Sermon for 3/26/23: Fifth Sunday in Lent

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“The Lord Will Provide”
Genesis 22:1-14

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

There are times when life doesn’t seem to make much sense, when there seems to be no order in things, no apparent purpose to what’s happening. It’s tempting to think there’s no point to anything. And if there is no point to it all, what does that say about God? Does He really know what He’s doing? Does He really care?

Abraham’s life could easily have seemed to be a cruel joke. Years before, God told Abraham to leave his homeland and travel far away to the land of Canaan. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation—in fact, all nations would be blessed through the Messiah who would be one of his descendants. The elderly, childless Abraham obeyed God and left home with his elderly wife Sarah and his servants for this strange land, trusting that the Lord was able to keep His promises to him.

Twenty five years later, miraculously, Sarah did have her first and only child, a son named Isaac. After much waiting, God kept His promise to Abraham, even though it seemed impossible. How overjoyed Abraham must have been! How this must have bolstered his faith in the Lord! This son was the fulfillment of God’s promise. This son was just the beginning of a great nation of Abraham’s descendants to come. Through this son of the promise, God had shown Himself to be trustworthy and true.

But a few more years later, God came to Abraham another time and said this: “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering…” Really? God makes Abraham wait 25 years for this promised son, and now He tells Abraham to kill him? That makes no sense! What kind of God is this?

Isaac himself is trying to make sense out of this confusing situation. Isaac had certainly worshiped and made sacrifices with his father before. But one thing was different this time. Isaac asked,  “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Maybe he thought his dad had just forgotten. Perhaps he sensed something terribly different about his father’s mood. We just don’t know. As it turns out, quite surprisingly, this passage doesn’t say anything in all its length about either Isaac or his father’s feelings through this whole situation.

And that very fact shows us that we shouldn’t be directing our attention to the incredible turmoil which Abraham must have experienced, especially as Isaac was laid on the altar. Rather more important is the great example of trust in the Lord which Abraham displayed. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, it is written that Abraham got up the next morning to prepare. There was no hesitation, just trust. When Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb?” Abraham did not know what the future held. But whatever was about to happen, he was sure God knew what He was doing. Abraham spoke reassuringly to Isaac, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” Trust. Abraham bound his son and laid him on the altar on the wood. Trust. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Trust.

This is what it means to have faith in God. It’s not just that you believe in Him when everything is going well. It’s not that you trust your feelings. It’s trusting in God despite your feelings. It’s having confidence in Him, even when it seems to you that He cares nothing for you. It’s looking to Him for all good things, even when only bad things seem to be coming. It’s relying on Him even when everything in life seems to be turned against you. That’s what Abraham did: he clung to God’s promises regarding his son. And that is also what we are to do: cling to God’s promises regarding Christ, our Father’s Son, and never letting go.

This whole account points us to Christ and what He would do for us on what many claim is the very same mountain. Abraham was stopped from carrying out the sacrifice of Isaac; the time to sacrifice the Son would not come until Good Friday. Consider what is being foreshadowed here. Isaac was the beloved only son of Abraham, conceived in a miraculous way. So also God the Father gave His only begotten and beloved Son, miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Blessed Virgin, to deliver us from the power of sin and Satan and the grave. After God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, he looked up and saw a male sheep, a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham offered it in place of his son. Even so, Jesus was offered up Himself in your place so that you would be set free from the judgment of death. He purposely caught Himself in the thorny thicket of your sin so that you might have everlasting life. In Christ the words of Abraham are fulfilled for you: “God Himself will provide the Lamb.” Abraham named that place, “The Lord will Provide.” For on that holy mountain, God provided for your salvation in His only Son.

Even as Isaac cried out, “Where is the lamb?” there will be troubling or sorrowful times when you also may cry out, “Where is God?” And God answers in His own gracious way and in His good time. He is present with you in mysterious and wonderful ways. He will never forsake you, even when everything has been turned upside down in your life. To you who believe and are baptized, the Lord says, “Fear not; for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

When little in your life seems to make much sense, look to Christ, the crucified. Look to His words and promises, for He gives meaning and purpose and even joy to living in an otherwise senseless world. The Lord will provide. Trust in Him. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

Sermon for 3/19/23: Fourth Sunday in Lent

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Faith in Times of Need

Exodus 16:2-21

 

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

While we Lutherans talk a lot about faith, we often do not define it very well. There is this idea that faith is a private thing that goes on inside you. We act and sometimes speak as though faith is a personal opinion. We pretend that someone can be a Christian when their lives give no evidence of faith. We like to act as though we can be faithful without our unbelieving friends discovering that we believe. All of these silly notions are false, dangerous, and unworthy of a Christian.

To teach us this lesson of faith, we see in the Old Testament reading the children of Israel confronted by the reality of God and His good will toward them. They had certain promises. All they really needed to do was believe. Having been through a remarkable time in human history, they found themselves free on the other side of the Red Sea, obviously blessed by God. They witnessed the love of God for them and His mighty power to do anything that they might need. How did they respond? They grumbled.

God is good. He didn’t destroy them in anger; instead He blessed them miraculously and richly. He brought birds in abundance in the evening that they might have meat, and in the morning He delivered manna, bread from heaven. Manna came with a set of directions. “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My Law or not.” Sadly, they failed. They were commanded to gather only for the day and to keep nothing overnight, but some of them did. God caused it to rot and breed worms. Keeping it overnight was not just a failure to obey; it was failure of trust in God to feed them adequately day by day. Four verses after our reading ends, some of the people ignored the directive to keep the Sabbath day’s manna. They went out to find food on the Sabbath, but they found none. Hunger was then their reward for unbelief.

The lesson in faith is highlighted by their lack of faith. They saw God’s goodness. They witnessed His abundance, but they did not trust Him to continue. He promised, but they did not trust Him to keep His promises tomorrow, even in the face of the miracle of today’s faithfulness. But don’t feel superior. We are not all that different. We enjoy the blessings of God daily, but we still find reasons to complain about our lot, personally and as a congregation. We don’t know what God has planned for our immediate future here, and so we worry and complain. No matter how long God takes care of us, we imagine that He won’t, that He doesn’t want to, that life is going to slip out of control. We fail to expect God to be good. We fail to trust God to provide. We imagine dangers that are not real. We show this lack of faith both as individuals and as a congregation when we expect to fail, when we fear the future. We stop being faithful. We stop doing what is right and good in favor of what seems practical or pragmatic. We worry where there is no cause and no benefit from worrying.

But being less than faithful is not a winning strategy. You cannot lose by doing what is right and good and faithful, and you cannot accomplish by unfaithfulness what God wants to give you through your faithfulness. You can not earn anything faster than God can take it away. You cannot grow by unfaithfulness nearly as well or as strongly as what God can grow. You are His. This congregation is His. We are called to be faithful. Faithfulness means doing what is right, even when it isn’t popular.

God has a plan, and that plan is so deep and so wonderful that it included the birth of God as a man, and Jesus dying for your sins and the sins of the whole world. The cross is the emblem and sign of the love of God for you! Look there and see how much God loves you. He has claimed you as His own and called you by name in Baptism. He has guarded you and guided you and kept you to this very moment. He has blessed you with long life and riches. God loves you deeply—outwardly, inwardly, physically and spiritually. He has claimed you for eternity with Him.

So how can we grumble and worry as if we have never seen the goodness of the Lord? Troubles are not fun, but God can and does handle them. Sickness is no joy, but God creates health and wellness. You cannot run so far that God cannot find you or bless you. Trust God and pray, and do what is right and faithful. Don’t be afraid to witness to Him. Don’t be reluctant to trust Him. Act and speak as those who have God’s blessing. He will meet your every need.

We have the Word of God. Like ancient Israel, all we need to do is take God at His Word and be patient. Israel’s unbelief and unfaithfulness was met by God’s faithfulness and blessing. He didn’t do it because He likes unbelief. He did it because it is His nature to be good. Look and see; hear and believe. Trust God! He is endlessly good, and He promises to be with you for the needs of your body and for the needs of your soul. 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 3/5/23: Second Sunday in Lent

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Abounding in Holiness

I Thessalonians 4:1-7

 

 

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

 There is a false teaching very much alive and well among Christians: the idea that, having been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, it becomes our responsibility to make our lives pleasing to God. “Salvation is God’s gift to us; a holy life is our gift to Him.” The first half of that statement is quite correct; the second most definitely is not. St. Paul made this clear in his first Epistle to the Corinthians: “Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— ³¹ that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.’” Not only is our salvation a gift from God in Jesus Christ; our entire life of faith, with its holiness and obedience, is also a gift that comes to us through Jesus Christ. It is only when we believe and understand this that we can talk about playing a role in abounding in holiness.

When grace and faith turn our hearts to Jesus Christ, there is a profound change that occurs. When we are convinced that God loves us so much that He gave His own Son as the great Substitute for the whole world, our hearts are overcome by that divine love and a desire to please God in all things. And that is what the word “sanctification” means: the God who gives His Son in the greatest act of sacrificial love overwhelms our hearts with that same love, that we cannot help but abound in holiness. That is not only God’s desire, but ours, as well. But the truth remains that we are both flesh and spirit. Though we are to abound more and more in holiness, and our spirit genuinely desires that, the sinful flesh that clings to us will keep us from achieving it this side of the grave. As Jesus said regarding His disciples, “The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

It doesn’t matter how long one has been a Christian. The time will never come when we can say we have done all the abounding in holiness that God desires of us. On the surface, this text might seem to address those who are faced with the kinds of temptations that are most typical to the young. But each age and generation has temptations to immorality unique to it. As long as you live and breathe in this world, what Paul says here cuts across every age and every source of temptation: “We urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.” But we still find ourselves repeatedly in that same condition as Paul: “The good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” Were we to live to be as old as Methuselah himself, we would still need to pray daily, “Forgive us our trespasses.”

But now, with the encouragement to abound in holiness, Paul also tells us how this is to be accomplished under God’s grace. He singles out for attention two of God’s Commandments which are especially important in one’s personal holiness: the sixth and seventh commandments. “This is the will of God, your sanctification; that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and defraud his brother in this matter...” Being constantly bombarded by such things, that already delicate sense of right and wrong can be easily lost and, before you know it, even Christians are apt to go along. It sounds something like our day, doesn’t it? Isn’t it often true that what you and I consider right and moral, because it is pleasing to God, the society around us generally considers abnormal? Isaiah saw it clearly: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil...”

If we are to stand successfully against these temptations, we cannot forget the weaponry God has given us: His Word and prayer. If your heart and mind are saturated with the Word of God, if you continue to think on it and pray over it, there will simply be less and less room for sinful thoughts and desires. Satan loves a vacuum. If your heart and mind are empty of divine things, you can be sure he will find ways to fill them up with his things. Last Sunday we heard how Jesus met every temptation with the Word of God. If it was necessary for Jesus to do this, how much more so must it be for us? If we are to abound more and more in holiness, who will be doing the motivating? Will we motivate ourselves? Is that our part of the bargain? Or will our motivation come from our Lord Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, “...our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption?”

One of the great blessings of the Lenten season is that it intensely focuses our attention squarely on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, that is where our attention should always be directed. But in this holy season, we are brought face to face with the suffering and death of Him who came for the singular purpose of saving us from sin, death, and the devil. Only in His saving labors do we find forgiveness of sins, life now, and life forever in the security of God’s eternal Kingdom. Only in His saving labors may we abound more and more in holiness. May God in His rich and abundant mercy grant this to us for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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 2/26/23: First Sunday in Lent

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The Word Is a Weapon
Genesis 3:1-21

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

 

Both the Gospel and the Old Testament readings for this day are about temptation. Now, Adam and Eve were only human, whereas Jesus was not only human but also God. At first, that might seem like an unfair comparison. All Jesus had to do was use His divine power, and Satan could not touch Him. But a careful reading of today’s Gospel actually tells us that Jesus did not use His divine power. Jesus was hungry; God doesn’t get hungry. If Jesus had used His divine power for His own advantage, He would not have been hungry. We learn from the Gospels that Jesus never used His divine nature for His own advantage. As you may remember from Catechism instruction, we call this His “state of humiliation.” Jesus took on human flesh in order to take our place. That was the reason for His humiliation. He wouldn’t really be our Substitute if He used His divine power only to serve Himself. Instead, He used it to help others.

It is interesting that the first temptation the devil aimed at Jesus was about food. The same was true in the Garden. The first temptation of humanity was about forbidden food. God had set aside one tree, and the fruit on that tree was forbidden. All Adam and Eve really had to do was leave it alone. God had given them dominion over His creation. He asked only that they show their love for God simply by not eating the fruit of that one tree. Nevertheless, they listened to the serpent; they picked and ate the forbidden fruit.

Adam and Eve fell; Jesus resisted. What was it that allowed Jesus to resist the temptation while Adam and Eve gave up without a fight? The answer is God’s Word. The devil’s real temptation began with the words, “Did God actually say?” The battle really had nothing to do with forbidden fruit, turning stones and bread, or jumping from high buildings. The real battle is always over God’s Word. If Satan can drive a wedge between us and God’s Word, the contest is over. Did God really say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the Garden?” Did God actually say, “You shall not murder?” Did God really say, “You shall not commit adultery?” All the tempting questions have their foundation in one question: Did God really say, “You shall have no other gods before Me?” Before we commit any other sin, we must first remove God from being God. Satan doesn’t really care if we commit any other sin, as along we remove God from being God. And to do that, the devil must separate us from God’s Word.

When the devil cannot get people away from Scripture, he gets them to twist it. He gets them to think of what they must do. “Have I made a decision for Jesus?” “Have I accepted Jesus into my heart?” “Have I given my whole life to Jesus?” “Have I made Jesus my Savior and my Lord?” In a very subtle way, the devil turns your focus away from God and back on yourself. Instead, the Bible answers different questions. “Has Jesus made me His own personal sinner?” “Has Jesus welcomed me into His heart?” “Has He given His whole life to me?” “Has He died to pay the price for my sins?” And the answer in God’s Word to all these questions is a resounding yes!

The Epistle to the Hebrews says: “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” That is how Jesus used God’s Word. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” “It is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’” Jesus did not cast aside the Word of God as did Adam and Eve. Instead, He relied on it to defend Himself from the devil. Hearing the Word of God, the devil had no choice but to retreat.

Today’s Gospel reading, which is God’s own answer to the Old Testament reading, teaches us that Jesus endured that full-on, no-holds-barred assault of the devil. The devil retreated after this battle, but he never gave up. He was tempting Jesus still, even as He hung on the cross. Those who passed by the cross were doing the devil’s work when they said: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Jesus could have escaped the cross. He always had His divine power at His disposal. But He resisted the temptation to use it. He remained on the cross until He died, until He paid for the sins of the world.

Jesus endured all the temptations of the devil and lived a holy life of complete and perfect righteousness. With His death on the cross, He performed the “great exchange;” He took away our sin and covered us with the righteousness of His perfect life. And now He sends the Holy Spirit to work through God’s Word as we hear it, as it washes us in Holy Baptism, as it feeds us in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Through these means we are enabled to face and defeat temptation, for they give us Jesus and all that He has done for us. 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 2/19/22: Quinquagesima

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Reserved by God
I Samuel 16:1-13

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

 

Samuel was not at all enthusiastic about anointing a successor to King Saul, and I think we can understand why. Saul had been a great disappointment. Samuel was regretting the fact that Saul had turned away from the Lord; no doubt he feared failure all over again with a second choice. He likely also feared Saul’s anger. The king’s dark moods, his jealousy and violent temper, were common knowledge. A man who had been willing to execute his own son would not hesitate to behead a prophet of the Lord. But then, we might feel like saying to Samuel, “What is the problem? Who is greater: Saul or God?” It all seems like foolishness…until we consider our own life and our personal problems; then we, too, panic and become fearful.

Reassured by God, Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s eight sons. The citizens of the area were terrified by Samuel’s arrival. No doubt they had heard how the prophet had recently destroyed the Amalekite king, a command of the Lord which Saul had failed to carry out. Had Samuel come now to carry out some similar act of divine retribution on them? Samuel assured the elders of Bethlehem that he had come in peace, that he had come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.

Only Jesse and his sons were invited by Samuel to assist with the sacrifice. As soon as Samuel laid his eyes on Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, he was convinced he was looking at Saul’s successor. Eliab was tall and handsome, with kingly bearing. But the Lord cautioned Samuel: “Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature...For the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Too often, perhaps more than we even realize, we make judgments of others based only on what we see: facial appearance, age, skin color, clothing. Thank God that He doesn’t render judgment on us by such things! Your worth before God rests entirely in Jesus Christ. And God is delights to see a faithful heart within you which confesses its sin and seeks forgiveness from God. Through the gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you are given such hearts, and you are called the beloved of God.

Seven sons, one after another, passed before the prophet. Any one of them would have made an excellent choice, at least as man sees things. And yet, it was not to be. But then David was brought in, and while Samuel saw a handsome young man, his youthful good looks did not necessarily suggest one strong enough to rule the nation. But God knew better. David’s humility and his trusting heart were just what God was looking for.

God looks upon the heart. He knows you infinitely better than you can ever know yourself. God had given David a faithful heart. And even as David entrusted his heart and his life to the Lord, so, too, can you, in full assurance that the Lord who brings you to faith in Jesus Christ—not of your choosing, but of His—also calls you to those ventures in life for which He prepares you.

Jesse and his seven older sons looked on with amazement as the prophet took his horn of oil and poured it over David’s head. Perhaps the young David didn’t fully understand the significance of this simple act, any more than we fully understand the things God does for us. No matter. The prophet was there according to God’s will and by His grace to anoint David for service. As time passed, and David eventually came to the throne, he would be instructed by the Lord as to what he would do.

But by this simple act of anointing, God put a “Reserved” sign, if you will, on David’s life. The Holy Spirit came upon the young shepherd in renewed measure that day. And under the guidance of that same Spirit—the Spirit who unfailingly works through the Word of God—David would grow in faith and love toward God. In time, David would come to the full appreciation of what the Lord had done for him that day, how He had placed David in that line of the ultimate Anointed One, that great Good Shepherd and King of all kings, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you understand what God has done for you? In Holy Baptism you are washed and cleansed and set free from the judgment your sins deserve. There at the baptismal font, He chose you; He set you apart. He put His own “Reserved” sign on your life. You are now reserved for service to Him. You are reserved to hear His Word faithfully. You are reserved to receive from Him the very body and blood of the Savior for the forgiveness of your sins. You are reserved to a life now that is lived to His praise and honor. And you are reserved for the joy of eternal life when our Lord Jesus returns to raise your body from the grave and to gather all His faithful, body and soul, to live with Him forever. 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 2/12/23: Sexagesima

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Sufficient Grace
II Corinthians 11:19-12:9

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

 

One might be tempted to think that the Lord would protect a faithful servant such as St. Paul from trouble. But that is not always God’s way, as many of us have learned from first-hand experience. Paul endured hardship and danger that would have stopped most people. He had been shipwrecked, imprisoned, beaten, and stoned. He faced poverty, hunger, and the violent opposition of the pagan as well as the Jews. And to all of this was added yet another affliction, “a thorn...in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me,” as he described it. We don’t know what this affliction was. But whatever it was, it was so terrible that the apostle implored God to take it away. Three times, when the affliction no doubt seemed unbearable, he prayed for relief.

If the great Apostle to the Gentiles was called on to endure such things, we need not wonder that troubles and afflictions come our way, too. If we expect only good days in the service of the Lord because we are His faithful children, we are only deceiving ourselves. And there is good reason why God does not give even His faithful followers a guarantee of freedom from affliction. Suppose He did, and those who are His children were blessed above all others, while those indifferent to Him received nothing but punishment and loss. No one would dare disobey Him openly, and all would apparently pay heed to His commandments. But what kind of obedience would that be? What would it be worth? God wishes us to love Him and obey His commandments not out of abject fear or even for reward, but because He first loved us, and because His commandments are actually an expression of that love for us. Even His much-loved children must learn that the Lord “...disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” Only in eternity will these matters be given a full answer. And there God will wipe away every tear from our eyes; there will be no more death or sorrow or pain; all such things will have passed away. In our pilgrimage here on earth, we are never free from these things. But we are comforted to know that the crown of eternal life will surely follow. In every trouble here, we have an unfailing resource we can turn to…and that is prayer.

Paul sought out the right help in the right way: he took his afflictions to the Lord. And yet, there are many who despise prayer and avoid it. They endure their troubles with thick skins and hard hearts. Instead of prayer, some turn to the pleasures of the world, trying to drown their troubles in self-indulgence. And if that doesn’t work, they try to worry their troubles away without the help of God. But there is no help and no comfort in any of these.

God desires in us a prayerful heart. Through the Psalmist, He says: “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you...” Our Savior says to us: “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” And each prayer of the faithful is heard and answered—often not in the way we would desire, but in an even better way. We have no promise from God that He will give us always just what we ask. The truth is, sometimes we don’t realize the harm that would come to us if God were to answer in just the way we asked. But God always answers, not according to our poor understanding, but according to our need; not for our momentary good, but for our eternal welfare. Upon this we may rely with complete confidence. 

God answered Paul’s prayer, though His answer was not to remove the affliction. But He assured Paul of an even greater blessing than freedom from this particular trouble: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” This same comforting, strengthening promise of divine grace is yours, as well. He is equal, and more than equal, to all occasions and every trial that may press upon you. Turn to Him in prayer. He will comfort those who sorrow. He will be a faithful companion to all who are tempted. He will supply strength sufficient for every need. He has not changed. His is the same voice, the same gracious assurance. His grace and strength are the same today as always. To the tempted, to the sick at heart, to those who struggle with life, His invitation sounds today as it did then: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 

Sometimes it seems that the Lord is not near. We call out to Him, and we don’t find an answer. The answer has been given, but we don’t yet comprehend it. We pray for a blessing, and then lament that it hasn’t been given. The blessing has been granted, but we have simply failed, as yet, to recognize it. We ask that the thorn be removed, yet it remains. But grace to bear the thorn is given, and that is the real blessing! Let this promise strengthen your faith. Let every time of trouble be a time of prayer. Let every affliction bring you closer to the Lord who has loved you with all that He is and all that He has. In the name and for the sake of Christ, seek the help of God humbly and with confidence. He will lift the burden from your shoulders, or He will give you strength to bear it to His glory. He promises: His grace will always be sufficient for 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 2/5/23: Septuagesima

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Argue or Trust

Exodus 17:1-7

 

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

 

 

Israel had trouble believing God would do what He said He would do. They did not trust God; they forgot the promises, and they were extremely impatient. It did not look like God would do what He had promised. Then along came Moses, the man chosen by God to lead them. God called him and sent him and worked the ten plagues and brought them out of Egypt. God proved that He would do what He promised, despite their lack of trust.

Having been delivered from Egypt, the people of Israel found themselves in the desert. They had limited water with them, and they could not see where they are going to get more. They still had not learned; they still did not trust God. They could not imagine that God could do what they needed Him to do, and so they blamed the messenger of God. We know how it ends. God told Moses to strike a particular rock, and He made water gush out of the rock. If they had only trusted God…but they did not. They took to quarreling with Moses. Their problem was with God, and Moses pointed that out to them. He said, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?”

Now and again, whether as individuals or as a congregation, we have shown that we do not trust the Lord. “Why is our giving so dismal?” “Why is our attendance so low?” “Why am I sick?” “Why did the Lord take my loved one?” “Why is school so hard?” We don’t know what is happening; we don’t like the way things are going. So we don’t stop to exercise our faith in God. Instead we grumble. We quarrel with God.

Jesus once said, “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” He spoke those words to His disciples, but they apply to every messenger that He calls and sends to speak His Word. When anyone quarrels with their pastor over the Word of God, our doctrine, or our practice based on the Word of God, the argument is not with the pastor, but with God. When someone attacks their pastor, they are attacking God first. As your pastor, I must say that have not faced much of that here, and I appreciate that. But it happens throughout the Church.

Now, if a congregation is talking about what color to paint the restrooms, all opinions are welcome; after all, the Word of God has nothing to say about the color of restroom walls. But if a congregation is dealing with doctrine and the practice that flows from the Word of God, the only recourse must be to the Word of God. If the preacher is not faithful to the Word, not only can you disagree with him; you must correct him. If he refuses to be corrected, you must either flee from him or drive him out. But if what he teaches is faithful to the Word, the argument is not with the preacher, but with God. And the cause of the argument is often the same as it was among ancient Israel. Too often people respond from how things seem or how they feel, rather than responding from the knowledge of God and trust in Him.

God dealt with the Old Testament Israel in a unique way, calling one man to make His offspring a nation. He deals with us in a unique way as well, choosing one man, His only-begotten Son Jesus, to carry our sins and die in our place on the cross. He has called us all together out of many nations to be His holy people, the holy Christian Church. He spoke our names in Baptism, and He has gathered us together into a family. We are the body of Christ in this place.

Just like on the Exodus, God continues to deal with us personally. He washes us in the water combined with His name. He speaks His Word into our ears. He comes among us in the body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for you in and under bread and wine to strengthen your faith. These gifts comfort us and prepare us to worship our Lord with holy lives lived out in the world.

Israel had trouble trusting God when confronted by the harsh and tangible realities of life. They couldn’t see how God could do what He had promised He would do. We often struggle with the same thing. Life is real and urgent. Trials and temptations rear up before us, demanding action, trying to tell us that there is no God, that there is no help, that there is no salvation for sinners who struggle to trust in the One who made us.

But we are called to believe. We are called by God to take Him at His Word, to follow Him where He leads, whether it is where we think we should go or not. It can be quite challenging to take God at His Word and trust Him. But God is good. He provided water in the desert for the people of Israel, giving them what they needed in a way they never could have believed possible. In the same way, He will provide for this congregation and His whole Church, as He has throughout our history, although it may be in a way that we didn’t expect. And He will provide for you and your family in ways beyond your ability to ask or imagine. 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 1/29/23: Transfiguration of Our Lord

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

No video recording this week. My apologies.

“We Shall Be Changed…”

Matthew 17:1-9

 

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

 

 

A lot of Christians are troubled people. In truth, all Christians are troubled people. In Church they hear about a wonderful life that God has promised them in the Gospel. But then they walk out the church doors and back into a life that is filled with the same problems they had when they arrived. It seems as if nothing has changed. And not a few of these dear Christians—maybe you are among them—are convinced that, if only Jesus was here today as He was in our Gospel, those problems would disappear.

The truth is, had we lived in those days, we probably would not have recognized Him. Many movies about Jesus attempt to depict Him as having an unearthly glow, with a melodious and yet compelling voice. But He wasn’t like that at all. He himself said that He was meek and lowly. Herod had to kill all the male babies in Bethlehem because there was no way to identify Jesus. When He walked through Galilee and Judea, He blended in with the crowd. If Judas had not kissed Him, the soldiers would have had no idea which man to arrest. In His death, He fit in with criminals, and His crucifixion was a common method of execution. His burial was really no different from that of anyone else who died that day. Many years prior, Isaiah prophesied that He would have no beauty that we should desire to know Him.

This Sunday in the Church year is about change. Even the shape of our worship will change, taking on the solemn tones of Lent. This is the Sunday of the Transfiguration, a word which means “changing the outward figure or appearance.” What the thing really is, however, does not change. Caterpillars become butterflies. Babies become adults. One thing becomes another, and yet it really is still the same thing. No matter how much our appearance may change, we remain the same person. In the same way, the Transfiguration of Jesus is not really a new development. Finally the disciples see Jesus the way He always was and the way He always will be. For one brief moment, the covering of His saving humility is pulled back, and we see things the way they really are. His face took on a different appearance; it “...shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light.”

What happened on the mountain may have been new and strange to the disciples, but not to Jesus. Even in the days of His deepest humiliation, who Jesus had always been was what the Transfiguration revealed. He is the Lord, glowing in the glory of God the Father. Hidden in appearance as an ordinary man was God Himself in all His eternal splendor. Even if His disciples had not heard the voice of the Father from heaven, they would have known from that moment that in this Man—who was also exactly like us in every possible way, except that he was without sin—in this Man resided everything that is God.

The Word that was with God eternally, as John says in his Gospel, had appeared in ordinary human flesh. But now, that same appearance, which had joined deity to humanity, was reversed! The disciples saw His glory, the glory of the only Son of God. God became man, and now they see this Man in the fullness of God’s glory. Here was the glory of everlasting life. Here, in the place of human rejection, was divine acceptance: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”

For Peter, it was like the teacher had cancelled the final exam. Perhaps Jesus would not have to die after all. Just build three tents to capture and hold the glory of God right there. In one we can listen to Moses, the great Law giver; in a second we can listen to Elijah, the great prophet; and in the third, we can listen to Jesus. The Kingdom has come; let’s bottle up its glory in tents. Like us when we walk out of these church doors into a world that hates us for what we believe, Peter had to come down from the mountain. He was going to have to watch his Master die. But things are never quite as they appear. If the humility of Jesus is a covering for His glory, then hidden in the deep recesses of that glory is the suffering of Jesus: His arrest, His trial, His scourging, His carrying of the cross to Golgotha, the pounding of heavy nails into His hands and feet. Remember the words of the Father, “This is my beloved Son...” Well, here He is, beloved of His Father because He bore the burden of our sin. We see His glory as He is lifted up, exalted on the cross.

The Transfiguration is not a moment for fear and despair, for Jesus leads you through the gate of death into eternal life. He alone has the words of eternal life; the voice from heaven orders us still to listen to Him alone. We still hear that voice in the words of the Gospels. And Jesus is transfigured still. He who was instantly revealed in glory now is revealed in the bread and wine that is His body and blood in the Holy Supper.

And there is yet a transfiguration to come, when God will take our bodies and change them to be like the body of our Lord Jesus. For, as Paul said, “...in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” we shall be changed. The final chapter of the Transfiguration has not yet been written. When it is, you will be a part of it: a final and lasting transformation, a final and never-ending resurrection. And with Peter, James, and John, with Moses and Elijah, and with all the saints, you will see His glory! 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 1/22/23: Third Sunday After Epiphany

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Hope for the Battle

Romans 1:8-17

 

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

 

 

The Epistle to the Romans is the most complete presentation of the Christian faith in the Bible. In these introductory words of Paul, we are given a window into his heart and mind; we learn what he was about and what moved him. He wrote this letter to Christians who lived in Rome in the First Century. Those Christians faced great pressures and temptations to compromise their faith; so do we. They were influenced by their culture to live in ways contrary to their faith; so are we. At times they were required to sacrifice and even suffer for the sake of their faith; so are we. They lived at a time when society and culture were hostile to Christians; things are moving in that direction for us.

Paul had not yet been to Rome, but he had clearly heard much about the Church there. He said that their faith was known to all around! And what Paul referred to here was not just the faith of individuals, but also the corporate faith of those Christians in Rome: the confession they shared and the life they lived out together. They were grateful that Jesus Christ and His salvation had been made known to them, and that gratitude was expressed by their willingness to share that faith, with all its joys and blessings, with others. They trusted that the words and promises of God were made sure by our Lord’s cross and resurrection. And that confidence gave them the freedom to make the choices they made, to live the lifestyle they lived, and to take the actions they took, even when it meant ridicule or suffering or sacrifice. They, like Paul, were not ashamed of the Gospel.

And so, Paul was anxious to visit them. He said: “I long to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to strengthen you...” He wanted to come and build up their faith. He knew the pressures they often faced to compromise that faith. Later in this same Epistle, Paul spoke very personally, even intimately, about his own inner struggle between the old sinful nature and the new life of faith. He knew how much easier it was to just let that old sinful nature have its way. He knew how hard it was to fight the good fight of faith, a fight that does not end until life here ends.

But then Paul adds something that is very important. He says, “...that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” That is the way it should be, isn’t it? Mutual encouragement: your faithfulness encourages me to remain faithful, mine encourages you, and we encourage each other. What we learn here is that the life of faith is never meant to be lived alone. The Christian faith is never merely individual faith; it is always corporate faith, faith that is lived out together in the Church. God’s Word bids us to love one another, to forgive one another, to support one another, to admonish one another when necessary, and to pray for one another. And that might be something to consider the next time you are thinking about missing this weekly gathering of the saints. Just as our faithfulness encourages others, our faithlessness can discourage others. You are not the only one affected by the choices you make.

So, just what was this spiritual gift Paul desired to bring them? “I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul wrote to remind them that—despite the battle that goes on within us between good and evil, right and wrong, life and death—the battle has already been won: not by our strength or power or goodness, but by Jesus Christ. The battles that go on within us are only the aftershocks of the war He has already won. A new day has dawned. Forgiveness of sins, a life of faith now, eternal life and heavenly glory: these are the spoils of His victory which He gives to all who put their trust in Him.

This is the Gospel! This, Paul tells us, “...is the power of God for salvation...” God’s power to save resides in that good news that, by His cross, Jesus Christ has paid in blood for all the sins of all the world. By His resurrection from the dead, He has for all time destroyed the power of the grave to hold you. And by His glorious ascension, He has gone to prepare a place for you in the company of angels and archangels and all the saints who have gone on before. So fear nothing that is ahead! Do not fear even death itself, for your future will unfold under the promise of God, a promise sealed with the blood of Christ. This is God doing what He does best: bringing salvation to the lives of those whom He loves and wants with Him for all eternity.

These words of St. Paul, written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are just as powerful, just as important, for us. With many of these same things in mind, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wrote: “We have here no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” That was the eternal hope of those Christians in Rome. That is our hope, as well: a hope fed and nourished by the power of the Gospel. God grant the fulfillment of that hope to us, even as He most certainly did for them. 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 1/15/23: Second Sunday After Epiphany

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Christ and His Bride

Ephesians 5:22-33

 

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

 

 

St. John calls the miracle Jesus performed at the Wedding at Cana the “first” of His miracles. But it’s important to know that the Greek word translated “first” or “beginning,” the word “arche,” means far more than just the first in a series. While this was, indeed, the first of our Lord’s miracles, this word also carries with it the sense of something that is “first in importance.” In other words, it contained within it the origin and source of any number of Biblical truths. No doubt there is something important to the Sacrament of the Altar in this miracle. Perhaps there is also something about the puzzling way Jesus dealt with His mother. But clearly the significance of marriage is evident here as Jesus grants His blessing to marriage not only by His presence but also by His willingness to accommodate it with a miracle.

In our Epistle, St. Paul speaks of the union of husband and wife as a mystery that puts into human terms the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. But we must also consider what Biblical mysteries are. They are not things that we are to figure out. What the Bible calls mysteries are things to be believed for what they are, whether or not they can ever be fully understood, because they have been revealed by God.

Marriage itself is a gift from God, given even before the fall into sin. It is the first and most important of all human relationships. But that fact hasn’t kept it from being abused. You know without me saying so that marriage according to God’s institution is under attack from all sides. There are many who think they know better than the Creator of marriage, who believe they have better ideas than God about what is right and proper in such relationships. But can we who claim to honor God’s gift of marriage escape the mirror of God’s Law in how we have treated this gift? And that is especially the case when we consider the order God has established within marriage.

Ever since conflict and selfishness entered into the very first marriage, husbands and wives have been vying for control and rebelling against how God has made us. I am referring to St. Paul’s instructions to husbands and wives and how they are to relate to each other. “Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord.” “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.” We don’t want to hear such things. Which is harder: for the wife to willingly submit to her husband’s headship? Or for the husband to love his wife wholly and willingly lay down his life for her? The answer is that both are equally unappealing to our sinful nature; both are impossible to do apart from Christ.

But notice that Paul is writing here to Christians, and he puts these individual roles into the context of their connection to Christ: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church.” And that is what makes these instructions for marriage doable: our connection to Christ and the new spirit we have as His people. Does the Church submit to Christ? Yes, gladly and willingly. We know that our Lord will never abuse us or mistreat us. In the same way, Christian wives are called to submit to their husbands—not as slaves, but viewing husbands as their loving, God-ordained head. Did Christ love the Church and give Himself up for her? Yes, and there was nothing lacking in our Lord’s love for us. In the same way, Christian husbands are to love and give themselves up for their wives. When both are doing what they are called to do, then marriage is what it is meant to be: a most beautiful gift of God and a picture—in our own homes!—of the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Why do we resist this? Why do we think we know better than the God who created us? Thank God, for this same God is the One who saved us from all our foolishness and selfishness and self-chosen ways. “Christ is the Head of the Church, His body, and is Himself its Savior.” He saves us from our sins. He makes us His body, spotless in the waters of Holy Baptism, to keep us intimately connected to Him. His love for us was so great that He willingly laid down His life for us, going to the cross to pay the price that sets us free. All our disregard for God’s good order, all our disobedience and disorder, Christ took on Himself and bore in deep humility when He suffered and died for you. Here is your salvation! Here is your Savior! He has cleansed you “by the washing of water with the Word” in Holy Baptism, washing over you with His Word and His name. Whenever your sins accuse you, return to your Baptism and find there full and free forgiveness.

And here is hope for your future, as well. Christ is going to present His Church to Himself in splendor on the Last Day. Like a radiant, beautiful bride, so the Church will be—so will we be as we enter, body and soul, into the joys of everlasting life. We will be with our Savior in joy forever, like a wedding feast that never ends. All of this, Paul says, is a profound mystery. And so we ask for God’s help, which we know He will give us, in preserving, defending, and living the mystery of marriage. 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.