doubt – no matter how severely your faith is put to the test, you have the assurance of Him who says – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And if God is for us, who can possibly be against us? May the word of the Lord grow and bring forth the fruits of hope and assurance.

And may that Word not only grow in your individual lives, but also among you, binding you together as the family of God in a loving and caring relationship – patterned after the love which the Lord has for each and every one of you. For your call to faith is at the same time a call to the fellowship of all those who know and love Jesus as their Savior and Lord. As the word of the Lord grows among you, may it strengthen that fellowship. For God has placed you into His Church, His family, for the sake of each other. When one member of the body rejoices, we all rejoice together. When one member mourns, we are there to mourn with them. When one member sins, we are there to admonish, forgive, pick them up and set them once again on the path of righteousness. When members of the body are in danger or have a problem that weighs heavily upon them, we are there to reach out to them, to love them, to support them, to encourage them, and to pray for them. It’s for this that the Lord has called you together into one body and one family. So, the body of Christ grows – and the word of the Lord grows among us.

May the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you join together in worship and fellowship, and as you pray with and for one another. For then, as St. Paul says, the whole body will be fitly framed and joined together. Then you will grow into a spiritual temple of God and the word of the Lord will indeed grow among us. And yet, the word of the Lord is also to grow through you. The most important thing that can result is a harvest of more believers. And God is glorified when yet more knees bow and more tongues confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

You who know the Savior are a city set high on a hill. Jesus Christ says that He is the Light of the world – and in Him, so are you. Christ was lifted up on a cross, He said, so that He might draw all people to Himself. And your privilege, as His followers, is to lift high that cross and proclaim the love of Jesus Christ. In this way, the word of the Lord will grow through you. This is your calling. It is God’s will that none be lost, but that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

This morning, then, thank God for the privilege of being a part of it. For this purpose He has called you. To this end, may you rededicate yourselves today. And may the Lord bless you from on high with His love and power so that you might be a blessing to many. And may His Word grow in you, among you, and through you, unto life everlasting. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

He Went Away Sad (Mark 10:17-22)

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 19:00:36 GMT

Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost, October 10, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St, Mark 10:17-22, but especially these words –

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

This text from Mark is but one of three accounts concerning the rich young ruler. It’s interesting to note how, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, one Gospel supplements the other. Matthew tells us that he was a young man. Luke says that he was a ruler. And Mark tells us that Jesus loved him dearly. As a result, we have a composite picture of the rich young ruler. All three evangelists are careful to record that he went away sad. There was something in the look of this young man when he turned away from Jesus that troubled the disciples and has troubled the world ever since.

This morning, I want to speak to you about four little words that seem to be the very heart and center of the story before us – “He went away sad.” This rich, cultured, refined, moral man, with his magnificent character – “He went away sad.”

First of all notice that he came to Jesus. This was no small thing. St. Paul writes – “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” No human being can take one step toward Jesus without the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, and some don’t come even after God has drawn them. Do we always realize that every upward look, every holy desire, every hope for a more God-pleasing life comes not out of our hearts, which are by nature sinful and wicked, but is rather the work of the Holy Spirit, who God sent into the world to convict us of sin and righteousness and judgment?

This man came to Jesus. He not only came, but he came running. Walking wasn’t fast enough. He was eager to search for and to find the truth. He was an upper-class, rich young man, popular and educated, whom everybody in the city knew. We remember that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, apparently out of fear of the Jews. He didn’t have the courage at the time to talk openly to Christ. But this rich young ruler came out on the street in the plain sight of everyone – and came to see Jesus. This is even more remarkable because he belonged to the ruling class of the land, the Pharisees, who looked with great disapproval on Jesus.

Not only did he run to Jesus, but before all those gathered there he knelt down before the Lord. He appeared to be very humble. It’s a good thing to kneel. It’s not a weak thing nor is it an unimportant thing to do. It may be childlike, but it isn’t childish. It takes a strong person to do it when others are looking on. It’s not a thoughtless or self-righteous thing to kneel. And it’s not a foolish thing to pray. It’s a beautiful thing to come before the Lord in prayer.

Looking back at this man, we notice that he is sincere and respectful, but he also appears to be honest. He opens his heart to Jesus. The man says to Him – “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Now watch Jesus as He step by step leads the young man. First He tries him with the Law – “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” The young man in all sincerity says – “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.” And he was being honest. He could truthfully say that according to his standards he had kept them all his life.

Jesus then probes deeper and touches the sore spot. He puts the young man to the test – “One thing you lack.” “There is one thing standing between you and salvation. And outward keep of the Law is not enough. Your heart must be pure and right in the sight of God. What you need above everything else in an inward change. Because you have not given yourself completely and totally to God. You are still holding on to one thing in this world that you love more than you love God. And that is your riches.” And then Jesus tells him – “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Jesus invites this young man to turn his heart away from earthly treasures and to fix his heart on the heavenly treasure – the undeserved grace and forgiveness of God!

Christ told the young man to sell his possessions. He didn’t tell him to give them away as if he had no right to them. No, our Lord told him to sell. If Christ had been talking to Nicodemus instead of the rich young ruler, maybe He would have told him that, if he wanted to be a disciple, to first get rid of his fear of the opinion of the other Pharisees. In the case of this young man, it was his trust in his riches that stood between him and following Christ. So Jesus said – “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

That was the test. He had run to Jesus. He seemed to be sincere. He knelt and appeared to be humble. He had honestly confessed his innermost need to Christ, and now if he would only take the next step, the final step, he would be saved. If he would just surrender himself and his possessions to the Lord, eternal treasures would be his. For it’s as Jesus said – “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.” But what do we read? It is written – “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

How close we can come to salvation and yet pass it by! How good and moral we can appear in the eyes of the world, and yet turn our backs on Christ! Is it possible for a person to talk with Jesus, to look into His face – and yet go away? This man did. We can even live with Jesus and not know Him. Judas betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. Some of us have betrayed Him for far less than that. Some of us have nothing more than bothered consciences and sleepless nights. We can even die in His presence and never know Him. The criminal on the cross to the left of Jesus did that and cursed Jesus in his dying moments. Yes, we also can go away.

If this young man had only looked at the sacrifice that Jesus was asking him to make, and then looked at Christ and eternity! If he had only thought of the joy and honor for time and eternity that comes to a person who is living in and for Jesus! If he had come into the Kingdom with all of his influence and capabilities, he might have brought hundreds, if not thousands, into the kingdom of God with him. All this was lost because he did not come. What is holding you back from giving yourself totally to Jesus? What’s holding you back from becoming more active in the kingdom of God? What’s holding you back from uniting wholeheartedly with Christ and His cause? When we stand before God on the day of judgment, we will be held responsible not only for what we have done, but also for what we might have done and didn’t do.

The young man went away sad. Where did he go? Back to his riches? They couldn’t satisfy him. We can’t feed our souls with materials things – we aren’t built that way. Our souls are eternal. Why then try to feed them on things that aren’t eternal? When the young man left Jesus, he left the true riches of heaven behind, he left those treasures that will never fade away.

Where did he go? Back to his friends? He had left his friends because they could not satisfy the longing within him. True friends are rare. Too many people will be with you in good times, but let sorrow and misery come, then where are those friends? There is only one true and loyal friend. There is only One who has proven His right to be your everlasting friend. He is Jesus Christ!

Where did the young man go? Back to his pleasures? There is a certain amount of gratification in the pleasures of this world – but they don’t last. Only the pleasures that Jesus offers last forever. At His right hand are fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

Where did he go? To heaven? No! There are those who say that it doesn’t matter what a person believes. All roads, they say, lead at last to heaven. This is not what God tells us. Jesus says – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is written – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ.”

Though money is indispensable in buying a home here on earth, it can’t buy a home in heaven. In fact, the love of money may keep a person from heaven. So it was with the rich young man. Because of his possessions he left Jesus, and when he did, he left all hope of heaven behind. This same Jesus stands before us this morning, full of love, and now asks us – “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Think of all that God has given you. Think of all that God has done for you, the mercy He has shown you. And remember that He has given you His love for one purpose and one purpose alone – to save you, to make you His own, to share eternity with you, and to make you an heir of salvation.

Do you know what salvation cost your Lord? Go back into history about 2000 years, back to Bethlehem, back to Nazareth, back to Gethsemane, back to Calvary. That’s what it cost God – Calvary! He fixed His eyes of Calvary and the cross! He died there so that our sins might be forgiven. He died that we might become the children of God. He died that we might not miss heaven.

They used to go to the cross to die – now they go there to live. It used to be a place of death – now it is a place of eternal life. “Come, follow me…and you will have treasure in heaven.” May God give us grace that we come to Jesus, and may He keep us always in His grace and love. May it never be said of you or me – “He went away sad.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

No Loopholes? (Mark 10:2-16)

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 18:55:58 GMT

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost, October 3, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St, Mark 10:2-16, but especially these words –

Some Pharisees came and tested (Jesus) by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

A group of young people were brought together and were asked the question – “Which two commandments out of the ten do you consider to be the least important?” Without hesitation, one of them responded – “’Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘You shall not commit adultery’ – these two commandments are the least important…because nobody keeps them anyway!”

Asking the same question to a group of adults, it was finally concluded that the two commandments that warn against coveting would have to be seen as the least important. These adults were reminded that the New Testament tells us that covetousness is idolatry. So, if we were to eliminate these two commandments concerning coveting, then we would also have to get rid of the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods,” which warns us against idolatry.

With this information before the group, one of the adults responded – “It doesn’t make much difference how we look at the Ten Commandments anyway. Because Jesus told us that the moment we break one of the commandments, we have broken all of them.” In conversations with young people or with older people, when our concern centers on the commandments, it soon becomes apparent that the setting in which these words are seen is that of a courtroom. In this courtroom, we stand before the awesome authority of a Supreme Judge who is seated high above the heavens. In this courtroom, however, there is no jury made up of people like you and me who might sympathize with our human frailties. God alone will judge our case. And He has made it clear that when we break one of His commandments, we stand guilty of breaking all of them.

When we as Christians see the Ten Commandments in this setting, then, like the Pharisees in the Holy Gospel Lesson for today, we spend our time looking for loopholes in the Law. Some of these men came to Jesus one day with the question – “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife.” Jesus responded – “What did Moses command you?” They said – “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

Our Lord could easily have demolished their shallow, self-centered interpretation of what Moses commanded in the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses spoke out of love – but the Pharisees saw his words as a loophole in the law. Moses wrote in behalf of mercy – but the Pharisees manipulated his words to try to justify what they wanted to do without mercy. Jesus could see it wouldn’t be enough to just win the debate. More decisive action was required. The Pharisees of every age must be shown, once and for all, that there are no loopholes in God’s law.

Jesus took them beyond the commandments and back to creation. When two people are united in marriage, they become one. “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Even our Lord’s disciples were disturbed by these blunt words. All of us can understand their concern. Instinctively, we would like to find some loopholes through which we could crawl out of a difficult situation without feeling guilty about it. But there is no way out. Jesus told His disciples – “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

At our Lord’s time, adultery was punishable with death by stoning. Listening to the Holy Gospel Lesson for today, if you were asked to name two commandments out of the ten that are the most important…which ones would you choose? Over the centuries, whenever the church has placed the commandments within the setting of a courtroom, then great importance has been given to these words – “You shall not steal,” “You shall not commit adultery,” and “You shall not kill.”

People who broke these commandments were harshly treated and condemned. Idolatry, profanity, failure to keep the Sabbath, dishonoring parents, lying or coveting were more easily excused. In fact, there have been times in the early history of the Christian Church when the church itself deliberately broke the commandment, “You shall not kill” to justify itself in the fight against heresy. It is also a sad part of our history to admit that when the charge was adultery, women have been more severely condemned than men.

Against this background, there are three important things we really ought to keep in mind. The first thing is this – on that day in our Lord’s ministry, the conversation with Him revolved around marriage, divorce and adultery. However, this conversation could have applied to any of the commandments, and the conclusion would have been exactly the same! There are no loopholes in God’s law. For it is written – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Whenever we try to justify ourselves by the law, by the law we will be condemned.

The second thing is this – whenever we, like those Pharisees, place the Ten Commandments within the setting of a courtroom, then we have set aside the Gospel. To live by the Gospel is to see the Ten Commandments, not in terms of a courtroom, but rather in terms of a courtship. These commandments become the guidelines within which this courtship between us and our God is carried out.

People in love do try to find loopholes in the commitments they make to each other during courtship. Imagine two people whose wedding date has been set saying to each other – “Darling, once we’re married we will spend the rest of our lives together. But between now and our wedding day, I want to be free to see whoever I want, whenever I want. Only occasionally do I want to see you between now and then. Don’t expect me to be faithful to you sexually until we’re married. I want to be free to cheat and lie and covet…whatever pleases me. However, once we’re married, then I will behave myself.” Obviously, after such a conversation, the courtship would soon come to an abrupt end. No human being in their right mind would put up with that kind of arrangement.

However, I said that there were three things that needed to be remembered today. What needs to be said now is so incredible, and it’s this – the fact we must face is that God has been putting up with this kind of courtship over all of the centuries of human history! We have said to Him – “Lord, I want to be with You in heaven when Christ, the Bridegroom, takes the church, His bride, to be with Him forever. But, for now, Lord, I hope you will understand if I have other gods, and profane Your name, and forget Your day, and dishonor my parents. I want to be loved even when I hurt other people physically, when I am sexually irresponsible, when I steal and lie and covet. Lord, I am just like the apostle Paul. Deep down inside, I want to do what is right, but day after day, I discover that what I actually do is what I hate.

Under these circumstances, we would assume that the courtship would be over and God would simply forget all about us. Yet, the courtship has continued throughout the centuries. Our Lord’s love goes beyond our understanding. We violate every basic guideline for an honorable courtship. In response, God gave His Son to fulfill the law for us so that we might be forgiven and reconciled to Him once again. When Jesus had this conversation with the Pharisees, He was on His way to Jerusalem, to the cross…to suffer and die for us.

Walking with Him on the way to that cross, we discover something more about the depths of Jesus’ love. When the Pharisees and the disciples talked to Him about marriage and divorce and adultery, He didn’t become angry. It was nothing new for Him to be confronted by people who were trying to find loopholes in the law. But when the disciples tried to prevent some people from bringing their little children to Jesus, then our Lord became indignant. He had made it absolutely clear that there are no loopholes in His love either!

There is no one here, no matter how young or old you are, how rich or poor, how moral or immoral, whether you are single, married, divorced, or widowed, even if you are living in open rebellion against God, you are never living beyond the boundaries of His love. If you desire to respond to His unfailing love, then stop trying to justify yourself in terms of the law. Because no one can do that. God offers His love to us as a gift of grace. To receive the gift of His love, we must become like children. We don’t pretend to deserve so great a gift. We simply open our hearts and lives to receive it freely, willingly and eagerly, with praise and thanksgiving.

To love Him is to keep His commandments. And when you fail, confess your sins. He has already paid the price for them. Then strive again, in response to His love, to follow these words of the Savior – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” God’s message today takes us out of a courtroom and into a courtship. And it’s here that we discover that there are no loopholes in His law. But it’s also here that we discover that there are no loopholes in the love of our God. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Call To Action (Numbers 13:30)

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 18:51:17 GMT

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost, September 26, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Numbers 13:30

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

From the Bible stories that were read to you as children and from your Sunday School lessons, most of you have heard of Moses. Quite probably you can recall Joshua. But we don’t hear much about Caleb, the companion of Moses and Joshua. So today, it’s good for us to recall Caleb – because he proclaimed one of the earliest call to action sermons on record. Caleb’s sermon is appropriate for us today, as we resolve to unite around our Lord and His Church – once again to renew our efforts to reach out to people with the Word of God.

Caleb’s sermon is short and simple. It is written – “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’” The first thing we note in Caleb’s call to action is the challenge that he presented to ancient Israel – and also to us.

You’ll recall how God through Moses delivered the people of Israel from a life of slavery in Egypt to one of freedom. He promised to lead these people to the Promised Land, Canaan – “a land flowing with milk and honey.” And God kept His promise. After leading them for a year or two, the Lord brought His people to the southern boundary of the land He had promised them. He now urged the people of Israel to enter and to occupy this land for themselves and for their children.

To prepare themselves for taking over this land, the Israelites sent 12 spies, one from each tribe in Israel, to get a lay of the land. They were to seek information about the strength and number of its inhabitants, the fertility and productivity of the soil, the fortifications of the cities, the culture of the people, and other useful information.

Upon their return, the spies reported that the Lord had indeed told them the truth – Canaan was certainly a land flowing with milk and honey. But they also had discouraging words – “But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” To these fearful spies, the inhabitants were giants. Having heard the report of the 10 false spies, the people of Israel lost heart and wanted to return to Egypt. In this situation of despair, Caleb silenced the commotion and picked up God’s people with the stirring words – “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

Our situation today is quite similar to that of Israel. The Lord has done great things for us. In His time, the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to keep His law for us and to endure the punishment for our sins. He did this to deliver us from the slavery of sin and death – and to bring us into the promised land of His kingdom. God has called us to be His people and has given us the high dignity of being His representatives. As such, we’re to share with all people the glorious message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Our God has placed us here to teach God’s people – what it means to be a Christian and to equip one another to live as His representatives in the world. We also seek to reach out to all people in our community who don’t know the salvation Christ has won for them – and share that saving message with them.

But we too must face great obstacles that try to discourage us. The world itself lies in the power of Satan. By nature, all people prefer to serve evil – rather than God. People dismiss goodness and righteousness as – “that sissy church stuff”. Those who seek to serve God by loving their fellow human beings are often ridiculed as being pushovers. Just because the world is in the power of the devil – it rejects those who would speak for God and walk in His ways.

The spirit of our times is set against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our generation has been called “the now generation” or “the me generation”. People aren’t interested in the future, especially in eternity. So many are concerned only about themselves. They don’t want to hear that they’re responsible to God for the way they live. They want to feel that they’re just fine the way they are. They don’t want to be reminded that by nature they’re under God’s judgment and are in need of a Savior. Blinding themselves to their responsibility to God, people by-and-large don’t want to be told that God expects them to serve Him – by accepting responsibility for their fellow human beings everywhere. They indeed want to live only for themselves.

And then there are the many people baptized in our churches who did go to Church for a while. It’s discouraging to note how many people have given up God and the Church for the world and its ways. Never before in the history of our nation has there been such widespread apostasy as during the past 30 years. For example, and this is typical of most Christian denominations, of all children baptized in our church body during the past 30 years, less than half are still going to church. More than 40 percent of the infants baptized in our congregations are never confirmed. As we observe such widespread rejection of the Gospel, we can easily become discouraged and lose heart.

To stir up our enthusiasm and gather us together to meet the great challenges of today’s world, Caleb would say to us as he did to God’s people long ago – “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

The second thing we hear in Caleb’s sermon is its note of confidence – “for we can certainly do it.” What was it that made Caleb so confident? He knew that it was the Lord who had brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He had observed the Lord’s many miracles through which He had provided for the needs of His people. He had heard the Lord’s command to enter the Promised Land – and he believed God’s promise that He would go with them and bless them.

We too have good reasons for being confident as we rally together to work with the Lord. We have God’s command – “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As we proclaim the Word of the Lord, we’re never alone. God is with us as we teach His Word – to awaken and sustain faith and to empower us to live as He would have us live. We can also be confident because God gives us people with talents sufficient for our task. We may not always realize this – we may complain that it’s difficult to find people willing to work and to help. But we have been given these people nevertheless. So, on this day, we face the future of with confidence, as we say with Caleb – “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

The third point we note in Caleb’s call to action is his sense of urgency. Caleb recognized that now was God’s time for His people to occupy the Promised Land. Should they pass up the opportunity this time – who knew when they would have that chance again? Caleb was right in being urgent. However, the people of Israel rejected his challenge and refused to enter Canaan. As a result, the 10 false spies died from a plague, and all Israelites 20 years of age and older – were condemned to wander 40 years in the wilderness without ever reaching their destination. Finally, having realized the consequences of their refusal, the people of Israel changed their minds and offered to enter Canaan after all. But then it was too late. Moses told the people that through their unbelief – they had forfeited God’s promise to go with them. God’s opportunity for them had come and gone – now, it was too late.

With the same sense of urgency, Caleb would urge us today to gather together and meet our opportunities and responsibilities now. Tomorrow, next year, may be too late. Are all of us making use of today’s opportunities to hear and study the Word of God? Are we sharing our talents to further the proclamation of the Word? Are we reaching out to the unchurched people in our community? Are we making use of every opportunity to grow in our Christian faith and life – and to share the Gospel of the Savior with others. As St. Paul wrote – “As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” As we look at our opportunities and review our trust in God’s promises – “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Just One Of Those Days! (Isaiah 66:12-14)

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:46:18 GMT

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost, September 12, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Isaiah 66:12-14

For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

I call them – “Just one of those days.” I’ve had them. You have, too. They are days when good old Murphy’s Law moves from principle to reality. Murphy’s Law, you’ll recall, says – “If something can go wrong, it usually will.” Some days Murphy’s wisdom seems to rank right up there with that of Solomon’s.

I’ve had those days when I thought that everything that could go wrong has, that things couldn’t get any worse – only to find out that I was mistaken. And I am sure that I’m not alone. Today I can laugh about days like these. Murphy’s Law, however, runs a lot deeper. Give me a few days like that and add to them a global picture of doom and tragedy, and it’s no longer something to laugh about.

The other day I ran across a statistic that brought a feeling of hopelessness and despair over me very quickly. I read that each year in America, 200,000 children are physically abused. No less than 15 to 20 per cent of American families abuse their children. And two-thirds of all abuse occurs with children under four years of age. Child abuse is the number one killer of children under five years of age. And four thousand children die annually due to child abuse – and those are just the cases that are reported.

It makes me sick and ashamed and angry. So does crazy, vicious crime and violence in the streets and needless death on the highway and the killing of unborn children by abortion and the 10,000 people starving to death every day and the poor education too many of our kids are receiving.

So there! I’m glad I got that off my mind. But the truth is that I don’t get it off my mind – and you probably don’t either. I get a call from a friend, go on the internet, or watch the news – and it all comes back. It just doesn’t go away. Whether you call it despair or pessimism, it hits even Christians. And what are the results? I’ll list them for you. 1) We look sad. 2) We have little or no good news to share. 3) We can bring a shadow of darkness and doom even to the most promising of settings. 4) We stop trying to make things better. And 5) We’re bad company. We often find ourselves standing alone. And people are saying things to us like – “I’m sorry you feel that way,” or “Are you feeling all right?”

Without hope and an optimism for the future, Christianity shrivels up. Its appeal is lost, and at best our faith becomes a kind of escapism – certainly not a witness and certainly not filled with joy! Now our preoccupation with pessimism has not gone unnoticed. In every bookstore you can find a printed resource for overcoming despair. It usually promises you such things as – “You can now begin to live again,” or “Finally, a way for you to make a difference in the world.” It all sounds great! The problem comes when you find that many of these writers are only leading you down the garden path. Counterfeit is passed. Phony optimism is promised – the kind that won’t wash under careful scrutiny. Beware of false optimism. Examples?

Beware of believing that all you need to do is grit your teeth and forge ahead. You’ve heard the saying – “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Unfortunately, the going may get tougher than you ever imagined. It may be tougher than you. Beware also of believing that you can have an optimistic attitude by just avoiding bad news or bad situations. It may work for a while – but your life isn’t a Disney World. Sooner or later, you’ll run up against it again. You’ll have to cope with evil. And by all means, beware of believing that the answer to your desire for more optimism is you. Perhaps you’ve discovered that you can’t always depend on yourself. Sometimes, you are your own best friend. At other times, you are your own worst enemy.

Today, we look at Isaiah, the prophet of God to the kingdom of Judah in the last half of the eighth century B.C. Though Isaiah was a son of Amoz – his last name could very well have been Murphy. Isaiah had a good reason for pessimism. As a young man, he had watched the nation of Assyria take the people of Isaiah, the kingdom to the north, into exile. A few years later he watched its capital, Samaria, fall. Then the Assyrians struck at his nation. Many cities were destroyed. Thousands of captives were taken. For most of his days, Isaiah faced war and defeat.

The prophet Isaiah though had the Word of God to share with his people – but no one wanted to hear it. He looked at his world – and he saw gluttony, idolatry, profaning the Sabbath, and gross injustice. It wasn’t, exactly a prophet’s delight! But what Isaiah offers us in the face of world crisis and impending doom is no counterfeit optimism. He holds out hope for anyone who will hear his message. I hope that we’re willing to listen to him today – because what he offers us is realistic optimism. No tricks. No escapism. No shaky reliance on self. He faces the problems of life straight on – and remains optimistic.

The prophet Isaiah gives us four good reasons to have hope – even when the situation looks otherwise. His writing reflects an enduring mood of optimism. And if we look at the words of the text, we’ll find his reasons for hope. First, notice that these words aren’t addressed to an individual – but to a group. We have reason to hope – because we’re not alone. We’re part of a people – the people of God. Others feel the same way we do about things. Righteous anger over needless death and injustice abounds. We’re not alone in wanting to hear less bad news.

One of the best moves you can make if your perspective is turning pessimistic is this – find a friend, especially one who shares your faith. Solitary pessimism is a dangerous thing. It breeds bitterness and self-pity. Oh, I know – “Misery loves company.” So, getting together with others could turn into a society of pessimists. On the other hand, look at it this way – we’re talking here about a pessimism that springs from a genuine love for the good, hatred of evil, and a desire for goodness to prevail. Put God’s people who have that sort of commitment together – however much it’s been disappointed – and you have some solid support for hope.

I’d like to think that our congregation is an example of this principle at work. You may be here today because you’ve run up against it. You know you can’t handle it alone. And you know that there are people here who have faced what you’re facing. So, you’ve come – and being here with all of us gives you strength as we share the message of the Gospel with one another.

Isaiah offers us a reason for hope that is rooted in God. He speaks God’s own message – “This is what the Lord says”. What follows is a series of promises God has made. We have reason to hope – because God has invested Himself for us. The Holy Scriptures are filled with the promises of God to us. They’re made to you – for your good. I’m convinced that we’re often so prone to be pessimistic – because we’re too far from God and His Word to hear His promises. Read that Word with one thought in mind – all of this God did for me.

Throughout the Scriptures, you see God investing all of His time and energy for you. You read the Gospel not just as His story – but as your story as well. Isaiah’s words are part of that whole stream of Scriptural promise, offering a comforting word of peace. No matter what was going on in the world around them, the people could be sure that the Lord cared about them, that He loved them. And if we look at His Word in this way – as the Lord’s promises and actions on our behalf – we’ll always have reason to hope. For we mean that much to God!

Isaiah’s words present a God who cares for us with the tender compassion of a mother for her child. It’s a beautiful picture of God as our Comforter. When we feel uneasy and threatened, we can go to the Lord. We expect Him to be there – and He is! You see, God is our reason for confidence.

And finally, Isaiah promises – “When you see this, your heart will rejoice.” The prophet Isaiah never lost sight of the final outcome of history. We have reason to hope – because we too have seen the story’s end. Isaiah saw the bounty of God’s kingdom. He even looked beyond the horizon of history – to glory never-ending. You also know how history ends. It ends with God triumphant, with Christ returning in glory, and with you crowned with eternal life that is already yours through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a great ending – a tremendous final scene as the curtain comes down on the drama of the ages.

Knowing how it ends make those Murphy Days not only bearable, but actually filled with joy. Each day, deadlines and all, is a getting ready for the glorious ending. For Isaiah, there was always time in “one of those days” for celebration – because he kept the whole story in perspective. May it always go that way for you. Come to think about it, who was this Murphy guy anyway? Maybe he should have become acquainted with the prophet Isaiah. He would have pointed him to the Messiah, the Christ, who in all things works for the good of those who love Him. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Sign Language of God (Mark 7:31-37)

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 18:40:37 GMT

Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost, September 5, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Mark 7:31-37, but especially these words –

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,’ they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

It’s easy to miss the secondary characters in the gospel – because we watch Jesus so much. Not that we should ever overlook Jesus by any means – but the fact is that we can see what He is doing with new eyes when we watch Christ through the people with whom He is interacting. The text for today is a case in point.

Put yourself into this deaf man’s shoes. We know very little about him, but we can assume that he was a Gentile since he lived in the region of the Decapolis, or the “Ten Towns,” an area inhabited mainly by Romans and Greeks. If he was a Gentile, the very term “Messiah” would very likely not have meant much to him, even if he could have heard what was happening.

But imagine his situation in the moment we find him in the text. You will know how isolated from society a deaf person is if you have ever known such a person. He can see what is happening, but he doesn’t know how to react since he can’t interpret what he sees without being able to hear. So he is pushed and pulled by a crowd of people rushing to see Jesus, whom they have heard is passing through the area.

But the deaf man doesn’t know what all the pushing and pulling means, and since he possibly doesn’t know who Jesus is because of his Gentile background, he must have been completely bewildered. Caught up in a crushing crowd dragging him to see our Lord as they hoped to see a miracle, he was a pawn in their hands and must have been frightened out of his mind. His uncertainty must have struck Jesus almost immediately. Fear and alarm in his heart must have surfaced in signs that brought Christ’s compassion forth at once.

So Jesus immediately tries to bring some peace to his heart. He takes the deaf man away from the crowd. He speaks as best he can to the man with a form of sign language. Putting his fingers into the man’s ears, our Lord indicates an awareness of the man’s problem. Spitting into His own hand and then touching the tongue of the man indicates further recognition that the problem is also tied to his speech. One can almost sense the man settling down. His eyes light up with an awareness that somebody knows how deeply this trouble affects him, how totally it cuts him off from society.

Then our Lord’s look to the heavens tells him that only God can help him in the troubles he carries. Jesus’ deep sigh indicates a concerned prayer to the Father who alone could help. Then…a sudden word broke the silence – “Ephphatha!” “Be opened!” For the first time in years – perhaps ever – he was able to hear. He knew sound! The man was thrilled beyond belief. And now the miracle is multiplied, for without hearing language had become almost meaningless to him. But we’re told that he immediately spoke clearly in addition to hearing clearly! Can you imagine how this man felt?

A whole new world opened to him. He was returned to society. His isolation was broken with this gift. It was a new life! But what did this man see in Jesus? He must surely have seen in this Man, this Jesus, someone who brought the earliest dawning of the kingdom of God into his life. And we can sense this idea spreading through the crowd as they say – “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

We hear an echo of this in the Old Testament Reading for today where the coming of the kingdom is announced as the time when the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. They saw in Jesus the coming of king…and if the king is near, can the kingdom be far behind? Let’s backtrack now to see the love and compassion of our Lord as He takes this bewildered, frightened man and prepares Him for the coming of the kingdom.

You see, the man could read Jesus’ sign language through which our Lord shows the direction of this miracle…and all of His miracles, for that matter. Jesus wants above all to show Himself to the man through what He does for him. What, then, is the miracle pointing to? Power? Possibly…but power is really a side issue in Christ’s miracles. Behind and beneath the miracles of Jesus was the sign language of God – the pointing beyond this present world to that kingdom which is breaking upon the world through the coming of Jesus.

Is this much different from the situation we all find ourselves in? Don’t you feel the pressures and uncertainties and fears of life? It’s almost frightening to realize that none of us is more than a breath away from death. A host of events and possibilities and fears bring us before God in much the same way this poor, unfortunate man was brought before Jesus.

It's not enough to say that we don’t have to fear any of these things because God is on our side. For when we’re confronted by the living God Himself, the first response is hardly comfort, but fear and awe. We should never take God for granted under any circumstances. For what hold to we have on God that He ought to keep our lives whole and together, or mend them when they are in need of repair and restoration? As people of faith, we know above everything that God isn’t required to do anything He has done for us. We receive all things as a gift…the very breath that keeps us alive, His word of forgiveness, love, and life…all things!

To assume otherwise…that God actually owes us anything we have from our life to our forgiveness and hope is totally foreign to our Christian faith. So that we don’t take God for granted, we need to constantly realize that the God who deals with us is the God whose Son deals here with this frightened deaf man. As with him, so He deals with us in the light of our complete helplessness so evident to Him who loves us with such a great love! This man laid no claims on Jesus. We come in the same way.

And we are received by God as Jesus receives this man. The One who hates sin becomes sin for us; the Judge becomes the judged on our behalf because He knows our helplessness and takes up the responsibility of our life for us as a loving father for His children. He speaks a word to us – “Ephphatha,” ”Be opened” – and we are given forgiveness and new hope. A new life is opened for us and in us – when we hear the word of our King!

All of this is communicated to us in the form of sign language. Our human words simply aren’t enough to show us the glory of the coming kingdom. It is God’s touch that causes those words to come alive and that draws us to them. Words are like little windows through which we see what is yet to come. So Jesus draws pictures for us…parables and miracles…to show us what the words promise to us.

“The kingdom of God is like…” How many parables begin like that? They are pictures to help us see the glory that is coming. A deaf man is made to hear while his impediment of speech is removed. Sign language of a most vivid form previews the coming glory yet to be revealed. Water is poured as a sign through which God opens the door of the kingdom for us with power! Bread and wine become the visual images through which the body and blood, once given and shed for us, are offered to us once again as a foretaste of the great wedding feast where we shall all eat, basking in the splendor of the Lord’s glory.

The kingdom of God is at hand! It must be spoken of, proclaimed in every way possible as an invitation to participate in the greater fulfillment yet to come! The invitation goes out to everyone! And we are sent to proclaim the coming of that kingdom! So, how can we do it when even Jesus seemed to get through to so few? Aren’t our means of communication vastly inadequate to the tremendous miracles of Christ?

Yet…isn’t our life itself a miracle, a sign of what is yet to come? Our words reveal something of the miracle, but words can only tell so much. Isn’t our very life itself part of the communication God is spreading throughout the world? That we should live by grace…that we should show love…that we should come with the words “be opened” to lived closed in by sin and loneliness…this is the miracle of renewal that is for our world – the sign language of God. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

How Many Golden Calves Have You Made? (Exodus 32:7-14)

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 18:35:48 GMT

Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost, August 29, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Exodus 32:7-14, but especially these words –

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Jesus told the story about a man who had three servants. Before the man left on a long journey, he gave one of his servants, five talents – another, two talents – and the third, one talent. Two of the servants invested their talents and were able to double them. The third servant didn’t use his at all. In fact, he dug a hole and buried it for safekeeping. When the man returned from his journey, he complimented the two servants who wisely invested their talents. He had harsh words for the servant who did nothing. The servant tried to explain his failure by saying – “I was afraid.”

The words – “Do not be afraid” – appear in the Bible 365 times. And yet, there isn’t a day in our lives – when fear isn’t with us. And because of it, you and I at times begin to lose our grasp on things and, like the nation of Israel at the foot of the mountain – we begin to grow restless and make golden calves for ourselves.

How many golden calves have you made this past week. I’m sure this seems like a pretty strange question, and you would probably answer – “Honestly, I haven’t made a single one. I couldn’t afford the price of gold anyway.” Literally, it’s true – no golden calves, not a single one! Yet in our lives, when the delay seems long, the news depressing, and when we look up toward the mountain where God is supposed to be – all we see is darkness and dead-ends. We, too, each in our own way, like the nation of Israel in Old Testament times, begin to make our golden calves.

For we’re always looking for something we can see and feel – something that’s going to protect us from fear and uncertainty. And in this way, we begin to build barriers between ourselves and God. Having said this, let’s look at the words of the text again – with God and Moses up on the top of the mountain and the people of Israel down below. It’s a very familiar story. It’s a story of contrasts and surprises.

The people of Israel with Aaron, the chief priest, as their leader – were at the foot of the mountain. They had been there for forty days and forty nights – and that’s a terribly long time when you’re waiting for someone or something. At the top of the mountain, God was speaking to Moses – and everything there was secure and peaceful. However, below – the people were angry and restless. Where in the world had Moses gone? Had he brought them out of Egypt into the desert – just to abandon them? And so, in their restlessness – Israel looked for someone, something, to protect them from the uncertainty of their situation. Something to look at, to see, to feel, and to touch. They decided to build a solid, permanent image – something present and comfortable. Not off somewhere in those clouds on the mountain – but something that was near at all times. Visible. Something to hold on to. And so, the people began to build an idol – a golden calf.

On the mountain, God said to Moses – “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.” That little word “your” – we miss those little words at times – show us how God looked at what was going on down at the foot of the mountain. Israel was no longer His people, for they had turned away from Him. They had refused to be His own. Earlier, God had told these same people – “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” But now, they were Moses’ people, and it was Moses who had brought them out of Egypt. Remember that God also said – “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol.” But that’s exactly what the people of Israel had done. And that special relationship with God was broken.

God had called these people to be His own, and promised to be their God. But now, they had become afraid. They had built their own god. They had deserted the Lord. They had refused the privilege of being God’s very own – and now had to suffer the consequences of their actions. This shows us what happens to our relationship with God – when we begin to make golden calves, setting up gods of our own.

But there’s another thing. If those people at the foot of the mountain refused to be God’s people – then He would raise up a new people for Himself. He said to Moses – “I will make you into a great nation.” And this promise gave Moses just the opening he had been waiting for. He questioned God on two points – “Whose people are those who made the golden calf? And to whom does the promise made by God belong?”

Moses’ response begins to give us a pattern – a little insight into how we can come to God, and how God also will forgive us when we make golden calves for ourselves – but in repentance and faith, seek Him where He can be found. Just look at how Moses approached God. First of all, he reminded God that these people were indeed His people – in spite of what they had done. He said – “O Lord, why would your anger burn against your people?” And it’s that little word “your” again. And then Moses begins to remind God of what He had done for the people of Israel – that in spite of what they had done, they were the same people that God called out of Egypt to be His own. And just as they had been His people then – so they were still His people. For God called them out of Egypt – not because they were such good and respectable people, but because He loved them then and loved them still.

Moses reminded God that these people were the fulfillment of His promise. This is what God said to Abraham – “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever” – and that promise still stood. So now we begin to see something of the heartbreak of God that finds its completion in the cross of Jesus Christ – the pain that our sins and rebellion bring to God.

Yes, so it is for us, when we make our golden calves and begin to put up barriers. Jesus Christ came to tear those barriers down – and to destroy those golden calves that we have built. To re-establish our relationship with God once again. Not because of what we have done, but in spite of what we’ve done, in spite of the golden calves we have constructed and the ways in which we’ve forgotten God. Moses went back down the mountain and reminded the people that when there are long delays, when things don’t seem to be going well, when God seems to be so very far away, and they become restless – look once again at what God had done for them, look once again at God’s promises to them. For it’s in Him that they’ll find their protection, their salvation, and their God.

The text for today reminds us that God will remain faithful. This is so – even when we fall short of God’s demand for absolute loyalty and devotion. For the gap between God’s justice and our sin – is done away with by the love of God, not our goodness. We just can’t build ourselves up to the level demanded by God. But as He came to Israel when the Israelites made a golden calf – so through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God comes to us with His love and forgiveness.

It’s true, the world in which we live often looks terrifying. And as a result, we’re often filled with fear. But the answer isn’t in making our own golden calves, trying to build our own protective barriers to defend us from the uncertainties of our time. When we look up at the mountain where God’s supposed to be – we see only darkness and emptiness. And when the delay seems long, we, like Israel, become restless. But it’s then that Christ shows us what God has done for us in the past. Christ shows us God’s love. And in the Savior, we know that God will never desert us. He loved us in the past – and He always will. In Him, the future is secure. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Clean In God's Sight! (Mark 7:1-13)

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 18:35:50 GMT

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost, August 22, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Mark 7:1-13, but especially these words –

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

When my brother and I were growing up, my dad often used the old saying – “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Cleanliness is indeed something that we all like to see in one way or another. A mother might envision it as a house where her children keep their rooms neat and clean. A salesperson might think of it in terms of appearance. And we might even think of cleanliness as a desirable quality for the entire nation. We might picture houses looking so perfect and beautiful, and its sidewalks and streets swept .and maintained. Yes, cleanliness is to be sure next to godliness. There is just something about getting rid of all the dirt and stains and making something pure.

Our personal standard of cleanliness or purity is very important to each of us. But we are also to be concerned about another standard – God’s standard. What does it take to be clean before God? What does it mean to be pure in His sight? How can we sinful human beings hope to measure up? To find the answer, let’s look at today’s Holy Gospel lesson from the seventh chapter of St. Mark. Some Jews were discussing the same question with Jesus. He tells us, just as He told them, what cleanliness in God’s sight really means.

It is written – “The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.” The account that deals with cleanliness in God’s sight begins with people coming to see Jesus. Of course, the gospels are full of stories about people coming to see Jesus. What is important here, however, is not just that they came to see Jesus, but why they came to see Him. We might say that cleanliness in God’s sight begins with coming for the right reason.

Why did these Pharisees and teachers of the law come to see Jesus? St. Mark writes that they “saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were ‘unclean,’ that is, unwashed.” Clearly, when these Pharisees and teachers of the law looked for Jesus, they weren’t looking for help or comfort or a Savor. They were looking for a chance to accuse. You see, they witnessed the disciples break a Jewish tradition. They didn’t wash their hands according to the Jewish ritual. Never mind that the washing of hands wasn’t required by the word of God but by tradition. The Pharisees and teachers of the law had come to Jesus to find fault – and they were pleased with their apparent success.

But before we point a self-righteous, accusing finger at these religious hypocrites, we need to examine our own cleanliness in God’s sight. Do we come to God for the right reason, or do we also, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, sometimes come to God in order to find fault? When we come to worship Him here in His house, do we look for an opportunity to be offended by another church member? Do we dissect the liturgy or the hymns to find something that we may not like? Do we look for distractions to justify our lack of attention? All too often we are just like the Pharisees and teachers of the law – we come to God in order to find fault with His people!

But there’s another way. Cleanliness in God’s sight means, first of all, coming for the right reason. Ironically, just before this story in which people had come to Jesus to find fault, St. Mark tells us of people who came to Jesus for the right reason – to find help. It is written – “They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went…they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.”

People were coming to Jesus for the right reason – to find help and comfort. And it wasn’t just the physical help that they looked for, but, more importantly, spiritual help. That’s why Jesus offers the greatest help to the paralytic, when He says – “Son, your sins are forgiven” and only later states – “Get up, take your mat and go home.” If we want to be clean in God’s sight, we must also come to God for the right reason – to find help. It’s really strange how we can carry a problem around for quite some time…somehow forgetting that God is always there to help! As we come asking for His help, He promises to answer us. The psalmist proclaims – “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted…and you listen to their cry.”

Unfortunately, just as the people can come to God for the wrong reason, people can also listen to the wrong source. We see an example of this in the text – “So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples live according to the traditions of the elders instead of eating their food with “unclean” hands?’” These Jewish religious leaders really wanted to be pure in God’s sight, but they were listening to the wrong source – the tradition of men.

Many Jews thought that their heritage would make them clean in God’s sight. They looked down on all non-Jews as impure. They had even developed this self-righteous attitude into a formal tradition. As St, Mark noted – “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.” Whatever was touched by a Gentile – clothing, food, furniture, anything bought at the market – had to be washed according to a special ritual. Otherwise, a Jew could become defiled, impure in God’s sight. And all this developed into a complicated man-made procedure for washing almost everything, so that they would not become impure or unclean.

Although that kind of man-made tradition sounds pretty strange today, we are also guilty of the very same thing. That tradition of ritual washings was basically saying – “Jews are better, cleaner, and purer than Gentiles. Stay away from those poor, wretched sinners.” We can often see that same attitude of superiority within the walls of Christian churches today. Christ also speaks to us when He says – “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” We’re a bit uncomfortable with having so-called “sinners” among us. After hearing something bad about someone, Christians too often would rather gossip about them or exclude them completely.

The truth is that anyone who listens to all that gossip is also a “poor, filthy sinner.” For cleanliness in God’s sight includes listening to the right source – the Word of God. There we read about our true condition – “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Our tendency to find fault and look down on others in itself reflects the fact that we are impure and unclean before God. And in this state our future is hopeless.

We can’t, however, stop our reading of the Word with that fearful message. Cleanliness in God’s sight means not only listening to the right source – God’s Word – but listening to its entire message. St. Mark records these words of Jesus as the theme of His gospel – “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” To put it another way, Jesus came to pay the laundry bill – the price necessary to wash us and make us clean in the sight of God.

The price for our cleanliness was quite high. It was death. The good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the price for you and for me on the cross. With His holy precious blood, He washes away every stain. Now we can live in purity and cleanliness before God. That’s the tremendous message of His resurrection from the dead. He died so that we might not die in our filthiness. He rose so that we might live in cleanliness before God now and forever.

How did those in the text respond to God’s Word? Jesus had an unpleasant judgment to make on them – “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’” He condemned them for giving mere lip service without trusting God in their hearts. He said – “They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” Although they heard the Word of God – they rejected it. They responded to the Word by trying to make themselves outwardly clean apart from Christ.

And we are not made pure before God based on anything we can say or do. For the heart is the heart of the matter. Purity in God s sight must involve a trusting heart. Cleanliness before God means clinging to the promises of God with our heart. Those promises stand firm. Jesus suffered death to wash away our sins. Jesus has risen from the dead that we might live in purity before God.

If cleanliness is next to godliness, then Jesus has brought us next to God. He has cleansed us so that we may listen to the right source – the good news of God. He has cleansed us so that we might come to Him for the right reason – to find His help. He has cleansed us so that we might respond with a trusting heart. He has cleansed us – forgiven all our sins – so that we might live with Him as our Savior forever in heaven.

Cling to the purity that we have in Jesus! For it’s as Isaiah wrote – “’Come now, let us reason together’, says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool.’” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Decisions, Decisions! (John 6:51-69)

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 18:24:32 GMT

Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost, August 15, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. John 6:51-69, but especially these words –

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Decisions, especially important ones, are not easily made. We can understand and sympathize with anyone who says – “I’m really having a hard time making up my mind.” Usually that means the person is trying to work with the problem, get all the facts, and then come up with the correct conclusion or make the right decision.

The disciples in the text for today were also making decisions. And individually, they each made a decision – one that affected their spiritual lives and their eternal welfare. And because you and I are concerned about our spiritual and eternal destiny, it’s important to look at the facts presented to us today in this word from the Holy Scriptures.

We don’t know how many people were involved in the incident that St. John presents to us. But they were people who had listened to Jesus proclaim the message of salvation. Preceding the text, our Lord had told them – “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus here was referring to the fact that He was indeed the Son of God in the flesh, who had come as the Savior of the world. He had taken the form of one of the creatures of creation – in order to pour out His blood for the salvation of all. But those who heard Jesus responded – “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

Perhaps our first reaction to these words would have been much the same. We may agree that it’s hard to understand and comprehend what Jesus was talking about. But what follows demonstrates that understanding wasn’t really the problem for these people. Slowly, one after another, they began to realize something else. Jesus’ teaching was hard because this Man standing in front of them was claiming – “I am the Messiah, the Savior.” They also realized that they had to respond to His claim. They had to answer the question – “Is He really the Savior, or isn’t He?”

This meant that they would have to reach a decision. As long as Jesus performed miracles that attracted attention, they were intrigued – because our Lord was unique. And He had a new way of presenting things. He offered them a change from the rather monotonous routine of daily life.

But now Christ was presenting these followers with a choice. If He really was who He said He was, if the only way to eternal life was to receive Him as true God in the flesh, and if they were going to continue to follow Him, they were going to have to change a lot of their ideas. They were also going to have to change their lives. You see, they understood what Jesus was saying – probably far better than they wanted to. For them, as it has been for everyone since then, the decision had to be made on the basis of what they knew and understood.

Today, there are far more people who leave Jesus Christ because they do understand what He is saying – than leave because they don’t understand. There are far more people who have left the church and are no longer seen there because they do understand what’s being proclaimed – than leave because they’re confused about the message of God.

The disciples who left made a decision. But Jesus also knew that some of them were having problems deciding. So, our Lord presented them with another situation – “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” He could have done it. But instead, Jesus said to them – “That’s not the important thing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

For Christ knew that a faith that’s fed on miracles and depends on visions is always going to be hungry for more and will never be satisfied. So, He offers them not miracles or visions, but Himself – “Eat my flesh and never hunger, drink of the living water and never thirst.” This is what the Savior has come to give. The people heard and were considering what He was saying. They were making their decision.

Finally, Jesus looked at all of His disciples, some of whom had probably been walking with Him for some time. He knew that some would continue to walk with Him for a while longer. One would go all the way to the Upper Room. He would still be there, keeping up an appearance, before he too would go his own separate way. You see, Christ knew that some followed Him for the wrong reasons. He also knew that the time was coming when they would have to make their decision. And that decision would be either to turn and go their own way – or to trust in Him as their Savior, the Redeemer of the world, and the Lord of their lives. And St. John tells us – “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” They had simply chosen to go their own way.

We don’t have to go much farther than here in imagining how the people may have left Him. How many of you haven’t noticed that the place where a particular family or individual always seemed to sit in church has been vacant for some time? Or, in conversation, the question is asked – “Where has so-and-so been lately?” And you realize that you no longer see that person around.

Yes, it still goes on today, doesn’t it? People make a decision – and that decision is to go their own way. They reach a point where it’s either Jesus Christ and all that He means, or taking a path other than the path of discipleship. And that other path may not appear to be all that bad. It may be good, clean, and moral. But it’s not dedicated to the Lord. It’s not a path that’s ready to make the sacrifices and commitments that the life of discipleship requires. When people seek other things instead of Christ, His kingdom, and His righteousness – they have come to the point of making that decision. Regrettably, for many, the decision is to go their own way.

There were some, of course, who stayed. Christ turned to them and asked – “Do you want to go away as well?” He was, in effect, asking them – “Have I lost My attraction with you also? Are My words falling on deaf ears? Were you also only looking to have your stomachs filled and your eyes amazed?” But Simon Peter gave the answer – “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Now, that’s a good answer, don’t you agree? It’s not only a good answer; it’s the only answer that can be given by a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ. “You have the words of eternal life. You are the Holy One of God.” And if there was ever a reason for following Jesus, it isn’t the popularity, the ease, the pleasures, the social position, or the profit that some may look for in material, physical things. Believe in Jesus Christ – because He’s the One who has the words of eternal life. It’s as the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians – “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”

Decisions aren’t easy to make. Many know what the Gospel proclaims and promises. They have made a decision, and they have reached a point where they realize that Christianity can never be both the pleasures of the world, living and looking at things the way the world looks at them – and having Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives. Jesus Christ is either the Lord of your whole life – or He’s the Lord of none of it.

That’s the same decision the followers of Christ made in the text for today. Some “turned back and no longer walked with him.” Others, with Simon Peter, asked the question – “Lord, to whom shall we go?” They knew the answer. There is no one else. Jesus Christ alone has the words of eternal life. And those who stand with Simon Peter have the joy and the assurance of life everlasting. While those who choose to walk the other way will bear the consequences of their decision. Your relationship with the Lord is just that – your relationship!

If you are troubled by being confronted with the decision to follow the call of Jesus through the Gospel, and if some call other than our Lord’s is causing you to look in another direction, then before you is the most important decision you’ll ever make. Today, the Lord looks at you and asks – “Do you want to go away as well?” May God, by the power of His Spirit, give you the faith, the dedication, and the commitment to respond – “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Tale Of Two Mountains (1 Kings 19:1-8)

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 18:19:49 GMT

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost, August 8, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: 1 Kings 19:1-8, but especially these words –

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors”…All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat”…So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

One of the more prevalent ideas today about the Christian life is that it’s an adventure. A kind of pilgrimage, we’re assured, that moves from one glowing success to another, from one joyous moment to another. They tell us that if we have sufficient faith in God and, particularly, in ourselves, there are no limits as to what people can achieve. So we are called upon to step on this escalator of promised joy, moving upward endlessly to new levels of happiness. There’s one thing wrong, however, with this idea. It doesn’t square with the realities of life. The rough facts of daily living keep running up against these all too simple sentiments.

If you want to put a finger on the source of so much difficulty with trying to deal with the matters that actually confront us in our lives, you need to look no further than this increasingly obvious fact – at the very time living becomes more and more demanding, with ever more complex situations to deal with, people are reducing their faith to ever more simpler terms. In place of remarkable statements and declarations about God and His ways of working, they discover that they’ve been trying to manage in tough situations with nothing more than the idea that in living one doesn’t need to do any more than one’s duty. There is no room for God here. No wonder there are such frantic attempts to escape into the illusions of success that are paraded before us all.

Living is hardly that always upward moving escalator of success for any of us. It moves rather from bright moments of joy to dark times of depression, from happiness to boredom. Our relentless calendars permit too little time for reflection and privacy. Yet even in our busyness there is a haunting loneliness. To recognize this about ourselves is just being honest. Those who know something about the people whose lives are spoken about in the Bible realize that they have more in common with them than they might think.

Elijah is one of those people. What a person to become acquainted with! He moves from a brilliant success to a quivering fear. From the scene of a remarkable victory, he travels to an isolated place in the wilderness. And it’s there, where acknowledging his own inadequacy, that Elijah comes before us in the text for today.

We can go quickly over the setting. Elijah was a humble man of God. Living in the rural countryside, he moved among ordinary people. He saved a widow from starvation and restored her son to life. When he came to the nation’s capital, he must have been a strange sight. Elijah’s ways contrasted sharply with the sophisticated ways of the royal city. What happened in the city was that the king had taken a new wife, Jezebel, and he was trying to make her happy. Ahab did the unthinkable for a king of Israel. He allowed his wife’s religion, the worship of the idol Baal, to be practiced. And with Jezebel as its sponsor, the cult flourished.

However, the prophet Elijah could not keep silent. He condemned King Ahab and declared that a drought scorching the land was just punishment from an angry God. But to attack the king was to attack Jezebel and her religion. Elijah did not back off. He challenged the priests of Baal, 450 of them, to a test to see whether Baal or the God of Israel is in command. The test was held on Mount Carmel. There two bulls were prepared for sacrifice. Baal was called upon first to show his power by lighting the sacrificial fire. Throughout the day the priests cried out to Baal, but the sacrifice was not burnt. Then Elijah, having soaked the bull and stacked wood on the altar with water, called out to God – and the bull, the wood, the altar, and even the water and soil were consumed by the fire sent from God. A tremendous victory for Elijah. Jezebel was devastated and very angry. She vowed her revenge upon Elijah. Then something odd happened. Fresh from a remarkable triumph, Elijah runs away in fear over what Jezebel might do to him – rather than enjoying his victory for the God of Israel.

What a strange story this is! You may wonder why, with all the matters that confront us personally, in the nation, and in the world – that you should be taken back to the quarrels of a distant time. We don’t know the prophet Elijah – but we can recognize something of our confusing fears in him. From the mountain of triumph to the depressing moments of uncertainty and fear, we move also.

Yes, human beings become fearful and disturbed – and that’s the point. Our Christian lives move at times, like the liturgy, from the tremendous alleluias to the humbleness of “Lord, have mercy.” From Mount Carmel to the wilderness, we know the journey well.

Whenever you and I ask ourselves, “Where am I in my Christian life?” – we become aware that battles are hardly won before we slip off into the loneliness of uncertainty. To confess that we know both wonderful moments of peace and frantic times of doubt and fear is painful. But it’s an honest confession. We get nowhere in our spiritual lives with Christ unless we’re honest with Him and with ourselves.

Surely we have learned that there are no permanent triumphs in our Christian life here on earth. Just when we’ve nailed down a victory over one frustrating thing or another, we must turn to fight another battle with doubt. With the prophet Elijah we can say –“’I have had enough, Lord’, I just can’t fight any more.” So just what do we do? For Elijah it was going back to the beginnings, going back to the place where God had sealed His covenant with His people, going back to Mount Horeb, the source of the nation’s life with God.

I imagine that many of us here this morning have at one time or another misplaced something fairly important. At first there was a frantic searching for the missing item. With no immediate success, the search became more intense until you said – “Now wait a second. This is ridiculous. I’ll just go back and retrace the places where I’ve been.”

This is something that the prophet Elijah did. Trapped in his fears despite his victory at Mount Carmel, he decided to go back to another mountain, to Mount Horeb to find there his God and himself. The journey wasn’t easy. He traveled forty days and forty nights. But at Horeb, Elijah found renewal in the presence of God and a renewed call to service. God gave him back his life.

There’s always a danger to going back to the beginnings. We can readily become stuck in a sentimental desire for a simpler time or for a day that never was. Do you remember how Jesus, moving with His disciples closer to Jerusalem on that final visit, was urged by them to turn back to Galilee. Alarmed by the words of imminent suffering and death, they encouraged the Lord to seek the easier way.

Jesus did not turn back. He went on to the cross, but beyond that day of injustice God would bring about a Resurrection Day. Even the grace of God in Jesus Christ has come to us through the stubborn facts of human existence. Battles in our spiritual lives aren’t lost by retreating from the field of battle. Victories come when, falling back to regroup, we turn to enter again the battlefield.

We know this to be so. Most of us aren’t new to the faith. We have walked with our Lord through green pastures and still waters. We have fallen asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane with the disciples. Like St. Paul, we have known what it is to be exalted and what it is to be despised. Our Christian lives haven’t moved like that ascending escalator. They have appeared too often like a roller coaster ride at an amusement park. But that has not deterred us.

Considering the times in which we live, that is an amazing fact about us Christians. If you are looking for a sign of God’s power, all you have to do is look around here this morning. You are here with others – the Bible is still read here. Prayers to our gracious God are still offered up to Him. Gifts are presented and soon you will be sent back to your own work and life with the assurance that the Lord will give you peace. Many of you have been living the Christian life together for some time. Whether on the heights of joy or in the valley of sadness, others have been close to share it with you. If you stumbled and fell, there was always some hand stretched out to you offering to get you back on your feet and help for a fresh start.

From Mount Carmel, to the wilderness, to Mount Horeb, the prophet Elijah traveled that way. Peter did it too, and so did the apostle Paul, as well as saints throughout the ages. So we are never alone. Jesus, who also walked that way, offers food to all who will still make that journey. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus said. “He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Our Lord nourishes us for all of our walks with Him from Carmel, to the wilderness, and to Horeb. If at times God seems far away, there is a cross here to remind you that long before you ever reached out to Him, He reached out and enfolded you in His arms.

Today, be assured of this – From your Mount Carmel to your Mount Horeb, the Lord is faithful to His promise – “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…Your grief will turn to joy…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Do We Have Our Priorities Straight? (John 6:22-35)

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 18:14:27 GMT

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost, August 1, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. John 6:22-35, but especially these words –

Jesus answered, ”Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Think of the hours, days, months, and years of our lives that we spend at our jobs to earn a living. A major part of our time and effort goes to provide the food we consume, so our work is a very important activity in our lives. From the beginning God has intended for us to work. He wants us to do whatever our hands find to do with all our might and to enjoy our work, and He warns that if anyone does not work, he should not eat.

Now we hear the amazing words that Jesus spoke to those who had participated in His miraculous feeding of the 5,000. When they found our Lord the next day on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, He told them – “Do not work for food that spoils.” On the surface it appears that Jesus is opposing what we just said about work. However, He added that they should rather work “for food that endures to eternal life.” So He doesn’t mean for us to stop working for food to eat. He instead is helping us to answer the question – “Do we really have our priorities straight?” What is the most important, the most valuable thing we should be doing?

Our Lord was prompted to make a value judgment about the work that people do by the thoughts of those who looked for Him after He fed them in a miraculous way on the Galilean hillside with the five loaves of bread and the two fish. Jesus allowed them to find Him on the other side of the lake. Out of concern and love for them He pointed out that they looked for Him – “not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” The people had come to make Him a king by force. So He confronted them with the shocking warning – “Do not work for food that spoils.” They had been making the pursuit of food their number one priority in life. They had their eyes and hearts fixed on a present but passing goal.

Translated into present-day terms, their chief concern in life was to work day after day to put food on the table and groceries on the shelf. We should include with food also the many other things that people strive to obtain. They work for money, clothing, furnishings for the home, new cars, and the many new high-tech products. Other pursue health, education, recreation, sex, and positions of influence and honor. These things can so easily become obsessions for which we labor hard and long. We place top value on them and strive for them to the exclusion of all the other things in life.

Why should we think about working for these kinds of things in the first place? Jesus reminds us that they are perishable in nature. Food is consumed. It easily rots and just doesn’t last forever. Clothing wears out and is thrown away. Relationships change. People are here today and gone tomorrow. Influence and honor are elusive and unpredictable. Money is spent, lost, or inherited by others. Cars end up in the junkyard. In the words of our Lord on another occasion – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

All of our possessions and other desires in this world are of a limited duration. Sooner or later they all pass away. Can anything good be gained from working all our lives only for things like these? The man in one of Jesus’ parables planned to tear down his barns and build bigger and better ones to store all of his food and possessions in. He assured himself – “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.” But when God demanded his soul that night before he could accomplish any of the things on which he had placed the highest priority, all of his plans came to nothing. Jesus called him a fool for storing up treasures only for himself but not being rich toward God.

Jesus not only warns us against setting our priorities on things that just won’t last, but He also urges us to work – “for food that endures to eternal life.” This food is quite different from bread for the table. The bread that endures to eternal life is Jesus Christ Himself. Later in His words to the people in the text our Lord refers to Himself as – “the bread of life.”

Jesus used one of the most common foods in the world to communicate one of the most important truths. Yet the crowd couldn’t understand what He was saying to them. The day before they had all eaten from a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. As Jesus went on to explain to them what He meant, the people asked Him – “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?” They thought our Lord should do some great miracle, like Moses did when their fathers received manna from heaven before they would believe Him.

Jesus corrected them by pointing out that it wasn’t Moses who had given them the manna, but God. Now in Jesus God is giving them the true bread from heaven. Jesus is the bread of God! In Him God comes down and “gives life to the world.” Our Lord became the source of life by His perfect obedience to the will of His Father. He became the perfect Bread, from which people may receive life, by substituting His sinless life for their sinful and death-deserving lives. As bread satisfies hunger, so the death of Jesus satisfied God’s just sentence of death for every sinner in the world. Furthermore, there is life for the world in Jesus’ death, for He rose from the dead and now lives forever. That’s why He can claim that He is the Bread of life. He is living. And He is able to give life to all who will only eat this Bread.

“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” That was Christ’s answer to the question – “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Believe, have faith in Jesus Christ, put your confidence in what He has done as the Bread of life for the whole world. This is what He wants us to do above all else. Work here signifies an activity of our mind and will to receive and trust in the work of Christ. It does not mean that we can do something to achieve our own salvation. Dr. Martin Luther said of this work – “Christ is speaking of the work which we should do, namely, believe. For faith is a work that must be done by man…But where this faith comes from (for no one has faith of himself) Christ teaches us later on when He says, ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.’” Jesus Himself pointed out to the people that it is He who gives us the food that endures to eternal life through faith.

Work for that food of faith in Jesus Christ that endures to eternal life. Jesus is saying that working for this spiritual food of faith is to be our top priority in life. He wants us to spend time, a good amount of time in the pursuit of spiritual food, the Bread of life, which will produce and nourish eternal life, beginning right now. Only a little time here and there is not enough. Putting in the effort to feed our faith in Christ first means that we’ll spend a great deal of our time, as the early Christians did, devoting ourselves – “to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Our Lord said – “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Christ values that kind of work so highly that He would have us share with others what He worked for all of His life, so that they too will be able to work for the food that endures to eternal life. He is the true Bread – “who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” His work was for all the world! We need to bring that true Bread to everyone so that they will never hunger but have everlasting life.

Why should we value so highly and strive so diligently for the food that endures to eternal life? It is written – “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” The loss of eternal life, ending up in eternal separation from God, is the result of placing our values in the wrong things. However, going with Jesus will result in possessing eternal life now and being with God forever. Our eternal destiny lies in the balance. That is why we will make Jesus’ priority our own.

We all know of people who have everything they want but still are not satisfied. They are still searching. They are restless and are still hungering and thirsting for something that they can’t quite achieve or even describe. There is no deep, lasting satisfaction in the things of this world. But our Lord promises that all who come to Him, who believe in Him, will never hunger or thirst again. There is perfect peace for those whose minds remain on Jesus Christ.

The value that the Father has set on Him is another reason why we should establish our priorities in harmony with the will of our God. Jesus said that we should work for the food that endures to eternal life – the food that the Son of Man will give us – because “on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” The Father has given Him power from heaven, He was well pleased with what the Son was doing, as He said at Jesus’ Baptism and Transfiguration. Jesus has the seal of God’s authority, what Jesus has said and done for us is worthy of our acceptance and trust. Jesus Christ has turned our everyday values upside down and has made working for the food that endures of the greatest importance and worth. How deeply and eternally rewarding it is to have our priorities straight! Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Christ Dwelling In Our Hearts Through Faith (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 18:10:29 GMT

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost, July 25, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Ephesians 3:14-21, but especially these words –

I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

We say, “I believe,” and not, “We believe,” because faith is always something personal. I can’t believe for you, and you can’t believe for me. And you may even have a Christian father or mother, a very godly and dedicated grandfather or grandmother, but their faith will never be able to save you. Each one of you must believe for yourself.

And yet, while faith is a personal matter, we are not alone in our faith. Others believe as we do. The prophet Elijah thought that he was the only one in Israel who believed in the true God, but he learned that there were 7,000 people in Israel who had not bowed down to the idol Baal. When you confess your faith, you can be sure that there are many others who join you in your loyalty and devotion to Jesus Christ.

And they not only join you in a common confession of faith, but they are also very concerned about you. For the Christian Church is not a group of people who just happen to believe the same things, but it is a body of men, women, and children deeply involved with one another. We are the body of Christ, as the apostle Paul so beautifully put it, joined to one another in faith and sharing with one another the joys and sorrows of life and the concerns of our common faith. There are millions of people today who believe as you do and whose prayers ascend to the throne of God on your behalf. Their words may differ, but the thought expressed in their prayers is much the same as that of the apostle Paul when he prayed for the congregation at Ephesus – that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

St. Paul had a reason for addressing this prayer to the Lord. His stay in Ephesus, when he established the congregation, had been marked by much opposition. He said that he fought with “wild beasts.” To be sure, the behavior of the enemies of the Gospel was animal like. Again, speaking of his stay in Ephesus, he said – “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” The situation was such that St. Paul thought he was going to die. And even at this time, as he was writing this letter to the Ephesians, he was a prisoner of the Roman government.

What bothered the apostle Paul was this – what effect would his personal troubles have on these new Christians at Ephesus? St. Paul claimed that he was a servant of the true God. He taught them that the Lord was all-powerful and that He was a God of love and kindness. But his experiences in Ephesus didn’t quite give that impression. Where was this God of power when Paul was “under great pressure” by Christ’s enemies? What happened to this God of love as Paul was wasting away in a Roman prison? Is this the way God treats His children? If anything, the apostle Paul appears as one rejected, and his God stood weak in these presence of the enemies.

That all this disturbed the apostle and that he was concerned about the effect it might have on the Ephesians is apparent from his letter. “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you,”” he wrote, and added – “For this reason I kneel before the Father…that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power in your inner being.” He was afraid that the trouble and opposition he met in Ephesus might reflect on the power of the Gospel and the love of God. For that reason he prayed – “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

The world hasn’t changed much since the days of the apostle Paul, and so his prayer on behalf of the church, on behalf of the people of God is still very relevant and important – “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” For there is still opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ. You hear it in the classroom. Historians not accepting miracles. Scientists for the most part not believing in the divine origin of the universe. Psychologists questioning the Biblical teaching about sin. The entertainment of today is in direct conflict with the will of our God. Sex is distorted, cheapened, and abused. Alcohol and drugs are indulged in excessively. Business practices don’t always go along with the moral code expressed by the Savior. You see, the world in which we live is far from being a religious paradise.

But maybe the greatest danger that confronts our faith is the satisfaction with which our society and even the church, accepts averageness, weakness, and shallowness. We’re content to leave religious matters in the air. Religion becomes a kind of vague and sentimental belief in a god. People today meet the teachings of Jesus Christ with the question – “How do you know it’s true?” – and are satisfied with that. They want us to be tolerant, open-minded, and non-judgmental – and in the process, we stand for nothing.

Believe in everything a little bit - that’s the spirit of our age! We ask questions but don’t take time to find the answers. We take pride in being tolerant but forget that we have no real convictions of our own. Unfortunately, this spirit has crept into the church. And as a result, so much of Christianity today is shallow and without any real depth. There is often no real conviction. We are satisfied with a lukewarm effort. We accept failure as inevitable. In the apostle Paul’s day the enemies of the Gospel viciously attacked the church and wanted to destroy it. Today, these enemies come with the voice of sophistication and say – “It may be nice to believe in Jesus, but why don’t you face life realistically and get rid of all this sentimental stuff?” And this makes the religious climate of our day very dangerous. Under the pressure of public opinion, there is the distinct possibility that we might become discouraged.

What was the nature of Paul’s prayer for the congregation at Ephesus? Please notice that he didn’t ask God to release him from prison. He didn’t ask God to remove the stigma that was attached to the preaching of the Cross. He didn’t pray that God would destroy the enemies of the church. Rather, his prayer was very simple – “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

There was no doubt in St. Paul’s mind that these Ephesians were Christians. He calls them – “saints…the faithful in Christ Jesus”. He expresses his gratitude to God for their faith and love. These people knew Jesus. They received Him as their Savior. They followed Him as their Shepherd and Lord. But Paul’s prayer asked that they know and experience this love of Christ to its fullest extent – that they would be able to comprehend how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ really is!

The apostle Paul was confident of this – if their faith and love were made stronger, nothing would be able to dent their shield of faith. And this is true also today. No matter how great the temptation that confronts us, if we receive power through God’s Spirit, we will stand firm. Taking hold of the love of Christ gives us the strength to withstand anything.

To overcome the temptations of our time, you need to know yourself. Know Christ – and you will know yourself. You’ll remember that portion of Scripture, when Peter stood in the presence of Christ after our Lord had told him to let down the nets for a great catch of fish. Peter responded – “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” In the presence of Christ’s majesty and power, he felt his own insignificance and guilt. Also the apostle Paul, when he learned to know Jesus, declared that he was – “the worst of sinners”. In the presence of Jesus Christ, we see ourselves as we are – sinners who have fallen far short of Christ’s perfection.

But in Christ, we also are able to see what we can be – children of the heavenly Father, “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” St. Peter writes – “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” For “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

For Christ has broken down the wall of separation between us and our God. As our Savior He fulfilled the Law of God for us. He suffered, died, and rose again to pay the price for our sins. Knowing our Lord by faith not only brings us into the family of God, but it also enables us to draw on the power of Christ. St. Paul writes – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Our Lord’s disciples were transformed by the love of Christ. On Easter morning, they hid behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. But on the day of Pentecost, they were empowered by God’s Spirit and stood before a hostile world and boldly proclaimed their faith in the risen Savior.

Christ is the source of strength and power. The apostle Paul declared that he was convinced that nothing in all of creation would be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord – for “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” So you can understand why St. Paul prayed as he did – “For this reason I kneel before the Father…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

This priceless treasure, faith in Jesus Christ, is God’s greatest gift to you. You have learned to know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. My prayer for you as you go out into the world is that you “may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love” – and in His power to overcome and be victorious each and every day, until you hear these words of the Savior – “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness” in heaven above, eternally. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

God's Word of Promise (Mark 6:30-44)

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 18:03:50 GMT

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost, July 18, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Mark 6:30-44, but especially these words –

And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Many people today don’t have a place for the word “miracle” in their vocabularies. Words like “competence”, “confidence”, “achievement”, and “certainty” are much more attractive as they describe some of the things people can count on. Miracles suggest the unreal, the uncertain, the irregular, the change, the unnatural – but certainly not that which we can rely on. It’s in this context that we must look at the miracles of Jesus. They seem unbelievable both in what they tell us about God and about ourselves. To the eyes and ears of faith, however, the miracles of Jesus open up new dimensions to the presence and the power of God in Jesus Christ in our lives.

These new dimensions aren’t so much a “doing for” someone – as they are a “participating in” the all-sufficient power of our God. In the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand the disciples participate in the action of our Lord. It was Christ who performed the miracle; it was the crowd that was fed; and it was the disciples who were the instruments of the action and who themselves experienced the sufficiency of their Lord.

Now, miracles occur when the negative intrudes. The beginning of a miracle is always a negative or a bad situation. The people were tired and hungry. In other miracles of Jesus we can also see the negative – the person was blind or lame or deaf or possessed by a demon. On one occasion at Cana in Galilee, a wedding, the people ran out of wine. Participation in miracles always has a negative context. It’s the person healed from a disease – a negative – who calls it a miracle. Given the context of the negative, each and every one of us has plenty of occasions for participating in a miracle. Guilt, failure, a sense of inadequacy, a feeling of uselessness, death, and inevitable disappointments are just a few of the negative intrusions in our lives. But we don’t always see these disruptions as occasions for our participation in God’s action.

Often we feel that our God has abandoned us. On other occasions, negative intrusions bring about only an attitude of despair and hopelessness and for others they’re answered only by being told to “think positively”. The conversation that the disciples had with Jesus suggests that they didn’t see much possibility, they didn’t see a resolution to the negative situation of satisfying thousands of hungry people with very little food available. Our Lord asked His disciples – “How many loaves do you have.” And they responded – “Five, and two fish.” It’s not too difficult to identify with their feelings. The hopelessness of negative intrusions is a common experience. And while not all disruptions are sinful, sin itself is the main negative intrusion as it destroys life, and produces endless despair and inevitable death. However, the message of the cross is, of course, that sin was the occasion for the miracle of Christ’s victory over it.

You see, the reason we’re so easily overwhelmed by the disruptions in our lives is that we have difficulty seeing how our God could be for us and yet permit these things to happen. This problem is as old as human history. It stems from our forgetting God’s goodness in the Genesis account of creation and remembering only man’s rebellion and the despair that resulted from it. The perspective of God’s presence in a negative situation is the message of Holy Scripture. That presence is a creative, redeeming, life-giving presence.

This is the presence that St. Paul speaks of in his letter to the Christians at Rome – “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our God is the giver of life and there is no escape from Him. The psalmist declares – “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

The negative intrusion is not an occasion for wondering – “Where are you, Lord?” but rather, given His presence, asking – “God, what are you saying to me?” When we look at the lives of the Old and New Testament faithful – Abraham, Moses, Amos, Simon Peter, and the apostle Paul, the negative intrusions into their lives opened the way for them to participate in God’s goodness. God is for us! The question is – “Are we able to hear what He is saying?”

It wasn’t necessary to go to the store to buy bread to feed these hungry people. Because the answer was there all the time. That answer was – and is – Jesus Christ! Jesus is the Word of promise and possibility to the negative intrusions. The fact that bread and fish were used only affirms the way in which God always responds with what’s needed! Our Lord said on another occasion –“Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

God’s Word of promise and hope to life’s situation is always Jesus Christ. He brings to us what is really needed. That’s why He came. Jesus said – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Word of God always speaks to what’s happening to free us from despair, emptiness, and hopelessness – and makes it possible for us to live, to love, and to rejoice in every situation. When the intrusion is guilt, the Word is forgiveness. When the intrusion is hunger, the Word is food. When the intrusion is loneliness, the Word is caring. When the intrusion is death, the Word is life! To the alienated and the oppressed, He is the new beginning.

Jesus Christ is an affirming, renewing, redeeming, restoring Word. He is always present! He is life accepted, the future opened, the present celebrated! And the point of the miracles of Christ is that those who experience the miracle, strengthened in faith, might give witness to the power of God in Jesus Christ. It must have meant a lot to the young boy in St. John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. It must have meant a lot to Andrew who brought the boy to Jesus. It must have meant a lot to the other disciples as they reflected of our Lord’s response to the negative intrusions of life they shared with Him – the most dramatic of which was the week that ended with Christ’s death on the cross and the tremendous reassurance of God’s power in the resurrection.

That is the recurring miracle of life. This is the message the Christian Church has to proclaim to all the world. The church does its best when it participates, as the disciples did, in the miracle. Sensitive to the human situation, the church must, through Word and Sacraments, affirm again and again God’s presence and power at life’s negative intrusions with a Word that indeed makes all things new. To live in this confidence is to live in hope here and now. But even more than that! For we have been blessed to be a blessing. Each of us is a miracle of our God, His own sons and daughters – eternally. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Our Lord Calls Us To Be Involved (Mark 6:1-13)

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 17:56:14 GMT

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost, July 11, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Mark 6:1-13, but especially these words –

Calling the Twelve to him, Jesus sent them out two by two and gave them authority…They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

“I just didn’t want to get involved.” This was the statement of a person who stood by and watched as a girl was brutally attacked and stabbed to death. But there were about thirty other people who witnessed the same murder. They also did nothing. They also didn’t want to get involved. And yet, before we become too critical of these people or come down on them too hard, maybe we should ask ourselves – “What would I have done if I had been there? Would I have acted any differently?”

Just look at all that takes place in the world around us, or look at the people who are battered by pressures and beset by problems in our own community – possibly even in the house or apartment next to us. Have we really acted much differently? Have we really demonstrated any genuine concern for others? Some of us have, to be sure. However, others have not. They just didn’t want to get involved. And yet, we also like the kind of Christian life that doesn’t ask too much of us, that doesn’t demand involvement. And so, we can hardly comprehend or appreciate the kind of life that was exhibited and commanded by our Lord and Savior – and later reflected in and lived by His disciples. Too often, we tend to ignore it or downplay it – for you see, we just don’t like to get involved.

However, in the text for today, we see that our Lord’s disciples were in the process of learning that discipleship does indeed mean involvement. It is written – “Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority.” That same Lord who had invited people – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” – ultimately gave the command to – “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” And these disciples discovered then what you and I, as the church, need to also rediscover today – that our come to me and I will give you rest kind of relationship with God must turn into a go into all the world and preach the good news kind of Christian life. For we’re called to come to the Savior Jesus Christ, and to rest secure in His power, love, and mercy. But that Lord who invites us to come – also commands us to go. And both our coming to Him and our going out for Him are very important, essential to living our lives as the people of God. For discipleship does mean involvement.

Jesus sent His disciples out into the world for the purpose of ministering to people. These disciples were to involve themselves in the lives of people around them. Their ultimate goal was to promote the purposes of the kingdom of God, to oppose the power of Satan in the world, and to lead men, women, and children to the love of God in Jesus Christ and His claim upon their lives. Our Lord’s disciples weren’t to remain in their small group, enjoying the fellowship of one another for the rest of their lives. Instead, they were to move out of the comfort, safety, and security of their own group, this small band of disciples out into the world – for there was a job to be done.

But Jesus first instructed His disciples – before He sent them out to do the world of His kingdom. For one thing, they were instructed to travel light. Jesus said to His disciples – “Take nothing for the journey except a staff.” On their journey, they were to take off without anything extra. And perhaps this was necessary in order to teach them that their dependence wasn’t to be centered upon themselves, their own resources, their own needs, or the things of this world. Their dependence had to be in God and what He alone could do for them. For the disciples had received the Lord’s command but also His power and authority – and this was all they really needed. You see, they had no budget to meet and no quota to reach. The Lord sent them out. They were to go and minister to the people with whom they came into contact.

They were also to concentrate on relationships, rather than statistics. Again, Jesus told the disciples – “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.” And this would mean relating to and enjoying, speaking to and sharing with, being concerned about and caring for the people they visited. The disciples were to proclaim and promote the gospel of Christ – the life and the hope it has to offer. But they were also to show their love for others by sharing their lives with them.

And it’s possible that our Lord was telling His disciples that they were not to judge their success by looking at statistics or only by the positive responses to their efforts of service – but by their faithfulness to Christ and the work He had given them to do. Their task was to minister, not manipulate; to love, not coerce – so that many might be brought to the Savior. And there would be people led to Jesus as the result of their ministry – but only because they went out by the authority and with the power of God Himself. However, the failures would very probably outnumber the successes. So, the disciples had to learn that their responsibility was to be faithful in the loving proclamation of God’s Word – leaving the results to the Holy Spirit, working through that Word.

According to our Lord’s instructions, the disciples’ ministry was to be a ministry to the total person. Their concern was to include the physical well being of people, as well as their spiritual well being. To be sure, they were to proclaim the Gospel to people, the gospel of Jesus Christ and their need of His forgiving love. But they were also to demonstrate and exhibit the love of God by serving others. So, it is written – “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” And these disciples were to discover that their self-sacrificing love and service to others, meeting people in their need – often spoke more loudly and convincingly about the love of God than anything they could have said.

So, the text for today can be taken as a strong reminder to us – that Christianity or discipleship without involvement is discipleship without Jesus Christ. For all of us who follow the Savior are called to be His servants. We may not have the power to do the same things that the disciples did then, like driving out demons or healing the sick – but we do have all the gifts we really need to do the work we’ve been called to do. Yes, we’re called upon and sent into our world to proclaim the message of our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord. And the disciples in the text were sent to preach repentance – but their ministry wasn’t confined to proclaiming the message. Nor is ours. In fact, many of the people that we are called upon to minister to – have heard the message of God’s grace and love. So, to these people, our love must meet them where they are. For this may be a more powerful sermon about God’s love than anything we could ever possibly say.

Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ is today commanding us to go out and to minister. And this means to go out in spite of the consequences, trusting in God for the power of His Spirit to overcome our fears and frustrations – to go out in obedience to Christ, and to serve Him in and through our love for others. It means that we reach people where they are with the message of Christ that we communicate with them. It means to become involved with their hopes and needs, their problems and worries, and with their spiritual and physical concerns. It means that we listen to other’s joys and sorrows. We may not always condone or identify – but the love of Christ compels us to listen. It means to really love. And if there are some who won’t receive our love, then we ought to find those who will. It means that we must respond to others. It means that we must share, even when there are no visible returns. All in all, it means that we must proclaim the power and presence of God in Jesus Christ.

And this is the ultimate purpose of our mission everyday. This is finally why we are here. For as the people of God, our main task is to lead people to the Savior. It’s our job to lead men, women, and children to Jesus – and this is done by going, becoming involved, loving, responding, sharing ourselves, and proclaiming the redeeming power of God. And this is as much our task, as it was those disciples that Christ sent forth so long ago.

Discipleship means involvement. Our Lord set the pace, and He expects us to follow His lead. For Christ identified Himself with our agonies. He became involved with our needs. And He even went so far as to carry the consequences of our sins to the cross – and there paid for them. So, as followers of Jesus Christ, we who receive Him as our Savior, must also receive Him as our Lord and Master. For in following Him, we continue in His course for our lives – becoming involved in the lives of people wherever they might be. This is what discipleship means and what it’s all about – involvement. And as our Lord gave His life on our behalf, so now we’re expected to lose our lives in His service – there to find real life and the tremendous joy of being servants of the living and eternal God. May God grant this to us all, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Canaan and America (Deuteronomy 6:1-9)

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 17:45:21 GMT

Independence Day, July 4, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

These are the commands, decrees, and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The words of the text were given by God to the nation of Israel, His chosen people, just as they were about to enter the land of Canaan, the land which God had promised them. And when the same words are read today in our land, we can’t help but see the comparison between the land of Canaan and America. Today, we emphasize the fact that our forefathers made no attempt to put God aside or forget about Him in their endeavors. For our leaders were convinced that, if a new nation was to be established and was to flourish – the Lord God could not be forgotten.

And today we again observe the anniversary of the declaration of our national independence. One nation, under God! We celebrate that it was under the Lord God that our nation was established – and for two hundred and forty-five years has prospered. We today acknowledge and praise God for His goodness and many great blessings. And it’s important that we, as a church, join together for this kind of celebration – especially since it’s only the Word of God that can guide the citizens of our nation to the kind of observance that’s really pleasing to the Lord.

In many ways, America stands parallel to Canaan, the Promised Land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”. It’s a tremendous thing to realize that God has blessed this land so greatly. And it’s no wonder that by so many throughout the world – America is seen as a promised land. But, what about the future of our nation?

The words of the text serve as an introduction to God’s mighty acts by which He established a new nation and gave the people of Israel in Canaan a constitution based on religious principles. It is written that the people of Israel were to write these principles on the doorframes of their homes and on their gates – to serve as a constant reminder of God and His presence. In the same way, the founding fathers of our country took the phrase – “In God We Trust” – and made it America’s guiding principle – to impress on all of us the central position that God ought to occupy in our individual lives and in the life of our nation.

Unfortunately, today, America has witnessed a decline in the original intent of our forefathers. For our nation has strayed from God in its attitudes, values, and ideals. America is no longer the godly nation it has been in the past. What, then, does the future hold? Let’s first look at God’s guiding principles as they pertain to the prosperity of a nation. God, through Moses, made it clear to the people of Israel that His promises to them as a nation – depended only upon their continuing to love, serve, and obey Him. And if these same principles were applied to us today, what would be said about our society? Have we kept all the commands, decrees, and laws that God has given us? Have we continued to love, serve, and trust in Him alone? America enjoys God’s blessings. However, these blessings make us vulnerable to ungodly lifestyles. Today, people just don’t have time for God. For many, God has become meaningless and unimportant.

In spite of this, God has kept His promises to us. Just as the people of Israel prospered in the Promised Land, so we also have been blessed and have prospered in this land. And the riches of our country ought to amaze us. Our nation is filled with God’s rich blessings. So, how do we respond to His goodness? Our success seems to make us feel less dependent on God – and therefore less motivated in our faith and in our thankfulness to God. And the danger of being so caught up with success and what success brings as to forget about God and His blessings – had been anticipated by Moses when he spoke to the people of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land.

And like the people of Israel, who enjoyed freedom in a new land following their slavery in Egypt, we also enjoy freedom and a spirit of independence. Yet, this freedom can also lead to problems in our land – an abuse of liberty, selfishness, and a license to promote our own personal interests. This self-centeredness shows itself in a variety of ways – in the exploitation of others, in lovelessness, in a lack of concern for those in need, and in prejudice. We’ve placed other things before God. We think of ourselves and of our own needs, wants, and desires. And the result of this – is a selfish nation, a people bent on destroying themselves.

Haven’t we tried to make God obsolete? We’re tempted to brag about our accomplishments and achievements, and in our pride – to replace God. However, this temptation was also evident among the people of Israel. And yet, the Lord attempted to keep them humble, to keep the people of Israel from sinful pride. In the same way, the Lord uses reminders to show us that we’re helpless without Him. Throughout our history, God has been showing us that we’re completely dependent on Him.

God has taught us humility. And today, God is inviting us to meet the challenge He sets before us. He says – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” So, our success depends on our willingness to humble ourselves, to repent of our arrogance and self-reliance, and to return to God’s principles for prosperity. “Hear…the Lord our God in one Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Returning to God requires that we identify the Lord who reveals Himself to us in Jesus Christ. For it’s through Him that we’ve been reconciled to God, by His blood that we’ve been redeemed. But it’s necessary not only for us to identify the Lord, but also to identify ourselves with Him – before the health of our nation can be restored. There are many competing ideas and conflicting values in our world today, each trying to claim our allegiance, our loyalty, and our obedience. But God tells us, just as He told the nation of Israel – “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

We recognize all the blessings He gives us, and we’re privileged to live in God’s world. We’ve heard the message of His love as He claimed us to be His people, that love which is shown in the sending of His Son into the world to be our Savior. And we appreciate our unique identity with God – and receive meaning for our lives in Jesus Christ.

America has indeed been blessed by God. And all of His goodness ought to motivate us to hear and follow His words. Throughout this great nation, praise and thanksgiving ought to come forth from us and be offered to God. Solomon wrote – “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” And this kind of righteousness is developed within a nation by us following the words and living in the love of our God. May God bless our nation today and in the future, just as He has in the past. For in Him, there’s forgiveness and healing. Through Him, there’s freedom and life. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

One Who Crosses Over Human Boundaries (Mark 5:21-43)

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 17:41:33 GMT

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost, June 27, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: St. Mark 5:21-43, but especially these words –

While he was by the lake, one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he…pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him…And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him…and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped…At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”…Then the woman…came and…told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe”…When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep”…He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her…”Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Immediately the girl stood up and walked around.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Boundaries are something we understand very well. We’re taught that we may go just so far – and no farther. Trespassing signs limit access. Traffic signs set speeds, give us directions, but also warn us. There are scientists who try to define the bounds of reality. In many ways, life is governed by establishing limitations – by lines human beings have drawn. And to cross them frequently invites pain, conflict, ridicule, or punishment.

However, the text for today breaks down barriers. It crosses the line. It tells of One who crosses over human boundaries – and who goes beyond what we allow ourselves to hope or permit ourselves to believe. It reveals to us – Jesus, who opens doors we had long believed were closed. It’s important for us to note the lines He crosses and what such action means for all people. You and I will look at several boundaries today – and how Jesus dealt with them.

Many members of the church today think that a person must know a lot about Jesus in order to come to Him. They feel that Jesus has something to do only with those who have a close personal relationship with Him, who devoutly believe in Him, who have a good understanding of His Word, and of course who belong to the church. In this way, people tend to set limits on whom Jesus will welcome and to whom He’ll respond. And yet, the text presents us with two people who approach our Lord with very little knowledge of Him, who have mixed feelings about Him, and who apparently have come to Him as a last resort. Certainly, these aren’t the kind of people some might think that Jesus would be interested in. Yet, He responds positively to both the Jewish synagogue ruler and to the woman who was ill.

Why does Christ respond in this way? Because they come to Him. They seek help from Him. They are people in need. And their coming gives evidence of a spark of faith – that perhaps this One can and will do something about their needs. They come with a poor understanding – but they come. And they receive what they expect from Jesus. Our Lord’s response to them reveals an openness to those who will come regardless the completeness of their understanding of Him, no matter how shallow their faith, even if they come to Him as a last resort. Unbelievable? I guess it is, especially to those who would impose limits on His love.

There are those who say you shouldn’t expect too much of Jesus. They say that many problems are beyond His abilities. They question whether He really can help people cope with a troubled marriage, a wayward child, an alcoholic or abusive spouse, or terminal illness. Perhaps people must simply grin and bear whatever takes place in life. You and I tend to think that because a problem is out of our hands – it’s also out of God’s. The text deals with the question of His ability. The woman came to touch His clothing and was healed. While she was wrong about the clothing, she was right about the faith. In her trust and hope was saving power, as our Lord revealed to her – “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” Jairus also realized the outcome of his request – as his daughter was graciously restored to life. When someone asks why Jesus should be bothered with a problem, we ought to respond – “Who else is there who can really help? He alone has the words of life.” And He is able to do far more than we can ask or could ever imagine.

Our Lord’s disciples were also protective of His time and tried to limit who could come to Him and when. However, Jesus didn’t allow Himself to be governed by ideas and standards imposed on Him by others. As He was getting ready to teach, He allowed Jairus to interrupt. And on the way to help his daughter, He allowed the woman to interrupt. Perhaps we haven’t wanted to bother Jesus. With all the problems in the world, why would He want to hear our complaints or deal with our hurts? But that’s just the way it is with Christ. The sick woman is given some of His time – to experience His healing power. He literally invites interruptions as He reminds all generations – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He wants us to come – at any time, wherever we might be.

He also wants us to govern our lives in a similar way. Can we adjust our schedules to answer the calls of life and meet the needs of others in love? For Christ saw the people who came to Him – not as interruptions, not as interferences, but as opportunities. In the text, you and I see our Lord individualize His love and attention. After the woman had reached out to Jesus, she heard Him ask – “Who touched my clothes?” The disciples responded somewhat sarcastically – “You see the people crowding against you, and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” How could one person be singled out in the crowd? But this is exactly what our Lord proceeded to do. He responded to an individual need.

It seems preposterous, at least to many, that God could care for one person when there are billions of other people in the world. But that’s precisely the concern that Jesus demonstrates. And He’s there for each of us as though we were the only one in need. Jesus saw in the sick woman – and sees in each of us – one of His Father’s children. He wants each of us to know Him – to see what faith has really grasped – not the hem of a cloak, but the very power of God Himself.

He wants us to know what’s happening in this relationship with Him. So He called out to the woman. Perhaps she was scared. Will Jesus punish me for what I’ve done? In touching Christ, she thought she had contaminated Him – that was the rule of that day. And that’s just the point! Our uncleanness is traded for His healing and restoration. We who are sick with sin can transfer it to Jesus for His healing through forgiveness. He came so that each and every person might be blessed through Him. The people of all ages are to learn that there’s no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

How often isn’t it said – “I don’t know enough about Jesus to speak of Him.” People also fail to testify because they forget how the Lord has been with them through some very difficult times. In fact, I remember someone saying to me – “If God will just help me this once, I’ll be in church every week.” Well, the miracle occurred – the attendance didn’t. As Christians, we must ask what happens to people in trouble when they forget what God has done for them and then fail to tell others. People sometimes need to hear how God has delivered us. It was that kind of report that the woman in the text had heard, and it brought her to the Savior. May our lives and actions carry reports of Jesus that would make those who see and hear us – eager to begin a journey to Him.

There’s a point, many say, beyond which no one can go. A group of mourners came out to Christ and told Him He didn’t have to bother coming to the house of Jairus – because his daughter had died. They implied that this was a boundary that not even Jesus could cross. But our Lord ignored what they had to say. The art of ignoring, as here shown by Christ, can be one of the fine arts of faith. We need to learn this also, for we can get caught up in the fear that Christ can’t go beyond a certain point. We can pay too much attention to the limiters. Jesus shows us that the last word never belongs to His detractors. But people don’t give up easily when someone crosses the line. The mourners laughed at the coming of Jesus. They laughed at Him for thinking there could be something on the other side of death, for believing that He could venture beyond the fixed limits of life.

Jesus proceeded to the child’s bedside, and by the power of the Word that remains outside the realm of human bounds – He commanded the little girl to arise. And she did! Those who come to Christ – who take Him seriously enough to cross the line of doubt, peer pressure, personal opinions, and shame – who aren’t afraid, but only believe – will hear the precious words of our Lord – “Your faith has healed you.” This is God reconciling the world to Himself.

There are no boundaries that Christ won’t cross on our behalf. We have seen His love and power triumph over hopelessness, fear, ignorance, and death. He comes into the limits of our world and opens up the possibilities beyond those limits. He goes with us and leads us. His constant support, encouragement and forgiveness enable us to come to the Father and overcome sin. He’s the One whose words of great promise will bring forth joy beyond all understanding – as He finally brings us into the house of the heavenly Father forevermore. Christ crosses all barriers and carries us safely through – where the best is yet to be. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

A Father's Love (II Samuel 18:33)

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 17:35:50 GMT

Father's Day, June 20, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: II Samuel 18:33

And the king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The Bible says of Moses in the book of Hebrews that he chose “to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” This verse contains the expression – “the pleasures of sin.” There is indeed a certain pleasure in sinning. Man’s will is in opposition to God’s holy will – and we find pleasure in doing what God has forbidden. However, to be sure, these pleasures last for only a short time. Frequently, these pleasures turn to bitterness.

Today, we observe Father’s Day. It is on this day that we especially thank and praise God, remembering and honoring our fathers for the love they have given us and for the concern they have shown for us. The text for today is taken from the life of David. It shows us the greatness of a father’s love, as is found in King David’s cry – “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!”

The words of the text refer to the tragic death of Absalom, the son of King David. Now, there is nothing unusual in a father mourning over the death of his son. Absalom had enjoyed great benefits. He was a well-appearing man and was a son of whom King David could be proud. The Holy Scriptures tell us of Absalom – “In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.” David could be especially proud because his son had been brought up in the knowledge and worship of the true God.

Yet, David’s cry is unique in that his son was an enemy of his father. Absalom didn’t appreciate the Lord’s goodness. He became wicked – he enjoyed the pleasures of sin. When his brother Amnon committed an evil act, Absalom took it into his own hands and had his servants kill Amnon. Absalom became conceited and wanted honor, power, and glory for himself. Absalom wanted to become king – even while his father David was still alive and occupying the throne. And Absalom was a clever man. He would sit beside the road leading to the gate of the city and whenever he learned of any controversy that a person wanted the king to judge – he would tell that person that his father had not thought enough to appoint someone to judge the case. But Absalom went on to say that if he were king, he would certainly deal justly with the problem. In this way, Absalom stole the people’s hearts away from his father. By lying about King David, Absalom gained many followers. Finally, Absalom asked his father’s permission to go to the city of Hebron “to fulfill a vow.” At this same time, he sent secret messengers throughout Israel to tell his followers that when they would hear the sound of the trumpet, they should proclaim that Absalom was the king. This plot seemed to be successful for a while – things were going Absalom’s way. He was enjoying the pleasures of sin. David fled for his life from the city of Jerusalem. His own son had forced him from the throne.

However, David’s faithful followers fought for him against Absalom and his men. There was a great battle fought in the woods of Ephraim – and Absalom’s men were defeated. Absalom now fled for his life. As he tried to escape from David’s men, he went through the forest. He passed under the branches of an oak tree – and his long hair was caught on a branch. He was left hanging there, as his mule ran away from under him. David pleaded with Joab, his chief commander, to deal gently with his son. However, Joab threw three javelins into Absalom’s heart. Absalom died shamefully – and Joab’s men threw him into a pit and covered his body with a huge pile of stones. A messenger hurried to tell David what had happened. And when the king heard the news, he wept and said – “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Mourning over the death of a son isn’t a strange thing for a father to do. But it is a strange thing that David should mourn the death of Absalom, a son who was opposed to David, a son who would have killed his father to get what he wanted, a son who hated his father. It’s not hard for a father to mourn the death of a loving, obedient son – but how can a father mourn the death of a son like Absalom? Love! David loved his son and was constantly concerned about Absalom, who took pleasure in sin. David hated what his son had done – yet he loved his son as only a parent could. Absalom was opposed to his father at every turn – yet David loved his son to such an extent that he would have given his own life in order that Absalom’s life might have been spared. “If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Today, we remember King David’s love for his son. Today, we remember our father’s love for us. As we take a look at our own lives, how many times can’t we see Absalom in ourselves? How often can’t we see in ourselves the pleasure to sin? How many times can’t we remember ourselves as being unloving, disobedient, and rebellious – much to the dismay of our parents. Yet, they loved us, they loved us so much that they would have been willing to give everything – even their own lives – for us. Surely we should thank God for such parents, who exhibit and reflect God’s great love and who bring their children up in the training and instruction of the Lord. God requires us to honor our parents as God’s representatives here on earth. He tells us in His holy Word – “Honor your father and mother.” We’re to obey our parents in all things in which God has placed them over us. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians – “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” And again, in Proverbs, it is written – “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” This is God’s command to us – that we serve and obey our fathers and mothers, and that we love them as precious gifts of God.

In the New Testament, Christ spoke of a son who was similar to Absalom. This is known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The son wanted his share of the inheritance from his father. It was given to him and he left home a rich man. However, he threw his money away carelessly until he had finally spent his entire inheritance. This son could find no food. He was starving when he decided to go back home. The prodigal son wasn’t worthy to come home. Yet he was sorry for what he had done. And his father willingly and joyfully accepted him back. This again shows us a father’s love for a disobedient son.

But Christ spoke of this father and son relationship with another idea, another purpose in mind. God is our Father. And we are sinners – disobedient sons and daughters. We’re in opposition to God our heavenly Father. Yet our heavenly Father loves us. He loved us so much that He sent His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners. We must truly be sorry that we have offended our God, and by faith look for salvation only in Christ Jesus. In this way, God our Father accepts us back.

Only when we see God’s love for us, can we appreciate our earthly father’s love for us. Only when we honor and serve our God, can we honor and serve our parents here on earth. Oh, thank God that He has given us earthly fathers who love and care for us. Thank God today that He is our loving and merciful Father, who has counted us worthy to live unto Him and serve Him. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

I believed; therefore I have spoken (II Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1)

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 17:25:58 GMT

Second Sunday after Pentecost, June 6, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: II Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1, but especially these words –

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence…Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

“’It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak…” What do you believe? In whom do you believe? What would you give up everything – including your own life – for? The answer to those questions, St. Paul says here, become clear when you look at what you talk about.

What do you talk about with your family, with your friends, neighbors and people you associate with? What did you talk about at home this morning or when you first greeted your brothers and sisters in Christ here at church? The weather? Your job? Your family? Your golf game? The government? Friends? Sports? Politics? Fashions? Your vacation? Or Jesus Christ as Lord of all? What you talk about is what you believe in, says the apostle Paul.

For St. Paul held to one thing above everything else. I’m sure he talked about the weather the night his ship was caught in a storm and was in danger of sinking. But he also talked to, and about, his Lord. He probably talked about jobs, fashions, the government, and other things of interest, at various times. But most of all he talked and wrote about Jesus Christ. Because he believed in Him. He really believed that Jesus was Lord. And he believed it so firmly that he gave up everything for him. And he did that because in Jesus Christ he found everything he’d been looking for – the forgiveness of sins, the power and presence of God, the entire purpose for his very existence.

Because he knew and talked of a living Lord worth giving up everything for, there was excitement and life wherever he went. There were healings, signs, and wonders. There was the sense of the presence of the living God. And people who were sick or troubled or dying came because they found something real there.

It was the same with Jesus’ ministry – only more so. The Holy Gospel for today tells us – “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.” Why? The crowd came not to hear someone talk about a budget or about how to organize to drive out the Romans, or about the weather, or their golf game, or even to give a talk about God. They came because Christ spoke with authority. They came because they knew He knew what He was talking about. They came because they knew He could heal them. They came to Him finally, again, because in Him they found something real. We hear and read a fair amount today about the crisis within the institutional church. People are not really flocking in. Few churches are growing. Most barely stay afloat. A few sink. And we hear many explanations for the crisis. We live in a postChristian era, they say; we live in a day so saturated with materialism, secularism, and science that people cannot hear the Word of God. And so on. But if I hear this word rightly, God would disagree. He would say that if there is a crisis, it is a crisis of faith, of your faith and mine. Because what we believe, we speak. And if we’re speaking God’s Word, as Jesus and St. Paul and many others did, people will come just as they did when our Lord and Paul walked upon the earth.

Not that such speaking is always easy. St. Paul speaks of “outwardly…wasting away,” which is a rather indirect way of describing his life as one of suffering and persecution. That was the story of his life, beginning almost immediately in Damascus and never really changing. You know the long list of sufferings in the 11th chapter of this letter. And the tradition is that he was finally beheaded for his speaking.

It was the same for Jesus. The incident referred to in the Gospel reading this morning happened fairly early in his public ministry. His own family thought he was “out of his mind.” The people officially in charge of religion accused Him of being connected with Satan himself. And you know about the end of His life.

Which is all very strange! Because Paul’s purpose – and surely Christ’s purpose – was in the words of the text – “so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” Don’t you think people would want that? To feel so great that they couldn’t help but give thanks? To receive grace? For grace is the amazing nature of God – that even when we’re hurting and broken and running as fast as we can to get away from God, He still reaches out to heal us. That’s why Christ came! That’s why the apostle Paul spoke in Jesus’ name. And yet, strangely, even though people flocked to hear Christ, many ended up hating Him.

And our Lord said we should expect the same.

Imagine! If you found a cure for cancer, which might give people an extra 20, 30, or 40 years of life, you could name your price. People would literally come from the ends of the earth and give you everything they had. But if you tell them about Jesus Christ and His cure, which actually erases death forever, many of them are going to hate you.

The Old Testament Lesson tells you why. Because the Word of God uncovers the sin and nakedness of our souls which we so carefully try to hide. And when that Word gets too close to those tender areas in our lives, we try to defend ourselves, either as in the Old Testament Lesson by blaming someone else – our spouse, our parents, the environment, God, anything…or by turning on the bearer of that Word.

But St. Paul proclaimed it anyway, as have countless numbers since then. Why? Because they knew it was life. Because Paul and all the others knew that in Jesus they had found everything. That’s what we need as well. I know I do. And we need it, not just to find something to talk about or to witness to or to see others come to hear. We need healing ourselves. We need to find that still today Jesus is alive and through His promised Spirit is still giving us everything.

You see, when you know He is alive and can give you everything, you will believe in Him. You will trust in Him. You will be filled with Him and, like St. Paul, you will speak because you believe. Like Peter and John, you’ll find yourself saying to those who might not approve of what you’re saying, “You may not like this, but I simply must talk about what I have seen and heard.” And so we have come full circle. We believe and so we speak. We talk about what we believe in.

But there’s one last very important thing. How do you believe? We need to yet hear St. Paul’s beautiful and simple description of the source of his faith and life. He writes – “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Now on the face of it, that’s the most logical, the clearest word you’ll ever hear. Don’t look to and trust what won’t last very long – which happens to be everything you can see. Good sense? Certainly. If it doesn’t last, it is a poor place to fix your hopes or to look for meaning.

And what are those things you can see? Anything and everything. Look around you right now. What of anything you can see will be here a hundred years from now? Us? This building? Our cars in the parking lot? None of them! And yet, they can seem so important. People. When you’re around them, they loom so big. “What will they think of me; will they like me?” we ask. But where will they be in a hundred years?

So the first secret of faith – of being whole, of finding what you’re looking for and what you’d give your life for – is not to look at what you can see. Forget it. Leave it behind. But there’s a second thing that really makes the first possible. And that’s to look at what you can’t see. For the apostle Paul that was indeed Jesus Christ. Because it was when Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus that the apostle’s life began. And so it is for us. It’s in Jesus Christ and only in Him that there is life.

Because, you see, Jesus Christ is the eternal God who became your brother. He loved you so much that He said to the Father – “I’ll become responsible for their sins and I’ll do battle with all their enemies so that they can be free to belong only to You.” And that’s exactly what He did! He took our place to shed His blood and die for us and for our sins. He did battle with our every enemy so that we might be set free. And He rose again as the One who destroyed every enemy, including death – to show us His victory and to share it with us. He lives today to give us everything!

We need to look at Him as that unseen One – see Him as the One for us. And we need to turn our eyes from everything we can see. We need to repent. That’s what it means to repent – to change your direction, to become new and different. In this case, to take your eyes off everything we can see and to give them up – and to look only upon Jesus Christ with the eyes of faith. In that kind of look is the faith that heals and satisfies our own deepest needs and longings. And in that kind of look is the faith which cannot but speak about what it has seen and heard. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Great Visions of God's Glory (Isaiah 6:1-8)

Sun, 30 May 2021 17:21:25 GMT

First Sunday after Pentecost, May 30, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: Isaiah 6:1-8, but especially these words –

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

King Solomon wrote – “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” And so, it’s for this reason that we today look at the prophet Isaiah’s words concerning great visions. The condition and destiny of people who have no great vision of God, or of service to Him – is always something deplorable and devoid of hope. Think of how restricted these people are – those who want nothing to do with God, with Christ, or with religion in any form. God is shut out! And suddenly, they find that when they have shut God out, they have also closed their lives to love, peace, joy, and salvation. The kind of life that is left for these people has no real value. Indeed, “where there is no vision, the people perish.” For we give up too much when we give up the Holy Scripture’s great visions of God’s glory.

By doing so, we would lose sight of Advent – and the great expectation that something tremendous is coming to us from our God. We wouldn’t hear the voice of one crying out in the desert – “Prepare the way of the Lord.” By not having a vision of God, we would do away with Christmas, the Holy Child, and the angel’s announcement – “For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” We would do away with God’s greatest gift of love to us.

Without the vision of God, we would give up Lent. Seeing the Savior, who came to carry the sins of the whole world, going up to Jerusalem would become meaningless. We would miss the meaning of Good Friday – with its vision of one hanging on the cross. We would hear no message of forgiveness and love. And this would take place because we would not have seen the vision of the Lord “high and exalted” – that God who loves us so much “that He gave His only-begotten Son.”

There wouldn’t be the thrill and victory of Easter. We wouldn’t hear the triumphant message of the apostle Paul – “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And we would lose sight of the Ascension of our Lord and the work that He has given us to do – to proclaim the Gospel and to make disciples of all nations. By not having a vision of God, we would lose sight of the fact that – “God lives, and loves us through His Son.” By having no vision of God, we really do lose everything that brings us happiness, hope, and peace.

Seeing the Lord and His great glory means that He ought to be seen by all of us – and that He ought to be seen in our daily lives. But when did you last see God? It is written – “No one has ever seen God.” And yet, God does reveal Himself to us, for the apostle John writes – “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his onlybegotten Son into the world that we might live through him.” And our vision of God has grown. Through His Word, He has enabled us to see Him as our loving, heavenly Father. Through His Word, we have received the vision of God and His glory. And with it, we received the certainty that “God was in Christ.” For when we saw Jesus, born of the Virgin

Mary – we indeed saw God Himself! When we saw Christ, meeting people in their need – we saw God! And when we saw Jesus die on the cross and rise again from the dead – we saw our God!

You see Him now, today! He is there when your children are baptized – “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” You see Him in the faith of new confirmands. God is present in His Word. And you see Him, as you come to the Lord’s Supper – receiving His body and blood as the assurance of forgiveness for all your sins. You may have avoided God for a long time, or tried to hide from Him – but His love finds you. And at the funeral of a friend or loved one, you meet Him who says – “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” Thank God today, then, for the vision that He has given you – in order that, in eternity, you may see your God face to face, as He really is.

But this vision of God is also to affect our lives. When did you last give God the glory? When did you last really praise Him? To praise God means that you know Him to be the highest, the best, the greatest gain possible. We praise God – not only because it’s commanded of us, but because we ought to feel the need to thank Him and to tell others of the miracle we have seen in the Lord. This miracle is the love we have received from Him “who first loved us.” And this gift of love is encountered whenever you come before the cross of Jesus Christ. So you can see that, even when we praise God for His goodness and love – it isn’t often enough.

For the fact remains that our visions run in the opposite direction. Our visions are of wealth, pleasure, power, and position. And people praise these things, thoughtlessly calling them – the good things in life. But can we really be content with these, when St. Paul writes – “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” So, God has come to save us from ourselves. He comes to call us from our small visions and useless dreams – to the great vision of His love in Jesus Christ. Do you praise God in your worship? Do you praise Him when you confess your faith? Are you proclaiming – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory”? This is thanking God, praising Him for the glory that is ours eternally.

And when did you last serve God? Serving the Lord with gladness means more than most of us are ready to give. Serve the Lord? Yes – but within reason! God gives us His love. He has given us His best, His Son to be our Savior and Redeemer. But what do we really give Him gladly? We ought to give our very lives in dedicated service to Him.

But often, we don’t know where to go or what to do. We may have been hurt or told off. We may have been unappreciated or unthanked. And we may feel that this is a good reason for not serving the Lord and His Church. Even our Lord knew about this lack of willing service, when He said – “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?”

Yet, the Lord knows how we are, and says – “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” And Christ continues to make demands of us – but also gives us the power to serve God and others in His name, who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. This is what it means to serve the Lord – joyfully and willingly. Giving our lives completely to the Lord for service in His holy kingdom.

May God grant you His grace to see that vision of the Lord and His great glory. May He be a source of joy, power, and hope for your lives. And may the vision of God enable you to praise and serve Him throughout your lives – until you live with Him eternally. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Words! (Acts 2:1-21)

Sun, 23 May 2021 17:17:47 GMT

The Day of Pentecost, May 23, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: Acts 2:1-21, but especially these words –

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The four great festivals of the Christian Church are – Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. At Christmas and Easter, worship services are filled. These are really special days for us. All we have to do is look at Ascension Day – the few churches that actually have worship services on that day and how small their attendance is – to realize that the Ascension of our Lord has become the forgotten festival of the Christian Church. But Pentecost is considered to be just another day of worship. Even the business world, which is quick to take advantage of a good thing, hasn’t been able to make anything of Pentecost. Maybe, there’s no need to. With just having celebrated Mother’s Day and with Father’s Day and graduations coming up – Pentecost really isn’t needed for its commercial value.

Whatever the reason, Pentecost – The Day of the Holy Spirit – and our celebration of the beginning of the Christian Church – hasn’t inspired us as it ought. Possibly it’s because, as a church, we don’t emphasize the person and work of the Holy Spirit enough. We know a lot about God the Father and God the Son. But what about God the Spirit? That’s a little tougher, isn’t it? Yes, I could join the Apostle Paul in saying – “For as I walked around and observed your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” Therefore, today, let’s look at words.

It is written – “Of making many books there is no end.” Whatever happens anywhere in the world today is reported over and over again many times throughout the week. The President gives a speech or holds a press conference – and then the television commentators explain what he said, what he meant, and what importance each part of it has upon us and our world. However, in the end, we really get sick and tired of hearing all of these words. Yet, it is our God who has decided to work through words. It is written – “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe…My word will not return to me empty.” And this is why the St. Paul could say – “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation.” This is why he tells us – “Preach the word!”

And the Word that God has given us has the power to save. This Word shows

us what we really are. It tells us what our condition before God is. It shows us our guilt and our need of forgiveness. But this Word also gives us God’s answer – His Son, Jesus Christ – and then shows us how to live as His redeemed people. This Word doesn’t only inform us – it empowers us and convinces us. It can do this, because God the Holy Spirit has decided to work in this way. St. Paul writes – “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” But where does the Spirit come? Under what circumstances will He do this work? The text shows us that the Holy Spirit comes wherever believers are gathered around the Word of God.

St. Luke writes – “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” “They were all together in one place.” And the writer to the Hebrews urges – “Let us not give up meeting together.” This was their habit. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” They were assembled for worship – and then, the Holy Spirit came!

Isn’t the lesson obvious? If we want the Spirit to work transformation and salvation for us, we’d better be where He comes – there where we join together to worship God and hear His Word. Do you remember the disciple Thomas? How much he missed Easter evening? St. John tells us – “Now Thomas…one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.” Thomas had missed the risen Lord – and spent a week in doubt because of it.

And this is the cause for so many of our problems today. The Lord comes to us in our worship. He speaks to us by His Word, the Spirit bringing this Word into the hearts of all who are present. We’re changed for the better in many ways. We may come in unhappy, but we go out in joy. We may come in uncertain and defeated, but leave assured of victory. However, many miss that! Did you know that less than onethird of the people who call themselves Christians worship regularly? More of them miss than gather together! And these are the people who call themselves believers, disciples of Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder then that “many…are weak and sick, and a number…have fallen asleep”? The Holy Spirit comes to us as a congregation with all of His gifts – and over two-thirds of us are missing!

But what is the work of the Holy Spirit? It is written – “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.”

“Each one heard them speaking in his own language.” Differently – but they all spoke! And “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own language!” The Spirit enables us, as believers, to speak. At that time, the Lord’s disciples needed that. Before Pentecost, their record really wasn’t all that great! They all ran away from Christ after His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. No one stuck up for the Lord. They made no defense for Him in any of His trials. None spoke for Him at Calvary – though many people shouted against Him. But God did something about that. It was necessary that these men be – “enabled to speak.” And just look at the disciples after the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost!

Peter and John were brought before the authorities and were told not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. And yet, they replied – “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” And then, they prayed – “Now, Lord, enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” Again, these disciples were imprisoned. The authorities had them picked up with the statement – “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name.” But Peter and John responded – “We are witnesses of these things.” Have you noticed that Satan’s strategy hasn’t changed? God’s plan is to save and transform by His Word. But this Word must be spoken by witnesses, empowered by the Spirit. Satan knew that this plan could be ruined, if only the apostles could be kept silent. Keep them quiet – that’s all. And this is his strategy also today. How successful has it been with you? Does anyone say of you – “Why I never knew you were a Christian?” Maybe, just maybe, you haven’t spoken enough. Yet, so much does depend upon our speaking. We only had to wait for the opportunities the Spirit provides. Here is our chance to witness to Jesus Christ.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit caused quite a scene. “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house.” What had taken place spread rapidly. A crowd gathered. And they all heard about the wonders of God in their own language. St. Peter stood up and explained to them what had happened. He found the answer in the Old Testament. All along God had big plans – the prophet Joel described it in this way – “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”

But when the Spirit comes, what happens? St. Peter said – “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Prophesy, about what? They will speak about Jesus. See visions, dream dreams, of what? That “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” People are rescued eternally. We can’t even begin to appreciate what all this involves. We were created to live in the perfection of God’s presence and glory. But by our rebellion, we were lost. And yet, Christ came. He paid the price for our release. And through the Spirit, we were brought to faith. Now, we’re meant for heaven – and that’s forever. Visions and dreams – we’re people saved for glory!

And this assurance has an effect on our days, weeks, and years – here and now. It is written – “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” We’re changed! Everything looks different. There really is purpose and meaning for life. We now ask –

“Lord, what do you want me to do?” We can say with the apostle Paul – “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

And our society also needs this kind of transformation. Everywhere around us it’s “get”. You’re evaluated by the things you have and who you are. But these things don’t do it. Our experience seems to validate this – our restlessness, discontent, and rising suicide rate. If the Lord’s call for a change needs a demonstration – we’re it!

Jesus said – “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” But you and I can be used by the Spirit to change lives. What joy and satisfaction are ours! And in this way, our own love for the Savior is increased. Our worship, communing, and Bible study take on new and deeper meaning. There is happiness and purpose once again.

Our God works through words. Therefore, today, let us rejoice that God’s Word has been spoken to us, and now saves and transforms us. And may the Holy Spirit enable all of us to speak for Christ – until visions and dreams take on reality – when we live with our God forevermore. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Happiness in our Ascended Lord! (Luke 24:44-53)

Sun, 16 May 2021 17:11:38 GMT

Ascension Sunday, May 16, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: St. Luke 24:44-53, but especially these words –

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Good-byes are often sad. When we say farewell to friends who are moving away, we usually think of all the things we meant to do for them and with them – things that were just never done. Many times the promises and plans to keep in touch or get together – are never kept. Even with the best of intentions, we don’t see them or hear from them as often as we’d like.

However, the ascension of Jesus gives us a different picture – it’s indeed a farewell with a difference. St. Luke tells us about the ascension of our Lord very simply – “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” Our Lord left His disciples – they had become very close and dear friends. And yet, nothing is said of any sadness on the part of the disciples. Instead, the ascension of Jesus Christ filled them with great joy. For them and for us – happiness is found in our ascended Lord and King.

When we confess our faith, we say – “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” We do it with our heads held high. There is joy in our confession – and happiness in our hearts. For we remember that the risen Christ is now our living and ascended Lord. From His position of authority, in His eternal power and glory, the Lord guides and protects His Church. He sends forth messengers of His Word to teach us, enabling us to become wise for salvation through faith in Him as our Savior. He is the King of heaven and earth, ruling over all things for the good of the church and for the building up of His kingdom. And as the King of kings and Lord of lords, He will return in glory to take us to be with Him – in that place which will never come to an end.

Just look at the reaction of the disciples to the ascension of Christ. After they had seen Him go – “they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” St. Luke tells us that they were happy to see their Lord and Master ascend into heaven. Why? Christ even had warned His disciples that the world was going to cause them to suffer. They would experience hard times, heartache, sorrow, and persecution. The disciples would be despised and thrown out of the synagogues. So then, why their joy? What was the reason for such happiness? It was this – the confidence and the certainty that Jesus was their Lord, the Messiah, and the Promised One of God. And the disciples were now ready to build upon the understanding He had given them. His resurrection, and now His ascension, proved to them that Jesus was indeed who He claimed to be. And so, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

St. Luke tells us – “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus told the disciples that He was indeed the fulfillment of the writings of Moses and the Prophets. They now understood and believed. Now their lives were filled with new purpose and meaning. For Jesus told them that they had a job to do in His name. He said – “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached…to all nations.” And the disciples were ready to take on the task. Our Lord told them – “You are witnesses of these things.” And the disciples waited for the power He promised – to help them carry out the work which He had given them to do.

The ascension of Christ into heaven was a part of the whole joy of believing in the Savior. And the disciples showed their happiness. It is written – “And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” They spoke of their dependence on Him and His blessings. They declared their confidence that Jesus was everything He claimed to be. And even though they faced the difficult task of making disciples of all nations – they began to share their happiness in the victory Jesus had won for them and the blessings He had promised to them.

The disciples were filled with joy. They knew the Christ. And they knew that His ascension was God’s declaration of His authority and lordship. In faith, we have the same relationship with the Lord that the disciples had. Through God’s Word, we have proof of His love. Christ ascended into heaven – but He isn’t far away from any of us with His everlasting, steadfast love. Times may come when we feel forgotten and alone – yet, it’s not because we’ve been abandoned and forsaken. We realize this when we remember what love compelled our Lord to do for us. Christ gave Himself for us. He died to free us from our sins. He rose again as living proof – that we’re the forgiven and redeemed people of God. And He ascended into heaven where He is given all power and authority – and where even now He is preparing a place for us.

By faith, we’re joined to the Savior. We belong to Christ, and through Him we’re now member of God’s family. St. John reminds us of this, when he writes – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” We can express our faith – “Jesus lived, died, and rose again for me!

In Him, my sins are forgiven. And by His power, I’m God’s very own.” And with St. Paul, we can rejoice that no power anywhere can separate us from that certainty and that love.

There is now great reason for our happiness. The ascended Lord lives and rules – and we belong to Him. He has called us by the Gospel. He sends the blessings and power of the Holy Spirit so that we can know, believe, and live in the truth. For one purpose – that we might be like Christ and see Him as He is, living with the Savior in eternal glory and happiness. But then I suppose that we have to be realistic about all of this too. We have to ask ourselves – “Are we really filled with ascension joy?” Do we live, act and think, work and play with the certain and joy-filled knowledge that where He is – there we will be also?

There are all kinds of traps that try to rob us of our happiness. And we set many of them ourselves. We want a security that we can touch and hold onto. We want a happiness that we can feel and experience right now. So, I wonder what answers would be given to the question – “What would it take to make you really happy?” Popularity? Prosperity? Health? Peace?

My guess is that there would be no end to the responses. However, many of the answers would demonstrate one thing – faith alone in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior just doesn’t seem to be enough for us. But look at the disciples again! Their Lord was gone. They were alone. They were promised persecution, hard times, and given an almost impossible task – for which I’m sure they felt ill-prepared. But what they had that made them happy, what sent them back to Jerusalem with great joy – was the certainty of their faith in Jesus Christ, their ascended Lord. They knew the forgiveness of sins. Their lives were given purpose and meaning. They were witnesses to what they knew to be true. And they depended on God’s promises.

Too often, we’re not satisfied with that. We search for and depend on things that are limited and that will pass away. And because we do, we know what it means to live with sadness and disappointment. We know what it means to be unhappy and afraid. But St. John, one who shared the ascension joy, spoke about Christ, His Word, His promises, and fellowship with God, and then wrote – “We write this to make your joy complete.”

The promises and the blessings of the ascended Lord enable us to be filled with joy. Build on Christ. Build your faith through His Word and Sacrament. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus – on whom your faith and life depend. For you see, there is no magic formula that will wipe away all of your troubles and worries. There’s no guarantee that you’ll never have pain or sadness. There’s no promise to remove all suffering. You will go out today and still experience the things that happen in a world filled with sin and

evil.

But don’t forget where you’ve been, who you are, and to whom you belong. For you’ve been to see the Savior! You’ve heard His words of forgiveness and life! You are the sons and daughters of God! And He gives you the power and ability to accept each day with the certainty of victory. He knows, He cares, and He blesses. He isn’t unmoved by your weaknesses, fears, and doubts. He’s been there – and has overcome. He’s here, now, with His grace and love. And He says – “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.”

The only thing that ultimately matters – is our relationship with Jesus Christ. For He’s coming again, and we’ll see Him as He is – forever. We’ll be like Him, as surely as we belong to Him. And so, our happiness really is in Jesus Christ, our ascended Lord and King. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

A Home of Disciplined Love! (II John 1:4-6)

Sun, 09 May 2021 17:11:36 GMT

Mother's Day Sermon, May 9, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: II John 1:4-6

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

A mother exerts more influence in shaping the lives and the destinies of her children – than any other person throughout their lives. For she’s in a position both to teach and to be an example to her children. In fact, a mother is the first and greatest representative of God’s love to them. And yet, children and young people today have been called reckless, destructive, undisciplined, and what not. And in too many instances, this description is quite accurate. Go into almost any community and watch young peoples’ groups at their gatherings or on the streets – and you’ll see that this is indeed the case.

However, when all of this has been said – aren’t we really also being forced to admit that children and young people today didn’t produce the world in which they live? All too often – when children are corrected because of their misconduct, their mothers and fathers are the ones who proceed at once to tell the proper authorities that they have no right to do this to their children. Many parents let their children do whatever they want, for they think that this is showing love – and then they’re surprised that their children have no sense of responsibility and are undisciplined. You see, children need parents, especially a mother – who will teach, guide, and lead them.

Today we, as a nation and as a congregation, pause to honor our mothers. This day is placed before us to encourage us to keep that command of our Lord which states.

– “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” And as we show our mothers our love, we are obeying a word from God, which says – “…learn first of all to put (your) religion into practice by caring for (your) own family and so repaying (your) parents…for this is pleasing to God.”

And as you mothers receive the praise of your children today – you also, as the people of God, will want to remember your blessings before God and think about the responsibilities that God has placed upon you. In the first century of the Christian Church, a letter was written to a mother by the apostle John – and in this letter, he has some important things to say about discipline and love – on this our observance of

Mother’s Day.

Today, too many believe that being sentimental is actually loving. However, the apostle John writes – “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.” So, the love of a mother has to be one of discipline. And the mother who really loves her children – corrects them when it’s needed. God gives her this pattern in His Word, when He says – “…the Lord disciplines those he loves…that we walk in obedience to his commands.” You see, time and again God corrects us as children of His grace, mercy, and love. He does this throughout our lives – and by doing so, forces us to take a close look at ourselves. But when He does correct us, it isn’t because He hates us.

Rather, this correction reveals God’s concern for our well-being – it shows us His love. And in the same way, a mother corrects and trains her children – not because she hates them or wants to show her authority over them. She does so – because she loves them. The apostle John says that this mother teaches her children in the truth – and then adds that she also trains and corrects them through the truth. Therefore, a Christian mother is constantly guided by the Word of her God, appealing to the authority of the Lord.

In disciplining her children, a mother faces a difficult task, to be sure. For on one hand, our sinfulness makes training a constant chore; and on the other hand, a mother finds too many others in the community who fail in this work of disciplining altogether. And so, she’ll hear her children tell her time and again – “This one or that one can do it, why can’t I?”

The mother who really loves her children, though, also disciplines herself. You see, it’s only natural that a mother should want to let her child do or have whatever he or she wants. However, some mothers go one step further and say – “He’s only young once, why not let him have his fun now? My daughter will have plenty of work to do later in life, why not let her play now?” And so, these children are pampered and spoiled. No responsibility is placed upon them. No demands are made of them. No obligations have to be met. These children grow up rather unprepared. When parents permit this to happen, they’re not disciplining themselves.

But the mother who disciplines herself also recognizes the rights of her children.

Too often parents don’t want their children to grow up and don’t let them. They think of young people in terms of being kids, and treat them as such. However, young people resent this kind of treatment – and it definitely shows a lack of self-discipline on the part of the parents. Through training, parents ought to exhibit the fact that their children are growing into adulthood – with rights and responsibilities of their own.

The apostle John says that the mother who really loves her children will discipline herself – through the truth and the commandments of God. The Word of God is her guide, and prayer is the way in which she looks for and finds direction and guidance. And yet, the apostle John doesn’t only address himself to the mother in the text, he not only tells her what a fine job she’s done in raising her children. He also has a word to say to her sons and daughters. Children who honor their Christian mothers – live in truth and follow the commandments of God. The apostle John has some tremendous things to say to the children in the text.

They lived their lives as God’s people. These children not only praised the Lord – but also lived as Christians at home, at church, and in the community. And their conduct and behavior gave evidence to their Christian faith and training. Everyone could tell that they came from a Christian home. These children were thoughtful and considerate of others – because Christian love dominated their lives. The children of that first-century Christian home didn’t go along with the crowd. They instead bore witness to the power of the Gospel, as it made an impact on their everyday lives. And this is how we also today can best honor our mothers – by living as the people of God.

And as the apostle John praises the Christian atmosphere in this first-century Christian home, he urges the members of this family to continue to live in and for the Lord. He writes – “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that…you walk in love.” This kind of living wasn’t only a blessing to the home, but also to the church. The entire congregation at that time rejoiced to have this family among them – for they were an example to all. And this kind of discipline in Christian love brought much happiness and joy to this family’s everyday life.

But to establish a Christian home of disciplined love isn’t an easy thing to do, for we’re associating with and in an undisciplined world. Discipline is seen as being oldfashioned. Defiance of authority is evident all around us. And often, we’re inclined to go along with the crowd. We’re inclined to want to do what others do; and by doing so, we rebel against the Word of God. However, lack of discipline always leads to problems. Seeing just how far we can go always leads to trouble.

And yet, where the Christian life is disciplined by love, God’s blessings are in evidence. It is written – “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” God’s blessings abound in the Christian home, because each member of the family realizes that they are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” They are each the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, producing the fruits of God’s Spirit – and all of this by His grace.

And God reveals His love for us through the cross. Everyday, our sins are forgiven. Continually, God gives us the righteousness of Christ as our own. And when we fail, when we fall, God, in His love, picks us up again. And we live in peace. We’re at peace with God through the reconciling cross of Jesus Christ; and being at peace with God, we can be at peace with ourselves and with one another. As we’re forgiven and loved by the Lord, we in turn will be forgiving and loving to one another. This is the way that living is really meant to be!

But you see, our story is and always will be the conflict between the forces of evil and the active love of God in Jesus Christ. It’s in the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord that the Christian mother receives the power necessary to do battle with those forces that threaten her ability to love and forgive. As the demand for forgiveness, patience, and grace arise in the family, as her family daily stands in need of her love, she is driven back to God for His help. And in Christ, God assures her that He will never fail her. So, as the faith and love of the Christian mother is expressed in her children, they’ll have every reason to thank and praise God, to “arise and call her blessed.”

Therefore, let us, not only on Mother’s Day, but everyday of our lives – give our mothers the love, respect, and honor that they deserve. And if our mothers are no longer with us, let us praise and thank God, as we remember the precious gift He gave us, the tremendous love they gave us, and the God-pleasing lives they led. But most importantly, let us thank God for mothers who have taught and trained us by the Word of truth. For by doing so, they have led us to the Savior. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

The Spirit of Antichrist and the Spirit of God (I John 4:1-11)

Sun, 02 May 2021 17:11:35 GMT

Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 2, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: I John 4:1-11, but especially these words –

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

In the text for today, St. John is warning us that false prophets and the spirit of antichrist can be hazardous to our spiritual health. Unfortunately, we’re not going to see people or spirits identified with warning labels – so we must learn to recognize them for ourselves. Sometimes it’s relatively easy. Any person, religion, or cult that doesn’t receive Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world – is not of God and is

the spirit of antichrist.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t so easy. In our everyday lives, we’re confronted with many spirits and attitudes. Some are of God – others are not. Today, we’ll consider the spirit of antichrist as it appeared in the lives of Jesus’ contemporaries. We hope to be able to recognize that spirit when confronted with it in our lives. Then we’ll look at the spirit of God, the spirit of love that Jesus displayed. This is the spirit that can overcome the spirit of antichrist and guide our thoughts, our actions, and our entire lives.

One of the spirits that Jesus found opposing Him was the spirit of pride in personal accomplishments. Jesus identified that spirit when He spoke about the Pharisee praying in the temple. This man felt good about himself. He was honest, and was a good man to do business with. He was no adulterer. He had his principles – and he wasn’t about to violate them. He was also a religious man – as anyone could see who observed his fasting, his praying, and his giving.

Would any of us encourage him to change his lifestyle? We wouldn’t want to change his business practices or his faithfulness to his wife. We certainly wouldn’t want to discourage the practice of giving. And yet, with all of his virtuous activity, Jesus still considered this man outside the kingdom of God. His spirit was the spirit of antichrist. He felt that he could earn his place with God by his own accomplishments. This spirit was opposed to Christ – because it kept him from recognizing his need for a Savior.

There are times when we feel good about ourselves. It may be in the way we conducted ourselves in a difficult situation. It might be some temptation that we resisted. It may be the service that we have rendered. But the moment we expect God to feel as good about us as we do about ourselves and to give us some special reward or recognition – then the spirit of antichrist has appeared in our lives.

Jesus also saw a spirit opposing Him – in the search to get ahead financially. A young man came to the Lord and wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. To earn it – keep the commandments. This man was sure that he had kept them from his youth. Jesus tells him to do one thing more – to sell what he has and give it to the poor. Then, he was to follow Jesus. We’re told that this man went away very sad – because he was very rich. He couldn’t part with what he had.

Isn’t reward the American success story? Isn’t this our work ethic? If you work hard – you’ll be rewarded with the blessings of life. We all like the good things of life, but when the emphasis becomes what a person has instead of what he or she is and can be as a forgiven child of God – then we have a problem. In the search and desire to get ahead in the things of this world, Christ saw a spirit that wasn’t of God and that made it very difficult to enter the kingdom of God.

Our Lord saw a spirit opposing Him in the delaying of decisions and godly activity. I’ll do it when the time is right, but first I must take care of something else. This can be the spirit of antichrist. “But first” are the key words. Jesus invited a man to follow Him. He was willing, “but first” he wanted to bury his father. Another agreed to follow Him, “but first” he wanted to say good-bye to those at home. Jesus’ response to these “but first” situations was to tell them – “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

We have many willing people. I’ll be glad to come to the meeting if you put it on a night that I’m free. I’ll be glad to help just as soon as I have the time. “But first” there are other things that need my attention. Now these things may all be good and important, but if they compete for the place God would have in our lives – they are the

spirit of antichrist.

Who would have thought that the spirit of antichrist could be present in the disciples – except, of course, for Judas. When Peter suggested that the Lord should avoid suffering and death in Jerusalem, Jesus called him Satan and told Peter that he wasn’t on the side of God. The disciples also had a spirit of jealousy of which our Lord didn’t approve. They observed a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus. He wasn’t one of them, so they ordered him to stop. Jesus informed His disciples that they were wrong. Anyone who did a mighty work in His name wasn’t working against them.

“Whoever is not against us is for us.”

We like special recognition, don’t we? We can become very jealous when others do great things in His name. When we can’t rejoice over the good that is done in the name of the Lord because we’re jealous of the individual who did it – then the spirit of antichrist has reached into our lives. The spirit of antichrist appears in many forms. It’s a real and very present threat to our Christian life of faith.

Now, let’s consider the spirit of God’s love, which reaches out to save and to change lives so that we may know the blessing of lives lived in love. The Holy Scriptures tell us that God is love and that His love was made known to us in the sending of His Son to be our Savior. And Jesus showed this spirit of love in His relationship with others. The spirit of love in Christ opened the kingdom of God to people.

One of the amazing aspects of God’s love is that it’s a love for sinners. The Pharisee praying in the temple felt that God should love him – because he was so good. But God’s spirit of love reaches out to guilty sinners. One day the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in the act of adultery. According to the law, adultery was to be punished by death. Our Lord said – “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one they turned and went away. No one condemned her. Then Jesus told her – “Neither do I condemn you…Go now and leave your life of sin.”

How could He just ignore the Law? Certainly He was without sin. Yet, He did not condemn her, nor does He condemn us – because He would accept the responsibility for this sin, along with all the others, and be condemned for them. The penalty of the Law would be paid for on the cross. This is still the love that reaches out to us – even while we’re guilty of sin. You never deserve God’s love – it comes because of God’s goodness alone. The apostle Paul writes of this amazing love in his letter to the Romans – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the spirit of love – and there are no limits to this love. For Christ has erased all boundaries for it.

Remember Zacchaeus? He was that short fellow who just wanted to see Jesus. He couldn’t see over the crowd so he climbed a tree to see better. Jesus invited Himself to his house. And during the visit, a joy came to Zacchaeus – there was a change of direction in his life. He had been overcome by the love of God. Jesus saw what happened and said – “Today salvation has come to this house.” God’s love

creates love. This spirit brings the change from a selfish love to a desire for all to share in the blessings of God.

And this love reaches out to all – even those who would be considered enemies. How well this was demonstrated, when our Lord prayed from the cross – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” This is what the spirit of love is all about – Forgive them. He died for all sins – the sins of the woman caught in adultery, the sins of Zacchaeus, the sins of the scribes and Pharisees, the sins that are yours and mine – yes, the sins of the spirit of antichrist. He accepted the responsibility for them all – and He forgives us. This spirit of love has paid our debt and has set us free to be the children of God.

Only with the spirit of forgiving love can a marriage succeed. Only with the spirit of forgiving love can a family live together as a blessing. Only with this spirit of forgiving love can we work and move forward as a church here in this place. The spirit of antichrist is found in each of us. Those who live in that spirit live in a small world. They are hemmed in by greed, jealousy, and self-interests. But the spirit of God is a spirit of love – it has no boundaries and knows no limitations. God gives this spirit to us through Christ – so that we can know the joy that comes from being His own. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Shepherd Sheep Connection (John 10:11-18)

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 17:11:32 GMT

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: St. John 10:11-18, but especially these words –

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

One of the greatest pictures we have in connection to our relationship with God – is that of a shepherd to his sheep. This picture had its beginning already in the Old

Testament. In the twenty-third Psalm, David declared – “The Lord is my shepherd.” He here described his Lord as a good shepherd, one who takes care of His people, His sheep. And God, through the prophet Ezekiel, had this to say concerning this shepherd-sheep connection – “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself have made them lie down…I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak…I will feed them in justice.”

Jesus uses this same picture in the text for today, when He said about Himself –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” At that time, His hearers knew that a real shepherd was most importantly concerned about the well-being of his flock. He would provide his sheep with the necessities of life, such as food and water. And when wolves attacked, the shepherd knew what his

responsibilities were. The shepherd would risk his own life – in order to save the sheep. He would put his own life on the line – to protect the flock. This is the tremendous picture that’s placed before us today.

Our Lord is here telling us something about Himself, something about ourselves – and something about this connection. He’s here claiming us as His very own. Christ is saying – “I’m the One to whom the psalmist looked at all times. I’m the One who leads you and provides for you also. I’m the One who goes with you throughout your lives. I fill your lives with goodness, mercy, and love – and I guide you, so that following

Me, you might dwell in My Father’s house forever.”

But Jesus tells us even more. He says – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” And with these words, our Lord shows us what He did so that His flock, so that you and I, may live for Him now and with Him forever. The Scripture lessons for Lent and Easter are still fresh in our minds. So, we know how Christ fulfilled this prophecy with His death upon the cross of Calvary. In the text, our Lord has this to say about His own life – “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” And we believe that this claim was fulfilled by Christ’s glorious resurrection from the dead. Today, we accept His claim to be the psalmist’s Lord – and also your Lord and mine. We can say with the apostle John – “We are God’s children now.” And with the apostle Peter, we can confess – “And there is salvation in no one else.”

The problem today is that we often reject Christ’s claim upon us. And so, it’s not by accident that the Lord compares us to sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own.” Jesus knows us with all of our weaknesses and fears. He knows how we still love to wander and stray from the fold. And yet, Christ wants us to be one flock gathered around Him. He wants to be the Lord of our lives. But, what happens? We still wander and stray, we run away, we stumble and fall. For we all have our own wants, wills, and desires. And we decide to do what we please – without regard for the Lord’s will for our lives, nor for the consequences of our actions. Whatever it is, each of us must confess with the prophet Isaiah that we’re just like sheep – that we’re the ones who have wandered and strayed.

And yet, Jesus calls us back. And to show us the extent of His love, our Lord once told the story of the shepherd who had one hundred sheep – and suddenly realized that one of them was missing. So, he left the ninety-nine others in the open country and went out after the lost sheep, looking for it until he found it. And when he did, he picked the sheep up, carried it home, and called his friends and neighbors together for a celebration – for the lost had again been found.

In the same way, Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, won’t let us go. He calls us back through His Word – and there proclaims His faithfulness. He picks us up in the arms of His grace and love. He forgives us all of our sins. And then He brings us back home, home to Himself and to the power of His redeeming love. Christ bought us back! And He did this for a reason. When the Savior stood among His disciples on the evening of the resurrection, He greeted them with words of peace and then immediately told the disciples – “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And Jesus now sends us out to continue the work that was begun in Him. He now asks us to follow His example – so that the blessings of God are conveyed to others. However, our Lord first gives us an example of what He does not mean by being a shepherd – that of a hired hand.

This isn’t a real shepherd in any sense of the word. The people represented here are those who only try to use Jesus Christ and His Church. They’re content to stop with the picture of the Good Shepherd – as a picture of comfort. They’re the kind of people who never go and tell. They’re people who use the Church for baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals – but who avoid commitment to and responsibility for the life and work of the Church.

They fail to offer their love and loyalty to the Savior. The Church will never be a blessing to those who only use it for what they can get out of it – nor will they be a blessing to the Church, to the flock of Jesus Christ, the Savior. In contrast to the negative example of the hired hand, the Lord Jesus calls upon us to see Him as our Good Shepherd. And even as the Father sent Him into the world to lay down His life for the sheep, so He calls upon us to follow His example.

God calls upon us to commit ourselves to the Savior and to the task of shepherding one another. Today, as always, the flock is in danger of letting the weaker ones wander away. So, it’s necessary for everyone who calls Jesus the Good Shepherd to follow the example of the Master – to lay down our lives for the sake of the flock. The means that we resolve to do, not what we want – but what must be done for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. It’s our risen Lord who has shown us that when we lay down our lives for others, He gives them back to us again. He gives us the power to rise above our weaknesses, as we attempt to be shepherds to each other.

And one opportunity that most of us have to be shepherds to one another is in the home, within our own families. This is especially true in regards to the area of our attitudes and values. As children see our response to others – the way we treat our marriage partner, our neighbors, and those in the community – the way we talk about our family, friends, and fellow church members – they’re being taught how to respond to people around them. And when children see what’s important to their parents, they set their own values along the same lines. So, whether husband or wife, parent or child, brother or sister, our first opportunities to follow the example of the Good Shepherd are usually in the home.

But our Lord goes on to say – “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” These words don’t allow us to get comfortable. For the reason He has called us is to reach out to others who aren’t yet a part of Christ’s flock, who aren’t yet in His fold. And so the Good Shepherd leads us out of our family and congregation, out of our own little worlds – and into our community and into the world that He came to claim for Himself. But the way isn’t an easy one. It’s a way that leads to criticism, when we stand up for what our Savior has done for us. It’s certainly not easy to live the kind of life demonstrated by Jesus Christ – in a world that is hostile to Him and to His cause.

However, our Good Shepherd leads us out – so that He can lead others in.

And the tremendous thing is that Jesus Christ hasn’t only left us a path to follow – He also goes with us, by our side. He’s ready to help us and lead us. So, no matter what struggle or challenge we may encounter, we can be sure that Jesus has already gone before us – to make a path for us. He’s the Good Shepherd who leads us, who lifts us up when we fall, and who carries us when we can’t go on. Christ claims us and calls us. And we’re secure that even when we do stray, the forgiveness of the Shepherd, secured for us by His blood – restores us again and again to His fold and to His care. He’ll see us through until His words are fulfilled – “So there will be one flock, one shepherd” – in heaven above. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

What Can We Do About Sin? (Gen. 3:8-15)

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 17:11:31 GMT

Sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter , April 18, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: Genesis 3:8-15

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

If anyone ever had reason to give up on us and put us aside – in effect saying, “Good riddance” – it was God! For the man and the woman He created in holiness and righteousness, whom He blessed by making them the crown of His creation, turned their backs on Him. They doubted His Word and they disobeyed His command. In their pride, Adam and Eve rebelled against God. So, He would have been perfectly justified in saying, “I’m through with you. Get out of my sight. I never want to see you again.” Yes, God could have said that. And He could say it again this morning to all of us who disregard and go against His Law everyday. But thank God today – He didn’t say this to Adam and Eve in the garden, and He doesn’t say this to us. God didn’t give up on those first sinners, and He doesn’t give up on us today. The way God dealt with our first parents is still the way He deals with all sinners. He comes after them. He pursues them. God takes the first step – and every step that follows. He doesn’t wait for us to come around or come to our senses – because in our sinfulness, we’re not capable of finding our way. So, our God comes to us. And this is what the text for this morning shows us – God taking the initiative, the first step in order to confront us with our sins and to promise us a way back to Him.

What Adam and Eve had done in the garden wasn’t some sort of innocent little thing. When they ate the forbidden fruit, it was a sign of their unbelief. It was pride, the desire to be like God. It was disobedience, the refusal to obey God’s command. It was rebellion, the insistence on going their own way. It was human beings too busy playing God – to listen to God. It was sin! And in the text for this morning, the time came for Adam and Eve to stand trial before God. He came to call them into account. God came to the garden and called Adam, saying – “Where are you?” It was as if God were saying, “Do you think I don’t see you, that I don’t know what you have done?” But instead of answering, Adam and Eve tried to hide from God. They were afraid. They knew that they had disobeyed, had sinned, and were guilty. Satan had promised them that they would be just like God. They had been looking for knowledge – and now they knew all about sin and evil first-hand. Their conscience was bothered. It found them guilty – and made them afraid.

But Adam and Eve weren’t yet ready to acknowledge and confess their sin – and take responsibility for their actions. And this is the nature of sin – it causes us to deny our wrongdoing. We try to run away and hide. But where? There really isn’t a good hiding-place from God. Moses told the people of Israel – “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” And God Himself declares – “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him…Do not I fill heaven and earth?” Deep down inside we know this – and as a result we can find no peace by trying to deny our sins.

And Adam was the first to discover that he couldn’t hide from God. God found him – but still Adam wouldn’t face up to his sin. Instead, he made excuses – “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And yet, really! What kind of an excuse was that? Adam had heard God’s voice in the garden before, and there had been nothing to be afraid of. Why should it be any different now? But this again is the nature of sin. It causes us to come up with the most ridiculous excuses.

But God cut right through it all, all of the garbage and all of the excuses, when He asked – “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” And it is here that we’re getting to the heart of the problem. And yet, even then, Adam wouldn’t confess. Instead, this time, he did what has been so typical of all of us since that time – he tried to place the blame of somebody else. “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” “It’s all her fault, Lord, so why don’t you talk to her. In fact, if you want to be honest about it, it’s really your fault, Lord. If you hadn’t put her here with me in the first place, nothing like this would have happened.” And would you believe that Eve came up with the same kind of excuse – “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Here we see sin at its worst, like it really is. We don’t want to confess. We like to blame others for our wrongdoing, it’s easier that way. And we do it all the time. How many times haven’t we heard others use or we ourselves use excuses like these – “It’s not my fault. It’s the world in which we live. Everyone else is doing it. Or this person or that person made me do it.” We echo the excuses of Adam and Eve constantly. We insist on being innocent at al costs, even if we have to blame others or God Himself for our failings and shortcomings.

So, where does this leave us? It leaves us, just as it left Adam and Eve, separated from God. We’ve turned against Him and have become His enemies. We have lost all self-respect and feelings of self-worth. Not only have we broken our relationship with God, we’ve also turned against one another. All of life becomes useless and frustrating, a life which finally ends in death. It’s the apostle Paul who wrote – “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”

Don’t you see, as God confronts us this morning, that to try and hide, to look for excuses, or to blame others or even God Himself, all of this won’t solve our problem, it won’t enable us to get rid of our sins? The apostle John wrote – “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” But God keeps taking the initiative. He finds us in the mess we’ve made for ourselves, and confronts us with our sins. We can never escape from God, He finds us – and passes judgment on us. Though God judges and must judge us, that isn’t His only reason for confronting us. He comes not only in judgment to condemn – but also in mercy to give us His grace and love. And this is something that’s so hard for us to understand. Adam would never have guessed that it was love that compelled God to come to Him. What if God had remained silent, or refused to come? What if God had refused to have anything to do with any of us ever again? However, God came to call Adam and Eve to account and to speak His judgment – because His judgment was necessary if they were to receive the help the really needed. And we also must know our desperate, our lost condition before we can receive the help we need. For how could we get excited about our salvation, if we didn’t first know that we were destined for hell? How could we be interested in reconciliation with God is we didn’t know about our separation from Him? We have to e crushed by our sinfulness to such a point where we confess – “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Then, and then only, can God reach out and embrace us with His love. Only then are we prepared to receive the gift of His love.

And just look at what happened! God gave Adam and Eve the first promise of a Savior. He said to the serpent – “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” But there was going to be a war. On one side, Satan and his followers – on the other side, the woman and all her descendants. Ever since that time, Satan has done everything possible to destroy God’s creation. And all of us would have gone down to defeat – if it hadn’t been for God keeping His promise and sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be our Savior – to do battle and win the victory for us.

Only God could help us – and He did! But it wasn’t an easy victory. In the battle, He would suffer. Christ was nailed to the cross. And upon it, He died. For a moment at least, it looked lie Satan had won. But it only seemed that way. In reality, the serpent’s head had been crushed – he had been defeated. For our Savior came forth triumphantly from the grave, proclaiming His victory. And His victory is also now our victory. Our sins have been paid for – our guilt removed. Satan no longer has any power over us. The apostle John writes – “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” And the writer to the Hebrews proclaims – “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil.” For Adam and Eve brought death. But Jesus Christ brings life.

Now the gates of paradise, which were closed on our first parents, have been reopened – and we, through faith in our Redeemer, are reconciled to God. This is our comfort. This is our hope. For, you see, whether we want to admit it or not, our problem is this – what are we going to do about sin? We can’t hide it. We can’t make excuses for it. And we can’t blame others for it. Confession and repentance are the answer. For in this way, the power of God’s forgiving love can heal us and make us clean.

God comes to us through the Word that’s proclaimed to us. He is asking – “What are you going to do about your sin?” What greater message can there be than that we don’t have to do anything because Christ has already done everything for us, that we don’t have to make peace with God because He has already made peace with us! God has come to us, just as He came to Adam and Eve. He comes again today, offering us forgiveness, peace, and life. Therefore, as God comes to us, asking, “where are you?” – may we respond, “Here am I, Lord. In the blood of the Lamb, here I am!” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Doubt to Faith (John 20:19-31)

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 17:11:29 GMT

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter, April 11, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: St. John 20:19-31, but especially these words –

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. When the other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, he declared, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them…Jesus came and stood among them and…he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Often a person finds it hardest to believe that which he most eagerly wants to believe. If you care a lot about someone or something, doubts may suddenly enter your mind. Who is more tormented than the one who says – “It can’t be possible that she loves me. How could she ever love a person like me?” You see, he is allowing his doubts to overwhelm the fact that a person could indeed actually love him. Or a mother whose son is reported safe following combat, when she’s told he is returning home, suddenly says – “I simply can’t believe it until I hold him in my arms.” Her doubt has to be proved before she can really believe. Doubt and faith do belong together. The text for today shows us how they do belong together, not only in Thomas’ life, but also in our lives.

It was that way with Thomas. He doubted before he had faith. However, his doubt had not destroyed his faith. It simply drove him to reaffirm the faith that was such an important part of his life. But he had to struggle. To Thomas, the cross was only what he had expected all along. Thomas never lacked courage. But in so many ways he was a natural pessimist. There can never be any doubt that Thomas loved Jesus. He loved Him enough to go to Jerusalem, even when the other disciples had been hesitant and afraid.

What Thomas had expected really happened. Christ had died and Thomas was broken-hearted. So broken-hearted, in fact, that he didn’t want to be with the other disciples – therefore, he went away. Thomas wanted to face his suffering and sorrow alone. And so it happened that when Jesus did return to the disciples following the resurrection, Thomas wasn’t there. To him, the news that Christ had come back to life seemed too good to be true and he refused to believe. Thomas became angry in his pessimism. He said he would never believe that Christ had risen from the dead until he had seen and handled the prints of the nails in Jesus’ hand and put his own hand into the wound that the spear had made in His side.

Thomas’ doubt began to smother his faith. In his aloneness, his doubt was turning him bitter. Another week passed and Jesus came to His disciples again. But this time Thomas was there. Maybe he was starting to come out of his grief a little. Maybe he began to realize that the place to find an answer to doubt – wasn’t holding up within himself, but rather, to be with other people. Jesus knew Thomas. He repeated Thomas’ own words and then invited him to make the test that he had demanded. Thomas’ heart must have broken at the same time that it rejoiced. He fell down on his knees in love and devotion, and all that he could say was – “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him – “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus was really saying to Thomas – “Look, you’ve been looking in the wrong places. You’ve had all kinds of doubts. But when you’ve had those doubts, you should have kept looking and then you could have believed. Thomas, everything in life can’t be seen. We have to believe. Seeing is not believing.”

The tragedy of Thomas wasn’t found in his lack of love or faithfulness. The tragedy for this man was that for eight days he lived in the anguish of uncertainty and doubt. The reason he failed to have his Easter hopes realized was simply that he was looking in the wrong place. He was looking in the place other than the place where

Jesus was. The disciples were all together, but Thomas wasn’t with them. He was alone.

In the battle for understanding between doubt and faith, one of the greatest things that we can learn from Thomas is that we can never find the answers if we’re alone. Rather, we can only find the answers of faith in fellowship. This was the one big mistake Thomas made. He withdrew from the fellowship of the other disciples. He looked for loneliness rather than togetherness and because he wasn’t there with his fellow disciples, he missed the Christ.

We also miss a great deal when we separate ourselves from our Christian fellowship. Things can happen to us within the fellowship of Christ’s church – that could never happen to us when we’re alone. When Jesus spoke a word of peace to His disciples and gave them His Spirit upon them, it gave them the power to forgive sins and to find forgiveness. It gave them an understanding of what it meant to be together as fellow believers, and to seek, to search, to console, and to sorrow with one another, as well as to rejoice with each other.

On this Second Sunday Of Easter, the question I suppose almost every pastor asks is – “Where are all the people who were here on Easter Sunday? Why would they come to proclaim the Lord’s resurrection with all of its power, and the confession of faith that He lives and rules in each and every life, and then this Sunday, just seven days later, not be here.” At least when Thomas missed the Lord the first time, he discovered that he couldn’t find Christ alone, if he was going to stay away and feel sorry for himself. He wouldn’t discover the meaning of his faith, if he stayed alone. The second time Christ appeared, Thomas found himself among the fellowship of believers. He found himself in relationship to others who were looking, waiting, and praying for the Lord – and in this way did discover the Savior.

Doubt always gives birth to doubt. But faith gives birth to faith. The fellowship of believers means that we come together with those who confess and believe like we do – so that we can strengthen each other, so that we can share an understanding of what God is trying to say to us, and so that we can share one another’s burdens, sorrows, and questions. This doesn’t mean that there’s no room for doubt. It means exactly the opposite. It means that this is the arena in which we can voice our doubts. This is the arena in which we can ask questions that relate to our faith because this is where we gain understanding of what God’s Word says to us.

Our doubts should drive us to find answers. Our whole civilization has been built on doubt. It has been built on the drive of men and woman who were dissatisfied with the old answers, so they began to push into new frontiers of knowledge. Doubting is good – but only when it leads us to search for the truth and for knowledge in a way that we might find the answers. It was the doubt of Thomas that made him separate himself from the other disciples. But it was also the doubt of Thomas that led him to seek the right answers, that drove him back into the fellowship of other people – and there, he made his great confession of faith as he gave himself to Jesus Christ once again.

It was important for Thomas to doubt. It was important for him to say – “I don’t believe it, and I won’t believe it until I see it.” It was important for him to say that – because he was being very honest with himself. However, he didn’t leave it there. He went out to search for the answers. Doubts should always lead to answers. Our doubts should drive us to seek the truth. They should drive us to a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ, just as they did for Thomas.

And this is what the Christian faith is all about. Doubts do come – and yet we find the answers in Jesus Christ, and in relationship to others. Doubt should always be linked to faith, and faith must always be linked to others. Faith in Jesus Christ is always a proclamation and a moving out and a great commission of going and doing as Jesus Christ would go and do. There is power in the Gospel, but that power has to be used. Yes, the power of God is still here. Wherever lives are open channels through which it can go, there is the proof of God’s presence and power. It means that as we struggle with doubts in our lives, our faith will drive us out to proclaim the Gospel. If Christ means anything to us, we cannot help but tell others. And they, in turn, can be assured that they too can come to the place where they will receive that power and that strength – so that we can together confess as Thomas did – “My Lord and my God!”

Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Are You Living Resurrected Lives? (I Corinthians 15:1-11)

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 17:11:27 GMT

Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: I Corinthians 15:1-11, but especially these words –

For what I received I passed onto you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than give hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

Christ is risen! Hallelujah! On Good Friday, Christ died upon the cross of Calvary. His lifeless body had been placed in a borrowed tomb. Joseph of Arimathea had a large stone placed at the entrance of this tomb. The chief priests and the Pharisees sealed it and Pontius Pilate stationed a Roman guard there – to prevent the disciples from stealing the body, and then saying that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. The defeat of Christ seemed complete. No escape appeared possible. But early on Easter morning, the power of God Himself shook the earth. An angel rolled the stone away from the tomb’s entrance – to reveal what had already taken place. Jesus had risen from the dead! At dawn, three women hurried to the tomb to complete the unfinished task of anointing the Master’s body. On Good Friday, hope had disappeared. But on Easter morning, hope returned when they found the tomb empty, and heard the message of the angel – “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

It’s another Easter morning – about two thousand years later. And yet, those three women of twenty one centuries ago and we today – have a lot in common. That stone had been rolled away from the tomb for the women, and an angel told them that Jesus Christ had indeed been raised from the dead. But the stone has also been rolled away for us – we also have heard the resurrection message proclaimed. This news that we have heard and that you’re going to hear this morning is the most earth-shaking, the most wonderful announcement you’re ever going to hear. Something tremendous is happening right now! In a time of death, we have come together to proclaim life – life now in the risen Savior and life with the Lord that will never come to an end.

You and I gather here this morning, rejoicing – for the purpose of celebration. We celebrate the day of resurrection – His and ours! We worship and praise our risen and ever-living God and Lord. The Easter message tells us some tremendous things. Jesus Christ is God Himself – not just a martyred symbol of kindness who lived many years ago. Only God could conquer death – and He did! His resurrection was the crowning miracle of His purpose for coming into the world.

And Christ’s promises are sure. He said that He would rise again in three days – and this is what we celebrate today! For in the resurrection, our salvation is assured.

St. Paul writes – “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word.” Jesus’ death on the cross of Calvary is complete, we are forgiven – one with our heavenly Father once again.

But even more, Easter tells us that death is not the end any longer. For because of our Lord’s death and resurrection, an incredible promise is made to all who believe. Hear and celebrate that great and glorious promise of God – though we will die one day; in Christ, we will live forever! For Jesus says – “I am the resurrection, and the life: he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” This is the Easter Gospel – “which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved” – when you “hold firmly to the word” – as St. Paul urges us to do in the text for this morning.

A moment ago, it was mentioned that you and I live in a time of death. “Why, I just can’t believe it – that something like this could happen”, we say to one another.

“Well, I just talked to him yesterday, and everything was fine”, we recall. Yes, death is real. And though we may try to ignore it, or through medical advances try to delay it – the fact remains that in spite of all our advances, the mortality rate remains one hundred per cent. And yet, there’s another kind of death that is also real – and just as deadly, even more so. It’s the spiritual death that can attack us – even though we appear to be normal, happy, and healthy human beings.

It’s no news to any of you – that millions of people today live as though Good Friday and Easter never happened. There is an indifference and a lack of commitment to the way of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then there are those who have some contact with the church. These people periodically show interest in the church – like at Christmas and Easter, for a baptism, a wedding, or a funeral. However, with the festivals over, the baby baptized, the son or daughter married, or the loved one buried – this flash of faith disappears, and it’s back to business as usual.

Spiritual death – that’s what we’re talking about. The godless, impenitent lives – for whom Christ died. But even more contradictory are those in the church who worship regularly – but do little about living resurrected lives for the Lord and for one another each and every day. We claim to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. But do we really? Or do we deny the message of His resurrection because we’re not really holding firmly to that truth – be living changed lives, which make Easter a daily reality?

How often do you live and act as though Good Friday and Easter never happened? Are you living resurrected lives? Are you laying down your lives in sacrificial living, as the Savior did for you? Are you following His ways, when the trials and temptations of life come upon you? Or are you letting the world squeeze you into its own mold – rather than letting God reshape you from within, making you His new creation in a resurrected life? Yes, death is real – physical death which will claim us all, and spiritual death which can claim us all – the death of indifference, of self-love, and of detachment from our loving God.

For those of you who made the Lenten journey again this year, the truth is all too clear. You have seen your Savior – suffering and dying upon the cross. And you know that it was for your sins that He died – that it was your death that He died. But it’s here, at this point, that your Easter hope lies. For it’s in realizing your desperate, your lost condition – that you discover some great news. The hope of eternal life comes only after you’ve faced the reality of death. In a way, it’s too bad that dying is the last thing we do, because it could teach us so much about living. While realizing the terror of death, yet by the power of God turning from our spiritual darkness, we experience the blessed reality of the Easter miracle by which we are saved. And we don’t believe in vain – for Christ is the Lord, the Conqueror over death and gives us new life in and through Himself today! In Him, we will live forever!

The text doesn’t go into detail regarding the life to come of which the resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us. But the rest of Scripture beautifully affirms the truth of everlasting life – a life that will be free of all fear. Just think of it! You will live again! You have heard people say – “Well, you only live once. You only go around once in life.” How different is our message – “How tremendous it is that this isn’t the only life I have!” Your life is eternal – it will never come to an end. And it will be free from all that death entails. It will be a life free from fear, free from disease, and free from decay. For Jesus Christ Himself entered into death and defeated it – once and for all. He’s been there and says – “There’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Now come, take my hand, and we’ll go in and through it together.” There is no fear – because the Lord is with us.

And yet, while we live, we live for Jesus Christ. You’re free through the Easter faith in which you stand, and to which you hold firmly. And that ought to change your whole perspective on this side of the grave. For the joyful Easter message of a resurrected Savior – not only frees you from the fear of death, but also empowers you to live new, resurrected lives today. Yes, the resurrection of Jesus Christ puts power into the lives of people.

Is this your faith? But even more than that – do you really live it? And are you dedicated to going out and making life around you more like Easter – wherever you are by proclaiming the Savior through your words and deeds? This is your Easter challenge! God has called out to you through His holy Word. God breaks through with the certainty that life can indeed be filled with joy for you – and that you never have to be afraid again. For Christ has indeed been raised from the dead! May this be your

Easter assurance – because Jesus died, you don’t have to fear dying. Because He rose, you can live resurrected lives every day. And because He lives, you will live – and reign – with Him forever! Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

The Power of the Cross (Galatians 3:10-13)

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 17:11:25 GMT

Good Friday, April 2, 2021

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Text: Galatians 3:10-13

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

The horrifying cross. Of all the instruments of torture and death which have been used throughout history, the most terrifying and humiliating is the cross. And yet, you and I see crosses all around us. The symbol of the cross has been placed on the outside of this church and on its bell tower. The cross occupies the central position in our chancel and in our worship. But we also wear crosses on chains around our necks and use them as jewelry. What a dreadful thing it is – to use the cross and exalt it as the greatest of all Christian symbols. What a terrible thing it is – to make the sign of the cross, a horrible instrument of death, in dismissing a Christian congregation at the end of a worship service.

The cross is so terrifying because its very intention was to prolong the hours of suffering and agony for its victim. Furthermore, the suffering of one upon the cross was useless. The instruments of torture that were used in the Middle Ages up to those that are being used today – have been created to serve some purpose. This purpose was to receive confessions from reluctant witnesses. But the cross was intended for nothing more than the pleasure of those who enjoyed seeing others suffer the agony of pain and a torture-filled death. Yet, in Jesus Christ, this horrible instrument of death has become the greatest symbol of Christian faith, hope, and life. This, then, is the story of Good Friday – for it shows us the Savior, who suffered the curse of the cross for us.

You and I can understand the curse of crucifixion, the horror of death upon a cross. But it’s more difficult for us to understand that which St. Paul in the text refers to as “the curse of the law”, from which Christ has redeemed us. Indeed, when the apostle Paul writes – “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse”, he speaks of something so new and different that no human being can comprehend such a thing. For the law is popular; everyone is in favor of it. In fact, one of the points upon which the world’s religion are agreed is that God is the great Law-Giver, that God has set standards of moral conduct by which people ought to live.

The validity of that law cannot be questioned. Even a murderer awaiting the death sentence doesn’t question the law. He may say that he didn’t commit the murder or argue that there were circumstances behind the crime for which he shouldn’t be held responsible – but it never occurs to the murderer to say that the law which declares,

“Thou shalt not kill”, is a mistake, or that it’s normal and right for one person to kill another. Even the lawbreaker sees the law as being valid.

Moreover, people enjoy the law. The religion that consists of obeying laws and fulfilling requirements is popular, because it flatters people, and gives them a sense of achievement. The Jews loved their religion, which was based upon the law, because when they had observed the regulations and fulfilled their obligations, they could say that they stood in a right relationship with their God. And many today enjoy the religion of law. They don’t need church or a knowledge of God. They live according to the law. They are kind to their neighbors. They do good and act respectably. And when they have done all this, they can declare – “I’ve done what God expects of me.” The law flatters them – and so it’s natural that people love the law.

But St. Paul writes – “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’” What is the apostle Paul saying? To agree with the law and to hear it – is not enough. To admire the law’s principles and its wonderful ideals is not enough either. For the law wasn’t given only to be heard and admired – it was given to be obeyed! The law requires that we keep it at all times, not only when it’s convenient to do so.

But how much of the law must we keep? St. Paul quotes from the Book of

Deuteronomy – “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” This law gives you no way of escape. At times you may try to ease the burden of the law by revising it, by picking out those commandments that you find easy to obey and by ignoring the rest. “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Continual obedience is required of you. Every law is in full force all of the time. Perfection is what God is. Perfection is what He demands.

And in this lies the curse. Since you are under the law, you are also under its curse. “Clearly no one is justified before God by the law.” In your own mind you may be justified – for as you look at yourselves, you see only what you want to see. In the eyes of your relatives and friends you may be justified, for they see you at your best. And at some time in the future, many will stand before your coffins, saying – “He or she was such a good person.” But those opinions will mean nothing before God – for He is your Lord and your Judge.

This means that we, thinking ourselves to be decent, respectable people because we obey the law and live good lives – are sadly mistaken. For as you claim respectability because of your obedience to the law, you fall under its curse. We are cursed already in this life – for it’s a life of ambitions never gained, peace and happiness beyond our reach, contentment never experienced, joy never complete, and security and hope unknown and filled with uncertainty. And we are cursed in death, for death itself is proof of our failure to keep the law. The fact that you must die is an indication that you cannot stand before God’s judgment.

We have been cursed before the God who gave His law to be obeyed and He enforces this curse with eternal punishment. There is no escape. We can try getting away from it all. We can try to find the easiest and most comfortable way of life possible. And yet, the law stands inflexible and condemns us. “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the law.’”

This is what God saw as He looked down upon a ruined and fallen world, as He looked down on each of us. This is what God’s justice hated. Therefore, to redeem us from the curse of the law, a curse of our own making, God sent His Son into the world to be our Redeemer. The cross, that death of pain and shame, of hanging helplessly exposed to the stares and hatred of those watching, publicly seen as judged and condemned – waiting for death, is a terrible thing. But in this case, the curse greatly increased – for the curse fell on Jesus Christ, the holy, innocent Son of God.

This is what we see on Good Friday. We see Jesus hanging in pain and agony. And it ought to terrify you when you realize that He alone was innocent, He alone was free from the curse of the law. Jesus was born under the law, yet He fulfilled it perfectly. He loved His heavenly Father, and He loved those who lived in this world. It ought to terrify you when you realize that this curse had to be placed on the sinless Son of God – on account of your sins. We take sin too lightly. We think that it shouldn’t matter. Some of us might think that God should overlook or tolerate our shortcomings and sins.

But then look at the cross – for the cross shows you that God can’t tolerate sin. Every sin must be paid for. Every rebellious heart must be redeemed.

The cross is the price. This is the cost of your redemption. God sent His Son into the world to become your Ransom – by way of death. You may think that you can get away with disobedience; and at times, it may appear that you have. But then look at the cross – and if you can’t see the hell that waited for you, see the torture, the hell that

your sins put Jesus through. He endured the shame, the pain, the hatred, the separation from God, and the agony of dying – for you. And the curse of the law becomes very real for us in that cross.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” This is the blessing you receive. He took your place. He died for you. The curse was placed on Christ, because God didn’t want it to fall on us. We caused this curse, yet Jesus suffered for it. This was quite a price! Just look at the choice that God made. He loves you so much that He placed the curse of the law upon His Son, on your behalf.

The burden of your guilt has been removed. The debt has been paid. You have been pardoned. Instead of living in fear under the anger of God, you can live in the power of His love. For you are no longer under the curse of the law, but under grace. You are no longer slaves to sin, but are the people of God’s promises. For you and I live under the cross. In humility, we can stand before our heavenly Father, and experience His love and forgiveness. For God’s blessings are ours forever – in that cross.

Christ’s cross, as horrifying as it is, is the center of our faith, the most meaningful symbol of all we believe. If you think that God’s will for your life is something that can’t be trusted – look to the cross, and you will see the greatness of God’s love for you. And if you think that God is asking too much of you – look to the cross and realize that God asks so little in comparison to what He gave. Look to the cross and see how Jesus Christ bore the curse of the law, how He died the death that we really deserved.

St. Paul writes – “The righteous will live by faith.” To know the power of the cross in your own lives – this is faith! And in it, your lives become filled with new purpose and direction – for Christ has won the victory for you. Eternal life, the hope of heaven – is yours! Therefore, the life that you live, you live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave His life for you. So, look to the cross of Jesus Christ. See it as it really is – a terrifying, shameful, horrifying thing. And yet, by the grace of God, a thing of beauty, filled with God’s love for you. And may the power of the cross of Christ enable you to live lives of faith here on earth, so that you might share in the blessings of our

God forevermore. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Authored by Reverend Carl Trosien.

Blog from Lord of New Life Lutheran

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