Sermon for 11/14/21: Sermon for the Second-Last Sunday of the Church Year

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

 

Works and Worth

Matthew 25:31-46

 

 

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

 

The coming of the Kingdom of God can cause two completely different reactions. The first reaction is one of terror, because wretched sinners deserve God’s righteous and eternal wrath. The second reaction is one of comfort, reassurance, and confidence: because God is with me, I am safe. We see these two reactions in today’s Gospel. There are those who rejoice that the reign of God has come, and those who despair at its coming.

Our Lord has the ability to look into the human heart. It is as He spoke through His prophet Jeremiah: “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” It is as easy for Him to judge the heart as it is for a shepherd to tell the difference between a sheep and a goat. Jesus knows you better than you know yourself.

          Jesus will hand out two verdicts on the Last Day. Jesus said that He would place some people to His right and others to His left. Since Jesus already knows the heart, there is no questioning, no testimony, no presenting of evidence. There is only the verdict and the sentence.

          The first verdict is for those on His right. The King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Those on the right enter the Judge’s home with a verdict of forgiven. Notice that the blessing flows from the Father. This is not something that these people earn for themselves; it is an inheritance, and you don’t work for an inheritance. Finally, note that God prepared this outcome before any of us were even born. The eternal kingdom was God’s will for these people from the very beginning.

          The second verdict is for those on His left. Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Those on the left receive the verdict of guilty. The sentence is eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. People end up in eternal fire only because they reject God’s salvation. If they are arrogant enough to judge God and find Him offensive, then the eternal fire is the only alternative. There is no other place to spend eternity.

          As the Judge welcomes those on His right into eternal bliss, He recalls the work that His salvation has produced in their lives. But the sheep don’t remember any of it. The list of the works is a total surprise to them. On the other hand, those on the left are angry that Jesus gives a similar list of things that they have NOT done. Even as they stand before the Judge, they insist that they have lived a life of good works and high moral character.

But those who inherit the eternal kingdom do not look to their own good works for their salvation. The Holy Spirit finds dead souls and brings them to life through the proclamation of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus warned us in the Sermon on the Mount: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them… Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” That is one of the saddest statements in all of Scripture. They have traded away their eternal joy for the temporary praise of man.

          You are pleasing to God, but not because of what you do or don’t do. You are pleasing to God because of what Jesus did for you. Jesus lived a life that met God’s perfect standard. He died to pay our debt in full. He rose from the dead as a sign that our Father in Heaven accepted His work for us. You can look forward in eager expectation to the day when you hear a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

          While you wait for that day, you will produce good works. These works do you absolutely no good, but they are precious to your neighbor. God will accomplish His will in this world through your works. Confess your sins, even those seemingly righteous deeds that are actually polluted garments. Receive the forgiveness of Jesus. Live for your neighbor. Don’t waste time trying to measure your good works; you don’t need them. You are heir to the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Rejoice, for God wants you to dwell with Him for all eternity. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

                                        

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 11/7/21: Feast of All Saints (observed)

 CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

Blessed Saints
Matthew 5:1-12

 

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

 

 Death affects us all, and the pain of separation remains very real to us. Each of these loved ones had lives that were memorable in many ways. They had families and friends like you who loved them and cared for them. And many, we hope, if not all of them, were faithful, baptized Christians who received the saving gifts of God in faith. But despite how much you may have loved or cared for them, try applying the words of our Gospel text directly to them. “Peacemakers.” “Hunger and thirst for righteousness.” “Persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” “Merciful.” We may have seen hints of these traits in them, portions of their personalities that reflected in our Lord’s words. But if you add them all together, they don’t add up. They were not fully any of these things. They were sinners, one and all, just as you and I are sinners.

And yet, isn’t that precisely how our culture tries to deal with death? We speak many pious words over those who have died. “Oh, she is bound to be in heaven, because she was such a nice person.” Such things are troubling, and I know they are troubling to many of you, because you have come to me and told me about funerals you have attended where much is said about the supposed goodness of the deceased but little, if any, is said about the goodness of God in sending His dear Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for the wretched sinners of this world—you and me and all our neighbors—who are dying daily.

We all seem to have a desire, as soon as someone has died, to make them into a saintly character no one in this world would have recognized. We don’t want anyone to remember their blemishes and faults. We certainly don’t want anyone to know of their sins, the deep dark secrets that lie in the heart and soul of every son and daughter of Adam and Eve. And so, we sanitize. We scrub their life clean. We paint over it and give it a new look so that, by the time we are done, you can hardly recognize them at all. But sin can only stay in the dark for so long. Whether we are talking about the trials and faults of the deceased, or the darkness that lives within our own hearts, it will all come to light eventually under the unblinking eye of God’s Law.

When we, as Christians, deal with death, especially the death of ones close to us, those whom we have loved dearly, it is important for us to remember that we don’t have to whitewash anything. We don’t have to put on airs of perfection, to make sure that every piece is in place, that every bit of their life, and ours, is just as it should be. Nor do we need to go the cheap route of saying that everyone sins; that they weren’t perfect, but they were good enough to get in. That would be a mockery of Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus did not die for people who were basically good enough on their own. Jesus died for sinners, whose only hope is in His death on the cross.

And this, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is where the Gospel shines the brightest. The Gospel shines the brightest when the darkness of death would swallow us up; it shines brightest when we are overcome by fear and despair. It is in the midst of sin and even death itself that our Lord’s words of life and forgiveness truly bring hope.

You and I cannot stand in His holy presence by our own merits. But by His mercy, you may stand before the throne of grace with your spouse, with your parents and grandparents, with your children and grandchildren. You may stand before God’s almighty seat of judgment and hear Him call you “blessed.” How can this be? After all, we are still sinners. But you are blessed because you have been marked in Baptism by the One who made peace with God by His death at the cross. By faith, you are marked by the One who showed mercy, the One who was persecuted beyond anything you could ever endure, the One who mourned over the sin that would separate you from Him, the One whose hunger for your righteousness caused him to endure the forty days temptation in the wilderness and the torture of the cross. By the gift of faith you have received through the Holy Spirit, you are blessed.

By that same faith, you can face death without fear, for death does nothing but move you from this world of trouble and affliction to that place where there is no longer any suffering for the consequences of your sins. You can also face the memory of your loved ones who have died in the faith without any pretensions or silly notions of perfection. They were sinners, one and all. They had warts, blemishes, spots, and even worse—just like you. But the righteousness of Christ has covered it all! You are, indeed, blessed! In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

HYMN: Life in Flesh Is Born Today. Alleluia!

 At a meeting yesterday, a brother pastor asked me if I had written any texts lately. Since coming home from the hospital, I haven’t really had the energy, the stamina, the attention span to write outside of my parish work. Inspiration for me always seems to come with a push of some sort—an idea that’s presented to me; hearing or reading a sermon or a presentation; a project that catches my attention; that sort of thing. I’ve got a folder of sermons, articles, and whatnots that I’ve come across, things that spark something at first glance that might turn into a text at some point—often it’s something posted by Pastors Stuckwisch or Weedon on their fine blogs. But nothing in the folder has sparked anything lately.

I was at our monthly tri-circuit pastor meeting this morning. I reached into my bag for a notebook, and a piece of paper from that folder came out of the bag with it. It was the first page of Sermon 21 by Leo the Great, his lovely treatment on the Nativity. I glanced at the paper and saw the words “birthday of the Life…” And suddenly, after near three months of nothing, an idea popped into my head. 

This text is loosely based on the first part of Leo’s Sermon 21, which is labeled “All share in the joy of Christmas” in the above link. The suggested tune right now is LLANFAIR, to which we sing the hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia,” hymn 463 in Lutheran Service Book. As always, feedback is love. 

Life in Flesh Is Born Today

1. Life in flesh is born today! Alleluia!

Fear of death He drives away. Alleluia!

Share in this eternal joy. Alleluia!

Sin and death did Christ destroy! Alleluia!

2. Mary bore the promised Seed, Alleluia!

To the angel’s word gave heed. Alleluia!

Blest conception! Holy birth! Alleluia!

God in flesh gave man His worth. Alleluia!

3. Let the saint exultant be, Alleluia!

Drawing near to victory. Alleluia!

Gentile, bravely face the strife; Alleluia!

Christ is calling you to life! Alleluia!

4. Christ, in great humility, Alleluia!

Sharing our mortality, Alleluia!

Brings the devil dreadful woe. Alleluia!

Beaten is our savage foe. Alleluia!

5. God in wisdom deigns to be, Alleluia!

Born in flesh to set us free. Alleluia!

God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!

In the Christ, the holy Child. Alleluia!

(c) 2021

77 77 and alleluias

LLANFAIR (LSB 463)

Nativity of Our Lord (loosely based on Leo’s Sermon 21 on the Nativity, part I)

Sermon for 10/31/21: Festival of the Reformation

CLICK HERE for sermon audio.

My apologies. The video file was unusable.

 

“One Little Word…”

John 8:31-36

 

 

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

 

It is not an exaggeration to say that all of the problems of God’s people in Scripture happened as a result of not abiding in His Word. The Old Testament prophets offered a continual litany of the ways in which Israel ignored the Word and will of God, and the disastrous consequences that followed. The same can be said for the Church in every generation. If we do not abide in the Word, we mock God. When we do not abide in God’s Word, we become accountable—guilty—before God, just as all the world is guilty before God. We stand under the condemnation of the Law. The Law of God does not save us. The Law cannot save us; it only condemns us. That Law says that we are to love God with all our being; it tells us we must love our neighbor as ourselves. We cannot do this because we are born in sin, the inheritance we have from our first parents. And so, the holy apostle is correct when he writes: “Therefore by the deeds of the Law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.”

The Christian faith tells us that attempting to live by the Law in order to be saved can only bring condemnation. That was the lesson Luther learned as a monk. He could pray literally thousands of prayers; he could whip his flesh into submission with monastic discipline; he could say a hundred Masses. None of these, nor anything else he did, could pay his debt of sin to God. At that end of that road, all Luther could see was death and condemnation. He cried out in despair for a gracious God: a God who would love him in spite of his countless human frailties; a God who would redeem him even though his sins were too many to number. In the same way, every attempt we make to pay our debt of sin to God falls short. The Law works repentance, not salvation. The Law declares us guilty of sin. The minute we think salvation is a solo effort on our part, or even a cooperative venture between “me and Jesus,” is the very minute we become slaves to sin.

In the reading we heard from the Revelation to St. John, we were told that there was an angel flying in the midst of heaven who had “...the everlasting Gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth: to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” In our beloved Reformation hymn, “A Mighty Fortress,” we sing: “The Word they still shall let remain, nor any thanks have for it; He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit. And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, our victory has been won; the kingdom ours remaineth.” This stanza confesses that the Church will never perish. Our Lord Jesus Christ is ready to defend her to the end because she is His beloved Bride, purchased and won at the cost of His own life. And this Church believes and confesses, “...the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed...through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe.” It is in this word about the righteousness of God revealed through faith in Jesus Christ that our Lord wants us to abide!

When we abide in God’s Word, when we put aside the fads and trends and gimmicks to abide in the clear words of Holy Scripture, as rightly confessed and explained in our Lutheran Confessions, then we know the truth. And the truth frees us from having to fear, love, and trust in any other god, whether the false god of self or any idol we have made. It is truly liberating to give up trying to remake the Christian faith in our own image, and simply have Christ mold us into His image through preaching and Baptism, through Absolution and His Supper.

There is an old saying: “The Church is always being reformed.” As long as we draw breath in this life, we will be fighting for the faith. That fight will not always be popular, not even among our fellow Lutherans. We may face mockery, persecution, prison, or even death for the sake of the Word. Still, we contend for the truth of God’s Word faithfully, because we know that the Gospel, with its gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation, offers us the only hope there is. both for this life, and for the life that is to come.

Luther said it very well: “Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us, we tremble not, we fear no ill; they shall not overpower us. This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will, he can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done; one little word can fell him.” From the cross Jesus cried out, “Tetelestai!”—that is, “It is finished!” All of salvation’s work is done. Satan no longer has any power, for Jesus has won the victory. Abide in that word, that victory. For in Jesus, “The kingdom ours remaineth.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 10/24/21: Twenty-First Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

 

Endless Mercy

John 4:46-54

 

 

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

 

How little we understand the mercy our Lord extends to us daily! Our Lord does not treat us as we treat each other. We tend to lash out at those who upset us. We ignore those who don’t please us. We want to get back at those who offend us. We are likely to take offense at the slightest comment, no matter how innocently spoken. And too often we are unwilling to forgive and make the first move toward reconciliation.

Worse than all this, we deal with our Lord the same way. We beg Him to pardon our sins, but in the same breath we demand that He live up to our expectations. We ask Him to deliver us from every evil, yet too often we grouse and complain when He doesn’t act quickly enough to suit us. We beg Him to calm us and grant us His peace, yet we blame Him for our self-made troubles. And so we go our own way. We ignore the strengthening He gives in His Supper. And we resist and fight against His forgiveness, His love, His kindness, His mercy.

Yet even when we are faithless, our Lord remains faithful. Even when we turn on Him, He does not turn against us. He comes back time and again and says, “You can’t make Me hate you. I love you. My love brought you into this world, and I am determined to love you to the end and into My kingdom. I will not force Myself upon you, but neither will you force Me away from you. And no matter how much you think you can wish me out of your world, I will never leave you nor forsake you. My mercy endures forever.” Such relentless love! Such persistent, single-minded mercy! He will not give up on us. He will always stretch out His hand, no matter how often we slap it away.

Deep down—because the Holy Spirit sealed you in the Faith when you were baptized; because the Spirit of God persistently and consistently delivers the mercy of God into your own flesh—deep down, you are not surprised to hear how determined our Lord is in His mercy. And so, deep down, you are also not surprised at the way our Lord Jesus reacts to the man who begged Him to come down and heal his son. Still, we often take the Lord and His mercy for granted. In fact, we act as if His mercy is our right, as if He owes that to us. But no matter how we treat our Lord, no matter how little we comprehend His mercy, He always responds the same: with endless mercy.

And so, when the man approaches Him, our Lord does not say, “Go away.” Instead, Jesus kindly tells him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” Do you see the mercy of Jesus? The man is not much of a believer, but our Lord answers his prayer anyway. For the sake of Jesus, our Father still gives life back to this man’s son. The Spirit stirs up in this man the faith to take Jesus at His word; He give the man confidence to walk away, trusting that what Jesus says is good and true and right.

So just how merciful is our Lord? So much so, that He can heal our souls, strengthen our bodies, and refresh our spirits using nothing more than His word. When He speaks, He brings us back to life. This is why Jesus says what He does to this man. Jesus does not rebuke the man for his dullness of faith, but rather breathes to life a true and living faith. And Jesus does not shoo the man away because he’s a bothersome pest, but rather He says, “Your son lives,” so that true faith might come alive and grow both in him and in his whole household.

And that is precisely what our Lord, in His mercy, does for us. When we are sure that He is ignoring us or crushing us, He is actually working for our good. When we are sure He has turned against us, He is actually fighting mightily for us. When we are sure He’s only doing the least, He is actually doing His utmost. Our Lord revives and heals us simply by speaking His word. But here is where our Lord’s mercy exceeds our imagination. Our Lord gives us—into our mouths, into our own flesh and blood—the very life that He is; His own death-defying body, and His own life-renewing blood so that we might be saved.

See yourself, then, as the nobleman in today’s Gospel: the doubting, barely believing man whom the Lord gently and lovingly brings to faith. Even more so, see yourself as the man’s son—a person in a losing battle with death; and then here comes Jesus in His word and Spirit to chase away death, the devil, and hell; to bring you not just back from the brink, but into the fullness of the life that He is and so earnestly desires to live in you and through you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.               

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.  

Sermon for 10/17/21: Twentieth Sunday After Trinity

CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

 

Dressed for a Wedding

Matthew 22:1-14

 

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

 

The worst way to think about today’s Gospel is to get all wrapped up in whether or not you are chosen. When you look at yourself, you will see only your sins and unbelief. Are you chosen? Do you live as one who is chosen? Your sins say that you don’t live as if God has chosen you. You don’t even deserve the invitation to His Feast! I can understand if this identification hurts your pride a little bit. No one wants to take an invitation out of charity. If you weren’t first on the list, then it’s a slap in the face, even if there’s free food. At first glance, it looks from this story like you were God’s second-thought guests, as if it was all by chance that you ever came to faith and received the forgiveness of all your sins. 

When those who had been invited rejected the King’s invitation, He sent His servants out to the street to invite everyone to the Feast, both the good and the bad. The problem with the man who got tossed out of the Feast wasn’t that he was a sinner, but that he didn’t have the wedding garment on! He came into the Feast invited, but He wasn’t properly dressed. What mattered was the invitation and the King’s wedding garment.

So who is chosen? Instead of looking inside, look outside. The answer is outside of you. The answer is wrapped around you. How are you dressed? In and of yourself, that’s as uncertain as whether you are chosen or not. Just as there is no certainty in your own merit that you are chosen, there is no certainty in your own clothes. Your garments aren’t acceptable to God. Your clothes are stained by your sins. They are filthy rags before God.

Does that mean that we get tossed out of the wedding Feast too? We certainly deserve that. But the good news of today is that the King clothes you with His own wedding garment. He gives you His clothing! He clothed you with the righteousness won by Jesus on the cross and wrapped around you in Holy Baptism. His righteousness covers your unrighteousness. His garment covers your filthy rags. His garment is the answer to all the questions of today. Are you called? Yes, He called you and invited you to His feast. How do you know? You wear the King’s garment, which was put on you in Baptism. Those guests who were last invited relied totally on the generosity of the Host. That is what pure grace is. In the exact same way, you had nothing about you that made you worthy to receive the Gospel invitation; it was all by grace that you got in to the banquet of the Lord’s salvation.

And yet, for the rest of your life, you will face the constant temptation to throw this all away. You remain a sinner, and sinners reject the Lord and insist on their own way. They want to be independent from God. Sinners often fall for the alluring but empty promises of the devil. Like others before you who rejected the Master’s invitation—one preferred to tend to his farm, another to his business—the pattern continues today: one believes it’s more important to go to the football game; one takes the weekend off to relax; others will have their excuses. All sinners face these opportunities to gratify their sinful flesh. It makes sense to a sinner to be spiritual, but it’s just too confining to one’s style to be religious. But for you, your Lord offers to strengthen you to face these temptations. He takes away your sin, clothing you in the perfect wedding garment you inherited when you were baptized.

The heavenly banquet, the Body and Blood of Christ, is laid before you here on the Altar, though for right now it is hidden under bread and wine. You are worthy of this feast because Christ your Savior bestowed His perfect worthiness upon You by faith. Be assured that your heavenly Father loves to put on His wedding feast to end all wedding feasts, sparing no expense. And He has even dressed you for the feast in the finest garment ever: the spotless robe of His Son’s perfect righteousness, made white in the blood of the Lamb. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 10/10/21: Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity

CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

First Things First
Matthew 9:1-8

 

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

 

 

There are those who come to Jesus and His Church because they want Him to fix something that is broken. Maybe it’s a bad marriage. Maybe it’s a lousy job. Maybe it’s an addiction. Maybe it’s wild and rebellious children. Maybe it’s parents who just don’t seem to love and care for their children as they should. Or maybe it’s people like those who carried this man, who come to Jesus for someone they care about, someone who means the world to them. Whatever it is, lots of people come to Jesus looking for a quick fix.

And when you come to Jesus, and He says, “My child, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven,” you can scarcely hide your disappointment. “That’s it?” you think. “That’s all I get from Him? Why did I even bother coming in the first place?” So, Jesus put the question to the Scribes and to us: “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’” Which do you think is easier to say? “Talk is cheap,” as they saying goes. Don’t you think that fixing whatever serious problem you have is the harder thing for the Lord to do? Maybe He is just disguising His inability to really help you by telling you over and over again, “Take heart, your sins are forgiven.”  What use is a church that only talks about forgiveness? That is what many would say, or at least think. Is that what you think? Do you want a church and a Jesus that fixes all the things that have relevance to your life right now?

“Which is easier?” As God in human flesh, Jesus could have healed the man with a word. After all, He created all things, including you. Doing a little “fix-up job” on something that has gone wrong with your life is really no work for Him at all. But forgiveness is another story altogether. You might think that is nothing. But stop and think about what forgiveness cost Jesus. He didn’t need to take on our human flesh to heal the paralytic. Jesus came into the flesh to do the hard thing: to take to Himself the entire burden and load of your sin, and to carry it in His body to the cross, there to endure the righteous judgment of the Father against all human sin. And He did it all so that He can speak the word of forgiveness to you, the word that is drenched in His own blood; signed, sealed, and delivered by His own death. “Which is easier?” To heal the paralytic, Jesus just spoke His word: “Get up!” And the man got up. But to speak the word of forgiveness to him and to you, He went to the cross. Forgiveness is anchored in our Lord’s death. Never forget what it cost Him to give it to you.

But you may still be thinking, “Sure, forgiveness is great. But what about those things that need fixing in my life?” Let’s get some perspective on this. If He heals you, you are still going to die one day and stand before the judgment seat of God. If He fixes your marriage, you are still going to die one day and stand before the judgement seat of God. If he fixes your job situation, you are still going to die one day and stand before the judgment seat of God. If He fixes every complaint you’ve got about your life, you are still going to die one day and stand before the judgment seat of God. That day may be today. And those who have not availed themselves of His forgiveness here on earth will not have the chance to avail themselves of it after this life is over. No matter what you think the big problem is, nothing comes even remotely close to the problem you have with sin. And you do not want to leave this world with your sin still on your back. You want to leave this world with the forgiveness of Christ poured all over you.

And He is waiting eagerly to do just that! He pours it over you in the water of Holy Baptism. He feeds it constantly into you with the promises of His Word. He seals that promise to you every time you come to this altar, trusting that you receive here what He promises: His body and blood, His forgiveness of all your sins; His life poured into you. Our Lord and His Church are concerned first and foremost with the only issue that ultimately matters: how you stand before God.

Wrapped in His forgiveness, you can face whatever comes your way with confidence, because you know how the story is going to turn out. The same Christ who says to you: “My child, take heart: your sins are forgiven,” is the One who will stand again on this earth, and He will call you by name from your grave and invite you into His eternal kingdom. The forgiven have an eternal home, a life in Christ that never ends. You are set free to live a blessed life of forgiveness, even in the midst of all the broken things that need fixing. Yes, He will take care of those things, too, all in His own time. But first things first—and the first thing is the forgiveness of your sins. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 9/19/21: Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity

CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

“God Has Visited His People”

Luke 7:11-17

 

 

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

 

 

We hear on Christmas morning the words of the Apostle John: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” These are words of great joy to the people of God, for they tell us about the wonderful love which God has for us in providing a Savior—and more than that, how that Savior is God in flesh, living among His people, bringing light and life to a world into which sin brought darkness and death. And as we go through the Gospels—and even as we look at Old Testament accounts of God visiting His faithful children—we see how His presence among His people brings blessing, hope, and life.

What a blessing that is for us to hear, because the casket is always there before our eyes. “The wages of sin is death,” Saint Paul tells us. Every funeral is a reminder that you are a sinner. Only the person who is without sin has the power to escape the casket alive. We have all known wonderful people, people whom even the cynical world would consider to be good people. We all have heard of the wonderful work Mother Theresa did for the poor and helpless in the world. But we also know that Mother Theresa is dead. Martin Luther was perhaps the greatest witness to the truth of God’s Word the world has seen in a thousand years. But Martin Luther is dead, too. If you think you can earn life; if you think you deserve to escape the grave; if you think you can cheat death—look at the casket. Look at the names on the gravestones in the cemetery. Good works done by sinners—even the greatest works performed by the greatest people—do not merit life. Every casket is a reminder that we are sinners who have earned only death.

But Jesus visits, and He stops the death procession. The pallbearers stand still. The hearse pulls to the side of the road. Where Jesus goes, He brings light and life to “those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.” He touches the coffin. He’s not superstitious, nor is He afraid of death. He says with authority, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And, sure enough, the young man from Nain sat up and spoke. Death is powerless before the Lord of life.

You may remember that I said earlier, “Only the person who is without sin has the power to escape the casket alive.” Nothing has changed to deny the truth of that statement. But what about the young man from Nain? What about the widow’s son in Zarephath whom Elijah brought back life? What about the daughter of Jairus? What about Lazarus? People are popping out of their graves all over the place! How can this be? How can these sinners rise up out of death?

This is a wonderful foreshadowing of the resurrection. Jesus is the One who is without sin. Jesus is the One who has the power to escape the tomb alive. It takes Someone who is without sin to bring life out of death. So the sinless Jesus died the death of a sinner, bearing all the sin of the world upon Himself. And then He emerged from the tomb, destroying the power of death forever. Everyone raised by the power of God before Jesus rose was pointing forward to that day when Jesus burst forth from the tomb.

And everyone raised by the power of God was also pointing forward to the Last Day, when all flesh will be raised up, and all the faithful will dwell in the presence of God forever. The One who died a sinless death has given His death to sinners so that we would live forever. Once again, Jesus stops the death procession—only this time, it will be permanent. Every casket will be empty. Every body that has been corrupted by sin will be raised up, forever to be without sin, forever to live. Again, how can this be?

This is true because, in Jesus, “God has visited His people.” He visits us wherever “two or three are gathered in His name…” He visits us in the waters of Holy Baptism, placing His holy name upon us, wrapping us in the sparkling, spotless robes of His own righteousness. He visits us in His Supper, present in bread and wine by the power of His Word to deliver to us life and salvation. And in all these things, He gives us life. Only the person without sin has the power to escape the casket, so Jesus gives us His perfect obedience, His life without sin. He visits us with His gifts of life; and death, now powerless, bows silent before Him.

Jesus tells the widow, “Do not weep.” Sinners cannot help but mourn the death of those we love. But we do not grieve like those without hope, because we know this is not truly the end. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain…” For in Christ, “God has visited His people.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 9/12/21: Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity

RIGHT-CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

RIGHT-CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

 

Lilies, Birds, and You
Matthew 6:24-34

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

 

 

There are only two gods. One has many names and faces; as many, in fact, as you could possibly want. You can call him “god.” You can call him “Allah” or “Vishnu,” or make up a new name for him. He doesn’t mind. He’ll go by any name. He exists only to better the existence of his servants. He finds commonality amongst all religions, seeking peace and prosperity regardless of the cost. His password is tolerance. He isn’t jealous. He is quite modern-minded and enlightened. He has no strict doctrine or moral code. He is never harsh, never confrontational, never condemning. He encourages his followers to pamper and indulge themselves. And he glibly tells his servants that they can have as many idols as they like.

But of course, this so-called “god” is a liar! All of Satan’s promises are just bait. They are traps. He deceives in order to enslave, and eventually to devour. He is willing to bide his time. He lures men to complacency, all the easier to lead them to the slaughter. And yet, most of the world has fallen prey to his delusion. And that is because he is far easier to take than the other option, the God of suffering and sacrifice. That other Master is so old-fashioned; He is actually jealous. He won’t allow multiple masters. He offends the sensitivities of fallen men. He calls them “sinners.” He is not tolerant. He does not believe in freedom of religion. He won’t hear prayers in any other name. He is the God of truth, the God of Light. And if you will be His, then you can belong to no other. For no other is of any help or comfort. Jesus is the One, the only One, and He still wants you.

And so, what shall we eat? We shall eat the Body of Jesus, born of the Virgin, executed for crimes He did not commit, and raised again to glory by His Father—given for you. What shall we drink? We shall drink the blood of Jesus, the very same that flowed from His wounds, poured out for the remissions of sins. What shall we wear? We shall wear His righteousness, the baptismal garment of joy that He provides by grace. About what, then, shall we worry? Nothing! All things fade away next to this reality: God loves you in Jesus Christ and promises to remove you from this shadowy valley of pain and bring you to Himself in heaven. So what does it matter if the garage needs painting, or they make fun of you at school, or your football team loses, or terrorists are threatening the nation? God has all of these things well in hand; He knows what He is doing.

When our Lord directed His disciples to the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, they lived in an occupied country. The vast majority of the people were dirt poor. Imagine having nothing to eat—and I don’t mean not wanting to eat the can of soup in the cupboard. Imagine people not living past the age of fifty and half of the children dying by age five. Imagine foreigners dragging off your adolescent sons to fight their wars. In the midst of this Jesus says: “I take care of the birds. I’ll take care of you.”

From the world’s point of view, there is always plenty to worry about. But worrying doesn’t change things. It doesn’t stop thieves and criminals any more than it prevents tooth decay. No mere man knows what the future holds for the stock market, or for America, or for this congregation. The Scriptures are silent about such things. We are more fortunate than most, but we didn’t earn it. In the same way, our Church is not the last word on orthodoxy and truth. We have certainly been fortunate to have the truth of God proclaimed among us. But it doesn’t belong to us by divine right. Despise the Word of God, and it can be taken away. There won’t be Americans or a Missouri Synod in heaven. There will only be Christians: those who were baptized into Christ, heard His Word, ate His body and drank His blood for the remission of sins. But despite the temporary nature of the things God provides for us now, we know this: Jesus is coming back. Death has been defeated. He will not abandon us to the grave.

In the meantime, lilies bloom, wilt, and die, but new ones rise up behind them to bloom again. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Eat the body of Jesus. Drink His blood. Wear the clean garments of acceptance that He provides. All things eventually pass away—all things, that is, except the Word of God. The Word of God never passes away. The Word made flesh has paid your debt. You are forgiven, clean, and whole. And on that day when He returns, He will call you forth from the grave with an invitation you cannot refuse! No man, no terrorist, no bureaucrat, no institution, no government, no devil will be able to stop Him, nor will they be able to stop you as the Lord draws you to Himself, now body and soul together, into His eternal kingdom. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 9/5/21: Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

Mercy and Faith

Luke 17:11-19

                                                  

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

         

There are Ten Commandments in God’s Holy Law; ten instructions for life that we fail to keep. Their simplicity is as sharp as polished steel, and they cut deeply and cleanly to expose our cancerous souls, to show us that we are not good; that things are not right; that we are not spiritually healthy. Ten Commandments, ten guides for our behavior, ten admonitions for decency and self-control, ten godly ideals of what we should be; we fail to keep all of them.

But is it so hard? You wouldn’t think so. Honor your father and mother? We can do that. Love your husband or wife? Of course; that makes sense. Tell the truth about others? Yes, that’s a good thing. That is what we want. That is not at all unreasonable. These commandments do not seem unattainable. They do not seem impossible. At our best, we do all of these, at least part of the time. But why not always? Why not fully? Are we so shallow, so temperamental, so afraid, so self-serving as all of that? Yes, we are. And the Law leaves us no escape. We are without excuse.

Oh, we have reasons. We are weak. We are sinful. Frankly, sometimes we are just not very smart. We do not give sin enough credit for what it does to us; we pamper the Old Adam. But there is no excuse for our behavior, no justification for our sinful self-indulgence. There is nothing—no extenuating circumstances, no once-in-a-lifetime event—that justifies our lies, our violence, our lust, our greed. After suffering the shame of behaving that way, why would someone go and do that again? Why would he do that to himself? Is he that weak, that foolish, that self-destructive? Yes, he is. Yes, I am. Yes, you are. We forget who we are as children of God, wanting to forget both our failures and our obligations. All we have to show for it is pain, sorrow, and shame. There is no excuse, and we know it. Our pride must wither and die. The truth of the Law must have its way. It must force us to our knees, to confession, and, finally, to death. For we have Ten Commandments, all of which we have failed to keep, and for which we deserve, quite rightly, to die eternally.

Our plea to heaven cannot be for justice or even fair treatment by the Law, because that is to ask for Hell. Our cry must be a plea for mercy, for undeserved pardon, for redemption by way of Someone Else’s punishment. Let us learn from those lepers who stood far off and cried out to the Son of God, who would be nailed to the cross for blasphemy He did not commit, who would be raised from death, all for the sake of mercy. Was there ever love like this? Was there ever a reprieve so sweet for criminals so steeped in guilt? Was there ever a God who joined His rebellious creation, and then let them kill Him for their sins, so they could go free? Yes! Mercy is what the lepers requested, and mercy was what He gave. All ten received mercy, a full and perfect reprieve from the guilt of their sin, a fresh washing in grace they did not earn, a healing rescue from certain death. All of them, one for each of the holy commandments of the Law, received mercy.

But, only one—and a foreigner, no less—returned to praise God. He did not simply offer a silent tribute in his mind and heart for a God of mercy and the good things he now knew; the others may well have done that. But this one went back to where he had received mercy. He came and worshiped Jesus, praising Him for the life He had restored, glorifying Him for the mercy He had shown. And in turn, this man received praise from God. Let us learn from that one what faith is and what faith does. Faith receives God’s grace and then comes back for more! It cannot get enough. It is not simply thankful, though it certainly is that. But it is also hungry for more and desires the one thing needful, the one thing that satisfies, the one thing that justifies us by declaring us righteous for the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in our place. Faith wants what God gives: new life, rest, hope, love, peace—all for free.

Jesus needs nothing from us. We need everything from Him. He did not come to be served by us; that is not the Gospel. He came to serve us, to work for us, to buy us back from death, to restore us to health that we might stand in His presence as His beloved Bride, His Church. That is the Gospel: that we would be His and joyfully live forever with Him.

The fire from those holy Ten Commandments has been quenched. Every single demand has been met. Justice has been served and satisfied. You are forgiven, made clean. And you have come to the right place: to the place of mercy where Jesus serves you in the Bread of His Word and the Bread of His Supper. Come at His Word and receive the mercy He gives. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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